thebackstage | It's Curtains Act 3 Test Drive

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Nothing good could come from their captors calling an assembly in the auditorium. So, Cassandra had low expectations from the moment she stepped in.

Imagine her luck - read, extreme displeasure, when the Wizard lays out the next motive for them. Really? It wasn't enough that they suffered, but now the people they cared about, so far away from here, had to suffer too? For a moment, Cassandra believes it's a bluff.

But then she opens her envelope, eyes falling upon the face on the photo inside, and her expression takes a turn for the dark.]

This has to be a... joke?

[Well, that's not a great reaction. But! It's something to focus on besides her own flaring temper!]

Maya? [She follows to catch up to the other woman, photo clutched tightly in her fist.] Can you believe this? What a low trick.

[Considering the theatrics of her own exit, it's hardly surprising that she's followed. The people here are much like her classmates at Seisho in that regard -- they wouldn't let someone suffer alone.

Even if they might have preferred it.

While she doesn't stop moving, she at least has the decency to slow long enough for Cassandra to catch up.]

Is it really so surprising? This whole game has been nothing but underhanded tactics on his part.

[Cassandra's a practical sort. Sometimes she'll leave someone behind, but not when they're suffering. Certainly not like this.]

No. It isn't. [It's a little, but,] I just didn't think they'd stoop so low as to threaten people who aren't even here.

[Despite her words, Cassandra keeps an almost casual stride with Maya.]

And the worst part is it's probably not a bluff.

[Another day, Maya might have felt grateful. Right now, she has to swallow her irritation.]

He's given us no reason to doubt his abilities. If a man such as he could rip us from our homes, he could just as easily do the same with our loved ones.

So, that begs the question.

[Abruptly, she stops, turning to face Cassandra.]

Will you accept his offer?

[She stops, and Cassandra stops a half-step later. Turning to face Maya now, her arms crossed beneath her chest.]

Accept it? How can I?

[As far as responses go, the tone of Cassandra's voice is downright honest. If not incredulous.]

My friend can take care of herself. No matter what they try to do to her.

[Maya looks unconvinced. She matches Cassandra's posture, arms folded over her torso.]

We are up against forces we do not fully understand. How can you be so confident?

[In a perfect world, Maya could believe that her person could stand up to the forces moving against her. She was her rival, the only one in Seisho capable of coming close to Maya's own abilities. But this world that they were in now was far from perfect.]

Because this isn't the first time I've been up against forces I don't fully understand. And, somehow, we both made it out alright.

[There's a break in Cassandra's expression. The normally stern look cracked by a small but pleased grin.

The photo is still in her hands. She looks down at it with something resembling... pride?]

If anyone could handle this, it's her.

[There's something about that expression that seems... eerily familiar. She knows she's seen it in a mirror at some point.

She casts a glance down at her own hand, not daring to open her fingers far enough to look at the photo. She'd steeled herself earlier -- now was not the time to lose her resolve.]

I hope the others share your confidence. This will all mean very little if someone else takes the bait.

[It's a well-worn expression on Cassandra. It's one she's definitely worn before.]

Let's hope so. [yet, that didn't sound terribly confident.] Maybe the sensible people among us will pull through and prevent a disaster.

It seems we sensible types will have to be working all the harder this week, then. [She flashes a smile -- determined, but one that still doesn't reach her eyes.]

I will not lose anyone else to this place. And I am sure you feel the same.

Aren't we always? [A shrug. A sigh.] Seems like there's always somebody looking to cause trouble in some way. At least it's usually because of poorly-made choices.

But those choices usually don't threaten everyone's lives, so...

Let us hope that poor attempts at chemistry in the cafeteria will be the most of our concerns, then. [Rapidly heating and then cooling glass. Who does that!

She sighs, adjusting her grip on her own photo.]

I will admit that it was... strange seeing someone from home again. Even as a photograph.

Hey, maybe someone will be stupid enough to burn the building down. Then we'll have a chance of getting out of here.

[Please realize that her words are drenched in sarcasm. Don't burn the building down.]

Yeah. These... I'm sorry, "photographs?" Even I can see that they're some pretty well-done portraits. Don't know how they got it.

Or we'll all burn alive.

[A shrug!]

These weren't common where you are from, right? [Maya taps her chin.] They aren't portraits. It's... Like a box that freezes and prints a moment in time, I suppose?

Always a chance.

[ugggh]

So, it's some kind of machine-made thing. [She squints.] It's... not magical, right?

No, not magical, though I suppose it may seem it if you haven't witnessed one before.

Where I am from, most of us have devices that take pictures much like these. It's... incredibly normal. The furthest thing from magic I can think of.

Well, I haven't. And it's starting to feel like that's going to be a thing that keeps happening to me.

Where I'm from, we just have painters. Lots of painters. And a surprising amount of magic.

You seem to be a very adaptable woman, Cassandra. I am sure that even the most profound of innovations won't stump you for long.

That said -- you speak of magic like you aren't a fan of it. Is it really such a bad thing where you're from?

Yup, that's me. I like to roll with the punches.

[A lie, but she sells it well. Cassandra's one of the worst people she knows when it comes to rolling with things as they come.]

Magic is... [hm] It's a touchy subject. It's not bad but, uh...

[Suddenly, she nods her head towards the other woman's hand.]

By the way, who did you get on your photo?

It's Curtains Act 3 Test Drive

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