It's Curtains Act 3 Test Drive

[stagemanagers]

1) CURTAINS UP

You’ve just woken up in some kind of dorm 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 worse still - there's other people waking up in the same room with you, in the same state.

Talk to your roommates! Go out and meet everyone from the other rooms! 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 even a band 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) I LOVE PLAY REHEARSAL

It's Club Day! What's Club Day, you ask? Come to the classroom on the poster to find out! It looks like this week's club is Bread Club. Be wary, when you enter the classroom you'll face a shower of various bread slices but be rewarded with a surprisingly fancy layout of spreads and jams to go with them. Don't mind the oddly threatening poster on the far wall. He's just here to supervise.

5) 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.

6) CUE MUSIC

Feelings in a murder-school 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 3 FAQ can also be found here!

Comments

[green_sleeves]

Because I already know how to do it!

[She doesn't. But that's never stopped Anne before]

Come on, don't be a cowardly custard. You may as well live a little - he sure as hell isn't gonna!

[wanderlusttitania]

I tell you, I cannot-!

[Fists clench. Breathe in. Out.]

Living...

That is what I am trying to do!

[green_sleeves]

Whoa! Chill out. I'm not making you do anything! I'm just saying - if you wanna learn, you've gotta get your hands dirty. Take a leap of faith. What's a dead body gonna do?

[For good measure, she pokes the poor guy's stomach.]

Honestly, it looks like it was a pretty painless death. Lucky b-

[She grins as she stands up]

I'm Anne, by the way. Anne Boleyn. You've probably heard of me.

[Good or bad. Anne knows her reputation and she loves it.]

[wanderlusttitania]

[Blink. Oh. Oh. There was a ghost of a smile on her face at this. It's not the body, so she can turn away from this.]

Oh, I have. Though...you don't look quite how I would have imagined you, I will admit.

...I am Elisabeth. Empress of Austria.

[green_sleeves]

Can't say I'm familiar.

[Anne still grins.] I'd say we Queens have to stick together, but... you know? [She laughs]

Reincarnation will do that to you though. New bodies, new lives. Same old scar.
[She taps the choker at her neck] They gotta give me something to remember Henry by, right?

[wanderlusttitania]

My time is 300 years from your death. If it is any consolation, what happened to you is not the only reason you're remembered.

[Also, WOW. Whoever is in charge of that is not cool, for Sissi's eyes widen the second she understands the implication.]

Oh, that is--that seems so unnecessarily cruel...!

[green_sleeves]

Yeah, it's pretty extra.

[She seems blasé about it, but truth be told, she hates the damn thing. Still, vulnerability isn't something she cares to share with anyone, ever.]

Let me guess. I'm Henry's skank whore who got rid of saintly old Aragon and messed up the precious Catholic Church. Don't worry, I've heard it all before.

[wanderlusttitania]

[At this, she has to smile.]

Well, of course there's some of that in the books, I'm afraid, but more...your daughter is a very well-beloved queen in your country's history, even in my time!

[Something to aspire to. Perhaps?]

[green_sleeves]

Elizabeth?

[She lights up at Sissi's mention of how successful her daughter became.]

I always knew she'd be amazing. How could she be anything else with me as her mother?

[She laughs, though there's sadness underlying her lighthearted pride.]

I wish I could have lived to see her there myself.

[wanderlusttitania]

[God, that is a feeling. The hope that one's children can do great. Sissi herself doesn't have children that she remembers yet, at least...but she definitely feels that same swell of pride for the possibility, especially with such a good man like Franzi.

Even with her, uh, stalker, she knows is so lucky, in comparison to poor Anne.]

Maybe...maybe once we figure out...things...

[The body. Hnnnngh. She can't touch it.]

Maybe we can find some things on her in the library, if they are there? I know it's not the same, but surely there's something there about her! Or, I can tell you what I remember of her life.

[green_sleeves]

[Anne takes a moment to compose herself. That mostly involves staring at the ground and aimlessly nudging the dead body with the toe of her boot, just to distract herself from the fact that Elizabeth lived and did great things and... and she died.It's a complicated thought pattern, laced with regret, disappointment and anger. Anne finds it difficult to express it to the other Queens, and she's not going to say it to a stranger, royalty or not. She purses her lips, thinking, before staring down at the body.]

There's another way to tell if he's alive. Let's stick something in his mouth and see if he wakes up.

[wanderlusttitania]

..................

Like...like...something long, preferably?

[green_sleeves]

Now you're talking!

[She could make a joke here but from what she's seen of Sissi so far, she's fairly certain the Empress won't stomach it very well.]

Maybe a broom handle? Wanna grab one and I'll pop his mouth open?

[She grimaces - this is not how she thought today was gonna turn out. Still, in for a penny, in for a pound.]

[wanderlusttitania]

Yes. Yes, I can do that! I shall hurry!

[Time to pick up the crinolines and goooooo like Sanic


Five minutes later, she returns, triumphant.]

Here! I've got one...!

[green_sleeves]

[Wow. Sissi is a bit much with the eagerness. Anne chuckles as she runs off and shakes her head; there's more than a glint of mischief in her eyes and she's ready to have a laugh.

She heaves the body up so it's slumped against her knees. Totes grim, but whatevs. As Sissi returns, Anne digs her finger's into the man's cheeks, forcing his mouth into a fish pout.]

Stick it in then, as far as it'll go. If he doesn't choke, he's dead. Or like, really good with his gag reflex. But probs dead.

[wanderlusttitania]

[OK. ONE, TWO...

Closing eyes...!

...........

Slowly opening eyes. The broom is definitely...down there. But there's nothing. No reaction.

She quickly brings the broom out, dropping it to the floor.

She looks oddly relieved.]

[green_sleeves]

[Anne just looks her dead in the eyes, and with a straight face says,]

I can't believe you just stuck that in some dead guy's mouth. Totes disrespectful, babe.

[wanderlusttitania]

[fhghfjdwiughiejrkdeijfherow]

It was your idea-!

[green_sleeves]

Didn't touch him, babe. Only to check his pulse like any good, concerned citizen!

[Anne's not even trying to hide her smirk of laughter. She's genuinely not being cruel, just winding Sissi up for the fun of it. Unfortunately, the poor woman's just playing into it.]

It's your fingers on the broom. Hope choking ain't what he died of, or you're in trouble.

[wanderlusttitania]

[Aaand she just keeps playing into it, because the look of abject horror that comes on her face is very stark.]

No...oh, no...!

[green_sleeves]

[Anne’s chuckling now. Should she put this poor woman out of her misery?]

Mate? Get a life! Well, not the way you got his Life, but you know what I mean!

[wanderlusttitania]

No, but-I didn't-!

[But misery is Sissi's middle name, Anne!]

[green_sleeves]

You totes did though. You stuck a broom in the fella's neck.

[She pushes herself out from under the body, letting it's head thunk on the floor as she does so.]

Whoops... oh well. [She folds her arms, grinning.]

Mate, I'm totes joking.

[wanderlusttitania]

...................you...

[what the everloving-]

That's-but why would you joke about something like that!?

[green_sleeves]

Because... it's funny.

[Duh.]

I mean, grow a sense of humour.