Avaritia Arrival Log

[cancrymods]

AVARITIA

It's Vegas, baby! Oh wait, I already made that joke on the location page... With Esme's iron-fisted reign brought to an end and the Executors given time to take a very well-earned break, it finally comes down to descend to the next layer of Purgatory. Thankfully, with this being the group as a whole's second descent, things are a little less nerve-wracking this time around... maybe. Hopefully. ... Probably. Welcome to Avaritia. Feel free to use this arrival log to chronicle your initial misadventures in the Greed Layer of Purgatory. As noted in the location page, several locations will require further investigation if you'd like to get some information on them, so get investigating! Drop a comment down to the Investigation Request subheader if you'd like to explore. Get out there and have fun!

Comments

[twibeast]

[ He puts a hand over his chest and looks mock offended. ]

Rei, I'm hurt. I merely wish to ask them a few questions as a worried patron! I shan't get in trouble over something like that, no?

[ He turns to Chiron, but aims what he says at all of them. ]

Do try not to get kicked out though, or else I may end up finding another companion to spend the evening with. If you keep your tickets on hand they might at least just shoo you back here.

[phantasmagorial]

If anyone could get into trouble over that, it'd be us.

[ She's not wrong. You can't tell her she's wrong. ]

We'll be careful. If anything gets wrong, we'll call you or text you right away.

[schardynfreude]

[He waves a flippant hand.] I'll say I got turned around in the confusion looking for the lavatory or something. [This is truly the most thought out and unobtrusive team nothing could possibly go wrong.] Meet back at our seats if something doesn't go horribly awry.

LET'S SPLIT UP, GANG

[cancrymods]

On TEAM TWO DADS, it's Chiron and Beast! And on Team Eighteenth Century Youths, it's Monarch and Rei!

Check in and let me know what you're planning on doing for your investigation.

[twibeast]

[ COOL SO Beast is heading right for the nearest security guard, whether he has to flag one down before they can go off or approach that group of them, whichever it need be. He makes sure to sound very concerned as he does. ]

Excuse me - will everything be all right? This is my first time here and I was not expecting such a threat to be made against the Phantastma Fantastique...

[cancrymods]

The security guards look a bit harassed, as is probably understandable all things considered, but one of them steps away from the group to address Beast – the last thing they need is any patrons freaking out and leaving over all this.

"There's nothing for you to worry about – we'll have this handled soon enough. There won't be any interruption to your theater experience."

It's a very Bland Customer Service response, unfortunately.

[twibeast]

Ah, all right. Thank you.

[ Hmmm... ]

Has this happened before?

[cancrymods]

The security guard looks around once or twice to make sure none of their coworkers are listening in and then leans in to speak a little quieter.

"They've never shown up in person before but... we have received correspondence from this person, claiming they're owed something and demanding payment."

[twibeast]

[ Beast instinctively leans down as the guard leans in so as to hear him better. ]

You have? Was it public or something? It sounded like a lot of people in the crowd were gossiping about a “special guest” appearing...

[cancrymods]

The guard looks even more uncomfortable about answering further, shifting a little on their feet before they finally give in and respond.

"Well, they... sent out invitations to many of our regulars. And then people stated talking, and..."

You can probably finish that line of thought yourself.

[twibeast]

[ WELL THAT’S... interesting. If this were part of the show like Chiron suggested then he supposes this would make sense as advertising, but if it’s not then...? ]

You... You don’t think they could be planning to rob the audience do you...?

Team Eighteenth Century Youths

[ourtomorrow]

[ ...is going to try sneaking backstage, led by Monarch, who has a Theory. It goes like this:

--If the threat is legitimate, their quarry intends to mess with the show
--The greatest number of ways to mess with the show are stage crew-related (as seen from messing with Esme)
--To achieve that, someone needs to have infiltrated the stage crew or else hide

He's thinking of checking the catwalk, since that's a prime Hidey Spot, but if anything looks or sounds suspicious - or they themselves look likely to be discovered - he plans to adapt on the fly.

Sorry for the tunnel vision, Rei. He's not very good at remembering he has a person with him when he's thinking. ]

replying with rei's journal cos fuck it

[phantasmagorial]

[ Good job she's here to keep him out of his head, huh. ]

Monarch... do you think we might be able to get up where they were?

[ They're thinking along the same lines at least – and the security and staff are all distracted enough that two small kids aren't standing out too much as they sneak around. ]

I bet if we can get up that high, we can figure out where they went.

[ourtomorrow]

[ Great minds and stuff. Monarch starts, but then his expression sets. ]

There should be a ladder. Where was it on the idol stage?

[ Everyone here has no memory. They have to make the most of the experiences they've shared! ]

[phantasmagorial]

There was a ladder, but it was a portable one, so I'm not sure where it'd be the most likely to be here...

[ She goes quiet for a moment as she thinks it over. ]

But they'd want to make sure it was something you wouldn't be able to see from the seats if you were watching the show, right? So I think it'd be in the wings rather than directly backstage.

[ourtomorrow]

Let's go.

[ The child moves fast when he wants to! Wings, wings, wings - ]

i didn't get a notif for this, christ

[cancrymods]

NYOOM. Team Eighteenth Century Youths are a speedy pair and they manage to scoot into the stage without getting caught. There's enough seats and blind spots amount the audience that even with the occasional cast member flitting about, it's not too hard to make it up to the stage itself and head into the wings.

And... they're in luck! It's not a ladder, but there's a spiral staircase built into the stage that leads up into the catwalks above.

np np

[ourtomorrow]

[ Monarch looks back to Rei and nods. You game? He's game.

He will even take point up the staircase, ready to be the first to handle whatever's waiting up here. ]

[schardynfreude]

[Dad team two meanwhile is going to go down to whatever doorway or pathway seems like it would lead to a back room, back area, Employees Only type of door or entrance. Looking annoyed and harried and doing that straight little walk-jog that's not quite either bc apparently running would be unprofessional/rude.

Always look like you know where you're going and like you belong!]

[cancrymods]

There's a door with a big STAFF ONLY sign on it that's probably what he's looking for! It's not locked when he tries it, because they were apparently counting on the sign and also social conventions to keep people out and once he checks inside, it looks like he's found his way into some sort of admin area – not quite backstage but definitely behind the scenes.

[schardynfreude]

[Good enough for him! ...Is he going to be fiddling with cameras and computers again? He'd still like backstage more but if it's admin, there might be some Clues as to that masked person. Or. Perhaps clues as to what sort of payment is being spoken of?]

[cancrymods]

There's some computers and camera but thankfully, Chiron gets a break from being mission control for this Layer. If he wants to poke around anyway, he'll find most of them are passworded and even on the ones that aren't, there isn't anything particularly interesting – just some files and emails about the daily comings and goings of the theater.

What is interesting though is what he'll find if he decides to start going through drawers and files. It's a stack of letters written in a swooping, theatrical hand with... neat red notes inked onto it as well? Hm.

[schardynfreude]

[Oh ho, well, of course he's going to snoop and find flowing dramatic letters and notes. Hit me with that OG prattle. What demands does the Theater Phantom have i'm just going out on a limb and assuming here]

[cancrymods]

So, Theater Phantom's demands are basically everything you'd expect. Some condescending shit about the group's performances, some demands for cast changes, requests for money and vague ominous threats against the troupe. I've forced you to sit through Phantom of the Opera twice, you know your shit.

What's interesting is that a back-and-forth has been added to the margins of the note, with bits of text here and there underlined and circled, in the manner of a teacher leaving feedback on the first draft of an essay. There's two sets of handwriting and it quickly becomes clear that there's a conversation going on here, between an unknown second writer and the author of the letters.

This line about the chorusline is hitting kind of weird, could we change that up?

yeah it felt a little much when I wrote it. I'll tone it down.

REALLY love this bit about the standing O. last night!! Could we have more bits bringing the audience into things? I think they'd really enjoy it.

i can try working something out. maybe we can send invites to a couple big rollers and see if they get talking?

I LOVE THAT!! Let's talk about it when you're next at rehersals.

ok. I'll bring the next draft along then.

... and more notes along those lines. Looks like these letters are a two person job at minimum.

[schardynfreude]

[Mmmmmkay just gonna whip out the phone and snap photos of the letters. So maybe this all is just prerehersed stuff part of the show?? It has to be people with authority of some kind to so blatantly leave these in unlocked doors in an administrative area. Drumming up talk and attendance to draw people from the casinos maybe? Luring the Authority out?

He picks up a letter and, brace yourself, he's going to get dramatic.]

'If these demands are not met, I am afraid to say that my hand will be forced,' blah blah blah, 'terrible calamity will befall' blah blah, goodness, no wonder they needed someone to give them notes.

[Meh, put that away then. Any other interesting bits and bobs in the shelves, the drawers, filing cabinets? Is there a back door that leads elsewhere maybe?]