THE BOX OFFICE

[tellthestory]

This is where you can meet privately with the Balladeer! The Balladeer is almost always around during the day; just knock.

(Secretly, the door's usually not locked if he's inside. But you wouldn't want to be rude, would you?)

Comments are screened for privacy!

Comments

[irreprochable]

Are they concerned about our...commitment to the show?

[tellthestory]

[He gives a little lopsided shrug.]

Possible. Maybe they just...wanted something dramatic to happen.

[irreprochable]

They have certainly accomplished that. [he's quiet for a moment] If we get it wrong, what happens to you?

[tellthestory]

I don't know. We haven't talked about that. Just another show, I guess.

[He falls silent himself for a moment, before adding:]

Maybe they'd give me a different kind.

[irreprochable]

What kind of show would you do, if you could?

[tellthestory]

Something without murder? I've never...done anything like that before. I thought maybe this could be it, but...

[but OBVIOUSLY NOT]

[irreprochable]

But it didn't work out that way.

[pause]

It's not too late.

[tellthestory]

No. It doesn't have to happen again.

...but I can't guess how long they'd be willing to wait, now. After this, it all feels so much more possible.

[irreprochable]

The murders, you mean? There has to be a way to stop them, though. Short of physically tying up all of our castmates. Although I'm not above it.

[tellthestory]

I doubt Management would care for that.

When it started, I thought if I just made sure you were all happy here, you'd be okay. I got everyone everything they asked for! But I guess...this place seems so great to me, I didn't expect everyone would be so upset about being here.

[irreprochable]

If we all worked together, maybe they wouldn't have a choice. People want to go home. And, perhaps most importantly, they don't want to end up dead, which seems the only route. Kill or be killed.

[tellthestory]

Sure, that's true. It's not like they'd keep this running forever. I just thought a real timeframe would make it easier on people.

[irreprochable]

It would also make it easier on people to push them in the right direction to solving this mystery.

[tellthestory]

What mystery?

[irreprochable]

["why we're locked here" but he decides on a better one]

How to get out.

[tellthestory]

That's not a mystery. You know how to get out - one way or the other.

[irreprochable]

I refuse to believe that's the only way. We got in here somehow, we can get out.

[tellthestory]

I'm pretty sure Management has to let people in and out of here. They brought me in.

[irreprochable]

Through what? Magic?

[tellthestory]

Magic... [He spreads his fingers] ...stage magic. Something like that.

[irreprochable]

[hmmm]

Can we get access to the stage other than during the trial?

[tellthestory]

No. And I wouldn't recommend going up there during trials, either. They wouldn't like that.

[irreprochable]

What would they do, do you think?

[tellthestory]

I don't know, I've never had someone not in the performance just crawl onstage while I was working. [He considers for a second, then shrugs.] Probably just shove you off?

[irreprochable]

[. . . ]

But they would show themselves?