now let's skip the tears and start on the whole-

[stagemanagers]

[You remember dying. Maybe the memory is clear and bright and your body still aches from the cause. Maybe it was fast enough that you didn't feel it and don't remember what you went through. But no matter how you went out you're still trapped here.

When you open your eyes it might take you a minute to recognize your surroundings. For the executed, it's your dressing room. For the victims, you startle awake in the place your body was discovered. But no matter where you are nothing is where you remember it. It's like everything has been picked up and moved to the other side of the room. The entire room has been perfectly mirrored from what it used to be and, upon leaving, it seems the rest of the opera house is just the same. If you remember one room being in the east wing, it's now in the west. If it was in the west, it's now in the east.


Welcome back to the Opera House, friends. Even in death you're still in the woods.]


WEEK 1 | WEEK 2 | WEEK 3 | WEEK 4 | WEEK 5


[ooc: Welcome to deadland, darlings! It's a perfectly mirrored version of the Opera House and each week, as new people die after new floors have been revealed, the stairwell doors will unlock and allow you to reach them. For example, week 3 victims will unlock floor 2 and so on and so forth. Also, all dead characters will wake up at their actual canon point.

Have fun because we have some fun things planned for you.]

Comments

[mcfife]

[That has Angus settle down to a relaxed but still unapologetic state. The battle in his soul has subsided long enough to allow him to get off the bed and walk up the the king. Angus may be shorted, but the power within him is enough to topple planets.]

Oh? I heard it is not that bad of a place.

[superbeliever]

[Richard has faced an evil wizard before. He remembers doing that now.

He doesn't even blink, just reaches out his arm to block the whole doorway.]

I'm not letting you pass.

Let. Me talk. To my friend.

[mcfife]

I am your friend. Just let me pass and let me be.

[What sort of person does not let a prince go as he pleases?]

[superbeliever]

No!

[What is a Prince to a King?]

My friend would never threaten Tad Cooper.

[Richard's hard blue eyes scan Angus' face for any trace of the man he'd trusted with his loyal dragon.

And when he speaks again, the ice is gone, although he doesn't sink so low as to plead.]

You're strong, Angus. You are a fighter. So fight this with everything you can.

[mcfife]

What did I do to-

[Ah. People are quite whiny about it.]

I'm not killing him. He would have been an undead warrior steed. [Very different things, obviously.] He must be indestructible if I am to ride him into battle.

[superbeliever]

It's a good thing he's no longer yours to ride into battle. What is it with evil wizards and harnessing armies of the undead?

[I mean REALLY.

Richard huffs.]

I'm not letting anyone but the real Angus leave this room.

[mcfife]

They make for a mighty army, obviously.

[He rolls his eyes at this display of ignorance.]

How many times must I repeat myself? I am still Angus. All that has happened is the injection of new powers into my veins.

[superbeliever]

I don't believe you.

[Stubborn.]

You're dead. Those "powers" don't exist here. You can fight off their hold on you.

[mcfife]

You think this is mind control? [They have no idea of the true power of the Knife.] I accept who I am, your majesty. My body is ablaze with astral power, and nothing can bring me back to who I was

[superbeliever]

I refuse to accept it. I trusted you. I left you my dragon. I let you braid my hair. I will not give up on you now.

[Angus your body is in PIECES, it's not ablaze with shit.]

And until you return to your senses, I refuse to let you out where you can hurt anyone else.

[And he's gonna try to shut the dressing room door.]

[mcfife]

[And Angus is going to grab that door and pull it towards him.]

You won't tell me where I can go!

[superbeliever]

[Fortunately for Angus, Richard - though he's done an admirable job hiding it Princess Bride-style until now - is still exhausted from possessing Tad Cooper.

The door is easily jerked out of his hand. He counters by throwing a punch with the other.]

Damn it! Snap out of it, man!

[mcfife]

[Meanwhile, Angus, while weakened from his death, is still a Mighty Warrior of the Galaxy (tm) and throws a punch back at Richard.

That feels good.]

Do you wish to die again, old man? Then stop annoying me.

[superbeliever]

[Ah fuck his nose is bleeding again.]

You made me bleed my own blood!

[He's just going to. Use his height advantage and try to push Angus back into his messy room.]

This has to stop now
Whatever it is that's got hold of you
We'll fix it together, we'll make it through
I'll see that it is done!

[mcfife]

No!

[He pushes back against Richard. Two grown men, showing each other in and out of a room like children.]

This has to stop now
This thing where you think that you are my friend
And don't even hear how you condescend
The way you've always done

[superbeliever]

[Richard stumbles back when shoved, between his exhaustion and the punch to the face, leaving an opening for Angus to leave the room.]

My friend, just listen-

[mcfife]

[Angus takes the opportunity to barge through the door and grab it to slam it behind him.]

I'm listening.

[superbeliever]

[Richard reaches out and grabs Angus' arm.]

I know it isn't true...

[mcfife]

[He twists his arm upward.]

Isn't it?

[superbeliever]

[This time, he manages to keep a tenuous grip on Angus' sleeve, and he pulls back toward him.]

Just look me in the eyes now-

I know this isn't you...

[mcfife]

[Angus grimaces and glares into Richard's eyes. From up close, his eyes do look different from before. Distant. Paler. Something shines behind them.]

Let me go.

[He tires of this. All of this bombardment of questions and none of the magic powers that he can use to kill all of those that refuse to back down. This should have been easy, once the power of the Knife took over.]

[superbeliever]

[Richard searches his eyes for something familiar, and comes up empty.

He frowns, his brows furrowing. He looks...Disappointed.]

I'm not giving up on you.

[That's who Richard is - he never gives up on anyone.]

But if you harm a single hair on any of their heads... You'll have to reckon with me.

[mcfife]

[He can handle threats. He is the fearsome and unbeatable prince of the galaxy. What harm can this former king do to him?]

Don't count on it. [He might not be in a good mood when they speak to him.] We do what we must to break free of this prison of undeath, and I do not plan to remain apart from my kingdom for long.

[superbeliever]

[He's still holding onto Angus' sleeve, and he tightens his grip, pulling them closer together with a snarl.]

I am the One True King to Unite Them All. My friends here are as much my people as the ones I left behind.

[The thought of Roberta makes his heart hurt. But he can't let that distract him from the people who he can protect now.]

If. You. Harm. Them. I. Will. Make. You. Kneel.

Are we clear?

[mcfife]

You? The One True King? Don't try to cow me into submission by making me laugh.

[That's not an "yes", but he's not fighting Richard anymore. He finds little reason to put in the effort without the Hammer or magic.]