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

[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.

[brokeforgood]

[Farrah’s quick to follow—- even if she knows what this kind of ruckus normally means.

She regrets it almost immediately.

Farrah knows what it’s like to fall. Everything slows down in those moments. You see your life. And when you hit the ground—-

Farrah doesn’t scream this time. She wails. ]

[violentenvies]

[That is more than enough to jolt him out of the shock he'd been stuck in, and he immediately turns, already reaching for her]

Farrah--Farrah, don't look--

[barberic]

[Benjamin jolts, at the hand on his arm and at Farrah's wail.

It's all he needs- He twists toward them and reaches out, wordlessly and abruptly pulling both of them into a hug to block their view.]

[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. ]

[howtheworldwas]

[ Quietly, so the Wizard hopefully doesn't hear: ]

We can't leave him with the Wizard. But we can probably wrap him up in a curtain or something, and get him out to the woods.

[themuseabandonsyou]

[ Orpheus nods, swallowing hard, and steps into the shattered remains of the stall and glancing up at the Wizard nervously before trying to clear away the wreckage, just enough to make it easier to get the Balladeer out. ]

I don't think I'll be able to carry him by myself. [ he says, quietly. ] Do you think you can get help without the Wizard noticing?

[howtheworldwas]

[ Right around this time, Eurydice interrogates the Wizard about what he's doing with the bodies, and she does not like what she finds out! Once that's done, she nods, squeezes Orpheus's hand, and goes to talk to the two strongest dudes here. ]

[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.

[employeeoftheyear]

[Spongebob does look away, but it's more so he doesn't meet Elle's gaze rather than to look away from the body.]

This is my fault.

[whatyouwant]

No!

[Elle grabs his shoulders and pulls him into a hug.]

This isn't your fault, it's no one's fault but that stupid wizard.

[employeeoftheyear]

[There is a long pause.]

He was my buddy. I should have looked out for him. He would still be alive if I stuck with him.

[whatyouwant]

If you were up there with him, you could have fallen too.

[Elle gives him a squeeze.]

You could have- could have-

[Oh god, B's really dead, isn't he?]

[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.]

[employeeoftheyear]

[Spongebob stays put, firmly, as if glued to the floor.]

You can go. I wouldn't be able to help anyway.

[defyingfrigidity]

[Elsa shakes her head.]

No, that's not true! You've been one of the biggest helpers out of all of us. I doubt half of us will be as happy without you around.

[employeeoftheyear]

[He pauses, not looking Elsa in the face.]

But that hasn't stopped people from dying, has it?

[defyingfrigidity]

[She can't answer that. The pessimist in her, which hasn't gone away even after three good years of being able to live her life again, understands that. She knows that good feelings can't just... destroy negativity, and that there's always the risk of this happening. But god, she has to try and keep her head up, at least for him. If poor Spongebob breaks...]

But it's thanks to you, and some of the others, that we're more determined than ever to not let a murder happen again. That's helping with something.