Closed [The Crooked Playhouse] Act I: Enter the Actors (Dex)

[Allassanachassanya]

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15th Fall, 516 AV

The day was bright, merry, cheerful. A whole host of words and descriptions of the city of Illusion that Ssanya was coming to appreciate very well. So far, the city had shown her beautiful shimmers of light, a man with a spike on his forehead, a basket of chirruping flowers... It was all so wonderfully insane, and so very different to anything she'd experienced so far. Riverfall just could not compare, nor Kenash, nor Endrykas, the wandering tent city she'd been so unfortunate to have spent time with. Alvadas truly was a land like no other.

Reminiscing, the woman thought back to yesterday. She had been working at her new job, a decent job, if nothing else. It was a way to make sure the mizas rolled in, so that at least she wouldn't be poor. The woman patted her coin pouch, checking that she had enough change. Apparently her job was also a way to pick up gossip and tid-bits of information. That was why she was now trying to find one place which had been mention, the Crooked Playhouse, where she had overheard there would be an interesting play this morning.

The time was just chimes until the 10th bell, the time when the play should be starting, if she'd heard the time right. She still hadn't found the place yet, but as there was no way of finding directions except wandering, she merely did that, hoping she wouldn't be late an consequently miss it. However, it was at that point though that she stumbled around a corner and spotted a crowd of people all trying to cram through an archway.

Whether or not it was the Crooked Playhouse she didn't know, but whatever was happening looked intriguing. So with confidence, the woman stepped forwards into the crowd, and slowly filed down into the depths of the tunnel.

***

She had struck lucky. Looking around as she descended into the underground space, the amphitheatre opened up and blossomed around her. Not to say that it was a particularly elegant space- the whole place seemed oddly shaped, weirdly coloured... But it was a beautiful place. The Dhani looked around with wide eyes, drinking in the sights. She almost didn't hear the woman directing her to a row of seats, telling her this performance was free, but followed the crowd and took a seat high up near the top of the amphitheatre. Let the show begin.

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[Dexius]

It was an uninteresting and dull day today for Dex. There was not a huge call for extra work around Alvadas so he decided that it was time for a bit of relaxation amidst his contractual work amidst the city. But for a while he was not exactly sure what he was going to do and so he began wandering, as he almost always did anyhow.

Eventually wandering about the city brought Dex to the outside of The Wolf's Cave. This was place that he often passed by to speak to the patrons that were outside for any information they might be able to indulge him with for whatever job he was working on. They weren't exactly contacts per se, not reliable ones anyway but they were an open source of information that was mostly reliable. So Dex subjected the group to a few casual questions about any going ons within the city today and luckily one of them came through.

Apparently, today there was a play to be had at The Crooked Playhouse, a place Dex had never been before. The man that spoke had decided he was not going to be attending so it was no harm to him to let Dex know about it. It was to be on the 10th bell which was unsurprisingly a rapidly approaching time so much that if Dex was given one too many wrong turns today he would easily miss the show.

Waving himself off from the group outside of the inn Dex began weaving his way in and around the city. Up this street, across this lane, down that alley, through a not-so-dark passage, and finally squeezing himself through a rather small path. 'Plop' went Dex as he finally managed his way through what he thought was a much larger looking opening between the two buildings and he was now faced with what to him was a swarm of people all pushing themselves under an archway and into a tunnel. It seemed Ionu might have favored him a little this day. Or not.

"Well...this must be it." The panting Symenestra thought to himself as he trudged forward towards the opening of the Playhouse. As to avoid being pushed around like a rag-doll and possibly bring unnecessary physical harm to himself Dex waited until the very end of the line had collapsed into the theatre before making his way through. Once inside Dex was quickly assaulted by the strange layout of the building. Nothing seemed to be just right as the architecture was rather askew here and then straight but then round over there.
Shaking his head and heading towards the top of the amphitheatre he remembered that nothing exactly made sense about Alvadas and that there was likely a method to the madness. Or not.

Regardless Dex was happy to take a seat as far away from the large crowd as possible. He prefer much more personal company, if he was to have any at all and was just as well sitting alone if he had to. Near the top Dex decided the amount of viewers was scarce enough for him to enjoy the show without feeling all clustered up. So he took a seat centered around a few other people before unbuckling his rapier and leaning it against his chair. Stretching before the show began he looked around at the other nearby patrons, nobody he knew was here that he could see. Hopefully. So here he was at his first play in Alvadas and the show was just about to begin. This might be a fun day after all. Or not.

[Allassanachassanya]

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OOCChanged the boxcode because, well... this one is more fun! xD

A few stragglers settled into their places as Ssanya watched with curiosity. Seemingly as soon as the last person sat down, the lights around the room dimmed and a lone figure bathed in vibrant emerald from an unknown source strode out onto the stage.

"A pleasant greeting to you all."

A man's bass voice boomed surprisingly easily over the audience. "So lovely to see each and every one of you. My name is Vincent Tabald Yezen and I used to be you." With a flourish, a shower of green sparks shimmered through the air as the man swept off the mask. He was alone on the stage, a solitary man dressed now in tattered rags. His hair was dark, at least from Ssanya's angle. His skin, too. "You've never met me, you say? Would I, could I change your mind by showing you this?"

The woman blinked her eyes, and the man was changing. His face, his body, seemingly becoming a different person each half-tick. It was bewildering and mind-boggling. It almost made the woman feel ill, watching the flickering, eye-tickling show below. "Have you seen enough of my many faces yet? I don't believe you can rightly justify saying you have never met me, for I am everything and nothing, all at once."

A small gasp escaped the audience, and a quiet, muffled applause ran through the crowd as the man faded backwards into the wall. Yet as soon as the mysterious mood had been set, the woman almost reeled back in shock and a fair bit of amusement as the stage transformed into brightness. A flock of brightly coloured birds raced and wheeled overhead, twittering more like monkeys than birds as more of the cast appeared on stage- in the left, from the front, emerging from crouched on the ground.

From somewhere that felt like it was right next to her ear, the woman heard a pleasant strumming of a lute playing some caressing lullaby. The sound was soft and gentle, like a glass of wine on a summer morning. It reminded her of Ahnatep, and she smiled as she watched the scene unfold, somehow still waiting and wondering whether the green man would return but endeavouring to simply let the sights roll in.

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[Dexius]

Dex was in a rather slouched and laid back position in his seat when the main performer introduced himself as Vincent. But when the man began rapidly transforming himself on stage the Symenestra could not help but to rush to sit up and forward in his seat to get a better view. He did so to the point that he even knocked his weapon on the ground causing a small clack and for a few moments Dex decided on whether or not to just leave it there before sitting it across his legs.

It was easy to see that the show had the Symenestra's attention when the stage exploded into color and the other actors began to enter. Flipping, spinning, jumping, and other acrobatics were performed all across the platform as the performers came and went almost as if they were a breeze on a hot day.

One man was comically chased across the stage by what was assumed to be an illusion of a little more than large feline. The man leapt into a previously unseen cage and closed the door behind him before staring the apex predator down. The large cat responded by raising itself up on it's hind legs and pushing the man's cage across the stage in a somewhat disturbing if not hilarious swapping of roles. About half way across the platform the titanic cat turned to face the crowd before letting out a grin of disgusting proportions.

The large feline pressed the top of the cage down with it's colossal paws, the metal creaked in protest as the enclosure slowly crushed down upon the poor trapped soul inside. The cage then exploded into an array of colorful lights and delightful harmonic sounds with each color seeming to have it's own unique sound as it poured from the former cage.

The sight was as much disturbing as it was fascinating and Dex hoped the man was fine. He was sure he was, it was a show after all, right? The crowd applauded at the spectacle as the lights of the cage faded away to the former ambiance. Everyone was on their toes, prepared to consume the next part of the show no matter what come next, including Dexius.

[Allassanachassanya]

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Ssanya grinned and gasped along with the rest of the audience as the play, or drama, or whatever it was continued. As the lights dimmed back down again, and as the actors gathered on stage, she watched with an avid expression on her lightly tanned face. They formed a loose shape, of some sort. Anyone in the lower tiers or standing would not easily be able to see, but from her high vantage point Ssanya could just about make out the shape- that of a triangle, point facing towards the center of the stage.

In unison, the actors or dancers or whatever they were, raised the hands into the air. There was a dead silence in the hall, unnaturally quiet. For what seemed like half a chime, they held their stance, arms held high. Somewhere, someone giggled, high-pitched and slightly nervous. To the left of her position, Ssanya could see a man standing up and looking around. Again, a figure stood up, their hands reaching in desperation to their hair...

It was then that it hit her. As if she'd accidentally taken a drug, her vision and her senses felt different. It wasn't easily understandable, this new sensation, and the woman had to touch her face experimentally to try and figure it out. It was like a layer of water had stretched around everyone and everything in the room. A strange, translucent shimmering effect in the air that twisted proportions and distances. The only unchanging figures were the actors, the ones she was sure were creating this damned effect.

"Gods, this light! It's so bright!" A woman exclaimed to her right, her voice emitting surprise and wonder. For Ssanya though, it only brought confusion. What light? It's dim as twilight in here...

Interrupting her thoughts, the actors on the stage took a sharp bow, their hands still raised above their heads giving them a wave effect as they took their bow. She was surprised though, not expecting them to have finished so soon. If Ssanya knew what a watch was, she would have checked it there and then.

Oh, but no. They weren't finished quite just yet. Although the strange, watery vision still covered all her senses, the actors started to create a scene. From behind the curtain, a few people started producing stage furniture- a few painted, wooden trees, a sheet of fabric designed to look like a pool, a wooden construction painted to look like... yes, a waterfall.

As soon as the scene had been set, the lights raised and illuminated the place. The actors were in place, the dialogue about to start. Ssanya couldn't for the life of her figure out where the play was going, or even if it was a play. For now though, she'd just ride along with it, and see where it took her. Hopefully to a place where her vision was less... obscured.

OOCI figured that each person in the theatre could have a different effect placed on their senses, so... you don't have to do the same as me.

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[Dexius]

Dex stared in interest as the actors gathered into the shape of a triangle on stage. The silence that followed their hands raising to the sky was rather chilling given the previous excitement. Then it hit him as he heard a woman scream out not too far away from him.

Everything in the theatre took on a continuously changing color scheme. All around him Dex saw shades of every color he knew existed and some he never imagined could be created. The stage was purple, then green, then orange. Everyone and everything around had their own colors and own unique changes every few seconds.

The sensation of the effect was almost overwhelming to Dex's eyes and more importantly his brain. Constantly being barraged with colors of every kind all around he could barely make out the items being brought on stage by the actors and actresses. A tree...a waterfall..everything looked out of place in multi-color. He was not exactly sure where this was all going but on the bright side he didn't think anybody else did either.

With the lights on and the actors in place everything was set to continue. "We hope you are all enjoying your gifts for this evening!" An actor in the front of the cadre stepped forward and spoke. "Ionu blesses everyone in Alvadas with their beautiful creations and this is none the different so rejoice in splendor."

The speaking actor took a step back as the others began surrounding the makeshift pool, a female actor separated herself from the lot. "Tonight we shall retell a story of old. Of a woman so favored by our beautiful Ionu that her name will live on within Alvadas forever!"

The female actor took a step forward, she was clad in green clothing. Not that Dex could really tell all things considering. "So powerful a hypnotist was Verlyna that she drew and held crowds from all over. And she was believed to have received Ionu's most powerful and greatest gift. But let us spin the tale about her emerald pond."

[Allassanachassanya]

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The woman in question drew her hands lazily through the air, and her stance shifted to become somewhat more confident. Ssanya watched on, eyes flickering between the main woman and the other actors who were now drawing silks from what seemed like thin air, laying them on the ground to represent the waters of a pool. As the last character lay down a scrap of silk, the patchy representation turned into something more physical. Ssanya was fast realising that all was definitely not as it seemed. She leaned forwards.

The woman in emerald was now striding around the stage. She was talking, firmly, a script something to do with Ionu, God of Alvadas. Unfortunately for the woman, she spoke quite fast, and as it was in Common she had trouble understanding all of what she said. Nevertheless, her heart skipped a neat when a large portion of the crowd nearest to her started to stand up, all of one accord. Many gasps and exclamations broke through to where Ssanya sat, and she watched as the audience each stood up as the green-clad woman strode past.

"Verylna was an enigma, a glistening gem of a woman who refused to be labelled anything. She was an enigma to herself, too."

Suddenly, the woman crouched, her back to the audience, who shuffled in their seats to see what she did. The other actors had bled from the stage as 'Verylna' had her part, but as easily as they had disappeared, they now returned. The stage seemed to grow with thickets and trees, luscious and verdant. The air grew humid, smelling sweetly with that after-rain smell. Ssanya giggled to herself as the actors on stage opened their mouths. Instead of speech, perfect birdsong issued forth.

'Verylna' was regarding herself in the pool, her reflection perfect and unwavering. Yet, as she looked, the woman's reflection stepped out of the pool, a shimmering, ethereal copy of the actress, who stared in shock at her reflection. One of the actors imitating birdsong stepped closer, and suddenly grabbed 'Verylna' close from behind, intimately enclosing her in his arms. She seemed to relax, her eyes open wide with some wild emotion. Then the man grew wings, actual wings, and he lifted her into the air...

... And dropped her straight into the pool. Ssanya stared, shocked. The woman floundered silently, as the audience held it's breath. Would she swim to the shore, would she make it out alive? The unvoiced question was answered, as the woman's reflection slipped into the water. Ssanya thought she would help her, but no. She watched with mild horror as the woman's shimmering reflection gripped her shoulders firmly, and started to push her under the surface. The last thing she saw before the entire theatre went dark was Verlyna's wild, frozen eyes.

******

The lights came on, suddenly and brightly. It was a cue of some sort, and Ssanya blinked as if awaking from a dream. She had been toyed with, and it had all looked so real! In the last half bell she had truly been drawn into the story, the horror of the woman drowning. It seemed that this was a popular story in Alvadas, and there was an actual pool somewhere in the city where it was supposed to have happened.

She stretched cat-like as the actors bowed as one on the stage, and people began to stand, gathering belongings to make their way out of the cosy atmosphere of the playhouse. Ssanya stood to allow a couple to pass, and then began to slowly walk towards the entrance herself.

OOCHope you don't mind, I kind of pushed it towards the end. O.O If you *do* mind, just nudge me and I can go and do edits and stuffz.

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[Madeira Dusk]

Grades Awarded!

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Allassanachassanya

Skills

• Observation: 4XP
• Philosophy: 1XP

Lores

• Location: the Crooked Playhouse
• Crooked Playhouse: not what it seems
• Local Legend: Verlyna and the Emerald Pond

Awards & Retribution


Notes
For what it's worth, that play was a great read. I appreciate that you used so many spectacular illusions as you wrote it out. Sorry I couldn't reward your lovely storytelling with more loot!

Dexius

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