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

[speakveryclearly]

I'd almost suspected a number like five with the difficulty everyone always bemoans about those quizzes..............

You realize now that the watchdog mechanic was ripe for abuse all along, I take it?

1/2

[ladyofthehouse]

They set it up so you can definitely get three at least. One or two others can be done with an educated guess or thinking a little creatively. The rest were practically impossible for a normal player like myself.

Although given Herr Kuzuryuu's and Frau Nanami's position a little advantage on the trivia quiz hardly amounts to much in the end.

[ladyofthehouse]

The things I wrote down were definitely used against me.

[She waves the flute.]

I could understand using my human fear against me, but this is just cruel and unusual punishment!

EVEN LATER THAN YUYUKO...

[speakveryclearly]

[Though the past contestant whom Feferi imitated at the ball can clearly be seen greeting her fellow troll girl, she does not fight her way through the designated killers' group hug mob. In fact, she is nowhere to be seen for quite a few hours after the investigation commences onscreen. Only at half-past noon does Kanaya drift back into the theater, bringing with her the distinct scent of Nagumo clan cuisine. A bento reconstructed from paperboard movie theater combo boxes rests in her softly glowing hands. The soft drink contains warm green tea, a cardboard candy wrapper protects a squishy aburage, and the central popcorn repository is host to ample portions of rice and beef cutlets soaked in sauce from shamefully cheap packets. The carrot slices are in stiff chunky zigzags given the limitations of plastic knives.]

It's about time for lunch, Ms. Yukimura. You seemed a little preoccupied.

[speakveryclearly]

Uh....... There, there......

If it's so bad can't you just abstain from playing...

[ladyofthehouse]

I can't make a piano appear out of thin air!

Here at least. [Why couldn't the bag just give her that ability back?]

...I guess it's fine as long as Prussia isn't around to show off.

[speakveryclearly]

Another Eastern European nation, I take it?

[how many of you are there]

1/2

[ladyofthehouse]

Oh gott, nein. We're hardly that miserable looking are we?

2/2

[ladyofthehouse]

We're western european.

[Much less misfortune to go around.]

[speakveryclearly]

I... see... please excuse my ignorance in these matters.

[ladyofthehouse]

[Austria waves it off.

Although that raises the question of where Kanaya would know about Eastern Europe period... then she recalls one portrait in particular.]

...I take it you've been speaking to Frau Poland.

[speakveryclearly]

...

Was it that obvious?

You saw Lithuania and Latvia and Ukraine too...




Belarus is no longer with us.

[ladyofthehouse]

Those three were here too? [What? The portrait she recognized was Poland's-- not that she realizes it's not her Poland yet.] What season were they then?

Er... where did Herr Belarus... go then? Did he escape things?

[speakveryclearly]

If I meant alive and merely independent from our operation I would have said that instead of using a euphemism because I really thought you would rather not learn the multiple locations in which we discovered her unsalvageable body.

[perfectstrike]

[Peko doesn't take it as an insult at all; it's obvious whose life she considers most important, and it's definitely not her own.]

I see.

[There's a lot going on here, but Peko can only nod. She doesn't have much of a choice but to trust that Rapture knows what she's doing (even if she'd rather not).]

Three years... did you watch the previous seasons, then? Forty-eight and forty-nine?

[perfectstrike]

I don't know how.

[Tiddlywinks wasn't one of the games she learned as a yakuza child for some...reason... But from her tone, it doesn't seem like she wants to learn just yet.

She does take a seat next to Austria on the floor, though, looking up at the screen.]

Who do you think did it?

A

[throe]

[ She's leaning over, looking at the composition. ]

Do you need someone to do vocals?

[ladyofthehouse]

I don't think you want your name attached to this monstrosity Frau Rapture, honestly.

[She regards it rather fondly despite herself. It's her monstrosity.]

[throe]

You flatter me, but really I haven't done a song in a new while. A fresh one will get everyone going.

I can play a secondary instrument if you'd rather I not sing.

[ladyofthehouse]

You just take one of the larger candies and try to flick the smaller candies into the bag. [Flick! It bounces off the side of the gift bag.] Very simple.

It's hard to say at this point, but I don't see Herr Nagumo killing Frau Yukimura-- but apparently my perception of him is wrong? [She still doesn't think it was him, however.]

[ladyofthehouse]

I can't sing myself, so your vocals would be welcome if you insist!

Do you have another instrument? [Not because she wants you to play it, she just wants another option that isn't this damn flute.]

1/2

[throe]

[ Rapture opens her mouth to say something, then closes it and smirks. ]

I'll be right back.

[perfectstrike]

I see.

[She takes one of the larger candies but doesn't do anything more than roll it around in her hand.]

I would agree with you. The only thing that keeps me from doing so immediately is the way people have been speaking about him. [Yuyuko and Kouha, that is.] And I think we can both be certain it was neither the young master nor Nanami.

[She does finally give it a flick. And misses the bag entirely. Well done.]

[ladyofthehouse]

[Her unsalvageable body...] ...this must be a different Belarus from the man I know then.

[Of course that means that somewhere. Some form of Belarus is dead and not going home regardless of what happens. And... now she's concerned she might possibly won't make it home either.]

What happened to this Belarus?

[throe]

[ She heads back to where the concession stand is. There's a loud clanging sound and some other indeterminate sounds. It's a good ten minutes when she returns with a medium-sized rectangular square of metal with a plastic spoon.

She firmly stands her place in front of Austria. ] Replicated after a dangerous, yet most beautiful sounding instrument... I give you: the rain chime!

[ She lightly taps the spoon against the metal in a variety of places, then gently runs it along the smooth metal as if to replicate the sound of rain. ]

Typically it's meant to bring rain when there's a drought, but it's not instilled with my ancestor's sacred powers.