the theatre

[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 mansion, 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.

There are no other doors in the hall save for the one leading back into the theatre room. There are also no windows; it is impossible to tell where you are and what is going on in the outside world. Any attempts to break out will fail. So in the meantime, why not sit back and enjoy the show?

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]

That's... very kind.

[notyetlost]

The war was mostly in Europe. I'm considered Central European so I'm in the middle. Everything to the east of me usually includes Latvia, Ukraine, Belarus, Estonia, Russia... and...

[He's not going to say it.]

[aozaki]

That's a little too kind. Again, I prefer to make things, but disassembling isn't out of my field. All three of you can go first, I'll take whatever that's left and Spain can get the rest.

[as they casually talk about it like a side of ribs at the market... truly the dks that deserve each other]

[teenspirit]

[ And... she's just gonna translate this for everyone. ]

'In memory'...

...'In memory of Toris Laurinaitis'...?

[speakveryclearly]

[She keeps waiting for him to answer, a solid fifteen seconds, and then she starts looking at him all pityingly that way he told her not to do before. She is trying to stop, mostly because flashes of righteous anger keep twitching onto her features too, but she cannot stop.]

[notyetlost]

That never happened.

He would have said something to me.

[But then... things never were the same between them after he took Vilnius.]

[aozaki]

You'll come to realize it in due time. I can't speak for your past or your future, just what I've noted in the present. [she nods at that, briefly glancing back at the screen.]

That said, there's always a certain order of business we need to shuffle through when people like us get here. ...You've already been thinking about it, haven't you?

[notyetlost]

It's not him.

[teenspirit]

...Is there? What is it?

[souredsweet]

It seems that disassembling is unfortunately more required than making in this game. [but he seems perfectly content with her offer! wow though they really do, good job them.]

That is generous of you. I'm certain there will be enough to leave us all satisfied...

[speakveryclearly]

[POL... AND...

She stares at him, very pityingly and very awkward, until she gives him an extremely unnatural pat on the shoulder along with a nod that almost looks like an entirely sincere agreement with a rational assertion.]

The letter was typewritten. Sonia could have composed it. Under orders or something like that.

[souredsweet]

Will you continue to carry on with your denial after he is executed?

[his words are carefully chosen, but not chosen kindly.]

[notyetlost]

[Poland can't reply, the words have dried up in his mouth.]

...

[Nations lie and nations kill.]

[notyetlost]

[In all the centuries of his existence, Poland has never felt so deeply and irrevocably betrayed as he has in this moment.

The things he'd told Lithuania.

The things he'd done with Lithuania.

The things he'd felt for Lithuania.

Poland drags his hands down his face, digging into the flesh with his nails.]

[souredsweet]

[there's a fairly lengthy pause while Poland remains silent. eventually, in the same cool tone:]

Should he arrive, I will not give him mercy for your sake.

[aozaki]

It's true, worse to the worse we could've split it, or just went to look for more together. [popping one of those, give her a sec to chow it...]

That's one thing I occasionally miss, holing up in Japan but away from the Association's eyes. Customs are a pain, you know?

[no she wouldn't kanaya's an alien... BUT W/E SMALL TALK!]

[speakveryclearly]

[IS HE DRAWING BLOOD...

What is she supposed to do??? She can't imagine loyalty as intense as the devotion that oozes out of Poland's pores. Forgiveness and redemption are not exactly virtues on her home planet. "Lithuania is my friend; therefore he would not do those things" cannot follow for her from the known contrapositive "Lithuania did those things; therefore he is not my friend".

Kanaya gets halfway through the motion of raising her hand to pat him again but then lets it fall at her side instead. Like a marionette when the bar has been dropped.]

[aozaki]

[she casts a brief sidelong glance towards where poland's holed up at. Latvia confronted her at her arrival, she supposed it was to make up for Belarus and Altman's absence (which is still confounding, honestly, but nothing to lose any sleep over, as far as she's concerned).]

'Loose ends', if you will.

[teenspirit]

Yes. I... I will take care of... that.

[notyetlost]

[If he could scrape off all the flesh from his bones he would, but it'd just heal. Poland's body never left scars, no matter what it went through.

It feels filthy to him, thinking of how Lithuania had embraced him constantly pretending to be in constant despair. And Poland had obliviously obliged with words of hope and feelings of comfort so Lithuania could continue on.

He'd let himself be used. Mentally. Physically. Emotionally.]

[aozaki]

...

I'll be with Kaoru and Kanaya. Don't feel obligated to stay too long, come back to us once you're done. We'll be waiting.

[in the end, it's between them. poland's too emotional, the pain must be still very raw. touko'd advise against pushing anything - heck, would be against sonia confronting him right away, but that's not her business nor her choice to make. besides, it has to be done sooner or later, and as they all already know, this game can only get worse, especially if the person still have strong ties with the living like poland does.

it just won't change the fact that the dks aren't going anywhere, especially not away from their own at this point. ...and maybe, that means a little something too.]

[notyetlost]

He said he loved me.

[The words taste like ash in his mouth.]

[notyetlost]

...

We have human aliases... for when we don't feel it necessary to reveal that we're nations for whatever reason.

[He doesn't really need to point out that Toris Laurinaitis is Lithuania's chosen name.]

[teenspirit]

...I'm so sorry... I had hoped it was not true...

[notyetlost]

[Murder houses aren't the best place to make friends.]








...I should have known better than to get involved with strangers.