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

cw: suicide discussion

[themuseabandonsyou]

You did. [ says Orpheus. ] But - I understand? I don't think it was a good idea, at all, but I know... how you must've felt.

[ He shifts slightly so he's sitting cross-legged on the floor across from her, and looks at her seriously. ]

You know Eurydice... died, back home. Out in a really serious storm, and I didn't even - I didn't realize she was missing until she was already gone. When I found out, I - [ he takes a deep breath and looks aside. ] She's everything to me. I would've done anything, to follow her.

[ He worries his lip, staring off out the window at the sunny day outside. ]

I didn't have to. Someone gave me another way to go after her, and bring her back home, before I had to make that choice. But I know what it feels like, to think that's the only option. Even if just for a moment.

cw: suicide discussion

[brokeforgood]

[Farrah listens to Orpheus, actually listens to what he has to say, and doesn’t interrupt.

She follows his gaze to the window.

It just hurts her head. She pulls the blanket hood over her head more dramatically.]

I just wanted to be with them again.

cw: suicide discussion

[themuseabandonsyou]

I know. I miss them, too. And I know that - knowing they're here with us, in some strange way makes it even harder not to think like that.

[ He breathes out, slowly, and looks back at her. ]

And I know Benjamin's not Antonio, and I'm not the Balladeer, and none of us are replacements for the ones you've lost, but.

[ He thinks carefully about what to say next. ]

You mean a lot to us, too. And we'd miss you. There's no replacing you, either.

[brokeforgood]

[Farrah tugs the blankets around her and Sonic tighter at the mention of those that they’ve lost.

There’s something so earnest about Orpheus that it’s almost painful. Almost Annleigh-like. He’s not a replacement for her, either, but it does make her want to do better for him than she did for her sister.]

I just miss them so much. Dad. And Varian, and Rina, and the Balladeer… everyone.

I don’t want everyone else to have to miss me. But this stupid—- Hester’s stupid fucking thing—- I keep hearing them. They keep singing to me.

[themuseabandonsyou]

Oh.

[ Right the illusions or hallucinations everyone else has been talking about. Orpheus hasn't been graced by any himself, save for the occasional strain of distant music carrying through the air, but it does make some of Farrah's behavior make a little more sense. ]

I... want to believe we'll see them again, someday. Properly, not through the board Peregrine has. [ Or the blurry video Nana took. ] Somehow, some way. And if it has to be in the afterlife, then that's okay, but I think... they'd all be much happier if you took your time in getting there.

Antonio would never forgive any of us if we let you go before your time.

[brokeforgood]

He should be happy to see me again. Not upset with anyone. [She huffs, irritated. But… he’s right.]

Yeah. And… I died once before, without any action on my part. Who knows. I shouldn’t rush it. People here would be… really upset, if something happened to me.

[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

[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.

[themuseabandonsyou]

[ Orpheus lights up when he sees her smile again despite everything. He does catch that shift to the past-tense when she talks about this boyfriend of her step-sister's, and looks briefly concerned, but, that's something they can address later. ]

Thanks! I just try to be good to the people I love? And I know I don't always succeed, but, I'm glad you think so well of me.

You've talked about your step-sister before, right? It sounds like you care about her a lot.

[brokeforgood]

[Her smile does turn a little more sad, a little more wistful, at the mention of her sister.]

Yeah. Annleigh. I tried really hard to be a good sister to her. I wasn’t always. But I still love her.

[themuseabandonsyou]

[ Orpheus nods in understanding. He may not have any step-siblings or blood siblings that he's aware of, but. ]

Sometimes being good to your family can be really hard. Even if you're acting with the best of intentions, or you're doing what you think is right for them.

[ He thinks of working, working, working endlessly on a song that he thought would save everyone but almost doomed Eurydice instead. ]

And sometimes you just can't or don't do either of those things, for whatever reason. But you care, and you try, and I think that counts for a lot.

[brokeforgood]

...Yeah. Now that I look back on it, most of it wasn't my fault completely. Or hers. We were just... kids, put in the same house, at a really weird time in her life. And then my life got really weird.

[She glances back at the sunshine outside.]

She'd be really angry with me about today, too. I can just imagine her yelling at me. But I think sometimes she yelled, because she cared.

[themuseabandonsyou]

You would've been introduced because your parents got married, right? Which sounds really complicated, on top of being your age already being really complicated.

[ Orpheus never had to deal with the epic highs and lows of high school sports or going viral for bad things happening to him (not yet, not technically) or anything, but there's a universality to the difficulties of being fifteen and having to figure yourself out, especially when you have minimal adult supervision. ]

Yelling isn't really a good way to show someone you care, even when they've done something, um. Bad. And I'm sorry if any of us do that today. But you're right. Sometimes that's just how all the fear and worry comes out, even if it's not the best.