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?)

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[tellthestory]

I'd be a hypocrite if I said it were.

[The Balladeer doesn't drink yet, swirling the wine thoughtfully.]

You know, I already told Seymour this - I don't think you'd have to go back to your own story - world, whatever - after this if you don't want to. Management would have to agree to let you go back with someone else, but at that point they probably won't care what happens.

[trettende]

[ Hans shrugs. He'd heard some of this. ]

Really? That would be pretty nice. [ I mean, it's way better than going back to Arendelle... ] Maybe Billy, the lawyer's world... he and I seem pretty similar.

[ Maybe that's why Hans doesn't talk to him much, it's like looking in a mirror. Only he's a mirror, so it's like staring into the void. ]

Speaking of endings, how does this one end? You said after a month, but it's been a bit longer than that now.

[tellthestory]

That was if no murder ever happened. No one wants to watch a bunch of people just hang out in a big house forever.

[But, well, see how that worked out.]

I don't know how it ends now. Seems like there might be a plan, but... [He shrugs.]

[trettende]

[ Oh. Well, that's troubling. Hans swirls his wine to hide how that... unnerves him because he was really hoping time was on their side here!! Time to deflect those worries. ]

The Management hasn't told you?

[tellthestory]

No. Maybe they don't know themselves yet!

[He allows himself a moment of denial, before admitting:]

...that wouldn't really be like them, though. They're the kind who's always got some kind of grand vision of how everything's going to work out. Sort of like me, I guess...

[Except, well, they can make it happen]</small.

[trettende]

[ Yeah, Hans kind of gets that feeling since he's been interacting with the Management through their letters Gosh, being the Mole is great!!

But no, Hans is still only concerned for the Balladeer here. They are friends, even if Hans hasn't told him everything. ]

Really? Did you have some kind of vision planned for how all this was going to go, before...?

[tellthestory]

Sure. I thought you could all just...make friends? Whatever normal people do when they're in a group of strangers? Maybe not everyone, some of you are terrible.

[tbf maybe should've used past tense, he's largely thinking of hook]

But I thought you could at least not start killing each other.

[trettende]

That would have been my plan ideally. Murder's more of a last resort for me.

[ Not As Bad As Hook can be his new cast descriptor. ]

This is going to sound a bit strange, but is it possible something could be forcing people to murder? Like is it something in the water?

[tellthestory]

I don't...think so.

[That's sort of an odd idea. It's probably not impossible, though, given everything else.]

I haven't seen anything that would make me think that. I mean, they all had reasons. [Even if they were terrible ones, it's not like any of the culprits just randomly snapped.]

[trettende]

I mean, sure, we all have reasons, I suppose. But Hook's was just stupid. And Cain's barely made any sense.

[ Then again, Hans just figured Cain was delusional so... ]

I know if someone promised me a kingdom now, I don't think t'd be worth it. Every killer's been caught so far, there's no reason to assume I could get away with it.

[tellthestory]

I didn't understand most of what they told me about Astarte, but I think Cain is just like that.

[who knows man]

Right? I thought maybe people would realize that. Keep the peace out of self-preservation, if they can't manage anything else.

[trettende]

Exactly. I might not be the nicest guy here, but I don't have a death wish. Why risk getting murdered by killing someone? And killing everyone else in the process? It's just a mess.

[ Which is why Hans has chosen the route of betrayal and not... murder. But he hasn't betrayed everyone entirely, which has to be worth something, right? ]

I'm not really sure what the Management's endgame is here. Besides screwing with everyone.

[tellthestory]

It's all for the sake of the show. And I guess the audience is enjoying themselves.

[trettende]

Ah, yes. The audience...

[ Looks at camera like he's in the office. Except he doesn't because he doesn't know that icly but, y'know. ]

Are people really watching this? And enjoying seeing everyone suffer?

[tellthestory]

They must be, or it would have petered off. You can't keep going if no one's interested - we would've had to stop, maybe go on to something else.