itscurtains | Week Six

Entry tags:

act 3,
week 6

Week Six

[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. ))

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[ "...Am I the bad guy?"

The early Sunday morning silence in Longacre is broken suddenly by a low groan. That quickly turns into someone trying to suppress a scream - not out of horror, but... frustration?]

I'm a fucking idiot!

[Once... That has settled, Cassandra heads outside for the morning, mainly towards the gayseball field where, coincidentally, her horse, Fidella is currently staying.]

Hey, girl. [She pats Fidella's snout. The horse, seemingly noticing her rider's forlornness, shuffles against her hand with a huff.]

No, I'm fine. I just... I have a lot to think about.

[She's talking to the horse, yes. And she does have much to think about; about home, about what she has done and needs to do. What she might have to pay for it... Really, there's only one thing to do at a time like this.

So it's around the morning, but before lunch, that the gayseball field tremors with the thunderous hooves of Fidella, being ridden around the loop by none other than Cassandra herself. The wind whips her hair back. Her worries are, for the moment, pushed aside. She looks happy.

Funny how, even after lunch, that happiness seems to persist. Muted but assuredly still there. Including a noticeable pep in her step as she journeys down the hallway. At least someone's in a good mood today!

Eventually, she emerges into the art room in the newly opened area, where she's spending a good chunk of time just sifting through the art supplies. Looking at the brushes and pencils, pulling out varying sheets of paper, comparing them. Hm. Whatever the case, they're not to her liking and she sets them back with a sigh.]

[ Honestly Orpheus is more drawn in by the entire horse that's just been wandering the school grounds than anything else. He's pretty sure it's been here for a while, but due to circumstances he hasn't really had the chance to investigate until now. ]

Hi, Cassandra! [ He calls, loud enough to be heard but hopefully not loud enough to spook her equine friend. ] Is that your horse?

[Fidella's a stout horse, so it's okay! Not a lot manages to spook her, just like her owner.

They're just rounding the bend as they hear Orpheus calling out, and the fast, nearly frantic gallop slows to a more easygoing trot as they get closer. Eventually coming to a stop before Orpheus.]

Orpheus! Hey. [She nods to him.] Yup. This is Fidella. My, uh, horse from back home.

Hi, Fidella! [ he says, brightly, holding out his hand in case she wants to examine it. He doesn't have much experience with horses, but he knows most animals like to be able to smell new people as they encounter them.

Although something strikes him as he's waiting to see if she goes for it, brows furrowing as he tries to imagine - ]

Did she come out of the machine?

[Fidella shuffles closer to the outstretched hand, her eyes watching him with a certain level of understanding. Provided Orpheus doesn't move away, she will very gently press her snout into his palm.]

Actually, no. If you can believe it. [she scoffs.] Apparently, Janis got a piece of paper out of the machine that pointed her outside, and Fidella was just... there.

[Fidella huffs, as though she's as put off by it as everyone else.]

Oh. I guess that makes sense? [ As much sense as anything ever does around here. Orpheus pats Fidella on the nose gently, smiling at her. ]

Well, she's a beautiful horse. Are you having an okay time taking care of her, here? I don't really know what horses need to stay healthy. [ He imagines a school setting is... probably sub-optimal, though? ]

[At that, she heaves a sigh and looks at their surroundings.] It could be worse. [Not like that's a good thing.]

There's plenty of grass for her, and I've been bringing down food from the kitchen. It's not perfect, but I'm... trying. At least she didn't show up when we were trapped inside.

Oh, that would've been bad. [ says Orpheus, trying to imagine the logistics of taking care of a horse while locked in a building. It doesn't sound fun! ] So I guess that's nice, at least? If there's anything I can do to help, though, let me know. I don't know much about horses, but most animals seem to like me pretty well?

[It's the last thing Cass would want for poor Fidella!! A HORSE LOOSE IN THE SCHOOL?? It would be worse for her than it would be for anyone else.]

Well, the good news is Fidella likes most people.

[Truly. Fidella bends her head down to better greet Orpheus - or get some head pets. Probably both.]

I'll be fine. I've known Fidella for a long, long time. I was practically raised with her.

Oh! I'm glad you have her here with you, then? I guess this is kind of a dangerous place, but it's nice to have friends.

[ Ones that probably aren't subject to the Wizard's rules in the same way the humans and sponge and Lumpy Spacer are. He pats Fidella on the head carefully, feeling out how she likes being petted. ]

Are you... a knight? You have the sword, and the horse. I guess not everyone who has both is, but. [ It seems worth asking! ]

Honestly? I'd rather she wasn't here.

[She likes having her friends here. But.... What if she gets hurt? What if they get hurt? How many animals were stuck in that cursed machine?]

No. Not a knight. I... wanted to be a guard. [Wanted. It's distant now. Not for her, and might never be.] I used to be the princess's lady-in-waiting, but... that fell through.

Mm. I can understand that. It'd be even better if she was safe at home.

[ He listens to her answer, frowning a little as he continues to pat Fidella gently. ]

I'm... sorry to hear that. It sounds like it must've been really important to you.

It was. [She answers immediately, then...] It was my whole life; I just wanted to serve my kingdom. Then...

[Her eyes have shifted - away from Orpheus, away from all of this. Into the far distance.]

I, uh, made some bad choices. And... here we are.

Oh. I'm sorry. Was it... the same thing we talked a little bit about, before?

[ Her betraying her friends, in the search of something they wouldn't help her with. ]

Sorry, I don't mean to pry. If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to.

[This is one of the few nights where Elsa's felt like she slept well. After a string of bad or uncertain dreams, and all the deaths, it's... nice, having something that can soothe her heart. So that morning, she's in a soft, even sleep...

Until Cass yells, and Elsa wakes up with a yelp and nearly falls off the cramped bed.]

Hu- wh- [She blinks hard, shaking her head to clear the fog from it, before sitting up and turning to Cass.] What happened???

[The beds are still not nearly as comfortable as they'd hope they'd be, but the floor was even worse. So, the moment Elsa looks like she's about to tumblr off the cot, Cass's arm pulls her back and steadies her.

Sorry! Sorry! I- [As Elsa sits up, Cass lays back down, running a hand down her face, wiping at exhausted eyes.] I had another memory-dream.

[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.

[There Cass goes again, feeling as though she's about to drown in those eyes if she were to fall in too deeply. Letting out a quiet sigh, she leaned into those hands.]

...Do you remember when I told you about Zhan Tiri? That warlock that wanted to destroy Corona?

The one that caused the blizzard that trapped Rapunzel's parents.

[Hoo boy that was a... fun... misunderstanding.]

I do. Why?

Well...

[HOO BOY AND SPEAKING OF MISUNDERSTANDINGS....]

It turns out... Zhan Tiri is one that told me to betray Rapunzel.

[Cass sounds frustrated. Elsa looks horrified.]

A demon hurt you and manipulated you into doing what you did? But... why go after you?

I don't know... [No, she's got a theory. She always does.] I was probably the easiest to manipulate. She... said we were alike. More like sisters than me and Rapunzel ever were.

[Elsa bites her tongue; she wants to argue that no, Cass isn't easy to manipulate. She's strong, by far one of the strongest people Elsa's ever known. She managed to keep herself going week after week in the constant onslaught of new memories. But that would be invalidating everything she went through, wouldn't it?]

... She tried to prey on you feelings about your mother, didn't she? Your loneliness?

[Elsa may not be as wordly as Cass, but she's not stupid. This demon trying to make some kind of connection with Cass, tied to how agonized Cass had been when she found out about her abandonment...]

[Cass also wouldn't believe her. Because it's true, she knows it; she fell for the lies, hook, line, and sinker. ]

Yup. [She's quietly bitter. It's vile to even confirm, but... she can't deny it anymore.] I just wanted to be more in people's eyes than... than nothing! And she used that! She pointed me at Rapunzel...

[But it wasn't the demon that did all of it, was it?]

I did some terrible things, Elsa.

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Week Six

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