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

[psychup]

[Athena wakes up in the graveyard clearly confused and disoriented. It doesn't feel as though that had really happened. Everything was fine, though she was nervous and hungry and dizzy and then suddenly all of that pain and fear had hit. It had felt like one of her attacks, but more sudden, and it was only gradually that she realized she was dying.

When she wakes up, and it stops, she doesn't know where she is or what happened or where it went, but she claps her hand over her mouth and shakes for a few minutes, gasping for breath.

It probably isn't a good idea to approach her during this, but after a few minutes, she's slowed down enough to talk.]

I...where...?

[tyrian]

[Feferi hovers nearby while Athena collects herself, but as soon as she speaks up Feferi takes it as alright to talk to her. She hurries over, just stopping short of hugging her because she isn't really sure how Athena would take that right now.]

You're dead. [Blunt, but Feferi looks worried nonetheless.] What happened?

[bloomnobly]

[ well, this entire trial spelled bad news. There were a million things she could say, a million theories she could speculate. But better to take care of the poor girl who actually died, circumstances be damned.

After she's calmed down, Yuyuko approaches as per her self-appointed psychopomp role..... ]

Athena-san?

[psychup]

Feferi...?

[Now she's really confused. Not alarmed; she's happy in a way to see Feferi. But confused.]

We're all dead? But how...?

[She doesn't really believe in something like this. Someone who is dead is gone. Though maybe the existence of Feferi, Yuyuko, and Maya should have challenged that. Still, it's hard to take in.]

[tyrian]

I guess the producers are sticking everyone who dies in a room. [Or a small series of rooms, more specifically.] Are you feeling okay? I can get you some water!

[psychup]

Yuyuko...?

[She just seems more and more confused.]

What happened? What are we all doing here?

[psychup]

Water? Um...yes, water might be good.

[Although she was already getting herself a glass of water.]

I don't understand how any of this is possible. Does this mean we didn't really die? It was just a trick?

[tyrian]

I think we really did die. They just grabbed us before we went anywhere else after. Hang on! [Feferi will rush to the back and bring Athena some water along with some food. Admittedly, it's junk food, but she does know the living hadn't had much to eat lately.]

Here you go.

[bloomnobly]

Welcome to the flipside of the game board, dear. [ quietly, she'll take a seat next to her ] Wherein the fallen pieces have been assembled.

We've been here the entire time, actually. Whenever someone died, they...ended up in this place.

[onethirdthesoul]

Athena-san... [Ryou will let the others approach first. He's still reeling over the fact somebody actually died. All those pep talks, all those speeches telling him to believe in the ones who were left. That they were the strongest ones left. That they wouldn't play along.

And yet, one person did.]

Do you want something to drink?

[psychup]

I don't understand that at all, but okay.

[She should be starving but she's really not. But she'll drink the water.]

We tried so hard...and now everyone has to go through this again. Why did I have to...?

[psychup]

I'm glad to see you again. Even if it's like this...

[psychup]

Feferi got me a little bit of water. I'll be okay...

[Giving him a weak smile.]

Hi, again.

[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!

[onethirdthesoul]

[Nodding, he sadly returns the smile.]

Hey... I'm sorry we had to meet again like this. I was really starting to think you guys were going to make it. Whoever killed...

I'm sorry it was you, Athena-san.

[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.

[psychup]

Don't be sorry about that. I'm glad...it's stupid, but I'm glad they're going to make it.

[tyrian]

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

[onethirdthesoul]

It's not stupid. [He makes sure Athena knows that, first and foremost, then he'll continue...]

They get to leave if the find out who the real Mastermind is, right? I just wish they could have done it before hurting anyone else. If anybody gets to leave this place alive, that's something. I just wish it could have been all of us.

[psychup]

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

[psychup]

That's what they were told, at least.

[It's not clear whether she believes that.]

[tyrian]

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

[derepressed]

Athena-san. [Chizuru looks concerned when she approaches, because she knows it's terrifying to suddenly wake up in a place like this but she doesn't really know what she can do to help her.] Is there anything I can do for you..?

[psychup]

Your friend?

[She wasn't expecting something like that.]

[psychup]

[She's starting to pull it all together.]

No, thank you. I'm okay.