week 2

[stagemanagers]

WEEK 2
[It's been...

One week since you woke up here
Met your house manager and said "We’re angry"
Five days since he laughed at you saying
"Write me some letters and you’ll never see me"
Three days since the mirror room
You realized there’s more the Opera House wouldn't tell you
Yesterday you'd bonded more
But it'll still be two days till you get your motive


Welcome to week 2, performers.]

[Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday]


[ooc: happy week 2, everyone! Don't forget to submit your AC and your regains! Regain rolls are done Sunday and Tuesday nights.]

Comments

[revelfree]

[Thursday comes, and with it a strange sense of foreboding. Ariel trudges from his room early, straight into the kitchen. He's taken enough time in the place to learn how a few things work, and with his limited knowledge from back home, ends up preparing a batch or two of halfway decent looking biscuits. Yay!

After making a brief stop at the merchandise booth, Ariel drops a few more goods outside his room. There's a few people that "won" his challenge at the party that haven't collected their goods, so he figures it's good to keep something out.

He hangs out there for a few hours, puzzling over a piece of paper. He makes a few notes, then scratches them out with a frustrated breath.

When, by much later in the evening, he still hasn't seen Stephen, he heads to his room. He has the last of their bottle of wine in hand, just in case. He announces himself with a light tap on the door.]

Stephen, are you in there?

[37773972]

[Stephen has had a bad day. And sometimes all it really takes is one thing to push you in to one.

There's no response at first; finally, a rough sound comes through the door-]

Yeah.

[What, were you expecting him to come let you in immediately]

[revelfree]

[Well. He's alive, if nothing else. That isn't enough to discourage Ariel, though. He places his hand on the doorknob, but doesn't yet turn it.]

May I come in?

[37773972]

[As again, a brief stretch of silence. After a moment, though?]

If you want.

[Stephen's on his bed, on his side facing away from the door; there's a bottle of red wine by his bed. Open - but only a little bit drawn from it. Seems that however bad the day is, he's at least trying not to slip back in to...well.

Being as much a mess as he was a few months ago.

There's a few other things by the table- a telephone, some sort of target - but nothing that otherwise stands out.]

[revelfree]

[As Ariel opens the door, he looks from Stephen's bottle to his own. He briefly thinks to set it down outside the door -- out of sight, out of mind -- but ultimately keeps it with him as he enters. The door is nudged shut by his foot.]

You look unwell. [He's stating the obvious, but it's fine. He stops short of Stephen's bed, unsure if he should get so close.] What... What can I do to help?

[37773972]

[...

There's a short 'hnh' that - could be a chuckle. Hard to tell. Stephen does close his eyes, unseen, and make a bitter smile. It's not that he doesn't appreciate the effort, just...

What can Ariel do?]

...Got anything good from that stupid booth?

[Maybe he needs a distraction. He doesn't know.]

[revelfree]

Only food, this time. [He hums to himself. Maybe this isn't the time to bring it up, considering the fact that he's supposed to be helping Stephen but...]

And another feather.

[With no solid answer either way, Ariel opts to sit down beside the bed. He props his head back against the mattress, head tilted upward just enough to catch a glimpse of Stephen out of the corner of his eye.]

[37773972]

[Another feather. Lord. He actually rolls over at that, on to his back, glancing over at the man.]

Either the Phantom's fucking with you, or you have real shit luck.

[His eyes are red. And his face is a mess. Unconsciously, he reaches up to wipe it.]

[revelfree]

Perhaps some mangled mix of both. [What little he sees of Stephen in his periphery is concerning enough. He twists around to get a good look at the man, frown playing at the corners of his lips.]

It seems I'm not the only one with shit luck. What did he send you?

[37773972]

[Perhaps. Probably. He's silent for a second, then wordlessly reaches around to the side of the bed - his side - and picks something up off the floor. He doesn't raise it too high, but as he resettles on his back, it's pretty clear what it is.]

It isn't mine. I don't know who's it is.

[Some sort of ring.]

[revelfree]

[It's not hard to put the pieces together. He recalls the profiles vividly, never mind every other vague conversation they've had relating to their pasts. He studies the ring that Stephen holds, then lets out a humorless laugh.]

He's sent me three, so far. [Another snort.] Perhaps he just likes men of science?

[He doesn't know what to say, so he'll settle for making Stephen laugh.]

[37773972]

[To Ariel's credit, that does make Stephen laugh a bit. He lowers his hand, fidgeting with the ring without looking at it]

Maybe. He was half-decent when I wrote to him.

[And by that he means being given 'mostly' straight answers. Mostly.]

Hell of a way to seduce someone, though.

[revelfree]

Mm. He does have his way with the written word. [Ariel's had his own correspondence with the Phantom, but it hasn't quite gone that way.]

You've seen his stage presence, though. Would it surprise you if was truly so clumsy in his romantic efforts?

[The fidgeting catches Ariel's eye. He reaches over, fingers wrapping around Stephen's own in an attempt to coax the ring from his grasp. It's clearly not helping anything]

kitchen

[bloodycape]

[Something smells good. Naturally she's following her nose to where that is.]

Oh-- these biscuits smell delicious!

[She miiiight already be reaching to swipe one.]

[revelfree]

Ah -- [Ariel turns and at least tries to wave her off. The last thing he needs is young children with burned hands.]

They're still warm. Give them a moment!

[bloodycape]

[It's too late, she already touched it. DEFINITELY HOT!! She at least got far enough to gingerly flop it over onto a napkin without burning her fingertips.

...now she's just looking at it sadly.]

I suppose that makes sense. It smells best when it's fresh.

[Naturally she is a good and patient young girl--

So she starts blowing on it. COOL FASTER PASTRY!!!!]

[revelfree]

[That is... adorable. Look at her go.

But, oh, right! concern!]

Are your fingers alright, Red?

[bloodycape]

[She stops blowing on it long enough to look at her fingers.]

I think they're alright-- just a little tingly yet.

[revelfree]

[I can't believe he really is the resident dad.]

Run them under water if you aren't sure.

[bloodycape]

But--

[Listen, she wants to argue that she hasn't gotten to eat her biscuit yet. However, she knows the right thing to do.]

Oh alright. Just for a minute though.

[And she is, she's hurrying to do it so she can get back to it.]

[revelfree]

[He cranes his neck as he puts another rack of biscuits in, making sure she's actually take care of herself. He looks pleased enough when he finds it to be the case.]

Better now?

[bloodycape]

Much better, thank you.

[But she immediately gravitates back to her biscuit and picks it up-- it's cooler now, but still plenty warm.]

Theesh 're ahmashin'!

[....yeah, her mouth is still kind of full.]

[revelfree]

[Manners? What manners. Ariel seems amused enough at least.]

I'm glad you enjoyed them. You can take as many as you like.

[Please, children, eat.]

[bloodycape]

[Red stuffs the biscuit in her mouth and starts casually stockpiling them in a basket. But at least she waits until her mouth is empty this time before speaking up.]

I'm no good at recipes I've never tried before-- but if you'd like, I could make you cookies sometimes! I've made them with my mother and my grandmother many times.

[revelfree]

An exchange then. Biscuits today for you, cookies for myself tomorrow?

[He hasn't ever been a big fan of sweets but. He is a fan of a good deal.]