stagemanagers: (Default)
It's Curtains Mods ([personal profile] stagemanagers) wrote in [community profile] itscurtains2021-05-30 12:40 am
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once more with feeling [act 3]

You awake in an unfamiliar bed.

It’s comfortable enough, sure, but it’s certainly not yours. The room, too, is unfamiliar, especially in such heavy darkness. There seems to have been a great effort put into making it a livable space, with fuzzy rugs laid over linoleum, beds arranged as best to fit (and one bunk bed per dorm, rip whoever has the bottom bunk), and a single desk. You've also got individually labelled trunks; if you look inside yours, you'll find a yearbook with mostly blank pages, as well as a few with some interesting information. But even with all these changes it’s clear this room started it’s life as a classroom, every window hidden behind heavy dark green curtains.

To add to the strangeness of it all, your clothes have been swapped for some kind of uniform. It, though fitting your body perfectly, might feel a bit odd to some of you, as the body you have isn’t quite the same as it was before you mysteriously fell unconscious. The other important thing to note is the people in the other beds around you, all wearing the same color-coded uniform.

The hallway outside the dorms is narrow but well-lit, with fresh white walls and some scattered posters advertising some kind of midweek club meeting. The hallway goes on until, for the more contemporary of you, the pieces start to fall together as to your location: a school. Once you leave your rooms you’re free to wander as you wish but pinned up on a corkboard just outside the cafeteria there’s framed information that you might find helpful. If you explore further into the other rooms, in fact, you'll see there's an identical copy outside all of them.

In the lobby there are linoleum floors and fluorescent lighting, and a pair of glass doors that appear to lead outside. You can see out of both of them that the sun is shining brightly and there’s definitely more to see in the distance but the glass is unbreakable; you can't get out that way right now. A rolling metal sheet blocks off the hallway to the west. For the moment, both doors leading outside are locked.

It looks like you’re stuck. But hey - at least you aren’t alone.
themuseabandonsyou: (profile)

[personal profile] themuseabandonsyou 2021-05-30 05:57 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Orpheus thinks about that for a moment, before shaking his head. He's not dismissing the idea so much as he just can't get his mind around it. ]

I don't understand how someone would think it was funny? [ He knows he misses things like that a lot, but it seems like this woman doesn't get the joke either. Which is sort of reassuring, but not really. He stares at the sign for a moment longer before turning his attention to her more fully. ]

Do you know what's happening here? [ He asks, hopefully. She looks about as confused at she is, but maybe she has some insight into things. ]
defyingfrigidity: (pic#7136540)

[personal profile] defyingfrigidity 2021-05-30 06:19 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't either. There are few things that should be off-limits in terms of joking, and death is one of them.

[She can't ever imagine joking about what happened to Anna, either when they were children or after her disaster of a coronation. If it was Anna doing the joking, that might be one thing. Coping through humor is... a thing, she's found. But something like this? Absolutely not.]

I'm as in the dark as you are. The last thing I remember was falling asleep in my own room, and the next... I was here. I don't even remember being taken.
themuseabandonsyou: (profile)

[personal profile] themuseabandonsyou 2021-05-30 06:30 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Orpheus nods in agreement, glancing back at the sign. There's a time and place for jokes, and this really doesn't seem to be one of them. ]

Oh. It seems like it's the same for everyone I've talked to here? I thought maybe one of the gods might have done it, but this doesn't seem like any of them.

[ Normally when they want to do something to or for someone, they take a much more direct approach than just putting them somewhere else without explaining why or what's going on. ]
defyingfrigidity: (pic#13696046)

[personal profile] defyingfrigidity 2021-05-30 06:57 pm (UTC)(link)
["One of the gods". That's... not comforting, exactly, but it's nice to know that someone else knows of the old stories too. Not many people in Arendelle truly worship the gods these days, but Elsa always found an odd sort of comfort in the tales of Loki and Thor and all the others. It helped the world make sense.]

Well... gods aren't exactly subtle, are they? [Does subtlety as a word exist in old norse???] If this was their doing, I think we'd know right away.
themuseabandonsyou: (flower)

[personal profile] themuseabandonsyou 2021-05-30 07:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Usually no. [ Mister Hermes could manage if he felt like it, sometimes, but for the most part Orpheus's understanding of the divine side of his family is that they really don't tend to do things by halves. ] They either let you know what they're doing or do something really obvious, most of the time.

But who else could kidnap all these people? I don't understand.
defyingfrigidity: (pic#13696054)

[personal profile] defyingfrigidity 2021-05-30 07:52 pm (UTC)(link)
I suppose if there was a group dedicated to such things it's possible, but...

[It still doesn't make much sense. Elsa can.... kind of see it, from a cruel perspective. She's the queen of Arendelle; people could make a fortune off ransoming her. But all the others... are they in similar positions?]

Can you think of any reason why someone would want to kidnap you?
themuseabandonsyou: (profile)

[personal profile] themuseabandonsyou 2021-05-30 08:48 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Orpheus considers the question. Would anyone kidnap him? Most of the reasons he can think of that would make it a good idea are also the ones that make it a very bad idea. ]

I'm not anyone special. [ he says.] And the most important people I know are Mister Hermes and Lady Persephone, but I don't think they'd take it very well if something happened to me? They, um. They don't like to compromise.

What about you, though? Do you think someone is trying to get something from your friends by doing this?
defyingfrigidity: (too late to go back to sleep)

[personal profile] defyingfrigidity 2021-05-30 08:54 pm (UTC)(link)
[Elsa opens her mouth to respond, but something in her mind just. Freezes as she processes what he just said. Mister Hermes? Persephone???]

... Wait, I'm sorry. You know them? The... the actual gods Hermes and Persephone?
themuseabandonsyou: (profile)

[personal profile] themuseabandonsyou 2021-05-30 09:08 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Orpheus nods, looking a little sheepish. He honestly kind of forgets it's such a big deal to most people, after spending his entire life around them. ]

Mister Hermes looked after me after my mom left, and Lady Persephone passes through the town where I live every spring and fall.

[ Or, well. She kind of misses the mark more often than not these days, but who's counting? ]

I don't think it's a good idea to demand ransom from the gods, though? So I don't think I'm here because of that.
defyingfrigidity: (pic#13696066)

[personal profile] defyingfrigidity 2021-05-30 09:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Wow....

[She seems almost awed as he speaks. To know the gods in such a way... he must be a lucky man, indeed. Not many who have met those of that particular pantheon have come out for the better, after all.]

... Yeah, I think that's the most thickheaded mistake you can possibly make. They've cursed people for doing far less, so directly threatening them? If that were the case, we'd be free very soon.

[You know. Because the ransomers would be dead.]
themuseabandonsyou: (flower)

[personal profile] themuseabandonsyou 2021-05-30 09:55 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Or turned into animals, or turned into animals then dead. You never know! That said, Orpheus nods, solemnly. ]

Maybe Mister Hermes will come find me anyway. I'm sure he'd be happy to send everyone else back home, too. [ So there's that, as a possible avenue of rescue. ] I guess that does mean I still don't know why I'm here, though.

[ He pauses, then adds, ] Oh, um. I'm Orpheus, by the way. It's nice to meet you, despite. All of this.
defyingfrigidity: (pic#13696068)

[personal profile] defyingfrigidity 2021-05-30 10:08 pm (UTC)(link)
... Orpheus?

[Suddenly, the mention of Hermes and Persephone makes sense.] The

Orpheus? The, um... [... Hm. Maybe don't mention the tragic myth he's most well known for. That's not a very good way to make a first impression.] The Argonaut?

[Wow Elsa, just. Fumble that introduction, huh.]

Sorry, that was rude of me to just. Blurt all of that out. My name is Elsa.
themuseabandonsyou: (smile)

[personal profile] themuseabandonsyou 2021-05-30 10:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes! [ says Orpheus, brightly, blissfully unaware of what Elsa was going to say there and seemingly unbothered by or just plain not noticing her stumbling over it. ] You've heard of us?

[ He guesses it did make the news, when they came back from Colchis with the fleece and Governor Pelias died under mysterious circumstances. Still, he's sort of flattered and impressed. ]

Don't worry about it, I'm not offended. [ he says, beaming at her. ]
defyingfrigidity: (pic#13696056)

[personal profile] defyingfrigidity 2021-05-30 10:44 pm (UTC)(link)
[With that worry out of the way, Elsa seems to relax a little. She's still confused, of course, but at least she's not afraid that she's going to make the poor guy uncomfortable.]

I have, yes! I've read stories about Jason, Heracles, Theseus... [That guy was kind of a jerk wasn't he?] I... admit, I'm a little surprised, though. I thought they were just stories.

[And, you know, thousands of years old. But let's not get into THAT little snag.]
themuseabandonsyou: (smile)

[personal profile] themuseabandonsyou 2021-05-30 11:44 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't know who Theseus is, [ says Orpheus, thinking back. Was there someone named Theseus on the Argo? He doesn't think so. He's pretty sure he met everybody, but maybe he missed someone. There were a lot of people on that boat. ] But Heracles and Jason are definitely real. I sang at Jason's wedding, and Heracles tried to teach me how to hunt.

[ That went really poorly! But Orpheus appreciates that he tried, at least. Fond memories, of crying in the woods over a dead deer while a giant man looked on in confused embarrassment. ]
defyingfrigidity: (and you can't pull me down)

[personal profile] defyingfrigidity 2021-05-30 11:55 pm (UTC)(link)
[Thanks for making a confusing timeline on par with the Zelda Timeline, greek writers!!]

Wow. Was it easy to learn from him, or did he just make it look easy?

[She can't imagine having someone like Heracles as a teacher. Not because he'd be terrible at it, but his skill just seemed so... natural. It's hard to really teach people things like that when you never really had to put the hard work in yourself.]
themuseabandonsyou: (looking down)

[personal profile] themuseabandonsyou 2021-05-31 12:30 am (UTC)(link)
[ it's fine you just gotta work backwards from everybody's intersecting plotlines to figure out when people were where, it's like modern American comic books, it's fine ]

I think it would've been easier for someone who wasn't me. [ Orpheus admits, rubbing at the back of his neck sheepishly and frowning. ] I um, couldn't kill anything. Not even a rabbit. I felt too bad about it. He tried really hard, but I don't think I have the heart for it.
defyingfrigidity: (pic#7669700)

[personal profile] defyingfrigidity 2021-05-31 01:00 am (UTC)(link)
[She laughs, but it's a gentle, amused sound, rather than a mocking one.]

Well, there's certainly no shame in that. [And no surprise, coming from a man whose music could touch the heart of the god of the underworld.] I don't think I'd have the heart for such things, either. It's much better to help life grow, I think, than to end it.

[After all, with all the trouble her magic has caused, especially for her sister... it's enough to last her a lifetime.]

Hopefully he was a good sport about things not working out.
themuseabandonsyou: (smile)

[personal profile] themuseabandonsyou 2021-05-31 01:16 am (UTC)(link)
I think he was a little disappointed, but he was nice about it.

[ He'd seemed pretty sad about it, actually, which Orpheus still didn't quite understand, but it was what it was. ]

I agree, though. Hunting is important and I'm glad other people can do it, but it's good not to have to rely on it too much. I'm not much of a gardener either, but I can grow some things.

[ Including flowers, spontaneously, by singing with enough heart, but that's mostly just useful for impressing girls. ]
defyingfrigidity: (pic#13696056)

[personal profile] defyingfrigidity 2021-06-01 05:06 am (UTC)(link)
[Not a gardener, but he can grow some things.... right. There was something in the myths about that, wasn't there?]

So it's true, then? That you can make things grow with your music?

[It's not just her love of stories that sends a spark of excitement through her. If it's true... then that means that the man before her can use magic. The idea of meeting someone else like her, someone who was celebrated for their gifts instead of hidden away... oh, it makes her feel like a kid during Yule!]
themuseabandonsyou: (smile)

[personal profile] themuseabandonsyou 2021-06-01 05:28 am (UTC)(link)
Hmm? [ Mostly he meant he's competent at growing easy things like carrots and so on, but - ] Yes, I can! I mean, sometimes. I don't have a lot of control over it.

[ He looks a little sheepish as he admits it, shrugging. Plants usually seem to do better when he plays music for them, but sometimes they grow much more than they should be able to, and there's no real predicting it. And then there's what happened with the flower... ]
defyingfrigidity: (pic#13696056)

[personal profile] defyingfrigidity 2021-06-01 10:15 pm (UTC)(link)
... Do you think you can try it here?

[Elsa gets Anna, now. How she acts like such an awestruck child every time Elsa uses her magic. Being on the other side like this, hearing about things people can do that nobody else can... forgive her. She's just a little excited, is all.]
themuseabandonsyou: (lyre)

[personal profile] themuseabandonsyou 2021-06-01 11:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Maybe! Um... [ Orpheus looks around, gaze settling on a tall, strange-looking plant in a pot in the corner of the lobby. He walks over to it, gesturing for Elsa to follow. Once he reaches it, he takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and begins to sing wordlessly in a high, clear voice.

For a moment, it seems like nothing is happening. Then the plant shudders, buds forming on its woody stems and rapidly unfurling into pale white flowers as his song grows in intensity. He opens his eyes, drawing a song to the close and examining his work before looking back over at Elsa, grinning in a mixture of pleasant surprise and pride.
]

It worked!

[ There's something a little off about the plant, though. Are those flowers made of fabric? Orpheus sure doesn't seem to notice.]
defyingfrigidity: (unlimited)

[personal profile] defyingfrigidity 2021-06-02 02:37 am (UTC)(link)
[It almost seems like Elsa holds her breath as he croons, eyes focused on the... very fake-looking plant. She looks doubtful, not of his abilities, but rather the "plant" itself... and then it shifts and blooms, and Elsa lets out a shaky little laugh.]

Oh wow.

[This is indeed what Anna must feel like, so awestruck over something so small yet so magical. It's a light, bubbling feeling rising in her chest as she reaches out, touching the... yeah. Very fake flower on the fake plant. But that just makes it all the more amazing!]

I never thought I'd ever meet someone else who can do magic like this...
themuseabandonsyou: (smile)

[personal profile] themuseabandonsyou 2021-06-02 03:12 am (UTC)(link)
[ Orpheus beams at her, still oblivious to the plant being fake as he watches Elsa's reaction rather than study the flowers more closely. When she mentions knowing someone else who can do magic, he raises his eyebrows, looking a little surprised. ]

Oh! Can you do something like this, too? [ he asks, obviously curious and a little excited about the idea. He's known lots of other demigods, having met most of them aboard the Argo, but most of them were exceptionally fast, or strong, or durable. Which was impressive! But not the same as what he could do. ]

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