itscurtains | Week 7

[Last week, on It's Curtains...boy, that sure was a year-long week, huh?

But despite it all, you've gotten through it with less death than there might have been. Spongebob and Farrah both survived their ill-conceived plan; Maya, with the intervention of Janis and Hester, survived her triple murder. Since the failed execution, there has been no sign of the Wizard or of Hester. It seems like you may have gotten away with that cleanly!

When you wake up on Sunday, you remember everything. All the gaps, the missing pieces, entire chunks of time from back home - they're back and neatly fitted where they should be in your heads. Elle, Orpheus, and Eurydice have also been given graves alongside the others in the garden. These ones were filled in for you; after all, you were all pretty occupied over the weekend.

Other than that...it seems like some unusual posters have been put up around the school. Sounds like something's going to happen this week. You'd better prepare.]

Sunday | Monday | Tuesday

(( As per usual, endgame will ICly take place on Wednesday, so get those last threads in! As this is the last week, all characters should be at their true canonpoint memory-wise. Feel free to continue submitting regains and...well, you can certainly try to visit Hester. No AC this week, but be sure to check in for endgame! ))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Peregrine's break comes from her very tired fingers. She'd been practicing and re-practicing. If Benjamin is close enough? He may be able to see if he is just who composed what she's playing. The name's familiar.

Because she's stopped playing, the surprise to which she reacts to him is only marginal. She turns pulling her hands back from the keys. ]

Uh, Mr. Barker! Hi, uh... How long've you been there?

[Unfortunately he stops by the door, so he doesn't see the sheet music.]

Only a moment. I heard someone playing, as I was passing by.

[ Oh yay, she gets to say it with her human mouth. ]

Ohh. Well, I only sound good at this part 'cause I've been practicing those last twenty seconds like...insistently.

You say that like that's not how you get better. I'm no musician, but...

My wife played. For fun, you know. It was part of a young lady's education. She was looking forward to teaching our daughter...

[He shakes his head, to keep from getting lost in those long-ago memories.]

May I come in? Or would you prefer I left you to your playing?

[ Peregrine sometimes wonders what his memories told him. This man, he was so...full of life, those first few weeks. Now...

If anyone here reminds her most of Howl, it's him. ]

I don't mind— my hands probably need a break anyway. I never, like... Never played before here, so...they're not used to it.

[He comes in when she gives permission, taking a seat in one of the dinky plastic chairs.]

Never? Then you've picked it up pretty well, I'd say.

[He doesn't think he needs to ask where she got the idea from. If his spirit were haunting any room in the academy, Benjamin thinks, it would probably be this one.]

Well, I, uh. I had a good teacher.

[ He probably doesn't need to ask who that was, either. ]

...

[Yeah. That's about what he expected.]

He thought the world of all of you. It would make him happy to see you still practicing.

I got kinda lax last week. I wanted to...to try and keep up a steady practice schedule, especially— like...after that.

[ After they learned there was a chance, however slim, that they could bring them back. ]

But, uh...things kept happening.

...They did, didn't they.

[Things happened...so much.]

I don't think anyone could blame you for not finding time to practice, with everything else going on.

Without you, we would have been in an even sorrier state than we were.

[ A confused frown crosses her face. ]

Me? What— ohhh, I was so far from helpful last week.

That's not true. You were there to set Spongebob's arm, for one thing.

[And the other, that he assumes they both will never forget - the Maya thing.]

[ …Huh. Huh, that… ]

I… I guess so. I’m just…used to being more prepared.

I don't think there was ever a way you could have prepared for all that happened last week.

[Yes, Peregrine, even you.]

But I worry we've been over-reliant on you; put too much on your shoulders. Especially...with the utter disappointment that most of us adults have turned out to be.

[Really, everyone but Angus, tbh, though some couldn't help it. Some by dying (or trying to - Spongebob), others, himself included, by not being able to do more to protect everyone.]

[ Though she knows he's right, she doesn't like it. Peregrine frowns lightly, placing fingers on the keys but not pressing down. ]

...Before, I would've said that's like being back in Whitetail. [ From white key to black key and back again, she caresses them gently. ] But that's... It's not fair. To you guys, or to them. [ She lets out a heavy, heavy sigh. ] You're right, no one can be...fully prepared. You guys didn't put anything on me. I...put most of it on myself.

[ Because what else was she to do? Sit and watch again? Still... ]

Well...

[He watches her with a soft mix of concern and respect. There's just as little that he can do to go back and not rely on her so much, as there is that she can go back and take on less responsibility.]

Then we'll make a deal, shall we? Rely on each other, from now on. Not just ourselves. None of us may be fully prepared, but we can all be a little prepared, in different ways.

[All this broodin' on your own is what happened who knows how many years ago. He wonders if that really was true, with how many other lies Mrs. Lovett told him. But then, in the weeks he's spent brooding here, seven more people have died. Nearly eight - no, nearly ten.

The ones remaining chose to let him stand with them. So stand with them he shall.]

[ ...It's a funny little thing, him telling her this.

She made this promise with Salieri, weeks before. Her mouth scrunches up, therefore, and she studies him.

Is he going to break it too? ]

...Alright. Deal.

[ No. She'll keep trying. Because...the alternative is worse. ]

[It's funny. At first, he had thought the burden of protecting the others was his and all the other adults' burden to bear. He had wanted to protect them, the children, and so had relied on them as little as possible.

The best we can do is try and comfort them, to be pillars when everything seems uncertain.

What a sorry couple of pillars he and Antonio had turned out to be. The ruins of Ancient Rome stood stronger.

But...despite all odds, he, at least, is still here. He can still do better. He has to believe that, or what else is he alive for?

He gives Peregrine a smile and leans forward, reaching out across the distance between them to offer his hand to shake.]

Deal.

[ It's not a pinky promise this time. It's a little more grown-up.

That's fitting, because she's a little bit more grown-up now too.

Peregrine shakes his hand. ]

Edited 2021-07-17 19:05 (UTC)

Week 7

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Well since we're knifing Nikki...

oh excellent