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

darkroom

[perchlorate]

No.

[ The voice that answers is gruff and low. On the other side of the room is the hazy, dark outline of a broad older man.

Sit in the dark with him? ]

[comeandfindme]

[ Peregrine knows that voice.

Of course she knows that voice.

Her voice cracks. ]

Howl?

[perchlorate]

Mmm-hmm. [ This time, his voice is warmer, even fond. ]

Nice room you got here. [ He raps his knuckles against the walls. ] Sturdy.

[comeandfindme]

[ It doesn't make any sense. But still, Peregrine clings to it. ]

Where did you go?

[ She shivers. She pulls her cloak tighter and shivers. ]

Did you leave on purpose?

[perchlorate]

[ He's quiet for a long time, but it's not a bad quiet. It's just Howl thinking; it's how he is. ]

Into the woods. [ a beat. ] I was already gone.

[comeandfindme]

No you weren't! You were right there. ...We could've been happy.

[ The girl he knows doesn't whimper. She cries, but she channels her anger, her emotions, into her goals. She keeps from being stagnated. But this girl is so weak and so tired and so cold. So she does. ]

[perchlorate]

[ But he couldn't have. He has built a whole life on the idea that he doesn't really deserve happiness. Not like that.

Howl sits beside her. Peregrine might be able to feel a cool breeze. ]

Were you happy?

[comeandfindme]

[ She pulls the cloak tighter and closer. Why can't she get warm? ]

I... I think I was. I don't know. I felt...good.

[ It's not like them. But after a moment, Peregrine tries to lean against him. ]

[perchlorate]

[ When she tries to lean against him, all she'll feel is air. ]

Mmm. [ Peregrine has probably been around Howl long enough to know that particular low hum means: me too. ]

[comeandfindme]

[ Her eyes burn with tears. She knew that would be the case. Really, she did. But...still.

She really wanted to believe.

This is a symptom. This is something in her own brain or—or something, telling her what she wants to hear. This isn't real. This isn't him.

But still— ]

C-can— can you...stay with me...right now? Please?