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]

[She hesitates before answering.] Yes. We knew each other from before our native planet faced a dire fate...

[ladyofthehouse]

... I see.

Is that why Frau Feferi's card reads. Ah. "Dead."

[speakveryclearly]

[Well first Kanaya takes this really long and not even remotely subtle tortured look at Eridan over in the corner of the theater

Then she returns to smiling politely at Austria and says,] Yes, you could say that.

[ladyofthehouse]

[Austria follows her gaze to Eridan and then back, keeping what she learned about "troll culture" in mind...]

...

I'm assuming Frau Feferi did Basilisk wing a favor.

[speakveryclearly]

[Kanaya sporfles into a single involuntary, uneasy burst of laughter.]

You'll never have to find out for yourself.

[ladyofthehouse]

[She smiles a little despite herself.]

Are there more of you here? [She didn't get to see the contents of the museum while she was exploding so she's a little behind.]

[speakveryclearly]

Alternians? No. Survivors? Yes, two others.

[ladyofthehouse]

[She's assuming that Alternians are. Trolls. Or. Whatever Feferi and Kanaya are.]

Survivors of what? The game?

[speakveryclearly]

Yes, from season 47.

1/2

[ladyofthehouse]

...

[ladyofthehouse]

There have been forty seven seasons of this murderous tripe?

[speakveryclearly]

No, of course... not... [gesturing at the screen]

There have been fifty.

1/3

[ladyofthehouse]

[Austria watches the screen for a bit. Then once she gets a sense of what's happening, finds her portrait.

...Season 40.]

2/3

[ladyofthehouse]

...

[Was her murder weapon seriously a pair of panties? hOW-- NO. NEVERMIND. SHE DOESN'T EVEN WANT TO KNOW.]

3/3

[ladyofthehouse]

This... is entirely unacceptable.

[speakveryclearly]

[THAT MURDER WEAPON...]

Absolutely. We won't let this continue.

[ladyofthehouse]

[At least she didn't kill anyone with piano wire... small... victories.]

I don't understand-- I can't look more than twel-- [Oh right nation ages... ugh god who knows. She needs to open her bag eventually she supposes.] I'm very young looking in the portrait.

What happened between then and now?

[speakveryclearly]

Didn't you see May Chang in the gallery? Ten.

Victory on their terms isn't enough to escape from their clutches. They've kept you and your memories. The "twist ending" of our round involved some degree of success in maintaining our autonomy.

[ladyofthehouse]

How old is May Chang now?

... So then you managed to do something to upset things in your round, but not quite enough to end things entirely?

[Hahahaha... wonderful.]

[speakveryclearly]

Thirteen. We've had three years to prepare to make this move... I have more than a mere hope we'll succeed, with [...] you to help us.

[ladyofthehouse]

[She was more optimistic before she heard there was fifty rounds.]

Have we blown up more things than your own season at least?

[speakveryclearly]

[Thinly:] You've been liberally supplied with grenades! That's not a fair metric of comparison.

[ladyofthehouse]

That was a rather foolish oversight on their part.

[She'll take that as a yes.]

And to think I thought I was being helpful by requesting the poison detection kit for trivia. [She could have had two grenades! Or one and not killed Spain. Ah well hindsight is always twenty-twenty.]

[speakveryclearly]

Maybe Ms. Nanami convinced them otherwise. I imagine she has quite some sway as the... alumna from season 49.

[Clicking her tongue.] In general the set isn't produced for solutions to completely depend on any kind of kit.