graveyard

[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 castle, 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.

Past the hall is another door, this one wooden and seemingly decayed. If you go inside, you'll find a fairly simple, wooden room, that is empty except for a very large machine. It is difficult to tell what the machine is for; it has a touch screen that appears to be a control panel, as well as a large open space that seems to be part of the machine, but the machine is dead and won't turn on no matter what you do.

Still, at least you aren't alone here. You have your fellow players, as well as a few guests to keep you company.

Oh, and one more thing. At midnight following each execution, once all those who've died that week have woken up, a video will begin to play on screen.

Comments

[mightiswright]

[ His is a different story entirely from hers. Ever since the beginning, Phoenix had been preparing himself for the worst. That he'd be killed, that he would kill and be executed, that the promise of returning home was an empty one. So from the beginning, he's put his energy more into protecting the ones he cares about than returning to them.

But now. Now is like a glimmer of hope, and he latches onto it. ]

There's nothing I would love more for if Maya wasn't here. If she was at home, safe and sound, without having to go through any of this.

[ He still doesn't quite understand how all of this is happening, how they can be 'dead', but still here. She said she survived to the end... ] If we're still here, that means there's still something we can do. They might not have given any of us a chance to say goodbye or return home, but that doesn't mean we can't find a way for ourselves. Your life's not over yet... Or have you given up on finding the ones you spent so long fighting for?

2/3 i lied

[bloomnobly]

[ think yuyuko think. what would have gotten you out of one of your stupid funks? what did Yukari do to talk you out of one of those self-destructive bouts?

Well, sometimes they played Shogi, but she didn't think there was a Shogi board hiding around here somewhere. Or they went for a walk in the gardens, but...no gardens. It was a friggin' theater with piss-poor lighting and food as their only physical distraction.

...sometimes Yukari asked her about her family. Well, she was Yuyuko's only friend, so they couldn't exactly talk about that, but her family was one thing she could talk about. Maybe...maybe that would work?

Yuyuko is silent for a moment before spreading out her hands and unleashing a small flock of butterfly bullets around the two of them. Their circle path is wide enough to not hit the poor boy (AS LONG AS HE DOESN'T TOUCH THEM AGAIN!!) but it does alleviate some of the awful lighting around them. It's like glowing pastel lanterns...!!

--and takes a seat next to him. ]

[bloomnobly]

Saa...you've felt alone for the longest time, am I right? [ blinking at him for a moment ] What was the cause of that? You did tell me you lost a chunk of your family, but, ah, do you mind sharing what happened to your friends? Something about comas?

[throe]

No — of course I haven't! [ She buries her head in her hands. ] Maybe I have... I can't live without them... without Riot, but how?

[ The energy leaves her, her shoulders slumping. Would this be easier if she was a killer? If she was killed? Survival and life has only granted her to be without Riot and Minx... without Rory and Ingrid. This isn't six months of homelessness, clinging to the only two people she's ever truly cared about. This is the mundane life she's been trying to be rid of.

Everything's worthless, she's worthless. She needs them and there's no question about it. ]

How are we going to get back if this just keeps happening? If it's been happening.

[onethirdthesoul]

... [He instinctively sits back as those butterflies come out, having learned all-too-well what touching them will do. At least they don't seem to be aimed at him, and the proper lighting was a nice change even if it did have him squinting as his eyes adjusted.

The topic chance surprises him, but he's glad for it. Right now, he doesn't want to think about Rin.]

My friends? That was... [he digs through his bag and pulls out the Millennium Ring] ...him.

He sealed their souls into Monster World miniatures... [Ryou grimaces.] He said he was paying rent.

[mightiswright]

[ THANKS RYOU...

Phoenix gives Ryou a blank smile. ]

'No. It wasn't worth it at all. I shouldn't have done it and I regret everything I did.' ... Is that what you were hoping to hear? [ It's all just a mess now. Apollo's here, but he was also at home. But if he dies here, then what does that mean for the situation at home? Then there's also what seems to be some time traveling going on and. Yeah. It's all just a mess.

The smile disappears. ]

The truth is, I don't know anymore. I'm sorry I did what I did to Yuyuko, and I won't deny it makes me a murderer. But nothing here is as black and white as that - not for me, not for you, not for anyone. Regret, worth, guilt... it's all a blur when everyone is just trying to protect the ones they love, or get home. [ Coming from a former lawyer, that's pretty bold, but so much has happened in the past couple of weeks. He's had to re-think his philosophy considerably. ]

[mightiswright]

[ That part he didn't know. ]

We all believed it. [ How could they not? ] 'To change what is fated to occur', she said. Maybe she meant they would stop his sister from ever having being killed.

[ As for her last question... ] Some of you wondered, didn't you? How the producers could be so sure that people would play along each week. That's what we were there for. If none of the 'regular' players stepped up to get their incentive, then one of us... would have to.

[onethirdthesoul]

[Always here to be a pal, except right now apparently where he's taking out his own problems on Phoenix. Ryou's eyes are boring into Phoenix, eerily blank, but he doesn't seem surprised by the answer.]

...You got what you wanted, that's why you don't regret it, right? But if you failed, you'd feel differently. I'm sure if I had been able to bring Amane back, I'd feel differently too.

But at least Mei-chan gets to bring her sister back. [And then Ryou smiles the most bitter, almost spiteful smile he's ever worn. At least he looks more alive.]

I think I'm starting to finally understand how this place works. They give us sympathetic motives, so we feel bad for the murderers too. That's why nothing's black and white.

They do it on purpose.

[mightiswright]

[ How? That's a good question. ]

We're going to find a way. All of us. [ He doesn't feel half as confident as he sounds, but when the only other choice is just accepting their fates... well, he was never one to sit around when there's investigating to be done. ]

But I need to know more first. About your game, how it ended, and the people who were in it.

[ The identity of the previous killer group is still nagging at him though, because once his curiosity is on, it's hard to turn off. He nods toward the screen. ] Which of our contestants are alumni from your game's secret group?

[bloomnobly]

[ for a split second, Yuyuko looks terrified. but the look fades just as quickly as it came. ]

...there's something evil inside of that object. [ as if that was a fact that needed stating at this point?? well, she feels kind of dumb for saying it like that, that clearly shows on her face. so she coughs and continues-- ] 'He' is some kind of...evil spirit? Demon? What a monstrous being...

[onethirdthesoul]

He made it sound like he was a person once, from a long time ago. [Ryou turns the Ring over in his hands. Despite what he just said he seems to handle it tenderly, as if he were fond of it, or maybe transfixed by the power behind it.

Maybe both. At least it's doing a good job of keeping his mind off murder.]

My Father got this for me on a trip to Egypt, and I'd been wearing it since then...

[throe]

What have I got to lose...? [ Her hands settle on the armrests and she says it without an ounce of amusement. There's a long pause, like she's not going to answer his question... and then. ]

Kaoru. Kaoru and Spain.

[ If the producers end her life here, then she hopes that the Stingers will know what she did to fight for them and she hopes they think it's worth it. That's all that matters to her right now. ]

[bloomnobly]

That's possible. Zokurei can just be stray phantoms.

[ mulling this over for a moment ] I take it this wasn't your ordinary tourist trinket.

[onethirdthesoul]

Father is an archeologist, so he probably bought it near wherever he was excavating. He told me it was a pawn shop, anyway...

[He sets the Ring in his lap.] Not long after I started wearing it... The friends I would play Monster World kept falling into comas and ending up in the hospital.

[mightiswright]

[ It doesn't seem like lightning's going to come out and strike her, which is a relief. (Unless he's just jinxed it...)

Spain, fine, maybe he'd even understand why Phoenix did what he did. Kaoru... ]

Kaoru? Don't tell me he ran someone down with a ground plane.

[mightiswright]

[ Ryou is such a great pal gosh WELL GUESS WHAT Phoenix is unbothered. Or at least he appears to be. ]

Yep... it's fortunate for Mei that things worked out in her favour. [ He does mean it since he feels terrible for using her to get to Yuyuko. And... poisoning her too I guess.... ]

It's more dramatic that way. When they see us suffering whether we catch the true killer or not. It's rigged so we can't win.

SORRY EDITS lmao I shouldn't tag when I'm tired

[onethirdthesoul]

[Ryou just looks suddenly stricken by guilt when Phoenix agrees with him and doesn't even acknowledge what was a pretty passive-aggressive conversation on Ryou's end.]

Sorry... I shouldn't be taking this all out on you. [Some of it, though. But moving on... At least Phoenix said he was sorry.]

They really do like to watch us suffer. It's bad enough we keep killing each other, but they have to taunt us too with these promises and threats... And you can't even win without killing at least two people!

But what are we supposed to do? It's just like you said. Everybody just wants to protect someone they love... I want to hate the people who've killed others, but I can't.

I wish we could have all just been friends, instead of playing this twisted "game".

[perfectstrike]

[She's just shaking her head. This is probably the most emotion Phoenix -- or anyone, for that matter -- has seen on her face since her actual execution. She looks horrified and frustrated, as if she might cry but can't actually find the tears to do so.]

So you are to kill someone in the case someone like myself is not tempted by the incentive, [she clarifies finally after several deep breaths, once she trusts her voice. It's a little ragged, but she can handle this. She's fine.]

Who is 'she'?

[throe]

He was a lot different than you know now. For the longest time, he fooled a lot of people — except those who obviously knew he wasn't who he seemed, like yours truly.

He poisoned someone, hoped they would attack someone else so they could be framed, it was a really convoluted trial.

[perfectstrike]

Am I...?

[She actually looks surprised about that, brushing a bit of hair away from her cheek as she glances elsewhere.]

Well. We will have time here, whether it is for better or worse. I would not be opposed to a game or two, if you can find the materials.

[OKAY THAT'S ENOUGH FRIENDSHIP Peko is going to make her escape bye. People keep telling her she's kind and actually liking her, she doesn't understand.]

[perfectstrike]

...

[Peko's quiet for a long moment, one finger curling into the loose strands of hair around her cheek and winding it. It's obvious she's thinking about something, if the way her brows furrow is any indication.]

I am certain... it has to do with the young master himself. Perhaps they wanted to prevent him from ordering me not to kill. [Which is honestly more likely than Kuzuryuu ever ordering her to kill.] I am no one important, but he is. Perhaps they thought that if we remembered each other, something would change.

Unless the young master were to order me not to kill anyone in this castle... I would still have killed for that incentive. Young master Fuyuhiko is... extremely important to me.

[Really, Peko. Really. No one could have guessed that.]

[perfectstrike]

[INCREDIBLE...]

I have been to Kyoto, on occasion. It is a very old city.

Should we ever escape this place... it is unlikely that we would have occasion to visit others, correct? Otherwise, I would like to see that city with you.

IT'S FINE o7

[mightiswright]

[ Given he seems to be the oldest out of everyone here, and has a pretty tough skin, he's willing to shoulder the burden of being the emotional punching bag.

It's a nice thought... but it's just that. A thought. ]

There's nothing we can do about the murders each week, I can say that for a fact. But if we're here, we have an advantage they don't. We know there's something beyond being murdered or executed. [ He looks around the theatre they're in and turns on his lawyer brain. ] Has this area been checked out?

[mightiswright]

[ He nods in the affirmative to the first, but then noticeably hesitates with responding to her question. It's one thing to tell Peko about her young master, because she deserved to know. Her, on the other hand...

But then, he'd be a hypocrite if he urged Rapture to spill, but withheld details himself. (Besides, she wouldn't be in danger, right?) ]

... Nanami. It was Nanami.

[mightiswright]

[ His bemusement fades as she explains. That was surprising... a surprise muted by thoughts of 'of course he was hiding something'. Because he seems to have a habit of meeting people who seem mild-mannered but are capable of murder. ]

What happened to him after that? It sounds like he was caught.