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

[hollowheart]

[It drives the point home Kanaya's peers were and are only children, as were Annie's.]

It shouldn't have happened like that. What a shitty way to die.

[speakveryclearly]

Somebody really must have thought that would be funny.... what a half-baked attempt at humor. [KANAYA]

It's strange. The motive is compelling, of course, but the public face of this cast is so... mild.

[hollowheart]

We were an angrier lot, weren't we?

Perhaps they're just better equipped to handle this. The producers've chosen well.

[speakveryclearly]

Maybe they're just more deceptive... at the very least very intent on hiding the body and disguising the cause of death.

[At this point emerges the fact Feferi's trident caused Eridan's triple wound. Kanaya sinks into her seat, never to return. Goodbye, cruel world.]

[throe]

[ Is this a private conversation? Rapture doesn't care. ]

Seriously. They couldn't have pulled in at least one musician to perform something? At this point I'd be willing to go back just to liven this thing up.

[hollowheart]

They could afford to be louder. [Yes, Annie is bored, despite her own feelings on Rapture's music.]

[throe]

That one girl Glinda had potential, but she only sang one song! She hasn't even performed at a trial yet. Don't they realize that music adds to the atmosphere?

[speakveryclearly]

Maybe she's waiting to form a conjecture. These murders have been so complicated. If there's ever a proper double murder they'll likely go over the trial time limit.

[throe]

I didn't have to form a conjecture to sing because my timing was always perfect. A show is still a show.

[ Being eerily right about 90% of the culprits helped too. ]

[speakveryclearly]

Not all of us are gifted with arcane and rhythmic clairvoyance. I'm sure she'll trot out something about friendship once they remember they believe in themselves and can do anything.

[She says that a little bitterly - with the trial progressing and no coherent conjecture about who did this, with what motive, or why impalement was necessary when strangulation was the cause of death, she's getting increasingly cranky.]

[throe]

[ Rapture's been cranky herself... or rather, bored would be a better term in her case. ]

I'd at least take that over nothing at all.

[speakveryclearly]

Rin seems to be trying harder to prove herself in the trial this time around and keeping her best numbers in reserve for later. Maybe she has different memories...

What do you think about the ball conceit. Will they really throw one every week.

[throe]

Of course they will. Haven't you noticed that last week was fairy tales and this week is nautical? They're making it a theme about whoever's been killed. It's just another way to get more ratings.

Their first smart idea so far if you ask me.

[speakveryclearly]

[She looks up at the screen, confused - sailor collars had a different social context on Alternia but now the pirates make sense.]

I guess if they didn't get to have their ironic execution this week they had to compensate somehow.

[throe]

Didn't they say their ratings tanked when we played? They're probably trying to draw in viewers by causing the players to have the most mental anguish as possible.

[speakveryclearly]

I wouldn't be surprised if they're going to deploy the designated killers more aggressively... the true culprit almost certainly was one given the failure to retire.

Is human Halloween here yet? They'll probably try to exploit seasonal situations again, I think that worked well for them during the infamous sixth trial.

[throe]

You have to wonder what their incentive is to keep playing. Maybe whoever's running the show this time threatened them that they have to retire or else they won't be able to save whatever or whoever they're trying to save.

There's no real big holiday coming up. [ Nothing important to her like Halloween is at least. ] So they're probably just trying to make up for that.

[speakveryclearly]

Designated killers are generally not supposed to retire, that'd take a resource out of circulation and create a liability. That's why Spain kept playing. Of course, an independent killer still could have been coerced...

[She glances at Eridan's shell in spite of herself, and doesn't have to say I Wish He Could Tell Me What Happened]

[throe]

This round isn't really like our round though and if they're really trying to bring their ratings up, they're going to add as much suspense as possible.

What could bring in a viewing than a possible designate killer getting away with murder and lurking around undetected?

[speakveryclearly]

The real question is how they'll be able to act with such diligent escorts.

[throe]

Maybe we'll see some creativity after all.