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

[fourbutts]

[ Janis knows, somehow, when it hits. When he dies. Maybe she can feel it, maybe it's a narrator thing, she doesn't know.

She looks at the Wizard's head. ]

It's fine for you
Control you exert
It's fine
When someone gets hurt
Now you're gonna hurt

[ Her voice breaks into a sob. ]

Someone! Anyone! Help, it's... we're in the theater!

garden

[comeandfindme]

[ Peregrine comes here more than she'd like to admit. She doesn't like walking through the woods to get to it. She doesn't like the benches. She doesn't like any of it.

And yet, here she is, nevertheless, to sit on Connor's bench and listen to the unearthly quiet that should not surround this little haven in the deep, dark forest.

It's often that she finds other people there. But, she hasn't found him here yet. So. ]

Hey. Whatcha playing?

[mayavericks]

[Maya's girlfriend senses are tingling. And weaponless though she is, she comes running anyway.]

Janis? Janis?!

[alchemistake]

Oh yeah, that's fine. I needed a break from my work for a while anyway.

[He says as he finds somewhere to sit nearby. It'll be nice to have a distraction that's a bit more...lighthearted, too. Something that doesn't involve him working himself to the bone.]

[fourbutts]

[ And from your maybe-third-gf's sky bubble, Maya: ]

It's- the Balladeer, he- we were...

[themuseabandonsyou]

[ Orpheus comes running when he hears the great crashing sound from the auditorium, arriving a little after Maya and Cassandra. The surprise at the theater being open barely registers. ]

Janis!! What happened, are you - What's wrong?

[mayavericks]

[Maya looks up and... really, she should expect Hester, but -- No, it's Janis. There she is.]


What --

[She looks to the pile of carnage.]

Oh no.

[fourbutts]

It's... I'm fine! I don't know how I'm gonna- that's not important! The Balladeer fell.

[comeandfindme]

[ Peregrine isn't far behind. Backstage they go. Investigate, Janis told them she was going to investigate with the Balladeer, that she'd be back. ]

Where are we...? [ For a brief moment, all the various things scattered about demand Peregrine's attention—but that moment is, indeed, brief, because—

Well. ]

Shit. Shit, Bal—

[ She runs over to the carnage, because of course she does. ]

[fourbutts]

It- he...

[ She sniffles. ]

He saved me.

[feudalladyshandmaid]

[WAS THIS... ALWAYS HERE?]

Janis? What do you mean he-- Oh.

[The rubble.]

Oh.

[fourbutts]

I don't... I don't think he...

[ But she knows, doesn't she? She can tell. Even from up here. ]

[mayavericks]

Peregrine, help me.

[She's sprinting toward the bubble. Can they form a girlfriend tower???]

[themuseabandonsyou]

[ The rubble. Orpheus's eyes go wide, and he rushes over to see if there's anything he can do -

But it quickly becomes apparent that there's not, from the way the splintered remains of the booth jut out around him, slick and red and sickening. Orpheus drops to his knees, reaching out to him anyway, trying to feel at his neck for a pulse, to no avail. ]

He's - no. He's not-

[ He's gone. ]

[feudalladyshandmaid]

[Something in Janis' tone confirms it, in a way that not even the piles of rubble can. He's gone, all because of some massive accident.

One thing at a time. Cassandra swallows and turns to the nearest person.]

We have to get her down from there. Who knows if it's safe.

[stagemanagers]

[Not necessary! As Maya and Peregrine go to try and figure out how to get Janis down, the bubble begins to slowly lower down towards the ground on its own.

Well. Maybe not entirely on its own. The Wizard's eyes are glowing, and his head is angled as far inwards towards you as it can go.]

[mayavericks]

[This is a horrible time to not have a sword, huh!]

You have your blood. Please, let her go.

[comeandfindme]

He... He's—

[ Peregrine looks over. Because, the Balladeer's here, broken on the ground, and well, she found him, but—

But he's not getting up.

Her gaze goes from Maya, up to Janis, who is still there, still alive, still in need of help. She squeezes her eyes shut to stop the tears and then joins Maya. Sorry, Bal. ]

We can't reach her like this. It— we need to move it, we need to get it down, like- like the Wizard did that first trial.

[feudalladyshandmaid]

[OH.... WELL.

Cassandra's got her sword out.]

I bet he's responsible for this.

[comeandfindme]

Yeah, glow all you want, asshole, just put her down!

[ we're going good cop, bad cop here today, huh ]

[fourbutts]

[ Janis looks at the head. She wants to say something, anything. To not just sit here, helpless, in a bubble, being helped by this... this asshole.

But those words don't form. There's no witty retort, no scathing comment. She just cries. She can barely even stand. Just, quietly: ]

It's a cautionary tale...

[samefacesyndrome]

[ She puts the CD in, gently setting aside the one already in there, and presses play. Once it’s loading, a very cheery song starts to play.

“Although I'm a small, small bud now
The day will come when I'll bloom
Into a big flower”

Even though the song isn’t one she remembers hearing before she recognizes that voice instantly. ]

Ah— that’s definitely Ayumu-san.

[ It’s weird - hearing the voice of someone she hasn’t seen in what feels like forever now. ]

[feudalladyshandmaid]

[Stares at him.]

...Alright.

[Just gonna... try and muscle through all these uncomfortable feelings and sit up.]

I... had a bad dream. I ran out of the school, because - oh, I don't know, the door was open - and I ended up tripping out here.

[mcfife]

You thought you could rely on her.

[Just as everyone on Earth thought they could rely on him.]

Because that is what a lead does - protect their people no matter what.

[mcfife]

[Angus runs up to the bubble and holds out a hand, ready to help Janis step off and keep her steady. Even he can barely standing to see the body of his friend lying beside him.]

You don't have to look.

[He says, continuing to look at the mangled body.]