reverielogs | CLOSED » every night and day you take the stage

» WHO? Goro Akechi, the Phantom Thieves, and anyone they choose to bring with them
» WHEN? 9/27
» WHERE? The Metaverse
» WHAT? The Thieves confront Akechi's Palace to steal his heart.
» WARNINGS? suicidal ideation & mentions of suicide

AESTHETICS.

In the Metaverse, what stands in place of Reverie Terminal is a theatre district — brightly-lit streets and brighter signage, promoting various stage shows all on tour. The names and faces of the actors are familiar ones, from Ann Takamaki to Makoto Niijima to Ryuji Sakamoto... but the most prominent name on all the billings is Ren Amamiya. There are fliers littering the ground for his shows, barkers singing his praises to passersby. Not Joker, but Ren.

One of these theatres stands out as what the Thieves are looking for: the lettering out front boasts its name as THE WORLD, and its marquee announces that Goro Akechi is performing, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

Inside the theatre house, the aesthetics are all lavish and grand, red velvet and gold leaf and white marble, reminiscent of Crow's outfit during his time with the Thieves. But that only lasts while you're in the main areas. Head away from the lobby and take a door off the side, and it's like a completely different place. The "backstage" corridors are cold and dead silent, completely cut off from the chatter in the lobby; all exposed brick and rotting wood, they feel more like service tunnels than theatre foundations, and this is where the enemy Shadows lurk.

ATMOSPHERE.

Akechi already knows that his heart is in danger. Even wandering the streets, the Thieves are dressed for a fight.

Although the cognitive populace in Akechi's Palace seem like ordinary people, all of them discussing the upcoming show and Goro Akechi with open adoration, there's something oppressive about the atmosphere in the theatre house. It might take some time to realise it, but what's making your hair stand on end is actually the sensation of being closely watched. Sometimes, you might catch civilians staring at you, their eyes bright and intense; other times, you can't find anyone looking at you, but it doesn't make the feeling any less unnerving. Makes it more so, if anything.

The Shadows seem to assume that the Phantom Thieves are just actors in costume, which works in their favour; they can move freely around the first floor without being bothered. When they want to continue, the way forward is through the main event of the theatre itself, a pair of grand double doors opening to the arena, where the performance awaits an audience.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ when the Thieves enter the arena, the lights go down and the audience's chatter falls to a hush, into absolute silence. after a moment, the stage lights come to life on a scene: a young boy and a woman together on a minimal set. the actors are wearing masks that cover their entire faces; the boy's mask is painted with a sad expression, but the woman's is white and unpainted. the scene plays out. ]

[A CHILD enters. A WOMAN is sitting at a table with her head in her hands.]
CHILD: Mom? Is everything okay?
WOMAN: Are you ready for school?
CHILD: Yeah, but...
WOMAN: No buts. You know you have to leave on time so Mommy can go to work.
CHILD: But, Mom... I heard you crying last night. Are you okay?
WOMAN: ... Yes, sweetie. I'm fine. Things are just... a little bit hard for us right now.
CHILD: Is there anything I can do to help?
WOMAN: No. You just go to school and make sure you pay attention in class.
CHILD: Okay... I'm going. I'll be home soon.
WOMAN: Have a good day, Goro.
[The CHILD exits. The WOMAN lowers her head into her arms and sobs. Fade out.]

[Fade in. The WOMAN is on the floor, motionless. The CHILD enters.]
CHILD: ... Mom? Mom, what's wrong?
[The CHILD runs to the WOMAN's body and kneels down, shaking her.]
CHILD: M-Mom?!
[End.]

[ the lights come back on to applause and cheering, the audience whispering excited praises to each other: such a tragedy! and what a performance! but there are other comments the Thieves might hear as the applause continues. people criticising the character in the play for being so naïve and so foolish. he should have known better, after all. should someone like that really be the protagonist of the play? well, other members of the audience demur, the piece is a tragedy.

another masked figure in a plain uniform comes onto the stage and announces that Goro Akechi himself will be out in just a moment, so the audience should stay seated. while the cognitive populace waits for the star of the theatre, it seems like the Thieves have a moment of respite to talk... ]

[ It's just like old times being in another palace, at least...she thinks. Whether this was going to be herself and Ryuji versus this entire thing...or whether they had the help of the others that they reached out to.

This had to be done. This would be done.

The scene played before them is...intense to say the least. ]

What are you thinking, Skull?

[ You know, after seeing all of that? ]

CLOSED » every night and day you take the stage

FIRST FLOOR

listen im just gonna bust in a million years late, what even was october LMAO