[ Action: Mayfield High (Morning) ]

Today, students, you have a free hour to do whatever you would like. In fact, you are free to leave if you would like. There will be no homework for the next week.

[He smiles and sits down at his desk, looking over the class fondly.

Smiles.

Smiles.

Smiles.

You might want to take that leaving option.]

[ Action: Outside 1123 Taylor (Early afternoon) ]

[Austria is greeting every single person that walks past. Asking them about their day. Wishing them a good afternoon.

He's still smiling. :|]

[ Action: Standing in front of your door (Early afternoon) ]

[Austria is standing on your doorstep, a basket of pastries in hand. He knocks.

If you answer the door, he'll offer you a pastry and a few kind words. He cooked them just for you. And he's still smiling.

Best to just take one.]

[ Phone: Morning, filtered from drones ]

Good morning, Mayfield. Speaking is Roderich Edelstein and Diana Ethelbert. We are contacting you this morning to discuss the possibility of a concert open to the town. We are hoping to gauge interest from any musicians present in this place. Of course, we will have a strict audition process, and only certain types of music shall be allowe -

*ahem* That should be enough, Mr. Edelstein. Thank you.

To go on with what he was saying, I do believe that there should be an open floor to those who wish to audition for the concert. I'll be playing a few piano pieces, and if anyone wishes to donate their talents, it'd be more than appreciated.

[Austria continues, a little disgruntled:] ... yes. If you are interested, please supply us with your name and the instrument that you intend to perform with, unless of course you intend to sing. An indication of the piece you would perform would also be appreciated. We will hold auditions in due course, and intend to hold the concert in November.

For all students of Mr. Edelstein's class, there will be extra credit involved if you do participate with the concert. I do hope this will give us more turn out for the concert overall. Thank you for your time.

[Cue spluttering from Austria.] We did not discu -

[LONG SUFFERING SIGH.]

I suppose that is fair, yes. Any student participating in the concert will be exempt from any week of homework of their choosing.

Thank you.

[ Action: Afternoon ]



[You will find Austria distributing these posters around Mayfield. You will see him:]

A: [Putting them up around Mayfield High School.]

B: [Cautiously putting one in your mail box.]

C: [Tacking them to trees in the park.]

( ooc note: This is Austria, this is Diana. If you answer the phone call, both will be able to reply. )

[ Action: Mayfield High ]



[He has written the dates for exams under this. They are scheduled to take place the days after Homecoming and Halloween respectively.

He's only doing this because he was told banning fun was not allowed.

Not really.



Maybe.

The homework for this week was a short composition for piano. He's expecting decent efforts here even if it's only a few weeks into school. Don't know how to piano? Why not, you've had three weeks! Hurry up. Don't let him down.]

I will call on each student to perform their composition for the class. [Insert your high school aged student's name here]!

[ Action: Outside 1123 Taylor ]

[Austria is tending to the garden in boxer shorts Look they were the cheapest pair he could find and a loose white shirt. Having never seen a washing machine in his life, he had managed to both break the machine and destroy the only two pairs of trousers in his possession. Hence the garish print.]

[ Phone ]

Is it possible to divorce one's... wife, in this town? I would not ask if I were not experiencing serious difficulties including a hole in the side of my home, if anyone has the ability to fix it.

For a... fair [read: cheap] price of course.

...

[Awkwardly long pause.]

A further question. Is it possible to filter the conversations held over these 'phones'?

[ Phone: Backdated to the start of the outbreak. ]

[Austria has only seen a few zombies outside his window, at this point.]

Answer me quickly, what is the meaning of this?

[There is a long pause and a few faint screams that come from outside the house but can be heard through the phone.]

Did they just - How tasteless. [He sounds simultaneously disgusted and horrified.]

[ Action: 1123 Taylor Road ]

[Austria is sprawled on the couch by the window, collar loosened and a cold towel over his forehead. He has, as a matter of necessity, learnt to use the record player in the house and has managed to obtain a recording of Mozart's Requiem Mass in D minor. A fitting choice, given the circumstances. He has the volume turned up so loudly that anyone within ten feet of the house - zombies included - can probably hear it. Or see the windows rattling. In a stunning display of self preservation he has not locked the door or drawn the curtains.

If this is the apocalypse, he is going to suffer in a suitably artistic way.]

[ Action: Anywhere that is nowhere near 456 Stone St ]

[While attempting to find his way to Hungary's house (which, unfortunately, is in the opposite direction to that which he had been walking in) Austria has walked straight into a huge mass of zombies. Cue one frozen-in-terror Austria as they approach him.]

[ Action: Mayfield High ]

[In neat cursive his name is displayed on the blackboard: Herr Edelstein.

Below that, in smaller print:

Rules

1. Stay silent unless acknowledged or spoken to.
2. Complete all assigned exercises.
3. Beethoven was Austrian.

You really do not want to argue the last point.]

I expect from you the following: discipline, dedication, respect, patience and above all a passion for music. No one will touch an instrument until I am satisfied with your basic knowledge of music theory.

[Cue a rather wordy speech about the importance of music for the human soul and mind, as an expression and reflection of the human condition, and it only gets worse from there.

By the time he's finished talking, class is almost over. If you're still awake He starts handing out the homework for the week. Each student receives a thick workbook, with numerous theory exercises (most far beyond the skill level of the average high school student)].

Exercises are to be completely weekly and handed to me on Monday mornings. Now, with the remaining time I would like you to introduce yourself, state your favourite composer and your musical background. I will also take questions, should you have any.

[ Action: Mayfield High, after class. ]

[Once the students have (thankfully) left the classroom, he sits down at the piano and begins to play. The door to the room is cracked open.]

[ Phone: Several hours after school has finished for the day. ]

[An exhausted, frazzled sounding Austria:]

For how many days in a year is school in session? I fear I may lose my patience by the end of the week. Or by the end of tomorrow...

[There is only a split second between when Austria wakes up, and when his expression slides into one of sheer abhorrence. It only takes one look around the room for the change to take place.]

What have you done? [He stares at Stocking. He looks mortified when he stares down at his clothing. Never mind the scantily-clad woman, never mind the gaudy red sheets. The clip-on bowtie is undoubtedly what offends him most about this situation. He feels a little better after he rids himself of it. And if it happens to accidentally hit Stocking in the head when he flings it away, well, that cannot be helped.]

Your sense of humour is very unique indeed. I will take my leave now.

[ACTION: 1123 Taylor Road.]

[Austria is presented with... a rather alarming situation when he wakes early in the morning. He quickly gets out of the bed, careful not to disturb the unknown woman lying next to him. He does glimpse some strange, highly detailed photographs featuring himself in strange clothing. His face feels bare without his glasses. He does not let this strange place send him into a panic yet however, despite the fact that he can recognise very few of the items around the house. There must be a reasonable explanation, he simply has to determine it.

Nothing comes to mind after several minutes.

Well then. There is nothing for it. Austria decides to take immediate action on this matter!



He promptly sits down in an armchair and waits for someone in a position of authority to turn up and explain this - this situation to him. He has no doubt that it will happen, considering his status. There is simply no point wasting valuable energy on worrying himself. He debates making a cup of coffee too, but the contraptions in the... kitchen look rather dangerous to him. Best to let someone else handle that.

He waits.


... and waits.






... this is simply ridiculous. He taps his fingers impatiently.]

[ PHONE: Two hours after the above action. ]

[It takes some time, but Austria's patience finally runs out. After asking the drone he had woken up beside a string of apparently unanswerable questions, she finally points at the phone. Suspecting it to be some sort of advanced transmission device he picks it up, holding it against his mouth but the receiver nowhere near his ear. If you want him to hear a thing you'll probably have to shout.]

Good morning!

[He more or less shouts into the phone ... he is unsure if that achieved anything, so he continues with a slightly softer tone:]

I am quite willing to be reasonable about this situation, providing the reasoning behind it is made clear. I am certain this is all quite logical, but unfortunately I have not been able to grasp the meaning.

[He clears his throat.]

... If it is not too much trouble, I should also like my spectacles returned to me. [He can see perfectly well without them, but he looks so common.]

Thankyou, and I will patiently await a reply. [He is not sure whether to hold the phone or put it down, so he simply puts it in his lap and stares at it.]