THE FINAL ACT

[stagemanagers]

You've all dispersed into a lot of hidden areas, but you'll come together as a group once more. When you do, you'll find that the theatre doors are open.

For once, things are different inside. There are no podiums in the orchestra pit; instead, the curtain is open and the stage is lit. You'll notice there's a small set of stairs at either end, allowing you easy access up. Ten podiums have been moved onto the bare stage, arranged in a loose semi-circle facing a higher wooden platform. Atop it is a single chair, red-cushioned and gilded like a throne. In the vaguely circular space between the platform and the podiums is absolutely nothing: it's a deep, dark pit. The lighting in here is pretty good, but it still doesn't reach the bottom.

The podiums that once belonged to the dead are gone entirely. The bare lightbulbs that stood in their places, however, are clustered on either side of the stage, like a makeshift audience. They're finally turned off.

As the cast enters and begins to find their places, there's a sound like an invisible orchestra tuning up. Strings and woodwinds run scales in a quiet cacophony that eventually shapes itself into a wordless song. A man in jeans and a plain white T-shirt enters from stage right as they play, singing quietly as if to himself as he ascends the stairs onto the platform and turns out to survey the cast.

Velkommen, bienvenue, welcome...

The Balladeer falls quiet, looking thoughtful for a moment before shaking his head and taking his seat. Once there, he turns his attention to flipping through the papers in his hands. "Well. Let's get started, shall we?"

Comments

ALRIGHT Y'ALL BRING IT IN

[dechagny]

[There has been so much undeniable hope in the courtroom today. Discovering that the dead had truly been beside them all this time...Anna and Billy's wedding, Hans and the Balladeer's True Love's Kiss, Seymour and Winslow's impassioned duet...it fills Raoul with a strength to match his convictions. There's nothing all twenty-two of them cannot do at this point, even if they don't quite know how to proceed to become free.

But...the Leading Player's fixation on roles...it gives him an idea. A wonderful idea. A half-baked, Leroy Jenkins-esque, wonderful idea - the beginnings of a third option that would make the audience go wild.

Raoul moves from behind his podium, looking directly at the stagehands on the stage, and spreads his arms wide.]

All of you there - you see us, don't you? You've been watching us just as much as our audience has! And you have tred these floors in the same manner, stood at such podiums and have walked through the darkest of nights! And yet, look at where you are - under the thumb of your once-captor, scrubbed of all agency and personage, and for what? What has become of your lives in servitude to this place?

[He gestures all around him.] Look at us! We have hope among us - love, the possibility for new lives and happy futures! We'll be damned if anyone takes that away for a single one of us! [Slowly, he reaches a hand out towards the stagehands, open, waiting.] And...despite your former choices...do you not think, in the depths of your hearts, that all of you deserve such a chance as well? No option from the Leading Player should ever be in consideration, and if you fear death - the Balladeer was killed in front of all of us, do you not remember? However it is done, we will find the method and ensure that all those who awoke in this opera house are allowed to walk out of it alive!

[And before he says another word, he regards the Leading Player with contempt and, no stuttering, no slouch, still the same upright and confident man he has always been, despite death and dreams and doubt.]

After all...as I have told you, Madame, we were never all that these assigned titles made us out to be. I rival no man.

[pennyless]

[Holy shit, Raoul.

...Actually, yeah, Billy's going to address the stagehands as well. Sure, why not. He gave his big fuck you speech earlier to the madame herself, so this time he's just going to sing, apparently.]

It is time for you all to decide who you are
Will you fight for your right to a life outside this opera now?
Have you asked of yourselves, what's the price you have paid?
This is more than a game; this is your lives at stake.

Same players but your roles are changing, day by day...

[dieformymusic]

[Raoul speaking like this...it fills him with a hope he never felt before. He never considered a future without his own fading or demise...but with everyone around him it can be...no, it will be different.

He steps alongside Raoul, his cape dramatically thrownnopen as he begins to sing...well, just singfor everyone. It was once his song...he can make it his again.]

Our love is an old love
It's older than all your years
I've seen in strange young eyes familiar tears
We're old souls in a new life
We'll make us a new life to live and learn
Some time to touch old friends
And still return

[aflatouttahell]

[Jez removes her crown and tosses it to the floor.]

And I am no princess, of Hell or anywhere else. If you want me to relinquish my title in writing, you'll have to wait, but... I'd relinquish my demonhood if I could, too. There are ways that we can fight back, breaking the roles she gave us is just the start. I spent years in despair thinking there was no way to escape my father. You know, Satan? Big guy, embodiment of evil and sin? But someone inspired me to escape, and if we can all inspire each other to action, then... maybe we can even make her role obsolete, who knows! But we have to fight, we have to try! All of us!

[And hey, might as well throw some music of her own in here, right?]

I know there has to be
Some way for us to be free
Just living a life
That's far from this strife,
and murder and paaaaaain!
Someplace that's far from here
and not awash with fear
So please join us now,
we may not know how,
but I know we can wiiiiiin

But no matter what, none of us can do it alone.

[stagemanagers]

Hey, kiddo!

[One of the stagehands, a lankier one, emerges. From their voice, it sounds like the one who spoke to them last trial.]

You're talking about escape, and man, it sounds peachy. But for some of us, this is our escape. We can't really...go back to where we've been, y'know?

[He stops, and he reflects.]

Maybe this should be penance for what we've done.

[aflatouttahell]

Hey, uh... sir!

[She shakes her head.]

I don't know if you have a Hell where you're from, but I live there. They're all about penance. But no one ever really changes when they're stuck down there. They just get bitter, and sin more, and... sometimes try to corner the real estate market. If you think you've done bad things, if you think you have sins to account for, then shouldn't you go out and try to make up for them with good deeds instead of helping someone else victimize more people?

[allicareabout]

[Well, this is the most hopeful bit of stupidity he's ever seen, and this is probably the one and only time he's ever going to thank Mary Sunshine, of all people, for actually having words for this sort of thing, he'll probably actually take her out to dinner later and it will be very expensive assuming that we don't all die here in the next twenty minutes.]

In the tense and tangled web
Our weary lives can weave
You're so much better off
If you believe
That there's a little bit of good
In everyone -

[...Okay, no, screw the hope, this sort of thing isn't his style.]

Look. Do you guys need somewhere to go after this? I know B mentioned it as a concern to me, how it's not like some people have homes to go back to.

I'm one of the most well-connected men in Chicago. You want money, you want fame, you just want a life outside of the opera? I can set it up for you. Put you up somewhere, find you someplace to put your talents to use. And don't tell me you don't have any.

You want a fair chance, I can give you one. But you've got to choose it for yourself.

[stagemanagers]

[To Billy's credit one of the stage crew does peek out from the wings, glances to make sure LP is distracted and stage whispers in what is hopefully loud enough for Billy to hear:]

...Do y'know anyone who might be wantin' a baker?

[what even is that accent, good lord.]

[allicareabout]

[...okay so on the one hand, that's promising

on the other hand, mrs lovett.]

I can introduce you to some people.

[sunshineprincess]

[ GO TEA BUDDY GO! Anna wants to help with a song of her own.]

You don't have to protect us
For we are not afraid
Please don't shut us in again,
Please don't slam these doors
We don't have to keep our distance anymore

'Cause for the first time in forever
We finally understand
For the first time in forever
We can defeat them hand in hand

We can leave this place together
We don't have to live in fear
'Cause for the first time in, well, ever
We will be right here

Draco! I think I found your picture, and if it is yours, go grab that gal or guy and go get married on Mars! I got married here, so you should do what your heart tells you to!

[onthebusagain]

Mars? Come on Anna--

No! Screw it! Go get married on Mars, Draco, we believe in you, and like, won't even make fun of you for it! [out loud. whoever draco is, heather will not make fun of them out loud.]

[sunshineprincess]

[That's... Yeah no it's Heather. Thanks friend.]

[stagemanagers]

[Oh goodness, there's a stagehand who rolls out from the wings. They speak in a feminine voice, moving about in a very flail-esque fashion as they speak.]

You wouldn't happen to have a rocket ship, would you?

[dechagny]

[Yeah honestly why the hell not if all this shit is possible let's get on the first lion to Pigfarts and catch a tram or something from there]

[sunshineprincess]

[LET'S DO THIS]

[dontfeedplants]

[Honestly Seymour couldn't remember the last time where he's felt this almost overwhelming sensation of hope. His whole life has just been a series of bad things happening to him, and his one moment of hope ended up with everyone dying. But now...

But now he was surrounded by people who love him, and care about him being happy. And they're here banding against this horrible and monstrous.

He's not alone. And he will never be alone again.]

I've longed to discover
Something as true as this is

If you're cold and you're lonely
You've got one nickel only
When you're worn out and tired
When your heart has expired

I'll cover you

We're in this together. There's no way we're going to listen to someone like you, especially now.

[trettende]

[ Hell yeah, even Hans joins the sentiment from the stage, addressing the stage crew, the audience maybe even you. ]

I was the Mole, a pawn just like you. But even now, I know... I was the Mirror because I thought nothing could change. Mirrors only break. Moles only betray.

But this... this ridiculous show has taught me that somehow, someway, if you open your heart, (sometimes not even on purpose,) you can change for good.

[ This is corny as fuck but Hans already did the most embarrassing thing he could imagine (have feelings in public,) so it's not like he can get any worse. ]

Seriously.

All my life had been a series of doors in my face,
And then suddenly I was... listened to.
See, I'd been searching my while life to find my own place
And maybe I just wasn't looking?
That's probably true.

[ He looks right at Bal, sure can't stop smiling at hm. Gross. ]

But with you... I found my place.
And it's nothing like I've ever known before.

[ He sighs, wistfully. Holy shit, Hans, was there a point or are you gonna keep being Super Disney. ]

Anyway, the point is... everyone can change. Even me. Even you. And everyone deserves to have their own chance at a happy ending. With everyone. It's what the audience wants.

[ He shrugs. ]

I mean if I can change, anyone can. We can all make it out of this.... somehow.

[stagemanagers]

We could have a happy ending, if we get him back!

[That's a feminine voice, as one of the stagehands steps from the wings to point up at the Balladeer.]

They'll fucking kill me if I go back without him!

[trettende]

[ Haha, no. Hans knows... how Bal's story ends. And he heard enough to assume who this is Fromme. ]

You're Squeaky, right? You're... basically going to kill him if he goes home, so I'm. Yeah. No.

[ He shrugs. He's not... great at this sympathy thing. Or hope! But he's trying. ]

But you have options! [ Come on, Hans. You can do this. He's practically a professional liar, he at least knows how to sound convincing. ] You could figure out a way to change the story without killing anyone? Wouldn't that be better? Or you could go to another world, start a new life? You don't have to go back to be with a bunch of Assassins.

[onthebusagain]

And I'm like, so through being the Best Friend. Everyone here, they've helped teach me to like the me inside of me- and how to change the parts that I don't. I still have a lot to learn about being a better person, but that's like, totally okay. Because-

Now I'm honored, everyone's let me be their friend--

I can be seventeen, I can learn how to chill,
People love me now, some day even I will
I can be seventeen, still time to make things right,
One day I'll change the world, but let's get out tonight.

[sunshineprincess]

[Awwwwwww see you're not bad, Heather.]

[tellthestory]

[Amid all the hope speeches and singing going on, the Balladeer has quietly ascended the stairs again. Now, he's standing near the side of the platform, watching the Leading Player. He feels cold, both from the ghosts and his outfit - he misses his flannel, and wishes he'd thought to ask Hans for his jacket back properly.

He doesn't understand everything she said about him, but he's begun to suspect this is the wrong costume.

Still, he takes a few steps forward, looking over everyone's heads and out into the house.]

They've gotten quiet. [You know who he means.] But they're not gone, or this wouldn't be happening. Are you really sure they want what you think they do?

[guardianofsplendor]

Of course they do. [She's still standing straight and carrying herself with confidence but she looks...more tense than before. Hisses of steam are starting to rise from her fire pit and she shoots the stage crew an angry glance.] Every game has golden ended, why wouldn't they want something new, something with consequences?

[tellthestory]

Killing one of them wouldn't be just consequences. They're the survivors, everyone who committed a murder here's dead already. And if past performances are any indicator, they like redemption stories. They almost drove that one game into the ground, they wanted to show mercy so bad. And look at the Pokemon guy.

...you told me this could be a story about people banding together against adversity. I know now you didn't mean it, but...

[He gestures to all of this.]

[trettende]

[ btw, you look cold, Bal, so Hans totally walks up to the edge of the stage, offering the Balladeer his winter coat (the one with the capelet). It might be overkill, but it should keep him warm. ]

Psst. Here.

[ Have your moment tho, he'll hold your flower. ]