thebackstage | It's Curtains Act 2 Test Drive

1) CURTAINS UP

You’ve just woken up in a small dressing room, which is certainly not where you went to bed last night. Actually, do you even remember going to sleep…? Regardless, this isn't where you last were, and if you leave your room you’re going to find a lot of other people in the same state.

Go out and socialize! Most of these people may be strangers, but you’re gonna all have to get used to one another. And who knows? There may actually be a familiar face in the crowd.

2) THIS PETTY PACE

By now, you're acquainted with everybody here and you're slowly growing bored. Bored enough to kill? Hopefully not. You'd better try to find something else to do. You can always go hang out with your castmates, or maybe try and whip something up in the kitchen! There’s also a music room to keep you busy! I sure hope you like music.

3) BREAK A LEG

Comedies are fun and all, but that’s not quite what we’re about here. You’ve all just been handed this week’s motive. What do you make of it? Is it one that might actually tempt you to kill, or did you get off lightly this time? Either way, maybe you’d better look around the room and see who else is having a rough time.

4) CURTAIN

It was bound to happen eventually. Someone is dead, and now it's time to go off and investigate. Were they close to you? Are you, perhaps, feeling guilty? Either way, it's probably best not to leave anyone alone right now.

5) CUE MUSIC

Feelings in a murder-opera can get pretty gosh darn intense. Sometimes you’ve just got to let it out. And hey, if you sing a song about whatever’s going on in your head, maybe someone will hear and come help you? Either way, this is a musical – there’s not really any reason not to sing.

[Mod Note: The song mechanic is meant to be fluid and simple. You do not have to produce your own song lyrics, nor are you required to use show tunes (although we do encourage it!). If you want to rewrite existing lyrics to fit the situation, go for it! Anything goes - if Mumford and Sons expresses your character’s current emotions, then break out the banjos. We want to keep the musical mechanic as fun and simple as we can to encourage our players to use it as much as they like.]

6) WILDCARD

Make up your own prompt!

--

Questions, comments, concerned? Reach the mods on plurk at

slothbless (Lynny) and

lluosogrwydd (Lu) and at our public mod plurk

stagemanagers. Our official Act 2 FAQ can also be found here!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

1) CURTAINS UP

[A girl emerges from the dressing room. She looks young. She has red hair and wide, blue eyes. She is wearing a simple blue and black dress. She seems very excited about something. She spots you...]

Hello! Who are you? My name is Ariel. Where are we? Are there lots of humans here? Would you mind showing me...

[She is talking so fast. You probably better answer her before she keeps asking more questions.]

2) THIS PETTY PACE

[Ariel is in the music room. She is looking at all of the musical instruments. She is even picking them up and looking inside them. She seems confused about something. Is she looking for something? Perhaps you should ask her.]

3) BREAK A LEG

[Not him. Not him! She could have handled anything else, but when they threaten to take him away, she may have no choice. Ariel starts pacing back and forth. She is trying to think of a way to save him, and everyone else.]

There must be a way. Oh, hello. I didn't see you there. What was your name again?

5) CUE MUSIC

[This is a lot to take in. What is a girl to do? Ariel heads to the music room. She cannot play and instrument, but someone showed her how to use the boombox. She has been listening to various music to increase, and correct, her knowledge of human beings. She finds the CD she is looking for and puts it in. As the song starts up, she sings along.]

Goodbye may seem forever
Farewell is like the end
But in my heart's a memory
And there you'll always be

Edited 2020-06-10 02:25 (UTC)

Hi, uh-

[Wow, she's excitable. How to approach this?]

My name's Steven, it's good to meet you, I don't know, and are you not human?

[Solution, fight rapid fire with rapid fire.]

[She blinks. She did not expect such a quick response. She is trying to match his answers to her questions. Eventually, her training as a princess and daughter of the sea king kicks in.]

It is good to meet you, too, Steven. [She offers a slight curtsey.] I was not born human. I am a mermaid. I have always wanted to become human, but I did not know it was possible. This is so exciting! Shall we explore this place together?

[He seems nice. This place seems safe enough. She has no idea how she got here, but she is obviously very excited about it. Well, she is at least excited about being human... for now. Of course, she is not so excited that she has forgotten her basic needs.]

Do you know where we might get food? I don't remember when I last ate.

[Again with the questions!]

Edited (Grammar police arrested me. ) 2020-06-11 21:24 (UTC)

[Well that's kind of a lot.]

Wait, mermaids are real?!

[How long has that been a thing, and why has no one mentioned it to him before?]

[Is that the only question he has? It is a pretty big one. Still...]

Yes. I am, well, was, a mermaid. Merpeople are real. What other questions do you have? Would you tell me more about yourself?

[There's a lot of questions right now, honestly, but that one seemed most pressing, especially considering how casually she tossed it out like that.]

Uh- I'm really only half human, and I've never met a mermaid before?

[Ariel tossed it out casually because, for her, it is a fact of life. She is starting to realize that not everyone is aware of the existence of merpeople.]

I see, Steven. I thought that everyone knew about mermaids. Most sailors seem to. Anyway, what do you mean you are only half human? What is your other half?

[She is very curious about him now. She is also still hungry, but we will get back to that soon.]

I've heard OF them, in movies and stories and stuff- do they have movies underwater? They might not have movies underwater.

[And there were other questions in there, weren't there-]

Oh, I'm half Gem. On my mom's side.

[He raises his shirt a little to show off the large pink gemstone set into his body where a bellybutton should be.]

Uh- you said you were hungry, right? There might be a kitchen around here somewhere.

[Okay, so he just did that.]

Half gem? Wow! Your gemstone is beautiful, if I may say so without causing offense. We have stories under the sea.

[Randomly music starts playing. Ariel ignores it as if this is perfectly normal. After all, she has heard this number before.]

We do not have movies. How do a human and a gem produce a child? That is most interesting.

[She just forgot about her hunger. This is all so new and exciting!]

Edited (Forgot to add the link! ) 2020-06-24 13:30 (UTC)

[It's fine, non-diegetic music is for canons that don't embrace being musicals.]

Oh no, thank you!

[He takes very good care of it, it's nice to be appreciated.]

Uh- mo-o-ostly the same way two humans do? Except my mom kind of- became part of me afterwards. It's a long story.

So hey! Let's go see if we can find that kitchen, huh?

[Oh look, a distraction, neat.]

Wow, that is... Your mom... Oh, yes, food would be great. So, a kitchen is where you go to get food? Let's go see if we can find the kitchen.

[She is definitely easily distracted.]

It's Curtains Act 2 Test Drive

Ariel | The Little Mermaid

Curtains Up

Re: Curtains Up

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This is perfectly normal... for her.

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What?

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Nicely Done