Week Six

[stagemanagers]

[Last week, in It's Curtains, the weather changed, and with it your fortune in Dads. Discord took Salieri out - or perhaps Salieri took Discord out - and left the survivors with that much less impulse control. Nonetheless, a visit from a new friend might have provided a little bit of much-needed hope?

On Sunday morning, you'll find that the other side of the second floor has opened up - as well as the actual intended path to reach the roof garden. You can finally stop climbing up that rope every time you want to have a picnic or secret lover's rendezvous!

Outside, the weather seems to have calmed down. It's sunny again, with rather a lot of clouds. Though it's warm, the atmosphere seems very...still.]


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

[themuseabandonsyou]

I guess? I just assumed it was like how one of the pies comes out of there on fire sometimes.

[ Orpheus gives the chocolate strawberry pie a skeptical look, because fortunately for Benjamin he's very easily influenced. ]

I guess you're also not supposed to eat food that lizards have touched, and there are a lot of lizards in there... [ he says, frowning thoughtfully. ]

[themuseabandonsyou]

[ So he's got a rabbit that... might not have been real a second ago now! That's something! Orpheus just stands there, stroking its back as he thinks about what to do with it, before shrugging and heading back towards the school.

He wanders around a bit, humming to the rabbit as he strokes its back, trying to think of who best to bring it to. As much as he likes animals, he doesn't really know much about taking care of them, usually meeting them out in the wild and letting them go on their way when they're done listening to him. But who here likes rabbits?

A memory strikes him, suddenly, and he makes for Ambassador knocking on the door before peering inside. ]

Farrah? Are you still here?

[mcfife]

We can start there. The first step is to reach the Wizard's hiding place, wherever he may be. [...] Can you scale a wall yet?

[mayavericks]

His arm is broken. [The words rush out in a rushed stream. She hasn't had the time to find her composure, and she won't risk taking that time now.]

Can you -- do you know how to set and splint a broken limb?

[comeandfindme]

[ Just like that, Peregrine puts down the empty plate and already starts walking. Maya was right up front. This must be hurting her even more right now. ]

Yeah. Yeah, I definitely can. You brought him to the nurse's office?

[barberic]

[Riley.

He doesn't think a healthy girl would kill a classmate. Not over something that seems like it should be completely inconsequential. Will it really matter, in a year? Two?

No, he's not angry with Riley. But Farrah is more than allowed to be, whether or not her being alive now was also Riley's doing.]

I could never. [He squeezes her tight in a hug.] And they're all fools, for not being able to see how special you are.

[mcfife]

From my experience, all sorcerers, wizards, and mages like the aura of fear they exude. Then again, they tend to throw magical missiles into the air when they're bored, so they might all be like that to a degree.

[Have you seen their robes? What normal person dressed in public like that?]

...Could she bring someone back to life?

[themuseabandonsyou]

We would be. [ Orpheus confirms. ] You're like a little sister to us, Farrah.

[ He smiles at her, leaning back against the unoccupied bed behind him. ]

I've never really had siblings before? And I'm just... glad to have you. You care so much about people, and you're kind when it's time to be and not when it isn't, and you're funny, and braver than you give yourself credit for.

Well, I think it's safe to say
And we can probably all agree
That everyone who met you here
Loves and respects you immensely

[themuseabandonsyou]

There isn't. Sometimes I don't think even forever would be enough. So you just... have to make due with what you have. Tell people how much you value them. Try not to leave anything unsaid.

[brokeforgood]

[You’re like a little sister to us, he says.

There’s a tiny, prideful smile that spreads across her face as he speaks. She spent a year of her life being the girl no wanted to be around— to have people say things that are so nice about her is so wonderful.]

Thanks, Orpheus. You’ve always been really nice to me too. And supportive, and honest, and you take such good care of Eurydice.

My step-sister has a boyfriend who she’s been with for three times the amount of time I’ve known her for. He is—- was—- always nice. Gentle. Thoughtful.

You remind me a lot of him.

[comeandfindme]

But I... Eventually I'm just gonna be alone. What good's it all then?

[barberic]

[Benjamin is quiet for a long moment, but he slowly pulls himself more upright. Still kneeling, still bowed, but not low on the ground like before.]

...You remind me of a boy I knew. A friend of mine. Anthony, his name was. Is. A good man. A sailor. Young and optimistic, like you.

[Probably his son-in-law, by now.]

In a way, he reminded me of a younger version of myself. When I still had the world laid out in front of me. When I still believed in things like hope and justice.

[barberic]

[That makes him pause and give Orpheus a queer look.]

Wait, what? I hadn't heard that about lizards before.

[defyingfrigidity]

[Oh no. Ohhhh no. Elsa's quick to sit up at Cass's confession, hands immediately coming to Cass's cheek so she can cup her face. The concern in the queen's eyes is almost overwhelming; what happened now? What hurt her dear friend this time? How could she help?]

Please... tell me.

[barberic]

[He looks up to meet her, slowly, and there's a quiet desolation, eyes all the bluer for being wet and rimmed with tears.

His expression crumples by degrees, first his lips pursing, and wobbling, and then he swallows hard, and looks back down at the ground.

Then he reaches out and takes her hand, his voice soft and barely there.]

...Then I'm glad to be counted among them. [He takes a breath in, and out, that moves his whole chest.] As long as you'll have me.

costumes

[feudalladyshandmaid]

[Cassandra was going to sort through her own pile of clothes... Instead, she's sitting on the floor, gently wheezing and hoping that her strength returns soon.]

It's, uh... A party. [She's not totally looking at Eurydice. But at something over her shoulder?] So something flashy... but comfortable?

[defyingfrigidity]

[Little, daily things. Hmm...]

I suppose I could start making her breakfast every day? [...] I... don't know how, but it can't be that hard, right?

[barberic]

[He doesn't expect it to be enough. Who would accept 'hopefully not' as an answer to 'would you kill again?' In an academy that deals in death weekly, with a harsher and harsher toll?

He doesn't expect her acceptance, and therefore he's blindsided completely when she wraps her arms around his neck, her body draped over his back. He tenses, holding his breath, until she speaks.

And then his body shudders, and he softly begins to sob.]

[barberic]

[Benjamin nods, a part of him relaxing.

He should be a little ashamed at being able to so easily lie about this, he thinks, but telling the truth would require a level of honesty he doesn't want to confront about himself yet. And besides that, it would no doubt cause even more distress.]

I'll be down shortly, to hang this on the machine. Just as soon as I find some glue, or something to hang it with.

[feudalladyshandmaid]

[Cass is lost in a panic, flailing and trying to stop the all-consuming flames from eating her alive, to no avail. Miraculously, she doesn't accidentally slap Elsa in the face, and instead her hand finds solace in Elsa's.

She sees it, before her bare eyes. There's no burns, no withering. Elsa is pristine, like cool porcelain.]

E-elsa...

[The flames still trying to burn into her eyes start to... die down. Into sparks, and then embers along her arms.

To Elsa, Cassandra is shuddering and gasping for breath. Her hand shivering heavily in the woman's grip.]

[feudalladyshandmaid]

You-

[...Oh. Oh no. No, no, no. Why stab her in the chest now?]

...Then, why did you do it?

[She doesn't want to ask. But she does.]

CW: hallucinations

[feudalladyshandmaid]

It's... Uh.

[Just ignore it. Don't look at the crystalizing amber in the corner, threatening to consume the entire room.

Don't look.

Cass blinks hard.]

I'm uhhh, fine. I'm fine. Never better. How about you?

cw: suicidal mention

[barberic]

Then I'm glad that he did. And I'm glad that you chose him to help you.

[He thinks about, but doesn't mention, the SQUIP and Connor. How the SQUIP had seen a way out, in the poor boy's pain, and tried to take advantage of it. If Farrah had found someone else last night, someone who had been waiting for an opportunity to present itself, there might have been no chance of saving her at all.

When he thinks about that, his arms remember the weight of Lucy's body, her blood soaking into his shirt as he cradled her to his chest.

He sucks in a deep breath when Farrah hugs him tighter, then rests his cheek on her head, breathing in the smell of her and reminding himself that she's alive. She's safe.

He's not alone.]

...Do you know what I thought, when I stepped out in front of you?

[themuseabandonsyou]

[ Orpheus laughs at the mental image of Medea hurling magic into the air out of boredom. It's not that absurd, honestly, but it is definitely a mental image. Then Angus asks his question, and Orpheus's expression drops again. ]

Ah. No, I don't think so. There's only one person who can allow the dead out of the Underworld, and that's Lord Hades, the god of that realm.

[ He sits down on the bench, looking thoughtful. ]

Eurydice and I - we convinced him to let her go. That's what she remembered, this morning. But I don't think we could do it again, even once, much less... nine more times.

[themuseabandonsyou]

Peregrine. [ Orpheus says it gently, looking back over at her. ] Do you... regret meeting the people you've lost? Would you prefer not to have known them?