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 for sure. It reminds me of mine, I'm pretty sure the logic will similarly be linear. Whoever is responsible, the exit interview will be phenomenal.

[agentx13]

If they keep going at this rate, they stand a good chance of figuring out what really happened. They've got to realize the same things we have.

[speakveryclearly]

Not only that, Sonia's sure to unleash some psychological profiling - if she did it to defend Touko's competition, she'll do it to defend her matesprit. There are only four suspects, it's a matter of narrowing down.

At the same time I would like Kaoru to live... that's just my selfishness speaking.

[balzams]

I guess I don't mind either way... As bad as it sounds I would like to talk to Miss Nagumo again.

But am I the only one here who thinks it was probably Rapture?

[speakveryclearly]

Really? I'm curious why. It isn't very... theatrical. Unless you think the autopsy... altered her outlook.

[balzams]

[He does try to hide a small smirk]

Maybe... She used to think it was all theatrics. With the autopsy combined with this weeks motive, perhaps she came face to face with her own mortality.

But more over, I'm not sure how much you spoke to her but whenever I talked to her she would go on and on about how she wouldn't murder someone.

[speakveryclearly]

We ran into each other a fair bit at first but I stopped seeking her out precisely because I gravitate towards more serious players of this game.

You think it means something that she stopped defending herself?

[balzams]

Somehow I kept running into her...

Well, to be honest I'm not sure. I suppose there's no need right now since no one's accusing her. I mean, from last week when I tried to defend myself before anyone accused me it just made me look more suspicious. Trials were always hard to follow because everyone spoke over each other. Watching from the outside it's even harder...

Don't you ever find it frustrating?

[speakveryclearly]

I do. It wasn't like this, where I come from - only the lowest of criminals hid their actions and had to be hanged for them. Other murders, we could work out among ourselves - if the deceased had no-one to avenge them that was usually that. I was always prepared to kill, never to conceal and frame. This farce through which an innocent person is brought in for no reason... it's only a method to extend the drama.

[balzams]

[Latvia shies away, a little anxiously]

It sounds like you and I come from very different societies...

Well, from the get go this whole thing was just a train-wreck. Are people really watching this and enjoying this? I mean, things like snuff films are illegal. They shouldn't be able to broadcast it claiming to the general public that people are getting murdered.

[speakveryclearly]

Well, I certainly can't believe any human beings I've ever met would condone this sort of show. Maybe the outside environment is in fact different from the Earth we're being led to believe?

[balzams]

[For a moment he pauses, and then he leans back in his chair with a thoughtful expression]

They wouldn't... I'm pretty sure it would never be allowed to air.

But I never thought about it. Maybe it isn't being broadcast to earth at all. After all, you're unlike any of the aliens I've met, isn't Miss Sailor Aluminium Siren an alien too? There must be so many different worlds out there maybe this is a broadcast for one of them.

But that sounds just as ridiculous as this show!

[speakveryclearly]

And I have to wonder why all the contestants but myself and Reiko would be of identical external biological presentation. Who would really want to watch a bunch of mostly pink-skinned aliens rather than members of their own species?

Is there a reason this is going on...

[balzams]

Wouldn't it be easier to watch a group of a different species kill each other off? I suppose it's the same reasons humans are okay with eating animals but not other humans. It's that sense of detachment, isn't it...?

As for reasons... I don't know. I couldn't even begin to guess.

[speakveryclearly]

The Hostess isn't incapable of emotion. They must not completely regard us as toys. On some level... there has to be... a reason we went through all this.

[motheringnation]

I really wish they would give us more information about the ratings.

There's not really much we can do in here.

[speakveryclearly]

It's true, the most we know is that comment from the Hostess about the strip show.

[motheringnation]

I wonder who ...is watching us...er them now I mean. Do you think we'll find out at the end?

[speakveryclearly]

The mastermind does seem to be preparing them for... a dramatic unveiling.

[motheringnation]

Hmm...

[Nods and falls silent for a moment.]

I admit at this point, I just hope it does well so we can go home.

[speakveryclearly]

Latvia brings up a good point - whom is it supposed to be entertaining, anyway?

[motheringnation]

Sick people, or ....people who think it is faked.

That's what I'm wondering myself.

[speakveryclearly]

Let's assume they believe this is our situation. What kind of sick people? Humans? Witches?

[motheringnation]

I'm not sure. Not the earth I'm from, I know that at least. Somewhere were a show like this can exist out in the open, shoot for ratings and not have to hide from human rights groups or governments.

[speakveryclearly]

If Alice could have been given a bracelet like that...

Maybe this is Earth in the future, when society decayed completely...

This is all awful science fiction.