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]

[She shakes her head, fingers seeking out Peregrine's own hands. She gives them a squeeze, trying to reassure.]

I wasn't thinking. It was just... normal for me. Something I did back home.

I'm sorry.

cw: panic attack

[comeandfindme]

[ Peregrine doesn't pull away from Maya, but— Well.

She's shivering, even if she's not all that cold. ]

You can't- it could just- it could turn back to- to water, and— if your clothes get wet, that's- that's the first problem, it- we didn't have- any dry clothes for him, I knew, I knew I should've gotten him something dry, but—

[ It's like Sunday. She's having trouble breathing. ]

cw: panic attack

[mayavericks]

Peregrine, Peregrine.

[She lays her hands against Peregrine's shoulders. Carefully, she coaxes the other woman backward, out of the pool. Maya stops only to grab a towel, wrapping it around Peregrine's shoulders.]

I was watching the switch. And the ice, as well.

cw: panic attack

[comeandfindme]

You can- you can never- never be prepared, not for anything, you don't know, anything could happen—

[ She moves where Maya moves her, trembling hand locked around Maya's in a vice-grip. ]

You can't- you can't count on anything, you can't—

cw: panic attack

[mayavericks]

I know, I know.

[She squeezes Peregrine's hands right back, though certainly not nearly as tight.]

I was not thinking. You're right though, and I am so, sorry.

cw: panic attack

[comeandfindme]

[ She presses into Maya, close and desperate, as if she'll vanish if she lets go. ]

Don't... Don't leave- please.

[ Again. Repeated, through her teeth. For awhile, that's about all she can do, while she's trying to get her breathing under control. ]

cw: panic attack

[mayavericks]

I won't. I promise, I will not.

[She presses a few kisses to the top of Peregrine's head. Comfort, nothing more. She just wants Peregrine to know that she's here, not some spirit about to disappear on the wind.]

cw: panic attack

[comeandfindme]

[ It doesn't last as long as last time. Peregrine half leans against the wall, half leans against Maya. She feels her start to come back to herself, feels her breath even and her shivering cease. Feels her rational mind blinking back awake. ]

That...doesn't usually happen twice in one week.

cw: panic attack

[mayavericks]

[She leans back as Peregrine does. Her fingers slide down to simply cup her cheek.]

It... Doesn't help that I set you off, Peregrine.

I'm sorry.

[comeandfindme]

[ This is real. Real, and grounded, and...here. Peregrine reaches up to hold Maya's hand. ]

It's... [ A slow breath out. ] Just stay safe. I know, it's— but in a place like this...

[mayavericks]

I know.

[Her smile is gentle -- her best at tempt at being reassuring.]

I am not going anywhere, Peregrine. Certainly not while I have you to protect, either.

[comeandfindme]

[ And her hand wraps around Maya's fingers, lacing theirs together. ]

You too. I'll protect you too. [ I can't lose someone else. ]

[mayavericks]

Just... Promise me something. Promise me you will not get hurt on my behalf.

[comeandfindme]

Can you promise me the same?

[mayavericks]

I promise, Peregrine.

[comeandfindme]

[ She looks into Maya's eyes, and though she's still shaky her own hold all the fire, all the intensity that seems right for them. That spark she's been missing for the last week or so. ]

...Then I promise too. Only on that condition.

[mayavericks]

Thank you.

[Maya's shoulders relax, just a little. There's been a tension there -- maybe it's only been present since that morning, or perhaps it's clung to her since the week prior -- that seems to ease just a little.]

May I... Show you something?

[comeandfindme]

Uh. Okay, sure. What is it...?

[ Peregrine agrees, but it seems to be on the condition that Maya not let her go. ]

[mayavericks]

[Maya hesitates for a moment. She reaches into her breast pocket. She pulls out a photo and unfolds it. Her... thumb is conveniently pressed over Peregrine's face, blocking out the obvious signs of hypothermia (third time is not the charm, thank you). Still, going by the cloak, it's still pretty obvious that it's her.]

The Wizard's gift to us has been... weighing heavily on me today.

[comeandfindme]

[ Peregrine doesn't take the photo from her. She can only imagine just what's behind Maya's thumb, and she wants to keep it that way. Still, she sees her own form, she sees Janis, she sees a girl she doesn't recognize but with the cape she can put some of it together—

And her lips press firmly together. ]

It's not real. It's not gonna happen. Whatever the Wizard says...it's not.

[mayavericks]

I want to believe that.

[But --

She lifts her opposite hand, thumbing over the picture of the blonde woman. For a moment, there might even appear to be a faint tremor in her hand.]

He took Claudine from me once before. Who is to say he won't do it again?

[comeandfindme]

[ She remembers that name. That—

Oh.

Oh, that's— ]

...She was there. With Nana, and Angus. This is her.

[mayavericks]

Yes. Claudine Saijo. My rival, and only equal on stage.

[Maya's voice wobbles, just a little.]

These are the three people that matter most to me. All dead.

[comeandfindme]

[ It's a huge and heavy weight that Peregrine feels right now, being on the same level as Janis and this Claudine, this girl who clearly means so very much to Maya. It's a weight that brings with it questions, like, what about her family, her parents? There's so much more to know about Tendo Maya, and yet Peregrine is one of the people who matters most to her?

It's something to dig into and examine later.

Peregrine runs her fingers over Maya's knuckles cupping her cheek. ]

He's just trying to scare us. These... They're not pictures, they're his nightmares.

[mayavericks]

I... hope you are right. [Maya's eyes close. She pulls the photo back, tucking it into her breast pocket once more. There's still a faint tremble to her hand but. she steadies herself for the time being.]

I let him harm Claudine. He will not lay a hand on either of you as well. I promise that.