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]

[A new theatergoer would notice the silhouettes of three people, one of which is jagged in a strange, inhuman shape. That person stands up, striking a figure much more like Porrim Maryam than anyone else with her smooth gray skin and hooked horns. But then as if to reduce the environmental darkness producing this ambiguity of identification, her skin starts glowing white. Like the blondes sitting near her, Kanaya is unmistakable as one of the past contestants, from her portrait midway through the gallery.]

There you are.

[hollowheart]

Don't look too happy about it. It will give people hope or something.

[throe]

How does it feel being old news, Marlowe?

[speakveryclearly]

I just thought my expression should lack palpable anger. That wouldn't look good on film right after she's finally gotten what she deserves. [Her fangs show during that sentence, though of course the lower pair doesn't.] You're so much better at giving off that apathetic aura, I was thinking the three of us could do a positive-neutral-negative range. [Since Rapture is down there being outright smug...]

[hollowheart]

You're saying I lack the charm to look enthused or angry? I'm hurt. [So hurt that a small smile tugs at the corner of her lip before she smothers it. Hell is an eternity of a couple of who'd never grown out of being newlyweds.]

[speakveryclearly]

You just make bitter look the best.

[Getting a room is still not a strong point]

[hollowheart]

A lifetime of disappointment helps with that, but I'm not the disappointed one here, this time. Marlow would know enough about that.

[speakveryclearly]

[Kanaya is not going to give her wife a high-five but the flicker shows up on the skin of her wrists, indicating she considered it.]

A lesson well-learned.

[bigthings]

[Well he's just going to be watching Kougyoku this whole time and getting progressively more and more irritated.]

Why are so many creepy old men hitting on my sister.

[speakveryclearly]

I'd call it human nature, though that's not much comfort, is it.

[throe]

Let's just hope your sister has a good enough sense to not fall for lyrics that sound so... mundane.

[bigthings]

What part of human nature is being a pervert who needs to stay away from my sister?! [Kouha is being a massive hypocrite because he's definitely had sex with women older than him even though he looks like he's twelve, but still.]

[bigthings]

[This is not the face of hope. This is the face of someone who knows all too well that Kougyoku is going to love cheesy awful Twilightesque lyrics.]

Okay, someone needs to bring me back to life right now so I can stop her from doing somethin' she's gonna regret. Or kill those two, either way.

[throe]

Maybe I can help with that... [ She leans in with a smile. ] I happen to know quite a few resurrection spells — though you may not come back the way you looked before.

[bigthings]

[...squinting at suspiciously.]

How much not the way I looked before? [If he gets more muscles and height, that would be great, but otherwise he works hard on being this pretty okay!!]

[throe]

That depends on how much you're willing to sacrifice.

[speakveryclearly]

It involves thinking little girls are cute instead of deadly... I never said it was just or logical.

Week 2 Death Reaction

[speakveryclearly]

[Kanaya's voice has the sardonic creak that usually accompanies a psychological process of acknowledging an anticipated but unwelcome event.]

Oh, no. Now we'll never know what kind of execution he would have had.

[throe]

Ugh, how can they all stand to get up so early?

[speakveryclearly]

Maybe the lake location was intended to courteously delay the discovery.

At least the investigation should finish up early enough for Spain to get in an uninterrupted siesta.

[hollowheart]

You told me about this one before. [This is the first sign of interest Annie's shown since the show started this time around.]

I expected him to be... Taller.

[speakveryclearly]

People tend to expect that. He expected it too. I used to recommend shoes with lifts... He was only si--irteen. That might have changed eventually.

[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.

[obsideo]

[Her execution is met with little more than an eyeroll. The whole thing was more embarrassing for them than for her. But she still isn't in the mood for any of this kind of banter bullshit. She tosses her head and gives Kanaya and the other girls a derisive look.]

Oh, this is interesting.