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

cw discussion of suicide

[whatyouwant]

[Elle grimaces and shakes her head.]

I ate the nightshade that was on the roof. I thought if I could just make it one person, then they wouldn't have to loose anyone else... [Clearly she failed that though.]

Post dress rehearsal, pre and post meeting

[violentenvies]

Pre-meeting

[If anyone wants to talk to Salieri before the meeting, he can be found in Broadhurst, where he has been, apparently, grounded. It should be noted that there are, interestingly, stacks of books both outside the room and, once one enters, inside of it, all of varying subjects. Salieri himself is ensconced in bed, reclining on several pillows, legs tucked under a couple warm blankets. There's a glass of water, a cup of tea, and the remnants of some breakfast on the side table, while Salieri sits in bed, probably reading. He probably looks the most casual as anyone has ever seen him, hair down and tucked behind his shoulders and in a simple t-shirt and loose pants]


Post-meeting

[Post-meeting, due to certain complications, he's been confined back to bed again. However, after a small argument about location, it seems his mattress, along with the sheets and the pillows, has been moved outside. Because Salieri wanted to be outside, so this was the compromise. Now outside, Salieri is sitting on said mattress, still wrapped up in blankets, but now studying a couple different scores. There's no instrument to be found, but he is humming different bars here and there. At one point, he looks up, staring into the middle distance as he repeats a certain chunk of melody, and lifts a hand, reaching out his index finger as if to almost touch something--before he pulls it back again, shaking his head, pushing that away]

cw discussion of suicide

[themuseabandonsyou]

No, you - but Elle, we could've - I'm so sorry.

[ He says, like he legitimately does feel it's at least in part his fault she got to that point, because he kind of does. He shakes his head. ]

So maybe Maya saw you on the ground while I was standing over you, and thought I'd killed you. Maybe she was... trying to spare me the execution? Like she tried with Varian.

[ He hasn't quite caught onto the idea that Elle was pushed just yet, and this is the only logical explanation he can think of. Maya wouldn't just kill him. She wouldn't. ]

pre-meeting

[voicerights]

[The SQUIP, in a word, looks like shit. But as was demonstrated last night, it's a stubborn thing. So even if its appearance is probably the sloppiest Salieri has ever seen it - which is to say, slightly less than pristine - and even if it's unsteady on its feet, it's still made its way to the most logical location for Salieri to be so they can debrief.

The state also probably explains why it doesn't notice the food and water nearby, or at least doesn't process it properly.]

Salieri? Are you able to speak?

[violentenvies]

That doesn't mean there isn't still more to be done. [he's getting a bit frustrated]

At the least, a meeting still needs to be held today. We have to bring everyone else up to speed.

[violentenvies]

[Salieri looks up as the SQUIP enters--and he's immediately dog-earing the page in his book and setting it aside, and moving to sit up a bit so the SQUIP has somewhere to sit]

Ah, SQUIP, of course. Please come sit.

[he motions to the other end of the bed, where there's now plenty of room]

[voicerights]

I should not interrupt your rest. [But here it is, and it's certainly approaching to sit down, slowly] However, I felt that we should discuss the results while they were still fresh in our memories.

[violentenvies]

It's no trouble. Please. I can rest and speak at the same time.

[he did observe it come in though, and there's a slight furrow to his brow]

...forgive me, but you seem like you could use some rest yourself.

[violentenvies]

[he looks up at Mumble again at that]

Thank you, Mumble. [dryly, but with a bit of humor]

[violentenvies]

[alskdhfs that's enough to make him laugh, hiding it a bit behind a hand]

I wasn't aware that was a thing that could happen, to be honest.

[violentenvies]

[yeah he's going to do that with a small sigh, closing his eyes for a moment]

Your shirt, too.

[violentenvies]

[that humor may've fallen flat, but he can't help but huff out a small chuckle at that, moving to pull out a handkerchief to offer to her as she wipes her eyes.

He pauses, however, as she brings up Peregrine, and anxiety clenches again in his stomach]

Peregrine? What about her--is she alright?

[violentenvies]

[Salieri moves to follow, with a small chuckle]

I don't doubt that for a moment. And that was mine, then?

[violentenvies]

[Salieri shifts, curling a bit closer to the Balladeer, trying to be comforting in that way]

I...can't say for certain why she didn't tell you. That would certainly be a question to ask her, if you could even trust her to give you a straight [ha] answer. Perhaps there was something to keeping it contained to only a few working on it, but...

...I don't think the sentiment is wasted, that you would've done what you could if you had known.

[violentenvies]

[Salieri frowns at that]

Are you certain that all of these games connect to each other?

[disharmonizes]

Pff, is that all? Nothing you need to get worked up about, then!

I'll just hold it.

[voicerights]

I do. [Unabashed] But this is important.

What did you experience, from your side? Once the song began, I was... [It frowns, faltering for words] ...part of it. I was not much aware of anything else.

[violentenvies]

[annoyed huff!]

It cannot just be held, Discord--you saw how that went originally. Nothing got done as it needed to without the proper organization.

[disharmonizes]

What, just because I'm made of chaos, that means I can't put together one meeting? Do you have that little faith in me?

[violentenvies]

[WOW??? Salieri's nose wrinkles--he can see what you're doing there sir!!!]

...I didn't say that. However, are you saying that you, a being of pure chaos, wants to organize a meeting? [arching an eyebrow]

[violentenvies]

Fair enough. [acknowledging]

[but yes, to this part of the conversation]

At first, I was very focused on the music. On listening to it, as I always do. However, the longer the song went on, the more things started to...change. Most musicians speak of "feeling" the music inside themselves in some way and I could say that for myself even before this but...this time, I truly felt it in a way that I never had before. Like it was inside of me, here--[and he presses a hand to his chest, right over his sternum]--that I was connected to it. To you, and to the Balladeer, and to Madame Leading Player. From there, I could start to almost...see the music. It was faint, but got stronger the longer I was involved, all the notes and melody and rhythm spinning out, weaving--

[his expression has taken on a far-away look, recalling the experience]

I could see how they flowed together, how they worked together, their direction--the structure and the chaos at once, and I could see just where to direct it. It was like conducting a storm.

[disharmonizes]

There's this amazing invention called a washing machine. We have those now.

A little before your time.

[hold boy. :(]

[voicerights]

Synaesthesia. [An extreme form, anyway. It tilts its head thoughtfully as Salieri continues] A more complex production has a high probability of having even more of an effect on you. We will need to see what we can do to spread the strain. Even with a minor augmentation, that was...beyond what I had calculated.

[It almost sounds contrite]

[violentenvies]

[Salieri's attention refocuses at that]

...perhaps so. Though a more complex production might instead allow for the strain to be spread naturally. That being said...perhaps if I can practice with it in small doses, that will increase my tolerance for it, as will having an actual idea of just what I'm getting into.

[that part is a little dry]

However, I'll point out that I"m not the only one that experienced negative effects.

[violentenvies]

A washing machine, hm? [there's a slight curl to the corner of his mouth]

Sounds convenient.