Week Five

[stagemanagers]

[Last week, you had your very first minor body pileup! Granted, the Balladeer's death was entirely unrelated to anything, but at least he died as he lived - getting completely fucked up in some kind of carnival-themed hellscape. Only two days later, another terrible accident took Rina and Varian both from you. It's just been one of those weeks, huh? At least you got to add both of their corpses to your weird growing collection!

Again, you'll wake up this morning with another new snippet of memory. You'll also find that the stairs in the lobby are no longer blocked. You can only access one part of the second floor, but it seems like there's some neat stuff up there!

Outside, a few things seem to have changed. For one, the weather has turned - it'll be overcast this week, with periodic rain and even scattered thunderstorms. For another, the bushes around that rock out by the football field have bloomed. That's nice.

Get to it, friends! I'm sure everything will be fine this week!]


Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday

(( Be sure to submit your memory regain and your AC for this week! As always, Hester's office hours and the merch booth remain available. ))

Comments

SUNDAY

[stagemanagers]

[mayavericks]

[A desk, directly across from Hikari.

Two young women, Claudine and Karen, standing nearby.

"There is a need to adjust the program. On this day we will hold a special, two-on-two performance. You will be performing a Revue Duet."

“Two-on-two?”

“You mean a tag match?”

The desk drawer opens, revealing a box. Maya lifts it, finds two star buttons there.

"Now, Tendo Maya-san. Which stage girl will you choose?"

Without a second thought, she throws the button to Claudine and --

The music stops, then reverses. Claudine, Karen, Hikari, and all of their props disappear. The thrown button spirals out of control, knocked from orbit by a single katana strike. Maya hears her own voice cry out.

“So this is your true ability. What made you change?”

The jacket on Maya’s shoulder hits the floor. Somewhere in the distance, the button finally lands. It clinks through the broken seats in the crowd, settling in some place unknown.

“Is it dazzling?”

Though the Maya of memory knows who she’s speaking to, the Maya watching this all play out feels -- lost. She knows the voice, but through the light, she can’t quite make it out.

“What?”

“It’s dazzling to me.”

The curtain starts to fall. Maya’s curtain, her final act --

“What made you -- “ Maya finally turns. Through the light she can see pigtails, a physique anyone could envy.

“I can’t reach,” the beautiful voice interrupts.

“Go this far?!” The Maya of memory finally finishes turning around. Just as the curtain falls, she watches the woman place the tip of her sword against the ground.

“Position Zero.”

And perhaps it should have been over there. But the music reverses, time distorts, and once again Maya is crying out once more as the blade swings against her shoulder. The button flys into the distance. The cord around her shoulder falls, then the jacket and finally the curtain.

Five times,

then ten times.

Maya loses track after the fifteenth.

Numbers lose their meaning. All she understands is her loss, again and again, repeating in an endless, unchanging infinity.

Eventually, she either reaches the end, or her unconscious brain has mercy on her. Either way, Maya wakes with a start. She’s tangled in a mess of blankets in the Nurse’s Office, dripping with a cold sweat. Her head pounds, and she’s at least abruptly grateful that she’s chosen this place to sleep. She can at least fumble around and find some painkillers before she goes about her day.

Not that either helps much. The ache might go away, but Maya’s head still swims. She does her rounds quietly, though she specifically keeps an eye out for Discord and Salieri. Someone better have her sword, dammit.

Her rounds do take her to the newer locations, namely the pool. It feels like it’s been ages since she’s swam but… she changes her clothes into a modest one-piece suit, not unlike her leotard, and jumps in. It doesn’t do much but… she can pretend, right?

Toward the evening, Maya settles down in the garden. She can feel the presence of Rina and Varian’s benches but… at least she has something to distract her. In particular, the photograph of the cast that she’d recovered some weeks prior.

She thumbs over the picture of Nana. Over pigtails and a physique anyone could envy.]

What have you done?

did someone order chaos

[disharmonizes]

[Discord's out and about, exploring the new areas, so it probably won't be too long before Maya comes across him. He pauses, looks at her... and casually leans against the wall.]

You want your sword back.

[It's not a question.]

[employeeoftheyear]

[Spongebob is almost positive he's dead when he wakes up.

He last remembers the trembling, falling off the cliff, Sandy desperately to pull him up but he just kept falling. He saw the horror on Sandy's face, he knew he was done for and that there was nothing either of them could do to stop this

He takes a moment to process this, and he's not scared, or especially sad.

He almost feels a moment of clarity, like suddenly everything's been explained.

Spongebob quietly gets up and notices the second floor has been unlocked. He makes a beeline for the pool, getting changed into blue swim trunks and gently sits on the edge of the pool, dipping his toes into the cool water. Notably he does not actually go into the pool.

Later on he can be found in the parking lot, sitting in the car Varian repaired. He looks scared stiff but he doesn't want to leave.

He needs to do this for Varian.]

Pool

[mayavericks]

[Maya's midway through her laps when she realizes that she isn't alone. She completes the set she's on first, then heads over to the side. She hooks her arms over the edge, staring up at Spongebob almost curiously.]

You must be relieved to finally have a body of water around, hm?

Pool

[mcfife]

[Angus wanders into the pool room, and surprise, it's someplace actually decent. Before he can consider whether to go for a swim or not, he notices that the sponge-man has been sitting there for several minutes.]

Is it cold?

parking lot

[feudalladyshandmaid]

[Cassandra's sort of wandering at this point, much like she did at the end of last week. Imagine her surprise when she finds the car Varian as working on sitting out there... with someone in the driver's seat.]

Spongebob...?

parking lot

[howtheworldwas]

[ Eurydice has no clue how to operate a motor vehicle, but she sees Spongebob looking frightened, and that's enough of a reason to approach! She peers through the window, plainly concerned. ]

Are you...okay? You can always get out of the car, you know.

Parking Lot

[whatyouwant]

[Elle peaks her head in the window.]

Hey there. Thinking of taking her for a spin?

[fourbutts]

[ "No, it's fine! Really fine! Go be fine!"

"And I want my pink shirt."

Janis wakes up in the Nurse's Office in a... testy mood. To say the least. She's honestly kind of glad Maya left earlier because the first thing she does after getting dressed again is kick over a trash can and then, immediately, yell in pain because that was metal and she was barefoot.

Hope that doesn't sound bad to anyone!

Still kind of fuming, she moves on to explore the new area! And she can be found... grumpily swimming some really angry laps at the pool? Fun fact if you haven't seen her without her usual baggy clothes on, but Janis is in way better physical shape than one would expect!

Then she heads to the photo studio, mostly to look at the uh. Photo dungeons. ]

Did... did we really just get three locked rooms? Are you fucking kidding me?

[ At least there's been the pretense of rooms that aren't for murder to this point!! ]

Pool

[mayavericks]

[Maybe it's a testament to her own solemn mood that Maya doesn't enjoy this unfettered glimpse at Janis's form. Truly tragic, almost more than the fact that at first, Maya doesn't seem to notice her at all. She's perched at the side of the pool, deep in thought for now.

Deep in thought until she stands up at least. Then, she becomes abruptly aware of the woman in swimming back and forth in front of her, and...]

Janis?

Photo Studio

[whatyouwant]

[Elle peers in and scrunches her nose.]

Well this is ominous.

[disharmonizes]

["Oh, please, I've seen this before. But he was always weak minded. You are Discord, you are legend, you cannot fall into the same trap that claimed my brother! Help me to grow strong, and be rewarded with something far greater than friendship. Freedom."

"Surely you saw this coming?"

Discord wakes up in Broadhurst, not Ambassador dorm. One of the first things he does upon waking is snapping his fingers and there's... the flash of light, as it should be, and a little shower of confetti floating up to the ceiling. It's a relief, even if it doesn't really erase the lingering hollow feeling.

Exploring happens, eventually, and Discord finds his way to the pool. He isn't really swimming yet, because that switch is already much more interesting than the pool. He flips it, watching as things start to get colder and freeze... then flips it again. And again. And-- Okay, we're just going to be at this for a while, it seems. Even he doesn't seem all that entertained by it, but it's still happening.

When he gets to the photo dungeons, he just stops and squints a little, looking inside. Noting the way those doors can bolt shut.]

Well, that's absolutely delightful and not a bad omen in the least.

[After that... well, Discord's just out in the cafeteria, eventually, with his yearbook open for the first time in a couple weeks now. He's doodling, as he did when they first got here, but his drawings of choice are a little different this time. Mostly, he's doodling a lot of... cats? Huh.]

Cafeteria

[employeeoftheyear]

[When Spongebob sees Discord, he decides to give him a quick hug before sitting down next to him.]

Those are some really nice drawings, Discord. Are they for anything?

photo dungeons

[fourbutts]

[ Janis is also here, frowning in at the death boxes. ]

Think there's some way we can... I don't know, force them closed?

Broadhurst

[violentenvies]

[Salieri, who has honestly slept in little more than fits and starts, jumps just a little bit, hand tightening on Discord's from where he has been clutching it above Farrah's head all night, sucking in a surprised breath...before he relaxes a bit when he realizes what just happened.

However, he does look at Discord questioningly, silently arching an eyebrow]

Pool

[defyingfrigidity]

[Elsa's not as much of an active explorer as the others, but she's realizing she needs to do something to keep from sliding backwards into the memories of the latest trial. So in the time when Cass needs a break on her own, she wanders up to the second floor, eventually finding the pool and Discord messing with the button.]

This feels... somewhat ominous, don't you think?

[barberic]

[Anyone who stayed the night in Ambassador noticed (unless they weren't awake) Benjamin drag himself into bed, freshly shower-wet, well after midnight.

But despite how exhausted he was when he laid down, his dreams wake him early. His body aches from spending the night burying Rina and Varian, but there's nothing sluggish or sore in the way that he kicks himself out from under his blanket and gets out of bed, probably long before his roommates are ready to rise.

The work waits, after all.

He dresses there in the room standing at the foot of his bed, also unusual for him, nicer than usual in the waistcoat that he hasn't worn since Sissi picked it out for him, a somber black shirt, and black trousers.

He fixes his hair in the men's room, a tall task since he slept on it wet the night before, and then he makes his way to the cafeteria, to catch the others who might not have been involved in the burying.]

We finished burying them, last night. I was thinking it'd be right to gather for a memorial to them. Around midday, if you'd like to come.

[He's as lively today as he was the first three weeks, but there's almost a manic edge to it, like he's hiding from something. He's not going to sit down or eat today, unless someone makes him. The rest of the morning is spent picking flowers and getting ready for the funeral, including some of the yellow roses from near the football field, discovered when he went to return the shovels to the shed.]

[After the funeral, Benjamin lingers a long time in the garden, sitting vigil with his lit candle until well after dark, when it's burned down to his fingers.

He makes his way back up to the academy in the dark, but instead of going in he sits underneath the awning outside the doors, listening to the thunder as it begins to roll in.]

Funeral

[barberic]

[Around midday, true to his word, Benjamin can be found in the garden, standing next to the freshly mounded double-width grave. The flowers already picked are sitting in one of two baskets next to the grave, enough for everyone to lay at least a couple, while the other basket is filled with taper candles, to go with the lit one that Benjamin holds in his hands. Anyone who takes a candle will be offered a light off of the one he holds.

Standing over the grave that he dug last night lends it an upsetting reality that it didn't have before. Seeing how short their grave is next to the Balladeer's drives home that they were children.]

Varian and Rina... There aren't words that can be said to express the grief at the loss of a child. A friend, a brother or sister, a s- a son, or daughter... [His voice gives out halfway through the word 'daughter,' and he has to take a breath and look up at the sky for a second before he can continue.]

We mourn them together today, to remember their lives and the love they shared with each other, and with all of us, and to know that it won't be in vain. You are not forgotten, and you will be avenged.

[He lays down two flowers, one on each side of the wide grave, and then steps back for the next person.]

Picking Flowers

[mcfife]

[Angus is also marching through the garden, walking through the aisle of names of the fallen. Four entire weeks have passed since they arrived, no closer to freedom, and with more questions. He keeps his Hammer of Glory strapped on his back, ever since the morning. He can't part from his weapon ever again.

Mr. Barker has been busy all night and all morning, it appears. Angus squats next to the older man.]

Which ones are you looking for?

[feudalladyshandmaid]

["Let him go, Cassandra."

"I don't follow your orders any more!"

A clash of phenomenal cosmic powers, an entire room filled to the brim with her teeth, hoping to take a bite out of the one she thought had a hand in ruining her life... And a fall from a great height. Cassandra is only saved from the landing when she blinks herself awake.

She stirs with a small gasp... in Rodgers dorm. In Elsa's bed, with the queen of Arendelle snuggled beside her.

Once the morning has commenced, it's time for the daily routine--Except they have a new floor to investigate. So, it's on to the second floor, where Cassandra very quickly finds herself at the pool. She might not be interested in swimming right now, but she can still sit on the edge and let her feet dip into the water.

Her rounds also bring her to the storage. Which... most people probably ignore, but not Cassandra. Because she's just like that.]

What are these?

[As she pokes around inside the washing machine.

After that, well... Cassandra's headed outside to the gayseball field. She alternates between running laps with her bird, Owl, in the field and... looking up at the stars. Lost in her own thoughts, apparently.]

Rodgers

[employeeoftheyear]

[Spongebob feels... wistful this morning, but he is certainly not nearly as depressed from the previous memories to not notice his roommates.

And when he hops off his bunk, he sure does notice Cass sleeping in Elsa's bed when she hasn't before.]

Hey, Cass, whatcha doing here?

[He says this... way too loudly for this time of day.]

Rodgers Dorm

[defyingfrigidity]

[Elsa isn't in much better shape as morning dawns on the school. Last week had been a reprieve, a happy memory after the pain of knowing her own incoming death. But the dreams she'd received tonight... dreams of a dark, damp ship, dreams of her parents' final cries as the sea took them...

She needs warmth, after those dreams. She needs some kind of connection, some point of comfort. So as Cass stirs that morning, she'll feel a pair of arms around her; not restraining her in any way, and their grip will loosen when she sits up, but they remain around her waist as Elsa moves closer, still sleep-drunk and slowly blinking her eyes.]

Hey... what happened?

[Typical Elsa. Always thinking of others before herself.]

cw: dissociation, suicidal ideation likely in some threads!

[comeandfindme]

[ "Look, I just— maybe you should...stay here, and I'll go try and—"
"No, P- Peregrine, we are NOT...not splitting up, it's a- a bad idea, and—"
He stops talking.

There's crying, hysterics.
"Hi, mom."
"Are you okay? Are you okay?! I was so..."

The two girls press themselves close together. For the first time in months.
"You're okay?"
"...You did this."
"Yeah."

Peregrine wakes up still feeling the cold, cold body wrapped in her arms, still hearing her own hushed whispers— "It's okay, it's gonna be okay, they'll be here, any minute, just stay— please just stay away—"

Well. That explains...a few things, doesn't it?

She lays in her bed in Rodgers Dorm, not unlike last week, and the only thing she does is wrap herself in her cloak and stare at the ceiling. The weight of the last four weeks crushes in on her, on top of the weight of her memories, and she simply can't move.

In somewhat of a daze, she finds herself exploring the second floor. She stops at the entrance to the pool, and she scowls briefly, acknowledging something outside her own head for the first time all day.

It's great to hear that you've picked up swimming again. Do you think you'll try out for the swim team this year?

God, she has to burn those.

Her exploration stops abruptly short when she comes across a large switch labeled with something about temperature, something about an ice rink—

And she's gone, out of the room in a flash and trying to keep her breathing even.

Where she eventually finds refuge is the darkroom. She knows what it is the moment she sees the curtain. It's out of the way, it's a little lonely, and she doesn't...really want to be alone, but—

But for a very long time, Peregrine sits in there with a photo of her own. Back against the wall, she sits there, idly pressing her fingers against the smiling faces staring back at her, particularly her own. ]

Stupid... Stupid... Why...did you listen to me?

[ The photo doesn't have an answer for her. ]

[brokeforgood]

[Farrah’s back in the Girl’s Locker Room again today. She bustles between the lockers and the bathroom, with her remaining bottles and cans of alcohol with her.

Her crying? It’s loud, and echoes well outside of the girl’s bathroom. Her voice, too, carries.]

I poured the bottle out
Became myself again.
That hopeless loser girl who no one understands,
no one understands, no one——

Before the breakdown

[rip to all of Farrah’s alcohol. She pours it all down the toilet, crying all the way]

No one understands

No one stays.

[ Much later though—- after the funeral, after she’s cried and felt like she’s lost herself forever, she climbs the stairs and begins to explore. It doesn’t take long at all for her to clamber into a swimsuit, dive into the pool, and become a menace to the entire pool, with all the hooting and hollering and pool-toy throwing and water-gun squirting she’s doing.

If you come into the pool while Farrah’s in it, you’re gonna get splashed. ]