productions | graveyard

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graveyard

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.

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[She may have already been dead...but that's really only going to marginally make him feel better about this. Even if he didn't actually kill her for good, he still...struck her down. He still had to see her corpse because of his actions. And that's really kind of messed up. That kind of image that never really goes away.]

[He takes the bag, numbly. He still just...looks kind of stunned to see her. He's not quite sure what to say here because GUESS WHO ALSO HAD NOT THOUGHT THIS FAR AHEAD. There was no conversation planned or anything here. What do. Granted, he assumed he was actually going to die and maybe he wouldn't actually...you know. See anybody else. Despite what he'd said to Nanami at the end, what if there really was nothing on the other side?]

...what is it?

[Just what he needs, another thing to have a nightmare about.

IN FAIRNESS PEKO HAD NOT THOUGHT THIS FAR AHEAD EITHER AND SHE'S HAD MORE THAN A MONTH. When he takes the bag, she rubs her eyes again, doing her damnedest to compose herself. Bocchan needs her to focus.]

It is... the memories the producers stole from you. Some items from home.

[And then she has to take another breath. Maybe he doesn't want to remember? She wouldn't blame him for that, but if he didn't, then what would she do?]

The hostages escaped on their own, and Nanami is fine, so if you would... please.

[Well considering how he more or less tears that bag open the minute she says "memories from home", the answer to "does he want to remember" is a resounding "yes." He barely even listened to the rest of what she was saying. Oops.]

[Look it's just been driving him crazy for like two months now that he couldn't remember Peko hardly at all. He doesn't really care about what else is in there, it's not like he really has many material possessions he really cares about. Hell, the only things in there are his regular suit, a jar of star sand, and a smashed saké cup. Which he'll get around to noticing are in there eventually. But right now he needs to deal with all those memories he got back because UH. WOW. HAHA. ABOUT THAT ISLAND REHABILITATION THING NANAMI WAS TALKING ABOUT...]

[Lord this is so much shit for him to deal with right now. He's not even sure where to start. The fact that he and Peko were two of the criminals in need of rehabilitation? The fact that HE LITERALLY JUST PULLED A FUCKING KOMAEDA WITH THIS MURDER? The fact that his sister was dead all along? And that he forgot about it not once but TWICE?]

[No, apparently we're not going to start with any of those things. Apparently we're going to start with the fact that PEKO IS NOT DEAD/IN A BRAINDEAD COMA. Which is a good place to start, considering that Peko is literally right here in front of him and that it doesn't actually require him to say much. At least not at first. At first he just pushes the bag aside before flinging his arms around Peko's shoulders. This is not a hug. This is full on clinging...albeit awkwardly because they're sitting next to each other in theater chairs. Way to go, guys. Way to go.]

[I hope you're prepared, Peko. Because you'll probably be able to tell that he's crying again, which is the reason he has his face pressed against your shoulder in such a way that it's making it hard to understand what he's saying right now. But it sure sounds like a whole bunch of "I'm sorry"s. Because, let's face it, between everything that happened back home and everything that happened in the castle...he has a hell of a lot of shit to apologize for.]

Young mast--?!

[If there's one thing she wasn't expecting, it was for him to cling to her like this. She goes completely still and stiff, staring blankly over him as she tries to figure out exactly what was happening. Why was he sorry? For how he treated her in the castle? She didn't blame him. Not for Koizumi, not for the castle, not for anything.

She'd gotten hints from him, when he'd visited and spoken at her grave. When he kept her shinai with him and didn't even use it. Even the island seemed somehow impossible, like it was only his own helplessness at being able to act that had sparked the protest to her death. She hasn't really understood just how much he cared until now, when she can feel him against her shoulder.

Her own eyes fill with tears again, and she wraps an arm around him, trying to hold him close. Tries, anyway, fumbling a little with her grip as she tries to edge closer. But there's the god damn arm to the chair between them pressing uncomfortably against her ribs, making it hard to get close, so she shifts on her seat, doing her best not to dislodge him as she worms her way around the arm and tries to perch on the edge of his own seat. This is probably pretty ridiculous from the outside, but as long as she can manage to get close enough, she's going to tug him in almost protectively, one hand against the back of his head, the other fluttering helplessly at his arm, his shoulder, his hand, before finally settling around his shoulders and clutching tightly at his back.

She's struggling with words as her fingers curl in against his hair, several different starts to a sentence dying on her lips.]

Young master, please, do not cry. I will protect you. You are safe here... [And her voice cracks on safe, because he's not, not really, not when she still doesn't know what anyone's plans are for certain, but now that she's reunited with him, she won't let anything happen to him.]

[Well at least Kuzuryuu isn't very big. It's not like he needs the whole chair, anyway, there's totally room for both of them. Even though the arm rest probably lifts up but hey, who has time for that? Not Peko. Once she's shifted into a better position though, that really only makes him cling to her harder. As if she'd be pulled away from him or stop breathing or something if he so much as thought of letting go.]

[At least until she finally figures out what she wants to say. That combined with the position of her arms and hands around him, is enough to make him pull himself away. Because 1) he has to say something to that and 2) That's more or less the same position she was holding him in when she was executed on the island. Can we not? As much as he's trying not to cry though, he still is when he pulls back, though he does look slightly angry in spite of this. Apparently that was Not The Right Thing To Say, Peko...]

No! Goddammit, all that ever does is get you killed! [No...seriously, Peko...this is twice now. Twice. You really need to stop trying to do things to protect him. ESPECIALLY WHEN HE'S NOT EVEN IN ANY IMMEDIATE DANGER??] If that's going to be the cost every fucking time, I don't want you to protect me!

[STOP DYING, HOLY SHIT. Though he did make a pretty important distinction here. Regardless of whether or not he needs protection (which he doesn't, tyvm) what's more important here are his reasons for not wanting it. Mostly they boil down to she shouldn't have to, but the not dying thing is a factor too. A pretty legit factor at this point, too. Because, again: this is the second goddamn time, Peko. You need an intervention.]

Edited 2014-07-30 04:05 (UTC)

[When he pulls away, her hands hover awkwardly in the air a moment as she bites her lower lip. As much as she'd like to think so, she wasn't holding him just for his sake, but for her own as well. But if he didn't want her touching him, well, that was that, then, and her hands fall uselessly to her lap.

She flinches when he yells, studiously looking away from him so he wouldn't see her cry. The tears are still running unchecked down her face, but if she's not facing him, he obviously can't see them. Yes. Just like she can't see that he's crying. Look at her go.]

Young master, I...

[She takes several breaths, trying to get her voice as close to under-control as she can manage. It's an effort before she can speak again, her hands curling into fists in her lap.

He's not wrong. This is twice now she's died for him, and left him alone. She already knows what happened without her there at the castle, but who knows what his future holds on the island? She doesn't. And after seeing what he had to go through here, that scares her.

So she can't honestly say she doesn't regret it. Not anymore.]

I...

[Her face scrunches up, and she doesn't look at him. Can't look at him, her eyes focused on her clenched fists in her lap. It hurts, that he doesn't want her to protect him. Like she's just not good enough at the thing she was supposed to spend her entire life doing. But his reasoning makes it... better. Ish. Better-ish.]

I'm sorry... [she finally chokes out, the words almost sticking in her throat. But she doesn't leave it at that, forcing herself to continue,] I'm... I'm sorry I could not be there for you. And I won't be there for you. I'm sorry. If I could change it, I would. To stay at your side. Please forgive me.

[Look, Peko if you ever learn how to protect him without getting your ass killed, HE WOULD RECONSIDER. Especially since he wants to protect you too. But Jesus tapdancing Christ, your track record on this front so far is abysmal.]

[And holding will probably recommence here in a minute or so. He kneejerked, he's sorry. He already regrets letting go.]

[It's clear by the look on his face, that Kuzuryuu is actually surprised by Peko's response. Stunned, even. Not the apology, exactly, he fully expected that much. Especially since he himself had done more or less the same thing just last night while writing his letters to the others. But what he DIDN'T expect was for her to say she'd change what she'd done (presumably on the island), she would. He was fully expecting more bullshit about her being a tool and blah blah she'd do it all over again a million times to keep him safe because she is his tool and she's dispensable.]

[So for a few moments, all he can do is just stare at her, slightly dumbstruck, a few tears still running down his face. Lord somebody get the yakuzas some tissues. So gross.]

Y...you...

[Who are you and what have you done with Peko, basically...]

[Shit. Fuck. She hecked up. She can't even bring herself to look at him, her nails biting into her palms as she just takes several deep breathes. Well, he already knows she's crying, so she's just going to -- relax one of her hands and pull her glasses off, bringing her other hand up to fist at her eyes. She's a god damn embarrassment right now. Who even wants a hitman who gets herself killed every time and can't stop crying about it?

Could she really be so wrong? After everything he'd said on the island, after everything he'd said in this castle... perhaps she'd misread him. Perhaps he was angry at her presumption. But she still can't bring herself to look at him to make sure.]

The young master said... he didn't need a tool, [she manages finally after several breaths. If he was already angry at her being presumptuous, it was better to get it all out now, right? So he could tell her not to be an idiot, and she could go right back to knowing her proper place.] The young master who visited my grave and spoke to me on my birthday, even though he didn't know I could hear...

[She swallows hard and rubs at her eyes again, really trying not to let herself get overwhelmed.]

If I could stay with the young master... if I could be what the young master needed, I would... [it's definitely too presumptuous to say that it would make her happy, so she has to pause a beat and try to rephrase,] it would be my honor. To be that for him.

[And if what the young master needed was for her to be herself, and not be a tool... it's roundabout, but that's what she's asking for. If he can get through the veil of polite speech to see it.]

[Ah, yes. It's good to see that, for all her character development, Peko is still kind of shit at reading him. Something like that might be too much development for one person alone. Seriously though, how did she get "angry" out of that? Come on, now...]

[Kuzuryuu makes a choked sort of hiccuping noise in response. If Peko were to look up at him again, she'd notice that he's clearly trying very hard not to start openly bawling again. It's not really working out for him so well. He scrubs at his eyes, pushing his eyepatch awkwardly up a little but to get at the right one. That eye may be damaged to the point where it's blind, but since the tear ducts weren't damaged, he can apparently still cry out of it just fine. Lucky him. Though, between the patch and his hand, Peko won't be able to see much about that eye. Assuming she's still curious about what the hell happened to it.]

[There are a few sniffles and more weird half-choked hiccuping noises from Kuzuryuu as he nods firmly. Oddly enough though he...seems to be smiling? Apparently this is happy crying. Lord what are his emotions right now, not even he knows. They are all over the place and he just wants to pass out and sleep for like a week at this point. Because surely that would stabilize everything he's feeling emotions-wise now.]

[After a few minutes, he manages to regain his composure enough to pull his eyepatch back into place and actually look at Peko. His face is still kinda wet and a little snotty though, gross.]

Not as honored as I'd be to let that happen. [And by honored, he means happy. TWO CAN PLAY AT THAT GAME, PEKO. He laughs weakly.] Little late to be asking it at this point but... I'm not dreamin' right now or something, right? This is all actually happening. You're...

[Alive? Finally dropping the tool thing? Both? Probably both.]

[No, in her whole time watching Bocchan on Live TV 24/7, she somehow stopped being curious and/or upset about his eye. Obviously. Which is why when she glances up at the first hiccuping noise, she goes still to see him rubbing at the one under the patch and almost reaches out a hand as if she might tug his away from that eye. Surely it must hurt?

But she just doesn't know, so she awkwardly lets her hand fall as she looks to him, all but holding her breath until he nods. Then she doesn't even know what to do. Maybe she should smile for him? Yes, that seems like the appropriate response. She gives it a valiant attempt, but-- no. Peko no. Please. So she stops trying to smile and just... waits for him to stop crying. She's not going to try to hug him again until she knows why he pulled away in the first place, so she just kind of sits there, rubbing at her own eyes and shoving her glasses back on. At least one of them should look vaguely composed.

And then she almost starts crying when he starts speaking again, just-- nodding. No words. When she speaks she hecks things up, so she just nods again, in case there was any doubt. Yes to being here. Yes to not being his tool.

A little hesitantly, she looks down at her hands, then turns one over, palm up, and looks back to him. If he wants to take it, it's there. Or, you know, he could hug her again. Or ignore it completely, she won't protest.

Peko you're so bad at this shit god damn.]

Edited 2014-07-31 23:29 (UTC)

[It's okay, Peko. It's not like Kuzuryuu is fantastic at this shit either. It took him two months and facing his imminent death to finally be able to hug Nanami back. So, really, you could be doing worse. And he certainly can't judge.]

[He follows her eyes down to her own hands, staring at the upturned palm for a moment before sliding his own hand into it. Incredible. Look at them go!!! He'll use his free hand to wipe his nose a little. Gross, Kuzuryuu. Definitely going to change into his old suit once he gets around to actually looking in his bag.]

So you've been here this whole damn time, huh?

[Let's just focus on castle shit for now. Because he is not even sure what to say about...basically anything that went down on the island. Just, holy shit let's deal with that can of worms later. IF HE HAD KNOWN JUST HOW MUCH WAS GOING TO BE IN THAT BAD HE MIGHT NOT HAVE OPENED IT RIGHT AWAY. But he wanted to remember Peko, so...]

Edited 2014-08-01 00:09 (UTC)

[She lets her fingers curl loosely around his as she shifts in their shared seat, turning more toward him than the defensive posture she'd started adopting. Not that it had been all that successful since they're in the same damn seat, but being near him like this is more than she ever thought she'd have, so she's not moving to her own seat. Fuck that. She's just going to curl around him a little bit as the tense set of her shoulders starts to ease.

She almost asks about his eye, but before she could work up the nerve, he's asking about the graveyard. So she just nods again, rubbing at her eyes one more time and taking a breath before she trusts herself to use her words.]

Yes... [her voice is quiet before she clears her throat and forces herself to resume her normal speaking tone, a little hoarse, a little ragged, but at least she's talking.] Yes. We're all here.

[With some notable exceptions to just how 'here' they are, but someone else can explain about the shells.]

We could watch... we could see much of what happened in the castle. [Peko mostly just watched Kuzuryuu though.] The 'sponsorships,' we voted for those as well. I was unable to give you more than one. [SHE TRIED...]

Some of the others might be able to explain better than I. What else goes on here.

[Peko just lift the arm up on one of the seats next to it and give both of you some more room, holy hell. He's not going anywhere and you both probably look ridiculous squished into one seat like this.]

How cou-- oh. [OH HEY THERE IS A GIANT SCREEN THERE? When did that get there he is only just now noticing that that sure is showing the castle. Look at how much attention he's been paying probably like the past twenty minutes now.] Wait, that was you? Shit, I thought...

[He assumed it was a slight against him by the audience because he is Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu and he tends to assume the worst and take everything as a personal attack. Even when it's not. And...back then he was particularly bad about that. He's gotten a little better now...sort of.]

I thought the audience was having some laughs at our expense with those. I'm kinda glad that's not actually the case. [It's so much nicer knowing that it's somebody who cares for you looking out for you? As opposed to the audience going OH POOR YOU, LOSING SOMEONE YOU CARE ABOUT. HERE HAVE A THING THAT WON'T ACTUALLY MAKE IT BETTER.]

Thanks, Peko. [No, really. Even if he never ended up using the damn thing, it was kind of nice to have his sword back. If nothing else, he at least felt more secure.]

[Kazoo no she promises it was for you. It wasn't a dig by the audience, it was totally her attempt to end up back at your side. Because she wanted to be with you again. You little shit.

But obviously that didn't work, so she just shakes her head and follows his gaze toward the screen.]

There wasn't much we could do but... if I could do nothing else for you, I could attempt to ensure your safety.

[And then she's quiet for a while, because she doesn't know how to continue. 'You're welcome' seems to be too trite, and she's certain he already knows that. So she just nods, looks toward their joined hands, and lets her fingers curl just a bit more. Not into a proper squeeze, but the pressure is definitely there. A bit.]

I am sorry I could not be there for you. But... [and then she hesitates, because she's still angry at him for what he'd done. She'd never wanted to see him here in the graveyard with her, never wanted him to be executed... but now that he was here, she couldn't really protest his presence. 'I'm proud of you,' was too bold of a statement, but maybe she could just,]

Everything went as well as could be. It is a point of pride.

[His smile fades a little at that and he turns his gaze to the screen]

...not everything. [Like...he's proud of himself, but at the same time he kind of hates what he's done to Nanami here. Even before he found out that Komaeda did the same thing. He essentially just made part of her nightmare from week seven come true. And he left her all alone.] But I don't regret it. Not really. So...

[He did what had to be done, even if parts of it hurt him to do so. Killing Chizuru and Feferi... Leaving Nanami alone...]

The rest is up to them.

Mm.

[She just hums quietly and lets her fingers curl more securely around his, still kind of marveling that she can do that. He might not regret it, but she regrets that he had to do it. It's not fair. She'd never wanted this for him.

But she just follows his gaze to the screen. Kanaya or Rapture would be more apt at explaining that they're not completely out of it yet. And she's certain that some others would like to speak with him, so she chances a glance at the rest of the theater, looking to see where Feferi, Phoenix, and Chizuru are in particular.

She won't let go of his hand unless he pulls himself free, though, and she'll stay hovering the background regardless unless he asks her to give him privacy with anyone. It's not until everyone who looks like they want to have gotten to speak with him that she finally tries to draw his attention back to her, reaching as if she might touch his arm before thinking better of it.]

Young master... The island. Can we...?

[And then she hesitates, because after how grueling watching him in the castle was, does she really want to know what happened to him after her death on the island? But Kouha said to have faith, so... maybe things were fine for him.]

[Gomen, Peko, but he did eventually let go of your hand. Because he did have other people to talk to, you're right. After he'd cleaned his face up a little more, of course. Crying? Who was crying? Not this guy.]

[By the time he's done talking to everybody else, he looks...exhausted, frankly. This week had been a rather trying one, and it left him more drained than he wanted to admit. And now that it's all over, it's finally starting to catch up to him.]

...Tomorrow. [He actually looks slightly apologetic. He has no reason to believe that Peko doesn't remember her own execution, so...honestly he doesn't see anything really pressing to talk about as far as the island stuff goes. It's not really relevant here, save for the stuff about Nanami being an AI.] We can talk about it tomorrow. Sorry but I just...if I'd fucking known what was gonna be in that bag, I might've waited to open it. I had no idea just how much they'd fucked with my head here...

[Not that guy. Nope, Peko was the only one in tears during Yakuza Cryfest 2k14.

She exhales quietly through her nose in a not-quite sigh, but even she can see how tired he is, so she just nods.]

Of course. Please forgive me. [YEAH IT WAS HER FAULT SHE'D SHOVED THE BAG AT HIM. WHOOPS. She's not really all that sorry, though.]

It may be a good idea for you to get some rest. I have some of my things in a quieter corner, if you would like...

[She gestures toward one of the aisles along the side of the theater, a little ways separated from the others. A fairly-familiar looking antique doll is sitting in her own seat over there.]

No, it's okay. I mean...I wanted to remember everything. Just...that was more at once than I fuckin' bargained for. I thought you were the only thing they'd made me forget.

[No but lucky Dangans get to forget their entire damn canon.]

I'd like that though, yeah. Didn't exactly sleep all that well this week. [He gets up from his seat, picking up his own bag and shouldering it before moving to the area Peko indicated. He is just going to go pass out now and nobody can stop him. He is going to sleep like a damn rock after all this, he is too tired to even have nightmares about his execution, tbh.]

[There's her extra clothes he can use as pillows if he wants. Or blankets. It's probably comfortable enough in the theater that he doesn't need to bother with those, though, considering apparently we're all ghosts who don't even need to sleep if we don't have to?? Incredible.

But she just follows a few steps behind him and settles into a seat close by to make sure no one disturbs him.

An hour or so later, and she very quietly sneaks off and goes rummaging through the concession stand, emerging with a bag of a particular junk food and slipping it into Kuzuryuu's bag, the plastic poking out the top so it's visible at a glance.

From then on, she just curls up on the seat next to him to try to get some rest herself, though it's light enough that if he shifts in any way, she'll wake up immediately.]

[Yeah he pretty much just puts his bag down, reclines the seat and passes the fuck out. No need for pillows or blankets or anything like that. No need to worry about him shifting either because he definitely doesn't. HE WAS REALLY FUCKING TIRED, YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW DRAINING THIS WAS, PEKO. YOU REALLY DON'T.]

[She'll probably wake up long before him. Because unless Peko does something to wake him up, he'll just sleep straight through till everyone in the castle gathers for dinner the next day. Holy hell, Kuzuryuu. He apparently wasn't kidding about sleeping like shit all week.]

[She definitely wakes up long before him. And just. The only time she spends away from him is for a quick jog around the perimeter of the theater, then grab herself something to eat.

Then she's just going to. wait for him to wake up. Since nothing all that pressing went on at dinner anyway, so he can sleep as long as he wants.

She'll be sitting right there next to him in the same position she was in when he fell asleep. Hi bocchan.]

[He finally starts to stir about twenty minutes or so into dinner. He jumps a little at first, probably because he kind of forgot where he was and was momentarily caught off guard to wake up staring at the ceiling of the afterlife theatre instead of the canopy of his bed. But he recovers quickly, sitting up and rubbing his eye. THEN, he notices the fact that Peko is...still...sitting there.........]

...Please tell me you haven't been sitting there the whole damn time.

[Peko that s really a little excessive if so...]

[Um clearly he doesn't understand that she literally spend the last month and a half just watching him on TV so this is business as usual!!!! But when he stirs, Peko's shoulders ease, because damn bocchan, you were asleep a really long time. Like, a couple more hours and she'd have shaken him awake because seriously now, that's alarming.

But she shakes her head when he looks to her.]

I slept myself, and had something to eat. It's dinner time, for them. {And she nods toward the screen, since without any windows, that screen is literally the only way to know what time it is.]

I... wanted to stay near you. Is... that a problem?

[Look, he told you he was really tired and hadn't slept well all week, okay? And that was also AFTER he hadn't slept all that well the week before thanks to the damn nightmares. In two weeks, he's had like two nights of actual decent and restful sleep. It's really surprising he didn't sleep longer than this, tbh.]

If you really weren't sitting there the whole time then...nnnnno. Not really. [He stretches his arms up over his head as he speaks before lowering them and cracking his neck loudly. Real attractive, Kuzuryuu. Real attractive.] But I'm fine and I obviously wasn't going anywhere and it's not like this theatre is that big.

[So...basically she didn't have to. After what she said last night, she honestly kind of expected her to just go do her own thing. Maybe talk to other people. That's all.]

Shit though, was I really out that long? [Just...staring at the screen. Yup. They sure are eating dinner. Goddamn.]

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