itscurtains | Week Four

[Funny that...there certainly are.

On the table there's a little desk lamp and three sort-of half-boxes. It's hard to really get a good look at what they are in the dark.]

[ Half boxes? Well, time to fully look in them! What do we got? More hands? ]

[It looks like someone has put a lot of meticulous attention to these dioramas! One is some kind of ballroom, with little paper figures poised to dance in a circle around little pink and grey paper dolls. The other is a little carnival, complete with a tiny dunk tank made of a cardboard tube and red crepe paper, with a little purple paper doll sitting on the seat.]

Edited 2021-06-24 01:44 (UTC)

[ ... Hey what about the third? ]

[The third is empty.]

[ Well at least we know Gunnar Maelstrom isn't involved and using Saturdays to rig the system.

I suppose that leaves the ladder - does it look like it leads up to another full area, or like up to a shelf or something? ]

[It looks like it leads to a catwalk!

But before you leave the table, Janis, there is one more thing.]

[ Oh? What thing, pray tell? ]

[It's less something you physically see and more just a feeling that there's something to see under the table.]

[ A FEELING YOU SAY.

What's good, what's down here. ]

[On the underside of the table, pretty far back and close to the wall, theres a word carved into the wood:

help

And then again, several inches away:

hElp

And once more, right in front of where she's crouched:

HELP ]

[The Balladeer, meanwhile, is still examining the weird dioramas! He turns to frown at Janis when she crouches down suddenly.]

Janis? You got something?

[ SHE HATES THIS, THANKS ]

Uh... more carvings.

[ she runs a finger along the words, kind of hating that she can't narrator something sharp out of her- wait.

She reaches into her pocket and pulls the screwdriver she brought in case anything had to be, well, unscrewed.

WE'LL FIND YOU

It's not deep, but... it'll have to do.

She tucks the screwdriver away, lips thin. ]

We should take a quick look at the stage first, then... up the ladder, I guess.

[He ducks down for a moment to look underneath the table himself.]

Oh...I hadn't seen any of these before. [Frowning, he runs his fingers lightly over the nearest "help".] I hope we can help them. It looks like they were scared, whoever they are.

[But so far, it doesn't seem like anyone's been able to do anything with these directly, so. He stands.]

Sounds like a plan.

No one deserves to be stuck in this shithole.

[ If they find a body... well, it'll be like the other bodies, won't it?

she hates this.

Anyway, Janis moves over to look out at the stage - how's it looking? Any scenery set up? Marks on the ground with tape? Trap doors or revolving portions? A giraffe??? ]

[Thankfully no giraffe! Not unless you count the massive stuffed animal just vibing near the ghost light.

It looks like the execution set from Saturday hasn't been broken down yet. The carnival is still up, the dunk tank dead center. The only difference seems to be that the liquid inside has been removed, leaving only an empty tank. This close though you can see some the edges of yellow tape on the ground peaking out from under the little booth set-up, defining the general shape of them.]

No one deserves to be forgotten.
No one deserves to fade away.

[The song comes to his lips absently, something Peregrine sang to him, as he follows after Janis. Right past her, in fact - the Balladeer walks towards the dunking booth and stands there in front of it, looking at the target. It's like a shooting game. It could just as easily be one. Shoot! Win!]

No one should come and go,
and have no one know he was ever even here...

[ Janis sets a hand on his arm. ]

You good?

[He jerks in surprise, but turns to her.]

...yeah. Yeah, sorry...I'm here.

[He passes a hand over his face for a second. Maybe he should...]

My show was set up like a carnival. "Shoot the prez, win a prize!" Seeing it before, and then being here with it...

[ She nods, swallows. ]

Right... just remember, this isn't our stage.

Right...

[He gives the booth another glace, then steps away a little bit, downstage. Not too far, not out of reach - they're sticking together. But maybe he doesn't need to be looking at all this stuff himself.]

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fourbutts - 2021-06-24 02:54 (UTC) - Expand

[ Okay, stage tape. She's familiar. ... She would take the giant stuffed animal but she gets the feeling this is one carnival prize Maya wouldn't be impressed to have won for her.

How are the vibes coming off the stage? Anything feeling... Off? ]

[Dear Janis, there sure are vibes.

The vibes aren't...on full display, so to speak. It's more like they're baked in, just a part of the auditorium itself and almost entirely unnoticeable if you're not Looking for it.

Everything is tinged with a gauzy veil of fear (and whose fear is up for debate) but under that there's a strong sense of purpose and stability, a driving need to keep moving forward no matter what happens. There's something else to it though. Around the edges, it sort of feels like...something is fraying. Like the unfinished edge of a woven blanket, the threads holding that stability together are coming apart.]

Edited 2021-06-24 02:54 (UTC)

[ Okay, that's... interesting. Janis takes a breath to center herself, and then... looks over the scene. Is there anything on the stage in particular with interesting vibes or just... being out here and looking weird? ]

[Nothing in particular but if she moves closer to the front, toward center stage the feelings she was picking up before do shift.

There's a sense of love. Just devoted adoration and respect. Janis will feel it filling her whole chest to the point of near overwhelming. But after a few moments it stars to turn. There's a sinking sense of repetition, of that feeling of love slowly souring and compounding because you're stuck you're trapped you're stuck. You hate this place. You love this place.

It was beautiful but now
It's sour
Yes it's all
Gone sour]