Week Two

[stagemanagers]

[Last week, no murder happened! Instead, a lot of students started work on Salieri's school play, which sounds pretty cool even though it's gonna be short, several people destroyed Bigfoot and got a few mysterious clues, and Orpheus started a fire in the kitchen! All in all, not a bad first week!

Though some people might have gone to talk to Hester, she hasn't made any more public announcements. There's some new papers posted up around the cafeteria, but it looks like it's just your upcoming lunch schedule. Seems like nothing's driving you towards Rule Five except, perhaps, all of the kidnapping and how criminally boring some of you are finding the school. Maybe the Balladeer is right, and you really can just wait this out? Only time will tell!]


Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday

(( No new locations this week, since y'all haven't paid in blood! Hester's office hours are still open, as are regains! Make sure to complete your first activity check by Tuesday! ))

Comments

scene shop

[violentenvies]

[Salieri's been going around the school, looking for specific people and checking in on them. Varian takes a bit to find, but find him he does, gathering supplies in the Scene Shop.

He steps into the doorway, knocking politely on the door frame to get his attention.]

[alchemistake]

[The knock is appreciated; it saves Varian from jumping out of his skin with Salieri more softly announcing his presence, prompting him to turn and look over his shoulder.]

Oh...hey, Salieri.

[He sighs, adjusting the belt on his hip.]

I'll be out in a second, if you needed to be in here.

[violentenvies]

Ah, no, not at all. No need to hurry.

Actually...I was looking for you.

[alchemistake]

...me?

[He sounds surprised, even if he knows deep down he probably shouldn't be.

Varian turns his attention back to the wall of tools he's been through a hundred times by now.]

How come?

[violentenvies]

I simply, ah...wanted to speak to you and see how you were faring.

[he's just going to...watch Varian look through all of those tools, maybe taking just a step inside the door]

[alchemistake]

[To lie, or not to lie.

...]

Could be better.

[Could be worse? Maybe. But the way the boy's shoulder's slump speaks differently.]

[violentenvies]

[Varian's shoulders slump, and that feeling of worry that's been sitting in his gut twists, growing stronger. Salieri steps inside, moving over to him, reaching out to gently set a hand on his shoulder]

It certainly hasn't been an easy day, has it?

[alchemistake]

[Varian doesn't move from where he's standing, though he doesn't look over, either. He's sort of just staring at the wall, like an answer for what he should be doing next might jump out at him.]

Yeah...it hasn't.

[He's doing a good job of being conversational here, clearly.]

Wizard can't even be bothered to show his face, and now he does this to us.

[violentenvies]

I wish I could say such a cruel, cowardly action was surprising, but I'm afraid that would be a falsehood.

[he huffs, annoyance clear]

It's all hearsay anyway. We have no confirmation of such things, and he is using fear to try and control us.

[alchemistake]

[Hearsay, huh...]

He sure has made it awfully convincing, though.

[He wants to believe that- that it's just fabricated, or magic of some sort- but Varian's also not used to seeing photos as clear as the one he received. It's like you're there, witnessing it as it happened.]

[violentenvies]

He has. And I believe that was the aim.

However...[he hesitates a moment]

I believe that mine, at least, was fabricated. And if mine was, then why not other's?

[alchemistake]

[Varian doesn't answer immediately, which is maybe telling.]

I want to believe that. [He really does.] But...some things are easier to fake than others, I think.

[violentenvies]

[Salieri frowns slightly at that, thinking back on Farrah's photo, because he's desperately trying to cling to that being faked l o l]

I...suppose that is so. But considering all the effort it took to get us here, what is a little more effort to put into falsifying some pictures.

[alchemistake]

[IT'S FINE THEY WERE

RESTING]


...it's torture, is what it is.

[Psychological, mainly.]

And I'm worried this isn't the last of it we'll see.

[violentenvies]

It is, that. [Salieri folds his arms over his chest, leaning back against the wall]

...do you think the Wizard will escalate, then, if he doesn't get what he wants?

[alchemistake]

I have no reason to think he won't, if he's bothering to do this much. It may or may not work...so he'll just have to come up with a more effective tactic.

Rinse and repeat until one of us finally snaps.

[violentenvies]

Or, we survive the two months.

[alchemistake]

[Haha...ha...]

Let's say we do. Would he actually keep his word?

[violentenvies]

At this point, there's only one way to find out. Unless we find an exit sooner.

[alchemistake]

Guess we don't have much other choice.

[They're mice caught in a trap, except the trap is a school where they're basically living for the Wizard's amusement and he hates it, thanks.]

If I ever get out of here, I'm going to renounce my stance against magic just so I can use it to figure out a way to block off all paths to Corona so this doesn't happen again.

[violentenvies]

That does sound like a very good reason to revoke a certain stance on something. Especially if it can be to your kingdom's benefit.

I'm afraid I wouldn't know where to start with all of that, but it is certainly tempting to try.