It's Curtains Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
stagemanagers) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
itscurtains2021-06-12 12:00 pm
stagemanagers) wrote in itscurtains2021-06-12 12:00 pm
First Trial
[As the investigation ends, you'll hear Hester's voice inviting you to the auditorium. As this happens, the twin doors on either side of the concession stand, across from the gym, will click open. You can enter on either side; both go to the same place.
When you enter the auditorium, it's dark. There's only the small lights along the walkway behind all the seats, just enough to illuminate where you're going. There's a central path between the seats, down towards where you know the stage must be. That's where you must be going, right? As you pass each row of seats, the lights at their ends flick on, marking your procession and slowly making more and more of the room visible. Shortly, you can see your destination: a circle of podiums stationed in the orchestra pit, below the lip of the darkened, curtained stage. They're all identical, labeled with a cast member's name, save for Mumble's, which is draped in black crepe and has a framed monochrome photo of him - Elijah Wood him - on top.
When you reach the podiums, the lights above the stage finally come on. It's time to meet the Wizard.
The mechanical head, with glowing green eyes, is installed above the stage and the still-closed curtain. Even if you were standing on the stage, it'd be well out of reach. It peers down at all of you, its motions fluid, and speaks with a booming, artificial-sounding voice:]
Welcome to your first trial, everyone. I am the Wizard. It's time to determine who was responsible for the murder of Mumble. Feel free to talk amongst yourselves and work together - you'll have to show teamwork if you want to leave this room alive.
When you enter the auditorium, it's dark. There's only the small lights along the walkway behind all the seats, just enough to illuminate where you're going. There's a central path between the seats, down towards where you know the stage must be. That's where you must be going, right? As you pass each row of seats, the lights at their ends flick on, marking your procession and slowly making more and more of the room visible. Shortly, you can see your destination: a circle of podiums stationed in the orchestra pit, below the lip of the darkened, curtained stage. They're all identical, labeled with a cast member's name, save for Mumble's, which is draped in black crepe and has a framed monochrome photo of him - Elijah Wood him - on top.
When you reach the podiums, the lights above the stage finally come on. It's time to meet the Wizard.
The mechanical head, with glowing green eyes, is installed above the stage and the still-closed curtain. Even if you were standing on the stage, it'd be well out of reach. It peers down at all of you, its motions fluid, and speaks with a booming, artificial-sounding voice:]
Welcome to your first trial, everyone. I am the Wizard. It's time to determine who was responsible for the murder of Mumble. Feel free to talk amongst yourselves and work together - you'll have to show teamwork if you want to leave this room alive.
no subject
Cold, clammy, and crowded
The people smell desperate
We'll sink any minute
So someone must go--
[Her other hand has found the button. She pushes it before she can stop herself.
> Empress Elisabeth of Austria]
I'm sorry. [She doesn't know if she's saying it to Sissi, or Salieri. But they're both in the same place, and it makes it easy to look pleadingly at them both]
no subject
Nothing's gonna harm you--
...he said he would. Time to follow through.]
no subject
He reaches and (gently) grabs Salieri's wrist as he draws his hand back.]
Wait, maybe- maybe there's something we can do. There has to be some...some way around this, some sort of loophole, or-
[There has to be. Elisabeth didn't even attempt murder, even after admitting to contemplating such.
It's worse than if she'd done it knowingly.]
no subject
Storms are approaching
There's nowhere to hide---
no subject
...I'm sorry, Varian. [quietly, and he means it] I do not wish for this to happen. However, some of us have already voted. There is no stopping it now, and I must decide who to protect. I cannot protect both Madame Elisabeth and Farrah, or you, or anyone else at the same time. [he twists his wrist, turning his hand to grip Varian's wrist, trying to be steady, even as his eyes are going damp and misty]
It is a terrible, terrible decision to make, and I do not feel that it is one you yourself should have to make either. So, if you wish it, I will shoulder that responsibility this time, and from henceforth, do whatever I can to prevent this from happening again.
no subject
Not that it would be anything like this.
Varian says nothing for a long moment, looking up at Salieri with his own eyes glassy, yet somehow...there are no tears. He hasn't shed a single tear since all of this first occurred, and one must wonder if it's strength, or him using every ounce of his energy to hold it all back.
He tugs a little on his wrist, and at first it seems like he's trying to pull away from Salieri, at least until his grip inevitably loosens. It allows Varian to follow the shape of his own arm back until his hand settles in Salieri's, just for a moment. He holds it for a long moment before letting go, as if drawing strength from elsewhere before pushing his own button.]
> Most Beautifully Misguided
Thank you, Salieri. But...I can't let you. If this is happening at all, I...
[...
Whatever he was going to say dies on his tongue.]
no subject
...I understand. [his voice is gravely, rough, but he nods.
There's a beat, two, and then Salieri moves, shifting to stand just behind Varian and Farrah, reaching out to gently put arms around both their shoulders and pulling them a bit closer]
no subject
The tiniest lifebo-- [Oh. Suddenly, Salieri's there, to snap her out of her own misery. And suddenly, she wants to be better, better-- She quiets, and buries her face inbetween his chest and Varian's shoulder, to weep into the sanctuary they provide.]
no subject
Salieri's arms wrap around him, pulling him in close along with Farrah, and he feels the strong grip of Quirin's arms in that moment. But...no, Salieri is much different, yet similar in a lot of ways. Varian also hadn't realized until that moment that he was shaking from head to toe, so the fact that he's in such close proximity to others is making that immediately apparent.
His eyes open as Farrah cries against him, and he doesn't hesitate. He puts a hand to middle of her shoulders and hides his own face somewhere in the darkness between the bodies he's sandwiched among. It's hard to tell if he cries or not, since he isn't making any sound.]
no subject
He won't let this happen again. He can't.]