the mark of those who cannot be saved

[stagemanagers]

[You remember dying. Maybe the memory is clear and bright and your body still aches from the cause. Maybe it was fast enough that you didn't feel it and don't remember what you went through. But no matter how you went out, that's no excuse for truancy! Which is to say: you are still in the school.

For those executed, you will wake up in your beds. The dormitories look exactly as they did when you first arrived, without any of the changes or personal effects you and your dormmates might have made. The only real difference is that the little cot in Ambassador isn't there.

For those who were victims, you will wake where your body was discovered. All of your injuries are gone, and you feel fine. It's almost like you're still alive - but you remember what happened to you. It couldn't have just been a dream, could it?

The school looks much as you remember it, save perhaps for a few key differences. For one, there's no groundhog murals anywhere. Where things were green on the other side, like banners or paint, you'll find that here they're blood red.

The doors, for the moment, are still locked. Looks like even death couldn't free you.]

Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5

(( ooc: Welcome to deadland, everyone! It mostly resembles the school here, and new floors will be revealed after new people die. For example, the second area will unlock after the week 3 dead arrive, and so on. Also, all dead characters will wake up at their actual canonpoint, with all lost memories restored. Have fun being dead! ))

Comments

[themuseabandonsyou]

[ She's somewhere in the world. That gets his attention. Orpheus finally looks up from the ball he's curled into, not resisting when Elisabeth takes his hand. ]

R-right. If Farrah can live, after dying at home - maybe she can too.

[ He takes a shuddering breath. ]

And she can find s-someone who won't keep letting her down.

[whatyouwant]

[Elle looks down at the ring and smiles, slipping it onto her finger.]

Thank you, Elizabeth. There's so much I need to catch you up on!

[whatyouwant]

I...I did.

[Her memory is still hazzy, still resolving, but she knows she fell. She knows she hit the ground.

She knows she died.]

Orpheus, I think we're dead.

[whatyouwant]

[Elle nods and takes his hand. Once up, she dusts off the skirt of her dress with one hand, the other still clutching the ring.]

So, uh, this is what being dead is like?

[wanderlusttitania]

Oh, yes, of course! It's been quite awhile since we've even seen each other.

[She watches Elle slip the ring on her finger/]

...and you'll have to tell me who the lucky person is, over some coffee.

[wanderlusttitania]

[A soft, sad smile. She can imagine Franz, telling her he loved her, even after everything. That love can solve everything, and that she should come hom, come back to his bed. That they can be as they had been in those halcyon days before their marriage, or during the formation of the dual monarchy.

But...some things couldn't be as they were. Time doesn't heal every wound, and some gulfs are too wide to bridge. She could be his friend. Anything more would simply break both of their hearts. She suspected Franz knew this as well; he visited Madame Schratt far more often, after that, in those final years she lived.

Still. Orpheus certainly didn't let his Elisabeth down quite in the same way that she and Franz had let each other down. They still have a chance.]

I can certainly commiserate with the sentiment. Though I'd say you should let mademoiselle Eurydice tell you what she thinks, before you let her go. Even boats in the night...

[always coming close
but always passing one another]

...might find a port to call home.

[whatyouwant]

[Elle grins and nods, going back in for one more hug before running off to talk to Orpheus.]

[themuseabandonsyou]

You... did?

[ He stares at her for a moment, trying to catch up with what's going on. ]

But - [ you look fine, he almost says, but then he remembers that it's not like the shades in the Underworld bore the marks of their deaths. But, no, this doesn't make any sense. If they're dead, then he's here because Maya killed him while Eurydice was watching and he can't accept that. He shakes his head. ]

No, I... maybe it was just a hallucination, from the fever. Maybe we're still hallucinating? We should get you to the nurse's office. Do you need help walking?

[themuseabandonsyou]

[ Orpheus nods, slowly. ]

I don't know how she could forgive me after all of this. She's gone to the Underworld twice, all because of me. But... I'd still like to say 'goodbye', and 'I'm sorry'. I didn't get to. When I died or either time that she did.

[ Drying his eyes on the heel of his hand, he looks over at Elisabeth more seriously. Time to stop being so self-centered. ]

And I don't... think you're damned, for what happened. You don't deserve to be stuck here. So I'll do whatever I can to help. For you, and for the others.

[ His characteristic hopefulness is notably absent, replaced with a quiet hollowness. But he does mean it, even if he doesn't feel like he can place faith in much of anything anymore. ]

They're all here, then?

[tellthestory]

Yeah, I guess.

[Broadly speaking he suspects dying outside a murdergame would be pretty different, but we don't have to worry about that right now! The Balladeer moves to put an arm around her, ushering her into the cafeteria; he'd give her his jacket, but he isn't wearing it right now.]

It's not too bad here. Pretty low-key. Sit down, here, I'll get you some water.

[whatyouwant]

[Elle moves forward slowly, gently placing a hand on Elilzabeth's arm.]

Is it okay?

[tellthestory]

Apparently I got really clingy?

[let's get him high again it's a crime he didn't get to cuddle with Salieri]

[violentenvies]

Ah, well. That makes two of us. Though I don't know that I had as much as you did.

[he sounds amused

listen...celebratory weed???]

[tellthestory]

[celebratory weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed]

I didn't know they would do that! [He absolutely doesn't whine a little! But in a joking way, anyway.] It was fine, but my head was killing me the whole next day.

[.........oh wait, too soon?]

[whatyouwant]

[Elle follows him and nods along, but feels generally numb. She's dead. It really happened.

She sits where he gestures and waiting for him to return with the water.]

So if we're dead...do we need stuff like food and water?

[wanderlusttitania]

I think so, but...whatever he is...synchronizing with? I don't think disturbing him would be a good idea right now.

[violentenvies]

[Did he just whine about it??? That's adorable.]

You poor thing.

[He does not sound as sympathetic as he could--definitely teasing lol.]

At least you've suitably recovered.

[disharmonizes]

[Discord pauses. Sloooooooowly putting down a can of paint.]

So... I shouldn't use this yet.

[whatyouwant]

Orpheus, I remember hitting the ground, I...

[More memories resolve. Someone did push her, but it wasn't Orpheus.]

What's the last thing you remember?

[whatyouwant]

[Just a LOOK.]

[disharmonizes]

...Fine, fine. Later.

[wanderlusttitania]

No, you shouldn't.

[disharmonizes]

Ugh, fine, I'll wait until... whenever it's done with this.

Assuming it isn't just broken.

[themuseabandonsyou]

[ Orpheus looks away at her question, not liking his answer. They can't have both just coincidentally hallucinated dying, could they? But that has to be what happened. It has to. ]

Maya... I saw her come down the grappling hook's rope after you. I thought she was there to help? But she - she drew her sword, and she told me to fight, but I ran, and she - [ He swallows, remembering the taste of blood. ]

But Maya wouldn't do that. Unless - unless she'd thought I'd hurt you. But that's still - she wouldn't.

[violentenvies]

[The music changes direction, guided by Sissi's variation, and the SQUIP moves, it's movements shifting with the change in melody, and Salieri's breath catches in his chest with hope, with something like desperation, and the notes flow through them, all of them, connecting...connecting...

"Synchronization complete."

The SQUIP falls to its knees. And for a moment, there's a lurching fear in Salieri's stomach that they failed, they failed--

as the music suddenly stops on it's final cadence. The connection is secured, the task accomplished, and the song ends. Suddenly, there is no longer music, he can no longer see it, the notes and the rhythms and the connections, and he isn't prepared for it, for the sudden rush of absence.

It leaves him feeling lightheaded, weak, as the current reality comes crashing back down on him, and Salieri sways, arms starting to fall as the room spins. He stumbles back a step, starting to fall]