Week Three

[stagemanagers]

[Last week, some shit went down! Salieri's scene went off without a hitch, but the good mood didn't last. The first motive was a bit of a doozy, and yet it didn't even have anything to do with the eventual accidental death of Mumble Happyfeet! At least Sissi was already pretty much dating Death anyway, right? She's probably fine, wherever she is.

This week, new menus have been posted in the cafeteria. But, more importantly, it seems that other new information has emerged. Everyone wakes on Sunday with some new memories - or are they old ones? - floating around in their heads. Maybe there was something to your discussions of time travel after all. Maybe there was someting to the Wizard's knowledge of the future.

Regardless, you're still stuck in here. At least there's some new places to explore this week. Maybe you'll find something helpful.]

Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday

(( Be sure to submit your memory regains and your AC for this week! Hester's office hours and the merch booth also remain available! ))

Comments

[barberic]

[Everything that happened over the weekend feels almost like a faraway dream now. Two of his missing seventeen years have been accounted for, in the best possible way. Out of respect for the dead, and because he could hardly believe that he had just...woken up with memories from those missing years, he had kept it relatively quiet, the day before.

But on Monday morning, he decides to try out the vending machine that everyone else has been getting into. He gets a lot of items from the vending machine. He does his best to sort them as he goes, with general piles of "food," "not food," and a special "to be destroyed" category for the "Death Note" - why does the vending machine keep spitting those out? Ugh.

He's a bit disappointed with what he's gotten so far (well, except for the meat pie - it was refreshing to have a taste of home. Almost reminded him of his landlady's cooking), truth be told. Until he puts in one last coin, and the vending machine rattles mysteriously again, and deposits a small, metal photograph.

Anyone coming into the Cafeteria will find Benjamin sitting at one of the tables might catch him with a disgustingly saccharine smile on his face, staring at the little photograph in his hands.]

[themuseabandonsyou]

[ That's absolutely the happiest Orpheus has seen anybody in the past few days, and he can't help but be kind of curious. After some consideration, he lets Eurydice know what he's up to and leaves her to taking stock of the kitchen while he wanders over. ]

Good morning, Mister Barker. [ he says. ] What's that? If it's okay to ask.

[barberic]

[Absorbed as he is in the photo, Orpheus manages to sneak up on Benjamin, and he startles slightly, looking up.]

Good morning, Orpheus. Look- [He holds up the ambrotype proudly, so Orpheus can come closer and see.] That's my beautiful Lucy. And there, our perfect little Johanna. [His voice cracks slightly on his daughter's name, and he brushes the frame of the photograph reverently with his thumb.]

I can't believe... How could I ever forget her? Look at how sweet she is.

[Was? Is? Does it truly matter, if little girls are always perfect cherubs in their father's eyes?]

[themuseabandonsyou]

Oh! [ Orpheus's eyes light up, and he hurries over to look, beaming at the picture. That really is something worth smiling about, in the middle of all of this. ] They're both beautiful. You didn't tell me you had a daughter!

[ He says it in the way of a pleasantly surprised acquaintance, though as he does it occurs to him - Mister Barker really didn't tell him he had a daughter. Hadn't he said he and Lucy had just been on their honeymoon? He guesses that's not that unusual, but then it strikes him, and his expression turns confused. ]

Wait, you forgot her?

[barberic]

It's hard to explain. I thought... Yesterday it felt too good to be real, but unlike a dream it didn't fade upon waking. It slotted into place. Like a forgotten memory, shaken loose by a familiar sight, or a smell.

[He only barely is able to take his eyes off of the photograph long enough to look up at Orpheus.]

Coming home after our honeymoon, our little flat, my very own shop... And then Lucy falling pregnant, and Johanna being born, and watching her grow from something this big- [He cups his hands a few inches apart] into the beginnings of a precocious little girl...

You can see how I thought, no matter how right it felt, that it was simply too good to be true. But then I got this. Lucy's present to me for Johanna's first birthday. For me to keep in my shop, so I never had to be a minute without them.

[themuseabandonsyou]

Oh. That - [ sounds familiar. Orpheus's face goes pale as he thinks about the dream he had - of the winter, of working on his song, writing and rewriting and rewriting, and Eurydice coming to him asking for help. Of refusing, because he couldn't stop his work, even for a moment. Even for her.

He swallows, hard, and shakes his head. It's - it doesn't mean anything. He forces himself to smile again. ]

That's wonderful. You're a very fortunate man. [ He reaches out, placing a hand on Mister Barker's shoulder. ] We'll get you back to both of them soon. If there's a way out of here for all of us, we'll find it.

[barberic]

[Despite rolling Insight with disadvantage, it's hard not to notice Orpheus' reaction. Enough to make him temper his enthusiasm. Just slightly.

He smiles, completing the circle by clapping his hand onto Orpheus' shoulder as well.]

Indeed we will. I'm quite homesick already, and now I'll only be even moreso. [But his expression softens, concerned, though the smile doesn't disappear.] And you know, my friend, if you or your wife ever need anything... We're in this together, after all, if there's anything I can do to help just say the word.

Cafeteria

[tellthestory]

Oh, god.

[The Balladeer isn't registering Benjamin's expression just yet - he sort of honed in on that gun from across the room.]

Is there more than one of these?

[barberic]

[Benjamin is easy to sneak up on right now.]

Hm? More than one of what?

[He has also frankly forgotten completely about anything else that he got out of the machine.]

[tellthestory]

This gun - I know the guy who owns it.

[He's juuuuust gonna pick that up and check to verify this one's empty too. He seems really familiar with guns, actually?]

Or maybe they're all just replicas. I already have one... [And it is empty! Only after that's confirmed does he look up and realize that Benjamin is just fully not paying attention.] What's that?

[barberic]

[We can circle back to gun talk in a second, but-]

This? [Beaming, he stands so he can show him the ambrotype.] A gift of mine, from home. Look at my girls - aren't they perfect? I'm the luckiest man alive.

[tellthestory]

[Yeah, we can return to the gun thing; he puts it back down on the table and moves to look at the picture.]

Oh - oh! You have a daughter? [The Balladeer beams. Even from his weird vantage point, he knows that's really great!] Congratulations!

[barberic]

Thank you, my friend. [He looks away from the Balladeer and back down at the ambrotype.]

That's my beautiful wife, Lucy, and the little angel on her lap is Johanna. [A blissful sigh.] They're my whole life.

Cafeteria

[violentenvies]

[Salieri isn't entirely recovered from Sunday, but he's at least feeling a little more himself. In fact, he's coming into the Cafeteria for a cup of tea--which is when he spots Benjamin at the table. His expression immediately brightens, and he lifts a hand in greeting]

Good morning, Benjamin.

[barberic]

[Benjamin looks up from the photo like he was miles away, turns and gives Antonio a wave.]

Good morning, Antonio. How was your rest last night?

[violentenvies]

[boy that sure is a question. But Salieri only smiles a bit, and lies very convincingly through his teeth] Quite well, thank you, and yours?

[barberic]

[He's rolling Insight with a big disadvantage here, so he doesn't notice. He does get up and go over to his friend.]

Good indeed, my friend, and all the better now.

[He beams.]

I'm a father, Antonio! Look- [He brandishes the ambrotype carefully, but proudly.] My Lucy, and our darling Johanna.

[violentenvies]

[That...is not the news he expected. At first, Salieri's mouth drops open a little in surprise]

I beg your pardon, you're--?

[but soon enough the ambrotype is brandished in front of his face, Salieri's reaching out to catch a hold of the other side to steady it and take a look. There sits a young woman and a child--Lucy and Johanna, as Benjamin has supplied and, despite everything, despite his own memories resurfacing and the toll they've taken, Salieri feels a swell of pure joy and pride for his friend bubbling in his chest and he cannot help but smile, widely, turning to Benjamin with possibly the most excitement seen on his face since he was a boy]

You're a father! [he releases the ambrotype back to Benjamin's hold alone so he can reach over and grasp his arm] My dear friend, this is simply wonderful news!

[barberic]

[Benjamin hadn't thought that he could possibly be more excited, but the boyish delight on Antonio's face is quickly matched by his own.

When Antonio releases the ambrotype, Benjamin presses it to his chest as if he can will himself to feel his girls in his arms if he tries hard enough.]

Thank you. I'm still in shock, I think! [He looks down at the ambrotype again.] Lucy gave this to me for Johanna's first birthday. She wanted me to have it to keep in my shop, so I would always have them with me.

I thought the memory was just a dream too good to be true, until I found this in that machine, just as I remembered it.

Cafeteria

[whatyouwant]

[Elle is passing through on her way to make some food when she sees Benjamin sitting there, one of the only people who actually looks happy.

Oh thank god.]

Good morning, Mr. Ben! What'd you have there?

[barberic]

Good morning, Miss Elle.

[He holds the photo up proudly for her to see.]

A little gift from home. I had... an unbelievable dream. Not wholly so, but certainly one that felt too good to be true. But this is proof that it was real.

[He rubs his thumb adoringly over the edge of the photo.]

I'm a father. That's my Lucy - and our beautiful little Johanna.

[whatyouwant]

[Elle looks at the picture and smiles.]

They're both beautiful! I'm so happy someone else got a good memory. Between Friday and everyone else waking up screaming...[She didn't want to say it out loud, but she was starting to feel guilting what she got back was good.]

[barberic]

I heard... [His dad enthusiasm doesn't fade, but his excitement sobers slightly.]

I said nothing yesterday, because I thought it might just have been a dream. That may have been better, for some.

[whatyouwant]

Yeah, same here. Poor Farrah woke up screaming, I found Connor curled up in the computer lab.

[Elle sighs.]

It makes sense for them to be memories if we've all lost time. I just wish it had been better for them.

[barberic]

[Farrah and Connor...]

They're so young... [He thinks about his own missing years, and how that would make Johanna about their age.]

They deserve better than this. Any of this. I'm sure their parents are worried sick.