graveyard pt ii

[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

[tyrian]

It's not your fault. [Feferi's not even sure it's the fault of anyone left in the castle.] You tried really hard the whole time!

[psychup]

[Pausing at that. She doesn't know what to say about 'it's not your fault.' But.]

Thanks.

They'll keep trying. They can do it.

[tyrian]

Yeah! [Feferi smiles to try and encourage the optimism.] And we're not all stuck here forever, either!

[psychup]

What happens to us after all of this ends...?

[tyrian]

My friend and some of her friends rescue us! [Feferi gestures to Kanaya, wherever she happens to be at the moment.]

[psychup]

Your friend?

[She wasn't expecting something like that.]

[tyrian]

Yeah, Kanaya! She got pretty tall while she was doing whatever mysterious things she was doing, but she's still the same fussy fangs. [More or less.]

[speakveryclearly]

That would be me.

[See? Fangs. She's waving though she's friendly I swear]

It's a shame we might not even get to play any party games before our great escape. [This is a joke. There will definitely be time for party games.]

[psychup]

Oh!

She recognizes Kanaya from a portrait in the castle.]

You're one of the former players. You're here to help them?

[speakveryclearly]

Do you think anyone who was on season 47 would come back here voluntarily for anything less? I wasn't even in that finale video of yours saw because I'd already died. We're going to liberate all of you. [You, not them, Athena. You need help too!! You're great!!]

[psychup]

Oh...! Then...!

[Oh no, she's really happy.]

You've been trying to help us all this time?

[speakveryclearly]

Yeah... the past three years, we've...

[A little more bittersweetly.]

I wish we didn't have to make you wait so long.

[psychup]

No! It...

[Okay, going to start crying a little bit.]

It means so much that others are trying to help us, too! It all started to seem like it was just impossible that we could get out of here at all! I'm so grateful!

[speakveryclearly]

Athena...

[This is alarming... Kanaya reaches down to wipe away her tears (with her bare hand, kercheif elsewhere) though very gingerly because getting judo flipped is a real possibility.]

I know our work has objectively been incredibly hard... but we're not alone. As long as we have our wiles there will come a time when we see the end of this. We had to coordinate everything and put each other at great personal risk for this to happen. It will be [alright? god, no, Len's dead, the whole slew of people they abandoned--instead:] over. Soon it will be over.

[psychup]

[Ahhhh. As soon as Kanaya starts, she raises her hand and starts to wipe away her tears herself. Sorry, not so good at taking comfort.]

Yes! I'm just really happy, you know? I'm glad we aren't alone.

[speakveryclearly]

You're almost never as alone as you think you are... except for maybe Doris, but -- y-you're right, that's something to be happy about.

[psychup]

Mmhmm! And thanks for telling me.

Is there anything I can do to help?

[speakveryclearly]

Well, contrary to popular belief, preventing rampant property damage is rather high on the list. Compromising the integrity of this sanctuary could have consequences.