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]

[ 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?

[fourbutts]

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

[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. ]

[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.

[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. ]

[barberic]

[If there's one thing that can still bring Benjamin running, it's a scream for help.

He runs into the theater and skids to a stop, when he sees the broken pile of wood and plastic, slicked with red, too bright, too shiny, too wet-

He gasps, ragged and soft, his hands shaking, something inside him fraying with a near tangible snap.]

I'll remember it forever...

[violentenvies]

[The screaming, as well, has brought Salieri close behind, slowing to a stop next to Benjamin.]

Benjamin, what--

[That's when he notices where the Balladeer is laying. Salieri's seen several bodies, now, thanks to this school, but this...this is the most gruesome sight he's seen so far. He immediately feels sick to his stomach, unthinkingly reaching out to steady himself with a hand on Benjamin's arm, voice faint in his throat as he pales in horror]

--no.

[howtheworldwas]

[ Eurydice crouches behind him, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder. It’s difficult to look at, but she doesn’t want to run away. ]

He is.

[themuseabandonsyou]

Should we - should we move him? We can't leave him like this.

[ Twisted and broken among the debris, like a wounded bird. Orpheus suddenly feels deeply aware of the weight of the pouch in his pocket, filled with Connor's last gift to him. But it wouldn't be right to give them to him now. He needs to be laid out, given due respect. ]

[employeeoftheyear]

[Spongebob hears the commotion and immediately runs in. He knew he didn't want to see this, he knew something bad must have happened, but he didn't want to ignore it. His friends were hurting, and even if he could to nothing about it, he didn't want to turn a blind eye to it.

When he sees the madness, the rubble, The Balladeer's body, he doesn't scream or start sobbing, he just... stares. He desperately wants to cry but they don't come, like he wasted all his tears earlier. Like he completely wasted all his energy.

That... was his buddy. He failed him. They were supposed to make sure the other one was safe, and he failed.

Spongebob stands back from the crowd, hugging his sides.]

No control...

[whatyouwant]

[Elle does her best to block Spongebob's view of the body.]

Come on, you don't need to look.

[defyingfrigidity]

[Elsa's not far behind, and when she processes just what all the yelling and frantic talking is all about, she immediately turns away. She can't... she doesn't want to see this. No more death, no more blood... she can feel her stomach turning just thinking about it, so instead she focuses entirely on the young man frozen next to her. Putting both hands on his shoulders, she very gently nudges him, as if trying to turn him around.]

H-Hey... come on, let's go. They might need our help to prepare for... a meeting, to discuss whatever happened here?

[She's not really sure what there is to discuss, or if there even will be a meeting. But she wants to find some kind of distraction to snap Spongebob out of it.]

[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.

[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.

[mayavericks]

Peregrine, help me.

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

[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.

[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...

[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.

[whatyouwant]

[Don't look at the body, don't look at the body, don't look at the body]

There has to be a control panel somewhere!