the theater - part ii

[productions]

the theatre



You awaken in a darkened theatre.

In front of you is an enormous cinema screen. On it plays everything that's currently happening in the mansion, accompanied by appropriate sound effects and background instrumentals when fitting. The seat you're sitting on is large and plush, and while there's many of them, there's enough room in the theatre for you to fully recline the seat into a comfortable bed if you wish. Under each seat is a sleeping mask and noise-cancelling headphones, in case you'd like to take a break from watching the show.

Follow the stairs up and you'll reach what should be the projection room. There are no projectors in here, however; it is simply a large and well-lit room above the main seating area, and a good place to hang out with your fellow eliminated contestants if shouting at each other across the aisles proves too much to handle.

If you leave the theatre through the door in the back, you'll find yourself in a hall. On one end is a concession stand. It's stocked with standard movie snacks - popcorn, candy and the like - but if you're feeling the urge for something else, you'll be able to find it stocked somewhere in the back. On the other end is a table with thirty wrapped bags and a placard reading 'A star for our stars! Please accept these lovely giftbags as a token of appreciation for your hard work, sponsored by [illegible smudge]'. Each bag has a tag bearing the name of someone in the mansion; you will only be able to open the bag with your name on it. As soon as you open it, any memories that have been taken from you, including those of the other people in the mansion that you may have forgotten, will be returned in their entirety. Within the bag are also objects from your home that you may want for your stay here, though you will find no weapons.

There are no other doors in the hall save for the one leading back into the theatre room. There are also no windows; it is impossible to tell where you are and what is going on in the outside world. Any attempts to break out will fail. So in the meantime, why not sit back and enjoy the show?

Comments

[motheringnation]

[Well they're alone again. Ukraine looks around.]

So....does anyone have any ideas on what we should do now?

[speakveryclearly]

[Kanaya is just steaming over here as if a physical piece of her body has been torn out and the thief ran away holding it]

We are probably not going to be granted any more sponsorships, and the ones we chose were apparently insufficient anyway.

I think I am ready to try Earth drinking.

[vytis]

Wait, I suppose.

[Lithuania is doing the thing where he expresses none of his actual emotions. At least he's calm!]

[notyetlost]

There's got to be something.

[Poland adjusts his tiara accordingly.]

I don't trust anything uncute-Doris said. [Well aside from the fact that he has a great personality, but he already knew that so it's a moot point.]

[vytis]

[Lithuania finds a spot in the back. He's composed and calm--carefully so; it's a perfectly constructed framework and he's not going to put it away now because then he might have to express some of the thoughts in his head. That's not an option for him.

Appearing calm makes him feel calm, at least, in a way that disconnects him from the situation.

It's fine. Everything's fine. After all, from the start he was dead. Nothing's really changed.]

[notyetlost]

[Immediately running to that spot in the back--]

Liet!

Lietlietlietlietliet!

Liet! Liet!

Liet!

LIET!

[balzams]

[Latvia keeps near him, although he's just as quiet he doesn't seem as calm. Each breath he takes in shakes a little and he holds onto Lithuania's sleeve tightly]

I think everyone might start looking for a way out again... We should probably help them.

... Lithuania?

[teenspirit]

That was too cruel... I knew it was too good to be true...

[souredsweet]

[the look he gives Sonia is one that's difficult to read. his voice is soft as it always is when he speaks, but this time there's an edge to it.]

You aren't giving up already, are you?

[notyetlost]

Um. [What is this suspect list?] "Dead" people can be the real mastermind?

So. That person even if they 'died' they can go back and totally just screw over everyone else?

[Poland hadn't considered this as a possibility.]

[balzams]

[Latvia seems a little off put by the fact as well even though it wasn't a completely new idea to him]

I'm not sure... You would think that a mastermind would keep themselves alive as long as possible.

But the past week just proved there's a way in and out of here. And it's not like everyone who 'died' is accounted for either...

[productions]

[A stick suddenly appears in the theater.]

[souredsweet]

[what the heck

Kaoru wanders over to pick it up, glancing between it, the screen, his fellow players and then surveying the area like he expects to find a giant sign somewhere that says 'actually a portal to the servant's wing'.]

[teenspirit]

[ With all of the sudden revelations, Sonia is just reeling. ]

It's been-- Felicia-?

[vytis]

...No wonder she acted the way she did after executions.

[obsideo]

[The doors in the back open, and Marlow is standing there. She's surrounded by the same wavy energy that appeared in the servant's room earlier, and she seems to be holding on to something that is invisible to those in the theater. But she holds out a hand.]

Lithuania, and Lithuania only. If you're going to live, come take my hand.

Everyone else, I would advise you to stand back, or it isn't going to be pretty.

[vytis]

[...Whoa, this is actually a thing that's happening. Okay. Uh. Lithuania glances at the others and approaches. There are a lot of things he could probably say to Marlow right now, but it's really not the time.]

I--alright, then.

[One more look at everyone else, and then he'll take her hand.]

[speakveryclearly]

[Felicia Marlow, what the actual fuck.

Kanaya stares at the space the living girl just vacated for several seconds, processing the sound of Lithuania's voice coming through the speakers indicating his location. Still disoriented, she speaks like in a foreign language:]

If she is ultimately executed, won't we have ten?

[notyetlost]

What are you worried you don't think you're gonna be picked?

Liet's guilt complex over you guys is the size of the moon.

[herpreciousrival]

I suppose Miss Bernkastel and myself have no hopes of resurrection then.

TALLY/DEBATE REACTIONS

[souredsweet]

[Kaoru is just watching speechlessly for the time being, looking to be in genuine shock.]

[agentx13]

[ Sharon throws herself back in her chair, some of her popcorn spilling to the floor. She curses quietly and glowers at the screen. ]

Sonia

[obsideo]

[The doors at the back open again, and Felicia is standing there.]

Sonia, and only Sonia. I'm sorry to everyone who wasn't nominated!

[And she extends her hand.]

[teenspirit]

[ She just stands there, shocked, staring at Felicia. Emotions are ripping through her like a hurricane; there are so many things she wants to say.

She looks over her shoulder, wordless with shock, with sadness, with something else she can't quite name... Some of the others will join her soon. But the rest...

Sonia turns back around, stands up tall, squares her shoulders, walks over to Felicia with as much dignity as she can muster, and takes her hand. ]

Poland

[humanic]

[The doors in the back open this time to reveal Stiles. He looks completely stunned for a moment to see everyone there - even after Lithuania and Sonia, he hadn't fully believed they were all still alive - before guilt floods his face as he holds out a shaky hand.]

Poland, grab on! Everyone else...I'm so sorry, we're going to try to save as many of you as we can.

LATVIA

[pasodoble]

( Mother Mary, they're all really here. For a brief moment, Spain looks shocked to see everyone but as quickly as it shows, it's gone. He has a purpose right now. There's no time to react. There's just acting. )

Latvia! We're going now.

( That came out a lot bossier than he meant it to sound but it can't be helped. He's switched from lazy and casual mode to a more aggressive and determined one. No time to reassure the others with promises right now. It's time to go. )

[balzams]

But-!

[Even though he'd been watching the events unfold on the screen it still felt like he barely had any idea what was going on. He's clinging to Belarus's arm, half toying with the idea of dragging her body back with him but he already knows that's the worst idea. Not even mentioning the fact it would be impossible to bring her anyway, in the time it took for him to pull her body to the door many more people could be saved.

Turning back to her Latvia quickly mumbles an apology before dashing towards Spain with his arm outstretched]

Kaoru

[pandacea]

[The doors open again, this time on May. Her gaze darts over everyone frantically as she swallows, not wanting to look at the people she's condemning to die. She forces herself to fix her eyes on the ones they've agreed to leave behind anyway. She knows she is making a selfish decision here - the least she can do is own up to it instead of hiding from the consequences of her decision.]

I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry, everyone--!

Kaoru, please take my hand....

[souredsweet]

[the person who steps forward when Kaoru's name is called doesn't have much of the delicate air that he had left behind in the manor; elegance, surely, but a steely kind. his hair is cut short now, too, visually reflective of this change - this shedding of the persona that he had worn for nearly two months.

he stares at May for only a second or two, conflict plain on his face, but he won't waste any time. they can talk on the other side, after all. he gives a brief backwards glance into the theater - particularly toward Clyde and Touko, who he had grown very close to - but his expression remains fixed even then.

wordlessly, he reaches out to take May's hand.]

Minatsuki

[hollowheart]

[Annie slides in as if following a drill, twisting her body forward so her arm is extended as as it can go. Her gaze is clear and focused, not lingering anywhere, resolutely so. She shields her emotions against the familiar glow at the corner of her eye.]

Miss Takami, grab onto me. Now. [The order is strict and direct, even as she grits her teeth through it.]

[deflower]

[ Staring at Annie for a moment, Minatsuki's jaw is also set in a hard line. But she's already drawn her pound of flesh from Annie, even if the girl doesn't remember it.

Annie's hand doesn't just represent a way out of this godforsaken theater. In it is the chance to get her life back.

She takes it without hesitation. She does not look back. ]

Let's go, soldier girl.

UKRAINE

[inthebones]

[They were getting down to the final ones now. Susan doubts she will be entering the theater again, and so for a few moments, she allows herself to take in these faces, the faces of those they are condemning to die.]

...We couldn't succeed, in the end. We can't ask your forgiveness or your understanding. This was... all we could do, and it wasn't enough.

Ukraine, please come with me.

UKRAINE

[motheringnation]

[Ukraine nods, she's been watching the chaos unfold after all and walks to the front, taking Susan's hand.]

Thank you.

Dave Strider

[hollowheart]

[There is one thing Annie's taken for granted when the door slides open once more: she has no idea what Daves looks like by sheer virtue of having slept through his trial.]

I need a Dave right now, and if any of you pretend to be him you'll be in a world of pain.

BEAT

[allice]

[Alice enters in and immediately scans the room to find Beat. She doesn't let her eyes flicker to anyone else, not even once, and reaches her hand out and sets her sight dead on Beat.]

Beat, come with me, now!

[respecting]

[Beat's been silently waiting... he's not exactly happy to see her as he feels bad for some of the others getting left behind, but that wasn't his decision to make. So when Alice calls his name, he runs over and reaches for her hand. Before he grips it and they reappear, he says,]

Thanks, yo.

Lydia Martin

[humanic]

[He'd expected it to be easier the second time around. He'd come prepared this time to look upon the faces of the dead.

He didn't expect to be the last one going through. To be the one who would personally shut the door on the nine people left remaining and extinguish any little hope they had left.

He doesn't apologize this time. There's nothing he can say that could possibly make this better. Instead, he just holds out his hand, pathetically grateful that at least he can't see their faces clearly through the tears.]

Lydia.

[detectus]

[Lydia doesn't expect anyone to return for her. She doesn't know anyone. And no one there remembers her. She sits in her seat, fingers twisted together, and eyes focused on the ground. She doesn't want to cry. She won't cry. She'll face death with dignity.

Then she hears her name. At first she wonders if it's in the back of her head and she's hearing things she wishes she would hear. Then she raises her head and sees him.

Stiles.]

Stiles?

[productions]

[Moments after Stiles and Lydia vanish, the lights suddenly go out, the screen goes dark. The air goes bitterly cold, and the sound of a storm rages from somewhere far off.

The walls of the theater shudder, and then vanish. Everything inside it, slowly, begins to vanish.

As it goes, the nine left behind inside begin to vanish as well.]