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

[brokeforgood]

[Farrah resists the sirens call to explore. While normally, she’d be the first to whoop and cartwheel through the grass, she has more important business at hand. she can be found in the band room, seated at the piano, frowning at a beginner’s book. It’s.... not great, but she keeps at it all day long. Over and over again, she tries to teach herself the keys, to match the notes. She’s never taken music seriously as anything other than something to dance to, never tried to sing along by following actual notes on paper—- but she stays there, hunched over the piano, completely devoted to her work. She’ll take visitors throughout the day—- her poor wrists need a break, and if the visitors can help her play, then that’s even better.

Finally, shortly after dinner, she goes to find Salieri.]

Hey— I have something I want to show you! [And, if he lets her, she’ll grab his arm and pull him towards the band room.]

Here. Sit— not at the piano. Anywhere else.

[If she counted right... today is father’s day. Salieri has done so much for her. He believed in her before anyone else— and even when she tested him, he did not fail her. He says she’s already made him proud— but she wants to give him more than that. She wants to take something new, something she knew nothing about— and really try. She wants to learn, she wants to try. And even though today has been full of failures, even though she knows she won’t be perfect, she wants to try again. She wants to fuck up completely, then try again, and again, and again. This kind of thing would have been impossible a month ago.

She would have given up. She would have thought—- known that a hopeless loser girl had no hope. But there’s something here that makes her want to do the very opposite of giving up.

She wants to fly. So after taking a deep breath, she seats herself, and starts to play.]

[Flying comes soon after, when she runs through the football field, whooping and cartwheeling.

Then she can be found in the courtyard, knocking allllll the chess pieces down.]

FUCK CHESS!

CRYING YELLING CAT EMOJI

[violentenvies]

[Salieri is surprised when Farrah finds him, to say the least, but of course he'll follow her anywhere.

He is a little confused when she leads him to the band room, but can't help but smile when she bids him sit]

Alright, just a moment--

[and he finds a chair to settle into, leaning back a bit, arms folding over his chest, watching her as she goes about situating herself at the piano with a mix of fond amusement and curiosity]

[brokeforgood]

[Its nothing impressive in the grand scale of things, but considering she had no interest in music before this—- it’s a big deal, for Farrah at least.

She manages to play Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, like Varian showed her last night. Since she’s been at this all day, she can actually do it the whole way through now, without messing up, or pausing to try and remember what she’s doing. Then— after—-]

You’re always—- I wanted to learn, so I could—- Like you do——[Then, quickly, before she can chicken out, she blurts—-]

It’s Father’s Day.

[violentenvies]

[Salieri listens to her play through. He recognizes the tune, of course. It's a rather common, basic one, but she performs it well, smoothly, following the melodic line. He can't help but feel a swell of pride underneath his ribs for her; clearly this isn't something she's done before, but she's doing it beautifully, no matter how simple it is.

Farrah finishes, and he's about to give her some applause for a very excellent performance when she speaks, and he quiets, listening. There's concern, at first, for how she hesitates, and he's about to get up to steady her, and reassure her--

But then she blurts out: It's Father's Day.

Salieri goes very still in his seat--those feelings of pride that already warmed his chest now seem to expand, spreading, going tight in his throat as he feels his eyes sting. Father's Day.

He almost defaults to taking a moment to respond, but she's also clearly anxious and he doesn't want her to worry. So instead he just stands, making his way towards her, arms opening even as he speaks, voice rough with emotion:]

Farrah, my dear girl--

[brokeforgood]

[Her cheeks are flushed, and she regrets it as soon as she says it—- It’s stupid, He’s not actually her—- She doesn’t even have time to finish the thought, before he’s stood.

He’s not mad. Or annoyed, or disappointed or—- anything bad. She bolts to meet him, throwing her arms around him. Her own heart is twisted with emotion, though she can’t quite name it until she’s pressed her face against him, trying not to cry.

Safe. That’s what this feeling is. ]

[violentenvies]

[Salieri wraps his arms around her, tight, just holding her close for a moment]

...thank you. [his voice is rough with emotion] That's--[he has to clear his throat, blinking rapidly]

--I loved it. It was wonderful, Farrah, I'm so proud of you.

[brokeforgood]

[He’s proud of her. Her heart flutters when she hears those words. Before he had taken a chance on her— on a girl who took nothing seriously, who arrived to audition for the audience- she doesn’t think she’d heard those words for a while. She didn’t give anyone a reason to.

He had believed she could be better. And she didn’t want to let him down. She wanted to make him proud, and she had.

When she pulls back, and looks at him, she’s glowing.]

Really? Varian showed me a little bit, last night. But I wanted to be better, before I showed you. And... I thought—- today made sense. [The next parts harder for her to say, but it’s easier to, now that he’s expressed his pride.]

I know you’re not really my dad. And I know that my parents are, like—- they’re not the worst, or dead or anything—- they’re just also... not really occupied with me. You always make me feel like I can be more than just the drunk loser girl who messed up a basic routine.

You’re what I’d want my dad to be like, if I was picking.

[violentenvies]

[Farrah pulls back to explain further. Though it's not entirely surprising at this point, it still pains him to hear that her parents have dismissed her that much. He's angry, on her behalf, but before that emotion can even settle--

You're what I'd want my dad to be like, if I was picking.

Salieri can't help but suck in a small breath at that, feeling as though there's something tight and aching around his ribs, but it's hardly terrible; instead, it's quite the opposite. He swallows, hard, reaching up to frame her face gently with his hands so he can look her in the eye.]

Farrah-- [he's trying to keep his voice steady, even as her face swims a bit through the tears that he's failing to blink away, a few escaping to roll down his cheeks, smearing his makeup] --there is nothing that I would consider a higher honor than being a father that you chose.

[brokeforgood]

[She’s always wondering if she’s done something wrong. But he helps her let go of some of that fear. Especially when he frames her face like that—- when the tears start to well in his eyes. It’s then that she knows that it’s all okay. It seems so strange to her, that anyone would be honored by that. But she won’t fight it.]

Then... consider yourself honored.

Will you—- teach me how to do what you do? With the music?

band room

[comeandfindme]

[ It took her a little time to find Farrah. Still, Peregrine's determined. And, when she finally does come across her— ]

Farrah, there you are. Okay. Good. Do- do you have a minute? [ She seems...uncharacteristically awkward. ]

[brokeforgood]

[Farrah whips around when Peregrine enters the room— then relaxes when she realizes who it is. ]

Oh— Hey, yeah. I can take a few minutes. What’s up?

[comeandfindme]

[ She looks so hard at work… Peregrine hasn’t seen Farrah so hard at work at anything so far. ]

Well… I found something, in- in Connor’s trunk. Something he left for you.

[brokeforgood]

[Farrah hasn’t seen herself work so hard on anything before, either. There’s definitely a lot of diet coke cans in here.

Her face stays neutral as Peregrine tells her that, trying not to ask the million questions that it creates. Why would he leave anything—- and if he was going to, why for her? Her voice gives her away though, it’s small, and just a hint babyish, the way she gets when she’s really upset about something.]

For me? What is it?

[comeandfindme]

[ Out of a pants pocket, Peregrine withdraws a white and orange friendship bracelet. As she does, her cloak falls back to reveal that she's got a matching one, blue and white. ]

He made it for you.

[brokeforgood]

[Oh. Farrah comes closer to take a look before she actually takes it, afraid she might mess it up somehow.]

Oh. It’s—- Tigers colors. My team. [She glances at Peregrine’s own bracelet, then smiles, and thrusts her arm forward.]

Can you put it on for me?

[comeandfindme]

[ Peregrine nods once and ties it around her wrist. ]

I think...he was trying to make them for everyone important to him.

[brokeforgood]

[Farrah holds extremely still as Peregrine ties it onto her, only pulling her wrist back to examine it. ]

God, that’s... so Connor. I miss him so much. I’ve never met someone who just... got it, so much. He understood that...

You don’t know who you are until you hate yourself.
Until you scream and hurt and fight.
And everybody says they know better, better
And everybody says they know you better—-
But they ain’t right.

Courtyard

[mcfife]

[He has to ask Farrah. He has to confirm that the Riley Williams he met is the same one that tried to kill her. It's a terrifying potential conversation, but it could answer a few questions about The Wizard.

He exits the building with a red cape and a white half-mask in his hand, looking for someone to speak to, and unfortunately, it's Farrah.]

Hail-

[A chess piece slams into the ground.]

Farrah?

[brokeforgood]

Oh! Hey! [She seems.... awfully chipper for a girl who is currently knocking things down. She grins at him, perching on a nearby pawn. She’s still in a good mood, both from being outside, and from Salieri’s approval.]

What’s up?

[mcfife]

[Staring at the defeated chess soldiers.]

Do you really hate the game this much?

[brokeforgood]

Oh, yeah. Chess and I have a very dark and dramatic history. [She doesn’t even. Try and explain.]

[mcfife]

Does chess also involve dark rituals in your universe?

[brokeforgood]

Huh? No, way less complicated than that, I just hate this bitch that shares the same name. She dropped me, once. I got a concussion

[mcfife]

Oh.

Then I understand your anger. [At least it's more normal than a stepsister being part of a blood cult.] Say, Farrah...I have a question. It's about what I remembered this week.

...What was Riley's surname?

[brokeforgood]

Why? Looking to get revenge in my name? [She doesn’t give him a chance to reply.]

Williams. The bitch that murdered me is named Riley Williams.