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

[violentenvies]

[Salieri lowers him as well, slowly, and he's shaking even after he sets him down and he's not sure why, staring down at the Balladeer on the floor as he can feel his vision swimming before his eyes, wet--but at that noise, his head jerks up, looking over at Benjamin.

His heart squeezes hard in his chest as he's already moving around the Balladeer's body to reach out and take Benjamin's hands, clasping them in his own, wondering distantly if this is what it feels like to break apart entirely]

[themuseabandonsyou]

[ Orpheus comes back with a bolt of emerald green cloth from the costume room, half-running back in. ]

Mister Barker, Maestro Salieri - are you - [ He starts to ask if they're okay, but... it's pretty obvious that they aren't. No one is, right now, Orpheus among them especially as he sees the Balladeer's pale and lifeless body on the ground, his wounds all the more apparent now that he's been moved. Slowly, Orpheus puts the cloth down on the ground and moves around to stand next to them, putting a hand on Salieri's shoulder and looking Benjamin in the eyes. ]

It's - Eurydice and I can handle this. Preparing him, if you two need to step away.

[barberic]

[The sound breaks off in a whimper when Antonio takes his hands, forces him to look down at their joined hands instead of at the body of their friend lying at their feet. Every part of him cries out for gentle touch, but all he can feel is the wet, sticky blood cooling and drying on his skin.

He grips onto Antonio's hands, squeezes tight for a brief second, then looks up, meeting Orpheus' eyes as the boy comes over to them. Orpheus' offer is a gentle one, and Benjamin nods, shakily and then a little stronger.]

That's- that's fine, lad. Thank you.

[howtheworldwas]

[ Eurydice hovers near Salieri as the two men move the body, ready to intervene if necessary. They make it, though, and Eurydice would be proud of them if the situation weren't so terrible. Between the body itself and Antonio and Mister Barker's reactions, the whole scene is very, very difficult to look at. So Eurydice does what she does best: she shoves her feelings of grief and fear and despair into a tiny little box, in the name of making it through one more day. (It mostly works.)

She'll kneel down next to the body and then look up at the three men. ]

Thank you. And -- um -- sorry.

[ She'll start preparing the body as best she can -- wiping down blood with her coat, positioning him so he looks a little more comfortable. Her hands shake, and she seems to be blinking more than usual, but it's fine. She's fine. This is for the Balladeer, and everyone else who deserved a proper death, but didn't get one. ]

[violentenvies]

[Salieri nods, a little numbly,] Yes, thank you. [it's a bit faint, but he's taking a slight step back to give them more room to work, focusing instead on just...staying on his feet, doing his best to not think about the blood staining both his and Benjamin's hands and clothes]

[themuseabandonsyou]

[ Meanwhile, Orpheus rolls out the cloth, waiting for Eurydice to finish her work before draping it over what's left of the Balladeer. He could've laid the coins over his eyes first, the pouch full of them weighing heavy in his pocket, but if they're taking him elsewhere, if they're going to lay him to rest like he deserves, Orpheus will do it then. ]

Where are we taking him? The woods? Do you think we can make it?

[barberic]

The garden.

[He's stepped aside as well, to give them more room to work, but unless Antonio let go first, he's still holding onto his hand.]

...He sat out there often. I think he'd like to r- [his voice chokes off for a second, and he draws a sharp, shaky breath.] He'd like to rest there.

[howtheworldwas]

[ Eurydice doesn't look up from her work as she says: ]

There's the cart. [ From Mumble's case, but she doesn't want to say that. ] Otherwise, we carry him. I can help.

[ She owes the others that much, at least. (It's only right that the dead carry the dead.)

Once the body is cleaned up enough to move, Eurydice will finally stand. Her jacket is pretty much gone at this point, and there's blood all over her shirt and arms, but she doesn't seem to care -- or rather, she isn't quite present enough to care. ]

[violentenvies]

[boy that's a mood. Salieri, for his part, isn't about to let go of Benjamin's hand just yet. He nods, though, to Eurydice]

However we need to move him, we'll do it. [his voice sounds hollow, but with a thread of determination in there]

cw: dissociation, trauma

[themuseabandonsyou]

[ Orpheus makes his final preparations silently, wrapping the cloth around the Balladeer's body. At this point it's less shroud and more swaddle, but this will make it easier to carry him. He stands, looking distant and a little disoriented. For a moment, he feels as if the ground is swaying like the deck of a ship, thinks he can hear the other Argonauts shouting as Castor and Pollux carry Idmon's weak but writhing form back from what should've been an easy hunt.

But he shakes it off. He needs to be here, now, not lost in the past. ]

We should go. Soon. [ He doesn't know how patient the Wizard will be with them, doing this. ]

[barberic]

Then let's do it. I can manage him on my own. At least, long enough to get out of this room. Then we can readjust, or get the cart.

[He doesn't wait for permission, reluctantly letting go of Antonio's hand (with an apologetic look) and stepping forward to heft the Balladeer's body into his arms bridal style.

The tall frame and dead weight is awkward to handle, but Benjamin is strong and determined, and like he said that will get them through the doors, at least.]

Guide me down the stairs.