Week Four

[stagemanagers]

[Last week, Gershwin High School Academy University saw its very first intentional murder! What a milestone! And right after Spongebob's No Murder party, too - that doesn't seem like it bodes very well for anybody's future.

You all wake up this morning with yet another new memory returned to you. You'll also find that the school's external doors have now unlocked. Congratulations! You're free! Unfortunately, you also seem to be entirely in the middle of nowhere. So maybe it's more of a symbolic victory.

Still, you should look around and do some investigation! Maybe you'll find a fun surprise.]

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

[themuseabandonsyou]

[ He does come back into focus a little bit as she talks to him, at least, looking at the pouch with curiosity. ]

What's this? [ he asks, reaching out for it. ]

[brokeforgood]

[Farrah stares at her from across the room—- then hops up, and approaches Cass.]

...Yeah? You wanna talk about it? That helps, sometimes.

[brokeforgood]

I think... a quarter of her heart might be more like it, but yeah. I hope so. [She sits up then, grinning.]

And I know, with all of my heart, that you’ll see Patrick again.

[themuseabandonsyou]

Hmm? Oh! Congratulations to both of you, then!

[ Orpheus beams at her. Not that she can see it past the notebook she's holding up to her face? But it's apparent in his voice, at least. ]

I don't know much about what he likes, when it comes to food, but I'm sure he'll be happy with whatever you decide to make for him. Or maybe you could ask him about making something together? That could be nice, too.

[alchemistake]

[That's what people keep telling him. That maybe it's not what it seems. But every memory he receives is worse than the last, and it makes it difficult to believe good news is ahead.

He allows Rina to take his hand, tightening his grip just barely. He can feel Ruddiger pat his hair with a paw, who seems to have woken up with their soft talking.]

...I really hope you're right.

[He sighs, looking down.]

Cassandra...she's from my home. And she can remember things I don't. I don't know how much she knows, but...I feel like if the threat was gone, she would have told me.

[Right?]

Maybe I should just ask her, but...I'm scared.

[themuseabandonsyou]

Right!

[ They do seem to have a lot of free time, here. Orpheus will walk over and gesture to the piano bench. ]

Can I sit with you? I can teach you some of what I know.

[samefacesyndrome]

[ ...Hmmmmmmm :|a ]

...Would you like to ask her together? I could go with you.

[alchemistake]

...well, that's better than the 500 Elle was talking about.

[But there's a difference between highschool and a college campus, Varian just doesn't know that.]

But let's be generous and just go with 27...if you're going to be up against that many other students, that sounds like it'll take forever.

[alchemistake]

Oh, it's no problem. I can show you more any time you want.

[Varian smiles, though it doesn't quite reach his eyes.]

I didn't...really know today was any kind of special day. I hadn't heard of Father's Day until now.

Boys' Bathroom

[themuseabandonsyou]

Mister Barker?

[ Orpheus's voice is high and distressed as he walks in, taken aback by the sight of all the scars. He'd known something had happened to Mister Barker on Sunday, but this? These wounds looked old and vicious. He hurries over, not reaching out to touch him but hovering awkwardly in concern. ]

Are you - what happened?

[alchemistake]

I....

[...

Varian's heart beats faster. Harder.

For a second, it feels like it may burst. If what he thinks- what he knows, what he saw is the truth- then he can't-]

I'm...I don't think I'm ready. Not yet.

[His head sinks against the pillow a little more. Elsa had offered him the same kindness...and he'd turned it down then, too.]

I'm sorry, but...if I do ask her, I'd really appreciate it if you could be there. If it's not too much.

[brokeforgood]

Yeah— [Farrah hesitates.]

Sorry. I should have told you, but I didn’t want to like...make you miss your dad.

[tellthestory]

Same old thing, I guess. What's up with you?

[barberic]

[Benjamin startles when Orpheus walks in, flinching away and hurriedly shoving his shirt back on.]

...They're old scars. It's not important.

[His voice is different than it was before. Not...menacing, per se, but more of a growl.]

[themuseabandonsyou]

Okay. [ Orpheus knows better than to pry, at something like that. But he's still curious, and worried, and he can't help but ask, ] Are you... doing any better than yesterday? I wasn't there, but. I heard about some of what happened.

Investigating here Mods!

[alchemistake]

[It's Monday, and Varian seems to be in notably brighter spirits than he was on Sunday. He's had it reaffirmed to him, time and time again, that the things he thinks might be set in stone...simply aren't. He has the power to change his own destiny. His memories may not paint the whole picture of what's happened. Believing it all at face value would be harmful not only to himself, but to those the memories affect.

He just needs to push forward and focus on today. Right now. The things he can do with his own two hands. He's thankful to have people he can talk to that remind him of that- Rina, Salieri, Farrah, Maya, Elsa, and so many others. The sleepover from last night reminded him of that.

The first thing he'll do today is Investigate. He's not woods savvy like Peregrine, so instead of going there, he's going to look around the garden in particular. What's up with this space, exactly? It's an open little area with a tree, rocks set up around it, benches and the pool of water, but is that really all there is to see? He's going to take a stroll and find out.

Later on, he'll be found in the Hallway making his way back from the boy's bathroom. He looks kindof frustrated, and it's easy to see why- some of the clothes he put together are just...fucking destroyed with grease stains. He's never worked with a car before, and he got himself...so dirty fixing it...and now that he's realized huh, I kindof like this outfit, he's trying to clean it up and it's not working. So he'll hail anyone passing by, a bundle of semi-wet clothes in his arms.]

Do you know how I can get grease out of something? I didn't realize it'd gotten so bad but I guess my apron didn't really catch everything.

[And usually he doesn't care, but...look. He has a girlfriend now. He wants to look...nice...

Later on, Varian can be found at the Gayseball Field. After some rummaging around he's discovered the baseball equipment, and he's got a baseball in hand. It's kindo hard to play by yourself, but there he is throwing the ball up high and catching it as it comes down.

You might even be right there in time to watch as the ball comes down, he misses catching it, and it clocks him right in the eye, his hands coming up to slowly grip his face as he just.

Slowly bends over with an elongated sound of pain, please don't perceive his dumbass]

Oooowww.

Football Field

[stagemanagers]

[So. Farrah!

While you're spending so much time on the football field, you're almost certain to notice the large patch of disturbed earth just outside the entrance to it! That's probably fine, right?]

[stagemanagers]

[Sure won't!]

[howtheworldwas]

I didn't, actually. [ Eurydice follows Mister Barker's gaze. ] I came to look at the sky.

[ She's tasted oblivion, and it's not all it's cracked up to be. ]

What was she like? You don't have to answer, if you don't want to. I just -- [ she swallows. ] -- it helped me, to try to remember.

[brokeforgood]

[So when we’re taking disturbed earth, I’m really hoping we’re talking a cool mound for her to climb and not like. a grave. But she’s gonna check it out either way.]

[comeandfindme]

[ Okay. Good to know! That sparks another question. Is there a breeze? Like...wind, or anything? ]

[howtheworldwas]

[ Ordinarily, Eurydice would be content to let Orpheus hold her, and try to forget everything, but she can't do that now. There's something he needs to know. ]

No, you don't understand. It wasn't just the storm. I -- I --

[ Eurydice swallows, stifling a sob before the confession pours out. ]

To work on the line, you have to sign a deal. You have to choose. I chose to stay with him, in the factory -- and I regret it now, more than anything, but I still chose. It wasn't the storm, or the gods. It was me.

[ Quieter, her voice breaking: ]

I'm sorry.

[samefacesyndrome]

[ She takes her hand out of his and moves to wrap her arms around him the hug. The best she can with them both lying down anyway. ]

Of course. And take all the time you need. I'll be right here at your side when you need me.

[ She hesitates for a few seconds... before starting to sing to him. ]

When the light is running low
And the shadows start to grow
And the places that you know
Seem like fantasy
There's a light inside your soul
That's still shining in the cold
With the truth
The promise in our hearts

[ Her hug tightens. ]

Don't forget,
I'm with you in the dark

[barberic]

[He almost doesn't want to answer. He's functioning (barely) under the principle of: if I hold all of my problems right here, then one day I'll die.

But his fellow prisoners here aren't the same as his fellow prisoners in Australia. If weakness here were a death sentence, he would have died yesterday (and a part of him wonders if he wouldn't have been better off, rather than waking up and having to move forward with this emptiness, this ache inside of him).]

Yes, I'm quite better than yesterday. I was... overwhelmed.

I'm sorry for causing everyone to worry about me.

[themuseabandonsyou]

[ Orpheus sits back, still holding her, but with enough space between them that he can watch her expression as he listens, worry and fear creeping back in. She left him. She took Lord Hades's offer - of a job, of security, and left him behind.

For a brief moment, he feels a flash of hurt and betrayal, because how could she? How could she just choose to go? But then he remembers what Mister Hermes said to him, and it all collapses in on itself.

She called your name before she went, but... I guess you weren't listening. ]

No. [ He shakes his head, heartbroken and crushed and guilty. ] This is - if I'd finished the song sooner, or if I'd been there for you through the winter - if I'd been better, you never would have had to choose. I promised you. I promised that I'd fix things, that I'd be there, and I didn't, I wasn't.