MUSIC ROOM

[whimsicalism]

The music room's resident, A, can be contacted by playing a flute or other instrument alone in the music room. She's there if you need her. Comments are screened until the end of the round.

Comments

[violence_ensues]

[Well, that sure was a bloodbath of a time. Adorabat spent several more "cycles" of using soap to get the stench of blood off of her as much as possible in the morning. Some time after, she enters the music room and spots a banjo.

She hasn't really been to any of her banjo practice lessons at home, but she'll use it anyway, to call A. She takes it and strums, creating a sort-of-dissonant storm of cacophonic noise, looking a little troubled.]

[whimsicalism]

[It doesn’t take long:]

Hey—that’s one way of saying hi! What’s the problem?

[violence_ensues]

[Adorabat rubs the back of her head.]

Umm... Have you noticed some strange things happening recently? Like... last night?

[whimsicalism]

Yeah… I really couldn’t do much to help.

[violence_ensues]

[It's almost as much of a relief to hear A noticed as it was a burden that A couldn't help. Adorabat takes a couple breaths to steel herself.]

...That was a lotta blood and I almost couldn't handle it... But also, we saw something strange when we touched that wig. Did you see it, too?

[whimsicalism]

It was like something out of a horror movie… so gross.

[She seems to sigh.]

That? No. I thought it was weird that something was in there but I can’t really touch things like you can right now so I don’t think I can experience it.

[violence_ensues]

It was like... ummm... three shadowy people through a window, talking about something about a copy. And there was a lot of hate and anger and, and jealousy, too...

I also found a couple a strange things on Sunday, too...

[She gets out the papers describing the super granny and slit-mouth woman.]

I found these in the art room. What does alla this mean...?

[whimsicalism]

Huh… that’s weird. Seeing things you’ve never experienced is something that happened to me but never since I came to the academy.

[There’s a pause and then:]

Not sure how much those will help but I think I remember a few stories about the slit-mouthed woman. Turbo granny, too. They’re Japanese urban legends. You know. Ghost stories.

[violence_ensues]

You've had weird not-you visions before? When?

I've never really left Pure Heart Valley before. I dunno where Japanese is. Are ghosts like monsters?

[whimsicalism]

We called them heartscapes… basically you could visit someone’s memories but I don’t think you’re visiting a heartscape.

Yeah, they’re kind of like monsters but made up to scare people. Like how you might tell a scary story around a campfire… I don’t know why a place like this had stories like that.

[violence_ensues]

Heartscape... Heartscape...

[Adorabat repeats the word a couple times, as if etching it into her memory. This is obviously a concept she hasn't heard of before.]

...I'm beginning to think this skewl isn't normal. I'm not afraid of any monster, but... this skewl is so weird. Has anyone told you that it changes when you go outside the fence in the playground? I haven't gone to see for myself yet, but Dewey said it does.

[whimsicalism]

I think that’s Closetland… the Principal must have put up a barrier to keep it out. I haven’t been there myself but that makes sense… he’s so careful to keep those monsters down below away from everyone, after all.

[She pauses then gives a sigh.]

Before you ask, I did see that room on Saturday, too. Another student brought me there. I was hiding; can’t say who, though. It was risky letting me hitch along, after all.

[violence_ensues]

[Adorabat sets the banjo down, rubs her wing with her other one, and kicks the ground a little, tearing up a little.]

I couldn't save her... She deserved to be arrested, not killed. Some hero I am...

[whimsicalism]

[There's a small cool spot suddenly in the area, close to where she set the banjo down. It's probably not that pleasant but there's a calmness. She's there.]

But... it was the Principal who killed her, wasn't it?

[violence_ensues]

[Adorabat is aware of the calmness. It's... It's nice.]

It was some weird clown thing, but the prissipull forced everyone to vote for her. I didn't. Cops don't kill people. And then everyone just stood and watched. It was wrong. Very, very wrong.

...It made me feel lonely. I hate it.

[whimsicalism]

I saw it, remember?

[She just admitted to being there.]

The Principal set up that situation. The clown, the voting, the death... Even if everyone else voted for her, that couldn't have saved her. Wouldn't it have been worse if they hadn't? Then he would have killed everyone else but Reika.

[violence_ensues]

I WOULD HAVE BEATED HIM UP! I'm not scared of him! I'm not scared of any criminal!