Season 1 / Tatsuko - "It's Showtime!" [The First Trial Projection]

MILGRAM

Tatsuko seemed like a potential troublemaker, but anything had to be better than how the last projection situation went for Ei.

…As long as there weren’t any more stupid high heels.

At any rate, the bruise on his jaw is barely visible as he finds Tatsuko in her cell.

“Prisoner 004, Tatsuko Onizuka.” Despite speaking English this whole time, he at least doesn’t seem to have any issues pronouncing her name. “It’s time for your projection. Before we begin, is there anything you’d like me to know about yourself or your crime?”

Tatsuko scowls. “Yeah, there is something I’d like you to know! It’s that this place is boring and stupid and I hate it and I hate you and I’m gonna make you regret locking me up in here!” Not the most eloquent or mature response, but it’s honest and gets her point across.

Eyebrow: raised. “Not my doing, but noted, sure.” He doesn’t bother writing anything in his notebook for that. “Time for a change of pace, at least.” He opens her door and inclines his head towards the hallway.

Tatsuko sticks her tongue out at Ei mockingly for good measure before exiting her cell. She was, after all, pretty excited for her projection, seeing how much fun she had in the ones she participated in.

Standing in the cell block, she loudly calls out, “By the way, everyone’s invited to my cool as hell mindscape! It’s gonna be fire!” to everyone within hearing range. She doesn’t miss a beat before dashing down the hall to the courtroom ahead of Ei.

---

Despite the promise (implication?) that the rest of you would be free to watch, Ei shoos you away so the chosen prisoner can be guided down the long hallway alone. Once they reach the courtroom, though, the wardens are too occupied having the prisoner sit in the lone chair properly to keep you away.

So a few of you make the trek yourselves, finding the hallway only marginally less lonely with your company. The walls still seem stifling, their silence somehow out of place.

But the courtroom is wide open, if barren, and there’s not much to be uncomfortable about until the prisoner of the day is secured in place. A strange…—machine? Somehow enough of it remains in shadow to obscure any useful details—emerges from the wall to hover around the prisoner’s head, then everything but you and the wardens is swallowed by utter darkness.

It only lasts a moment, though. Once the shadow subsides, you find yourself seemingly somewhere else…

Tatsuko Onizuka

At first, you stand in total darkness. Then, with a sudden flash, bright lights flick on, illuminating your surroundings. You are inside a large circus tent, standing atop the stage in the middle of the ring. Loud circus music blares out of the speakers, making it hard to hear your own voice. The smell of popcorn fills your nostrils. Rows upon rows of amphitheater-style seats stretch out before you, but none of them are occupied. In fact, the entire tent seems deserted; empty and devoid of all presence aside from yourselves. To your left, you see a large entryway leading outside the tent, which is currently roped off. Turning to look behind you, you see an archway covered by a bright red curtain, presumably leading to the backstage.

Chula - Suzune

Ah, oh.... To have caught the correct timing of someone going in to have their projection occur seemed... a bit rare. Suzune peered down the hall for what was supposed to be a trip to get food in the dining hall with curiosity. The debate was more of whether or not it was acceptable to invade the space of someone she'd yet to communicate with. Had Suzune even caught her name?

But this was a chance that she might not get the chance to get again. She aborted her planned trip and slowly trotted behind the forming group. "Excuse me, um... is it alright if I, like, join you? I wouldn't want to come along if..." Well, there was an open invitation! She'd take her up on that.

She trailed off, still unsure of Tatsuko's name. That made things just a little bit awkward, but.... She flicked her eyes to Ei upon entering the courtroom proper. "Ei-san, your bruise?! Are you alright? Do you need--" The visual of a circus wash over her as she glanced around the room with wide-eyed wonder.

"Wow…. I've never been to a circus before…!!" Her eyes glittered as the question of whether this was literal or a metaphor wandered through her mind. It was hard to say, wasn't it?

Shiori Yoshida

Hmm.. well, being invited to an event was technically her being requested to do something. And, well, Shiori is never one to turn down a request.

Ah, and it looks like this time she'll have her sister by her side yet again. That was a relief, especially considering that, if Tatsuko's warning was to believed, this projection could be a dangerous one. Surely that's what she meant by it being 'fire', right?

She looks back at Suzune upon hearing her, giving her a nod. "I believe everyone was invited to view the projection. You should be fine to come along." Her gaze trails over to Ei then, an eyebrow raising at his injury. When did that happen? Well, no matter, looks like the projection's starting.

And what a colorful projection it is, the interior of the circus tent giving her pause as she wordlessly glances around the room, sticking close to Nobuko in the meantime. Circuses sometimes had fire involved in them, didn't they? Perhaps that would be where the danger comes in. Better to stay on guard until then.

Nobuko Yoshida

The previous projections she had visited were quite interesting, despite some of the strangeness and implicit danger involved in them. And given the kind of person Tatsuko portrayed herself as, Nobuko was certain that whatever 'mindscape' that it produced would be quite fascinating. So, she follows along, giving polite nods to the others that would be joining her in this place.

Upon appearing in the circus, she glanced around, eyes wide. Well! This was certainly a novel experience, she had never had the opportunity to go to such a place. After the initial awe, she noticed who… empty it felt. This should be a place of activity, but aside from the blaring music and themselves, it was dormant. Perhaps the show had yet to begin? If that was the case, it would likely be best to vacate the stage. She nods slightly to Shiori, then starts making her way towards the seats.

Tatsuko Onizuka

Nobuko Yoshida She nods slightly to Shiori, then starts making her way towards the seats.

Looking at the seats themselves, they seem… admittedly a little barebones. They're made out of plain wood and honestly don't look very sturdy or comfortable. They'll work fine if nothing else is there, but they're probably not the kind of place you'd want to sit for a long time.

Otherwise, the seating area is pretty unremarkable. A bit of popcorn is littered on the ground, though you don't want to guess how long that's been there. The only real noteworthy thing is that there's a small roped-off section in the front row.

Tatsuko Onizuka

While you’re standing around, the lights flicker and die out, and the music goes with them. The only source of light you have is through the open entryway to the outside. There’s enough light to see, but certainly not enough for a show.

Well, there goes any hope for a performance for the time being. All that's left to do is take a look around. What will you do now?

Kaoru Naito

It’s an easy choice, Kaoru hears that voice echoing down the halls and shows up like it’s his life’s calling to be here and do whatever dumb loud shit Tatsuko needs him to do—he doesn’t really trust anyone else to meet the energy levels he thinks she deserves.

(More importantly: he‘s BORED!!!)

He strolls in like he belongs, grin on his face as soon as he sees the circus and feels the atmosphere. Oh yeah, this is gonna be fire.

Looking between the two choices, he decides to follow one of the others this time. He’s with three seemingly well behaved gentlewomen he doesn’t know all that well, he can be a little chivalrous... He looks at Suzune, “Never? Heh, hope we see an elephant…” He fiddles with his sleeve buckles as he wanders with them, “… Is that shit legal anymore? Don’t remember.”

Chula - Suzune

"An elephant sounds fun to see! I've only ever, like, seen them in zoos. I'm not sure if they're legal or not, though… I HAVE heard circuses aren't the kindest to them." But that's not really something she's looked into enough to say one way or another.

Ah, though, speaking of, there were actually multiple people here she hadn't had the pleasure of meeting yet. It was just Shiori, wasn't it? That made Suzune a little like a fish out of water. Let's see… What did she remember of these two?

Mmm… Shiori and Yoshida has been cuffed together, and Kaoru had been the one causing a massive fuss in the opening hall. She knew that much. "Hi! I don't believe I've met any of you except Yoshida-san! It's nice to meet you, I'm Suzune Gikou! So sorry it's taken me so long to introduce myself, ahah~` Things have been pretty overwhelming, huh---?" The lights sputtered out, startling her slightly as she affixed her gaze on the string lights above.

"Oh! I'll bet the breaker switches are backstage. Be back in a moment!"

Suzune trots backstage in search of a light switch.

Tatsuko Onizuka

Chula - Suzune Suzune trots backstage in search of a light switch.

Heading through the backstage curtain, you are greeted by an area similar to the wings of a stage. The most eye-catching thing here is a white door lined with flashing bulb lights. A sign is taped to the door, reading "Staff Only - Do Not Enter."

Right next to the door is a large lever. A small sign hangs above it, reading "STAGE POWER".

Kaoru Naito

He'll leave the seats to the twins (that he doesn't know aren't twins, he's just assuming that for no reason). Suzune Gikou… sure, she seems bubbly. He feels like they're opposite polarities immediately.

"And underwhelmin', mostly just weird," he rolls his eyes, sparing the slightest glance to the lurking wardens.

He walks after her towards the back as well and comments, "Careful wanderin' off, these places ain't always safe. Could be an elephant right 'round the corner waitin' to getcha, geheheh."

Sizing up the lever, he figures that's self explanatory enough. He points at the staff door, "Think we should go in? Or's that where th' scary getter's gonna get us?" He makes a stabbing motion in the air with one arm, like he's holding a knife. With some others here, he'd just walk in. He's being so polite(?).

Shiori Yoshida

Shiori follows her sister, as expected, looking over the seats and only blinking a few times to the lights shutting off. Huh. What prompted that? She didn't see any of them turn the lights off directly. Perhaps they were meant to find the cause of the power outage and fix it. And looks like Suzune's already on it. She nods in her direction when she mentions her last name, then tilts her head.

"We, ah, are both Yoshida-san." She gestures between herself and Nobuko. "I'm Shiori Yoshida, and my sister is Nobuko Yoshida." Seeing Suzune and then also the other man she's not entirely familiar with, she waves goodbye to them as the disappear into the back. "Please call if you need assistance."

Back to checking out the seats she goes. Though they all look rather unremarkable at first, the roped-off section in the front row catches her eye. It's the sort of setup she's quite familiar with, given how rich her clients are. It's always first class, front row, exclusive seating with those kinds of folks, isn't it?

Tatsuko Onizuka

Shiori Yoshida Though they all look rather unremarkable at first, the roped-off section in the front row catches her eye.

There's nothing particularly special about the seats in the roped-off section, just that they are roped off. Though it's hard to tell exactly, given the bench-like nature of the seating, this section seems to be for six people. A small sign hangs from the rope, with "RESERVED FOR THE ONIZUKA FAMILY" printed in a fancy-looking font. Interestingly enough, the actual family name seems to have been scribbled out, and "ONIZUKA" has been scrawled above where it should be.

Nobuko Yoshida

Nobuko walks alongside her sister, looking over the roped off seating. While it was rare that she would be taken out to such places, it was a concept she was familiar with. After all, she was often the one who was expected to make the necessary reservations, a task many of her masters considered beneath them.

Regardless of her own life experiences, it seems like this particular had been reassigned, and quite hastily at that. Nobuko looks closely, trying to see if she can make out the original family's name.

Tatsuko Onizuka

Nobuko Yoshida Nobuko looks closely, trying to see if she can make out the original family’s name.

Maybe it's because of how heavily the original name is scribbled out, maybe it's because the projection is intentionally obscuring it, but no matter how hard you look, you can't seem to make it out.

Chula - Suzune

Suzune giggled. Underwhelming. "I can't really argue with that, huh? Lots of empty time, too. I've taken up doing some chores around the prison to fill the time. I just… wish we had some sports stuff, I guess. I'd eat a whole bus to sit around a TV and watch a good soccer game right now, hehe. What's your name, good sir?" She asked idly, following his gaze to the employee only door. Well. She knew how to turn the lights back on, but she had to admit, it wouldn't be irresponsible to wait a few moments. After all, they still had plenty of vision.

"OH! Should I use first names, then? If that's not overstepping, that might be easier when we're all together!" It must be really nice to have a sibling present to act as emotional support. She peered out from behind the curtains to flash them a smile. "I'll let you know if I need anything, then!" Shiori seemed so polite and well-put-together, actually. Pleasant company.

But of course… back to the task at hand.

"Thanks for accompanying me, by the way! If the scary getter's there I bet we could take 'em." She flexed, somewhat toned actually even if it would be inaccurate to call her 'buff'. Suzune examines the 'Staff Only' sign! Sticking by Kaoru, if she can. They could try to open it next.

Tatsuko Onizuka

Chula - Suzune Suzune examines the ‘Staff Only’ sign!

It sure says Staff Only! Of course, there doesn't seem to be any actual staff around, so there's no one who could actually stop you if you wanted to go in.

Kaoru Naito

"Soccerrr, ugh, I'd kill someone fer somethin' t' kick around! … heh, y'know. Or eat a bus or whatever."

Some idioms become more loaded in a room full of murderers, which just makes them even funnier to say, to him.

"Y'know, I used ta pick up jobs at carnivals 'n piers all th' time, I'm basically a certified carny. Be ready with them fists, I'll run behind ya if somethin' tries t' grab me."

He says as he pushes the staff door open, not really all that worried.

Tatsuko Onizuka

Kaoru Naito He says as he pushes the staff door open, not really all that worried.

Trying to open the door, you find that it is unlocked, and you are free to enter and exit as you wish. Entering the door seems to lead you to the backstage area.

Entering this area, it seems much less flashy than the main stage, set up more like a large warehouse. A bunch of old circus equipment is strewn about the place -- rusted cages, broken unicycles, some warped hoops, a few frayed tightropes hanging overhead. Above you are signs pointing to where different types of equipment are, though they don't seem to be in meaningful order. To your left, you see a closed side door, presumably leading outside.

A note is taped to the front of one of the cages.

Shiori Yoshida

Shiori squints at the sign barring off the front row seats, the original name being crossed off making her thoughts race. Assuming that the currently legible name is Tatsuko's last name, was she perhaps part of the original family once but was then taken away? Did the entire family change last names, or perhaps it was just her?

She supposes she won't get a definitive explanation to this mystery just yet. Projections always seemed to be steeped in metaphor and allusion, and besides, what was the point in overanalyzing them? She wasn't the one deciding Tatsuko or anyone else's verdict, after all.

With Kaoru and Suzune already handling stuff backstage, her the chauffeur's gaze drifts to the large entryway leading outside the tent. Is there anything of note outside?

Tatsuko Onizuka

Shiori Yoshida With Kaoru and Suzune already handling stuff backstage, her the chauffeur’s gaze drifts to the large entryway leading outside the tent. Is there anything of note outside?

The door outside seems to lead to an endless expanse of greenery. It's impossible to tell where it ends as it disappears beyond the horizon.

You do notice that it is currently night. The inside of the tent is being illuminated by an extraordinarily bright moon and stars.