murder manor - reunion

[productions]

murder manor reunion



[You are in a darkened theater.

In front of you is an enormous cinema screen. On it plays video of the manor, 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.

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?]

Murder Manor reunion week has begun! The next week will take place outside the game (and will not be remembered by the living characters). Once the week is over, the living characters will be right back where they left off, Sunday night in the manor.

All the dead characters and eventually all living characters will participate in this week, through Belarus and Yuzu will just be empty shells who cannot interact with the others. Dead characters (except Lithuania, who never arrived) will all be in the theater from the beginning, whereas living characters will only be brought in once specifically introduced, and will be given their memories at that time.

During the times when Doris is taking questions, characters will not be able to talk about things that are 'off topic.' They can talk and reunite with one another, but need to focus on things relevant to that week or topic of discussion. Any time they get off topic, they will find themselves stuck trying to make the words come out of their mouth and will simply trail off. There will be breaks where characters can talk without this restriction, but the same will happen to anyone who, at any time, starts trying to talk about anything to do with there being a Mastermind or player to benefit from the game or planted player who isn't Lithuania. Codes and other attempts to get around this rule will still result in trailing off.

Comments

[hollowheart]

[The only thing wanting to tear her away from this very pleasant predicament is an intense urge to get up and flatten Poland with the nearest object. But there are fangs on her lips and a rather hot alien pulling her close, so Annie retaliates with throwing her arms around Kanaya's neck, and pressing harder out of sheer spite. And perhaps a bit of lust. But spite, really.]

[notyetlost]

[Wow finally.

Poland's just gonna get more candy from the concession stand before they have the opportunity to taint it with blood and girly spit.]

[speakveryclearly]

[Thank you. She keeps sucking face for a while longer because she is enjoying it a lot, spiteful intensification or no, and she doesn't really need air, but there is only so much she is ready to do - with this unfamiliar feeling rocking her bones - and a little more she is ready to say. Still very close, to the extent her fangs almost graze the skin just around Annie's mouth, and sotto voce:]

I really am so happy to see you again.

[hollowheart]

[Surprisingly, Annie pulls away, chest heaving and aching for air and shoulders hunched, as if she's avoiding looking at anything but Kanaya's face. It could the light headedness, or simply the exhaustion from her fight with Minatsuki catching up to her, but she feels dazed.

Before she knows it, her hands are covering her mouth as her shoulders tremble. For the firs time in the game--in public, at least--Annie's crying.]

[speakveryclearly]

Shh. [She starts a desperate, supernaturally rushed attempt to kiss the tears off Annie's face. The salt may be pale and colorless but Kanaya nominally got into physical expressions of affection in the name of keeping her unsullied in the first place.]

I didn't think it could happen like this. You kept your promise, though, and here you are anyway. It's the best thing that's ever happened to me. Everything's going to be alright.

[hollowheart]

[it's hard for Annie to bear the tears with dignity, with no hands to hide her face from Kanaya's eyes and lips, so she lets her shower her with gentle affection. Weeks of putting on a cold, indifferent face have taken her toll on her, and taking on the resentment and loathing has worn her down to the sixteen year old girl she is.]

I've given up on seeing you again. And now I don't know what to do.

[speakveryclearly]

[She finds herself nodding as she has to slow down to listen better. It's awful, seeing Annie's beautiful face wrecked by painful emotion like this, and knowing that no single action can change that.]

I don't know what to do either. What matters the most is that - that we're together.

[She squeezes her shoulder to punctuate the importance of that word.]

[hollowheart]

[It's another thing she hasn't done before, resting her forehead on Kanaya's shoulder until the tears have stopped and the nervousness ebbed away into sedated calm. She doesn't even understand why she's here, but for now she doesn't question it. When she looks up, she's almost smiling.]

Thank you.

[speakveryclearly]

You're welcome. [The response is a little flat, borderline automatic. The question of what comes next, as a result of her enamorment with Annie, has never exactly been a comforting topic to ponder. Does she find her place in the giant-human conflict not meant for her and barely understood? Or drag Annie with her onto a dull, dark asteroid devoid of hope even for its intended passengers? Kanaya doesn't have any good ideas. This might be how Gundam felt when he wanted to jump out the window with Sonia in his arms.]

It's... okay, if this is all we get, isn't it. My ideal projected endpoint is somewhere around the heat death of the universe, but I've always tried to be thankful for what I do have.

[hollowheart]

You should be a little more greedy. [It's somewhere between a whine, and gentle teasing, but Annie does rub at the remainder of tears stubbornly.] We've made it this far, haven't we? [Never mind she's thought Kanaya has been effectively dead all this time.]

[speakveryclearly]

[She leans down a little more to bring their foreheads into contact.] A greedy rainbow drinker is a great and terrible thing, Annie. Are you sure you want such a creature on the loose.

[After almost a month of abstention broken minutes ago, she's more serious about the threat than she would have been before. Just look at what terrifying thing Kanaya does next...

She gives her another, light kiss.]

[hollowheart]

[There is no blood to lick clean this time, and no urgency nor confusion, so Annie merely smile into the kiss, ignoring the mild throbbing in her head after that crying bout.]

A match for me. Yes, I'm sure. [She's no innocent herself.]

[speakveryclearly]

We're probably both lucky it turned out to be this kind of match, then. Not to mention the collateral surroundings. [She can imagine it now -- though her reading about the giant myth only gave her a rudimentary idea. Were they fighting to the death, would she be the one clambering up to stab her in the eye with a poisoned chainsaw blade? She spends a moment thinking about it but decides not to talk about it.

[hollowheart]

After all, I'm weak and delicate, and would probably need a strong capable girl to protect me. [Right, sure, Annie. Also, the only thing she has to worry about is her neck--literally.]