WEEK SIX: EXECUTION

[guestservices]

W̴͍̎E̴̝̊E̸͚͝K̸͕̿ SIX: EXECUTION

By now, you've all got to be expecting it. Time marches on, and as Sunday morning arrives, you'll find yourself rising from your bed around 9. It starts off as a gentle suggestion, a feeling that you're going to be late for something. Aren't you going to be late for something?

Whether you answer that call or not, eventually, you'll find yourself walking directly down to the lobby, to a room that has so far been locked. All of you stand in front of a pair of golden doors, blocked off by a red velvet rope.

There's a moment of silence, and then a strange clattering noise. The doors fly open, and you'll find that you're standing in a darkened room where rows and rows of blue velvet seats lead up to a stage. The stage in front of you is covered with a pair of matching, rich blue velvet curtains, emblazoned with the logo of the Starlight Hotel.

Welcome, everyone, to the Starlight Theater.

You'll find yourself feeling like you must sit. You can choose your seat, but every seat in the house in the Starlight Theater guarantees a perfect view of the stage - there's no hiding. Should you try to merely stand, you'll find a pair of hands on your shoulders, and your body will move along without your permission into a seat. For those of you looking at your less cooperative friend, you might see the figure walking them to their seat is skeletal in nature, almost dancing behind them as they're ushered into their seat.

In fact... The empty seats in the theater are already filled. Skeletons sit in each empty seat, but make no mistake, audience: they clatter and move around, excited. Some of them are holding popcorn. Some of them look at you, then at the screen, eager. Others raise their arms to flag something, or someone - shadowy ushers burst from the floor and provide refreshments - and skeletons pour drinks down their nonexistent throats and stomachs, slurping at straws in a way that should be impossible.

Eventually, the bone clattering stops, and a hush falls over the crowd. Looking around, you might have noticed that one of your own didn't make it to the theater - Kim Dokja is not among you.

Perhaps he's backstage?

You don't get much time to think about it, though. The lights dim, and a pair of spotlights spin and arch across the curtains, as somewhere, a drumroll plays.

Lights, camera, action!

N̸A̵V̴I̶G̶A̶T̴I̴O̸N̷.̷

█ LOCATIONS █ STATUSES █ PROFILES █ AUDIENCES
█ REPORTING █ PRIVATE CONVOS █ MURDER

Comments

[supremity]

[ lifting his arm up to protect his face from another onslaught of books, hua cheng urges dokja a little further away from the bookshelves in case they decide to push them over again. but the books keep flying, and now there's a... vortex starting to form. ghosts and books, papers, chairs, a roiling storm that's going to get out of hand.

their foxes help keep some of them at bay from them, at least. ]

It'd certainly be quicker. [ dryly, but he understands - hua cheng will take his death gamely, and not make his companion watch that sort of thing. at least one of his travelers should be given some control of the situation. might make them feel a little better about it. ] But so would an explosion.

[ the ghost is gone forever in a blast of unkind light and one last death knell. he sees the intent of it here.

arm lowering, he brings his hand up, briefly cupping dokja's face before giving it a pat. with that, hua cheng starts to take steady steps back. ]

Use it. Whatever it does, it's what we've got - and there's no more time before you're in more danger, too.

Just take care of the rest of them, and expect me back before too long, hm?

[afterword]

... [ he knows it would be quicker, but even so. it is not the fate he would wish upon someone he cares for. someone he deems a companion, a friend. the handle shakes violently now in his hands as he tries to steady it, stop, not like this. ]

You don't.. [ his eyes widen, looking down at the gun before back at Hua Cheng. was that really the intention all along? like the ghost that erupted mere moments ago, to obliterate until there was nothing left. he shakes his head, aiming to hold the gun down, but its sparks and violently trembles and the control is not there. it aims up, down, to the side, and he's focusing on stilling the damned thing to the ground with a grit of his teeth.

he freezes at the touch to his face, eyes meeting the other's and he feels his body shake. whether it's a tremble from his body or simply due to the malfunctioning pack on his back, it's hard to say. ]

There.. there's gotta be a better way than this. There has to be a knife, or something better--

[ his gaze darts around, but there is nothing that gives an indication they will be able to press on. their story ends here. and even so, he wants to fight against it. fight like their soul counterparts that seek to protect them even if they are no longer in the same state as before. there's always another way. there is always a different path to take. the light sparks again, the pulse flashing in spurts before it starts to shoot out again, uncontrollable like a loaded gun that can't shut down. ]

It won't end like this-- do you hear me, Hua Cheng?!

[ the proton pack sparks in a flash, the energy disappearing from the gun in his hand and he stares, confused, blank before

it erupts. the beam strikes at the floor directly in Hua Cheng's path before making an immediate connection with him with no chance of avoiding. as it does, the energy of it throws Dokja's body propelling backwards until various bookshelves with a clatter of collision and breaking wood. ]

[supremity]

I hear you. [ hua cheng laughs a little, with some humor for the first time this weekend. ] But I'm afraid that's how this chapter is going to end, reader.

[ for all that this has made a mockery of them - how every execution has - he doesn't want it to go on any longer if dokja is at risk. he looks at him, meets his gaze, before he looks up, elsewhere. tanhua yowls in the sea of noise. the crackle of energy. the screaming ghosts. the whirling wind.

he closes his eye as the pack and its gun erupts, and that's it. not for the first time, and likely not for the last, he faces his own demise by his choice. the nightman won't take that from him. ]

[guestservices]

[The music swells to a crescendo, playing louder as the picture on screen begins to fade to black. Credits begin to roll for all to see.]

You've Been Ghosted
aka
Hua Cheng is Dead!

The Librarian - Played by Hua Cheng
The Ghostbuster - Played by Kim Dokja

Filmed on location at the Starlight Hotel

The cast and crew of Starlight Productions would like to remind you that murdering a fellow guest outside of filming will guarantee the safety of your hostage.

Sponsored by Starlight C*ke

[The lights raise up just slightly, barely enough to see the theater as the screen rises up. The body of Hua Cheng lies on the floor, broken and lifeless as Kim Dokja remains frozen in his spot next to him. As the audience watches, the lights dim. The shadows don't burst from Hua Cheng like previous executions. The darkness is just light enough that now you can see the stage has cleared, and the corpse of Hua Cheng...reassembles itself from the explosion before it rises up, striding forward across the stage.

It walks slowly, parts of the corpse shifting and held together by an invisible force. It gives a little bow of gratitude for watching its performance, but it doesn't stop there. As it stands upright, it lifts a hand as little shadows fall around it like fine dust, forming a picture of Tanhua at his side. The shadowed creature opens its mouth as if to yip, but there's no sound. Soon, the corpse turns, giving one more wave before beginning to walk once more, fox Daemon at its heels even in death. Everyone in the theater is paralyzed, and as soon as the corpse steps out the exit the house lights come on.

The shadows and the skeletons are gone. You are once again free to move, but if you attempt to chase after Hua Cheng’s corpse you won’t be able to find him just yet.

When you exit the theater, you will find everything is back to normal. But feel free to visit the Starlight Cemetery to see someone new.

You can check out any time you’d like, but you can never leave.]