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

[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.]

YES WE DID

[mayavericks]

Naturally.

[She doesn't move in any particular direction, doesn't try to coax him into following her, or into leading the way, either.]

[disharmonizes]

Naturally.

[He certainly isn't moving.]

I'm sure I don't need to say it and other people have lectured you, but you won't be doing something like that again, right?

[mayavericks]

Truthfully?

[She shakes her head.]

I cannot make such promises. We never know what the next day will bring.

[disharmonizes]

Oh! I'm so sorry, this is my bad, I phrased that as a question. Let me clarify.

[And he pushes off the wall, crossing his arms.]

You will not offer yourself up as a sacrifice like that again. That is not on the table.

[mayavericks]

Discord.

[She breathes in through her nose, and then exhales heavily.]

I do not want to have this conversation right now. I would simply like my sword back so I can return to my normal routines.

[disharmonizes]

Oh, would this evening be better for you? Tomorrow?

[He snaps his fingers and a day planner appears in his hands, which he casually opens.]

I'm sure we can find a way to make this work for both of us.

[mayavericks]

[Maya's fingers tighten, balling into fists.]

Are you enjoying yourself?

[disharmonizes]

[And he looks up from that planner, eyes a little narrowed. Tone more serious than normal, too, as he answers.]

I'm really not.

[mayavericks]

I would consider the decision I did during the trial again, if I had to. If it were any of our younger rank up there. Especially if it was an accident. No one deserves to have that happen to them.

[A beat]

As long as I have people here to continue fighting for, though... I will continue to stay my hand.

[disharmonizes]

You don't deserve to have that happen to you either. Before you start martyring yourself all over the place again.

...But, it's a start, I suppose.

[He snaps his fingers and Maya's sword appears with a flash, just like that. Better grab it quick, though, because it's only hover in the air for a moment before it's gonna fall to the floor.]

[mayavericks]

[Maya's quick enough on her feet that she can step forward and snatch the sword out of the air. She gives it a careful flourish, making sure it still feels right in her hand, before tucking it into the sheath that Varian had helped her make.]

I never claimed that I did. But I would be willing. I would have made the choice. That is more than we could say for many of the victims of these games.

[Another pause.]

Thank you.

[disharmonizes]

Here's hoping I don't end up regretting it, likely in the form of you aiming that thing at me next. Most likely entirely deserved, of course.

[At least he can still joke about this.]

I do apologize for letting it slip away during the trial, but I wasn't really expecting... all of that.

["That" being "Salieri".]

[mayavericks]

I cannot imagine you would ever do something so dramatic as to force my hand like that. [A beat.] Salieri-sensei, on the other hand... You may be wise to ensure he never has any sharp objects around you. Just in case.

[She's... trying to be funny but it probably won't land right.]

[disharmonizes]

I'd best sleep with one eye open around him, then. He has already cut me once.

[because you fucking grabbed the sword BY THE BLADE idiot]

[mayavericks]

And you certainly didn't bring that on yourself in any capacity.

[Though, now that they're on that subject.]

How is it, by the way? Your hand, I mean.

[disharmonizes]

Perfectly fine, really. [He'll wave his hand around a moment. It's all bandaged up.] Salieri saw to that himself, getting all concerned, as if it was any sort of big deal.

[mayavericks]

He really seems to care for you. That's good. And it is also good that your hand has been cared for properly. Just be sure to change the bandaging every day.

[disharmonizes]

Well, also he seems to love lecturing me about how stupid he thinks I am, but let's go with the caring thing.

[...pausing at that second part, though, thinking about it.]

What, seriously, every day? Ugh, mortal bodies are so inconvenient!

[mayavericks]

Are you just getting used to the care and upkeep of your body?

[She shakes her head.]

You know about bathing, right?

[disharmonizes]

Oh, is that what all those strange contraptions in the locker rooms are for? Here I've just been using them to spray people.

[He laughs a little.]

Injuries are just a new one.

[mayavericks]

[Maya makes a face]

That explains the smell. And here I was worried, that Spongebob might have begun to mold.

[disharmonizes]

Oh, it could very well be both, let's not rule anything out.

[mayavericks]

[Ah, heck. She's laughing. Just a little.]

Just be sure you keep an eye on yourself. Many people would be quite upset if something happened to you.