interest check

[stalledrevolution]

INTEREST CHECK

Hook ღ Premise ღ Overview

Do you know? Do you know? Did you hear the news?

The Dramaturge is inviting a whole new Troupe to the school!

The Méliès Conservatoire of Performing Arts, host to showbiz aspirants of all ages! Bright-eyed and young; bitter and croney! All it takes to get invited to be a Troupe member is to have a desire.

But not just any desire! A desire to rewrite their story. Anyone who's gone, "Ahh~ I wish my life were different~ I wish the world would change~ I wish I could change~!" gets to qualify!

They're just walking around and then, bam! A letter from the Dramaturge shows up in their hand!

And as long as they don't make Father angry, they'll be revolutionizing themselves in no time at all! Probably.

But~ I wonder~ is it really that easy to rewrite your story?

I wonder? I wonder? Is any shortcut as easy as it seems?

Best of luck to our soon-to-be intrepid heroes, unlucky victims, and secretive plotters! For three whole weeks, you'll be the stars of our show's latest run! Because once you get an invitation, you're coming to perform— whether you like it or not!

PREMISE

🌹 Theatre Paradis is a direct invite-only, 3 week murder game, planned to accommodate roughly ~25 characters. If you have an invite from Juliet, Limon Basil, or Fyre, you're guaranteed a slot once you reserve! There's no plan for +1's at this time.

🌹 Game Contents: Theatre Paradis is plot-zero, flavor-heavy, and CR-focused. While this game follows the aesthetics of and takes inspiration from the themes of Revolutionary Girl Utena, this game does not require knowledge of the series, nor will we follow its plot.

🌹 Letter & Arrival: Characters will receive a letter (which may be on their desk, in their pack, in their hand when they aren't looking, etc.) featuring a wax seal rose signet. The letter will introduce the sender as a ghost lingering in purgatory who has been damned to grant people what they themself failed to accomplish in life: rewriting their story— in other words, grant a wish. The condition is that these wishes must be won, and that a price must be paid for entry. The letter does not explain what this condition is (spoilers: it's murder!) or what the price is (spoilers: it's a secret of theirs— see the "secret swap" stuff below!).

The letter will also come with a ring featuring that same rose signet and a 90's-era flip phone that doesn't power on until the characters arrive to the game and a color-coded, dorm-labeled, brass key. The letter will inform the character that this ring represents an engagement (to whom?) and defines them as a member of the current Troupe. None of these things are elaborated upon.

Regardless, the next doorway, frame, or vaguely archway-ish thing a character walks through will take the character directly into a subway car; behind them, they'll see a set of rose-patterned elevator doors closing behind them, and that ring firmly on their finger, unable to be removed (for now).

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OVERVIEW

🌹 Game Schedule:

❥ Reserves & Applications OPEN: August 2nd, 1PM EST
❥ Reserves & Applications CLOSE: August 14th, 1PM EST
❥ Game START: August 16th, 1PM EST
❥ Game Finale START: September 7th, 1PM EST

🌹 Weekly Schedule:

❥ Weekly Mingles: Monday, 1PM EST
❥ Event: Wednesday, 1PM EST
❥ Investigation Block 1: Friday, 1PM EST - 3PM EST
❥ Investigation Block 2: Friday, 10PM EST - 12AM EST
❥ Trial: Saturday, 1-8PM EST
❥ Execution: Sunday, 1PM EST

On the third week, the final execution will be a mod execution and take place directly after trial's end. The final Sunday will contain the finale, followed by an epilogue.

🌹 Themes & Aesthetics: While Utena is infamously known as "that vintage lesbian anime," it's better defined as a thesis on Why The Patriarchy Hurts Us All, Actually (Women, Children, And Minorities The Most). As a plot-zero game, the PCs will not be forced to deal with the hard-hitting implications of the societal institution of gender roles and sexism, though there will be evidence of it in the setting. The game will primarily focus on CR-building, partnering up to complete weekly tasks, gossip and rumors and silly nonsense, recovering who you are while surrounded by a student population sees you through only your Trope, and discovering what assigned prince or princess of yours has been given a dear piece of yourself— and recognizing you might or might not want to be yourself again, if it means being alone.

Aesthetically, the game will invoke dreamy themes of fairytales - primarily, the role of princes and princesses (and, often, princes and brides) - as well as themes related to cathedrals and all that associated religious baggage. The game takes place in an inverted, underground tower of MC Escher, surrealist architecture built in the style of a cathedral. This tower hosts a joint high school and college, populated by faceless Extras who comprise the student and teacher population. The buildings and stairways are in constant shift and flux, the weather lovely, somehow, despite the school grounds being indoors.

🌹 Wait, go back to that partners thing,: God said Adam and Eve, right? Find your prince (or princess) and live happily ever after! :)

Utena is a series about how our relationships define and, at times, inhibit us— and how we define ourselves, despite these tangles, and despite how we may be falsely perceived (or how we fail to grow and keep to what's unhealthy and false but comfortable!). On your app, you will be asked for a secret that is foundational to your PC, something that has defined their character and/or beliefs, that they do not want anyone to know or would not share easily. This will be your character's admission price for the opportunity to rewrite their destiny— characters will forget the primary contents of the secret, which may affect their personality (at players' discretion), but they can recall events leading up to the memory associated with this secret, and the events following. In its place, they will find another person's secret lodged awkwardly in the hole in their chest, one that they know is not theirs but makes them feel close to whole, and one they will find an impulse to hold fast to, and whose owner they do want to know. In short, secrets/memories are swapped in pairs (EG, if Alice has Bob's secret, then Bob also has Alice's secret).

To regain your character's secret and make themself whole again, they'll need to sleuth around through all those CR-building exercises and figure out who has it. However, upon discovering their partner, they may discover a codependent impulse—whether founded in love or disgust—that may cause them to desire to close up the walls around them and their partner instead of becoming independent once more... (More info in the FAQ, under "secret swapping".)

🌹 Scapegoats & Death: The game will be scapegoat style with private conversations (PCs) and a network. PCs who die during the course of the game will remain in play— but they won't be quite the same. Stay tuned!

🌹 Suitability: The minimum age for this game is 15. Powers will be off, minus biological differences like vampirism. There is a combined franchise/canon cap of three.

🌹 Proposals: Murders will run off a proposal system, based on an overarching IC incentive for character to kill. If needed, the killer/victim preference on applications will be used to facilitate murder, along with RNG.

🌹 Organization: Game discussion and organization will take place exclusively on Discord. Mod contact will be handled through Discord, using the Ticket bot.

🌹 Investigation Blocks: We'll be trying out something different this game in the form of investigation blocks.

Investigations will run in two time-limited blocks; all discovered evidence will be automatically transported to trial. Additionally, the amount of evidence for each case will be gently reigned in to ensure that most pertinent evidence can be discovered during the allotted time. More info about investigation blocks can be found in FAQ.

<b>Player:</b> <b>Considerations:</b> <b>Likelihood:</b> <b>Questions:</b> <b>Insert Meme:</b>

c

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NAVIGATION

CODE BY

Comments

[ohiganbana]

Player: limonnnnn aka lb aka don't bury me in the dirt pom i really am only assisting this time not fully modding i pawmise

Considerations: I'm not NPC'ing so I have choices to make! im me and this also depends on how the reserves list shakes out but rn my top 3 are like... raikou (nabari no ou), haruka (milgram), or ig... luka (alien stage) if ginshi can tempt me enough.

Likelihood: waves from under the hood of the car

Questions: who will save me from my choice paralysis?
Insert Meme:

[ocenon]

bro its fine i know your place in this space

the shovel will stay where it is for now.

[whileaway]

Just like in canon, I see you're setting up Luka for another round of performances,,,,

[shadowkin]

Player: Fyre
Considerations: idek buds I'll be real w/ you it could be a sword or a Milgram or a Gundam or like idk a Studio LAN character decisions are hard
Likelihood: sits in the mod ceiling with no boba

Questions: HELP ME FIGURE OUT A PICK JUST START THROWING OUT RANDOM CHARACTERS

Insert Meme:

[impacter]

i will always be on the side of Swords lbr (did i consider bringing back otegine for like .5 seconds i sure did)

[legendofthelion]

Player: Athuria
Considerations: Dehya from Genshin Impact! Because an innately knightly merc lady with a strong sense of justice needs to be in the Utena game
Likelihood: 200%
Questions: non
Insert Meme: Please don't make me play the only woman in the Utena game

[impacter]

PLEASE WE NEED MORE GIRLS :crymeow:

[sedulitas]

Player: naru
Considerations: prooobably this guy here: jude mathis (tales of xillia). i've been talking about playing him again for too long and this might be a good time to bring him back. ...but after some quick thinking could also do uta (one piece) or lavi (d.grayman).
Likelihood: 60%??? i'm going on vacation the same week that the game starts so we'll see...
Questions: will someone be able to stop my murder hands?
Insert Meme: i'm at work rn so the only meme is me.

[shadowkin]

puts paw on Lavi

[impacter]

Player: nik nik nik nik nik (without a c)
Considerations: either this guy (solomon from obey me) or yugamu omokage (hundred line) "arent they both freaks" shh i have reasons.
Likelihood: GOD LET ME HAVE SOMETHING NICE IN MY LIFE (the heart says 90% but cries about my work schedule ILL TRY)
Questions: i see powers are off and i hate that i have to ask but what about physical augmentations?
Insert Meme:
Im on my phone and life is cruelty that i cant just auto load a meme onto a rawhtml post wow dreamwidth so unfair /j

[shadowkin]

YUGAMU

[cannotunravel]

Player: tori
Considerations: flat escardos...more like flat escarcuatros
Likelihood: 100%
Questions: could you get pom to give me kbbq
Insert Meme:












(disclaimer: not actually tori)

[shadowkin]

wait who is this

[revengier]

Player: amb
Considerations: i may be back on my bullshit and bring kurapika (hunter x hunter)... potentially crystal exarch (final fantasy xiv) depending on how the cast list shakes out but THOSE ARE MY TWO
Likelihood: 99%
Questions: sighs i'm sorry i gotta ask about kurapika's beautiful special eyes can he keep them (no power boost ofc)
Insert Meme:

[shadowkin]

pika pika

re: question can we get a bit more elaboration on what's special about his eyes?

[hjadningavig]

Player: Luminitrium
Considerations: Dainsleif only (Genshin Impact)
Likelihood: 100%
Questions: N/A
Insert Meme: I thought this was funny so I linked it

[sedulitas]

ME FURIOUSLY GOOGLING HIM AND COMPARING CHARACTERS (jk im not doing this for the comedy)

[711]

Player: milky
Considerations: takumi sumino (the 100 line), kamille bidan (zeta gundam), suzaku kururugi (code goose)................ insert mentally damaged teenager here!
Likelihood: open the door
Questions: looks at fyre... ik it's powers off but looks at newtypes, looks at hands............ would kamille be able to retain any of those abilities
Insert Meme:

[shadowkin]

PUTS PAW ON EVERYONE also I'll be real I still don't understand Newtypes rip

Can you give a rundown of what Newtype characteristics you'd be looking to keep?

[cleansheets]

Player: Luna
Considerations: My top runner right now is Adam from SK8, if a) I can wrangle him to make the secrets mechanic work and b) I think I can maintain the energy. Otherwise my thematically Utena-adjacent muses are... McGillis Fareed from Gundam IBO......................................................... look, I am probably not bringing you McGillis again but can you imagine. Or I'll swerve to someone wholly different, idek.
Likelihood: 95%, something awful would have to happen with my new work hours to make me stay away
Questions: I will ask so many specific questions about the secret mechanic, I am so sorry
Insert Meme:

[711]

thinking hard about kamille and adam

thinking hard about adam getting decked in the face

[ninedrive]

Player: mauyn
Considerations: top runner is possibly ... Tamamo Vitch from F/GO, maybe? what's that, that's not what the name field says? strange... don't worry about that. Grima... 3! from fire emblem awakening is also in the running because the identity thing here is very funny to me. but as far as thematically appropriate utena-adjacent characters go, there's also potentially Homura (...?) (listen you all know this canon surely after belle) Don't worry about it.
edit: actually i forgot one more potential option that came to mind only after reading the special mechanic here and it's A Certain Black-Masked Someone from Tales of Xillia 2. you know the one. (most people here do not)
Likelihood: sssssss 70%? depends on what my work schedule looks like in august
Questions: questions to come at a later point probably, esp if i go with any of the 'gang this character needs regular infusions of [insert magic mechanic here] to function, how go it' options.
Insert Meme:

[shadowkin]

All of these options are very funny app all of them (no)

[selfconcept]

Player: Haki
Considerations: (shoves my ocs away) mmmmmaybe Adolphe from Virche? Yuri from Limbus. Medicine Pocket from Reverse 1999? Reiji from Cell of Empireo? idk watch me swerve to something that's not these later on who knows
Likelihood: Likely...
Questions: none
Insert Meme: no meme but did you know that TSA allows shoes to be kept on now? (real) (not clickbait)

[shadowkin]

looks lovingly at Limbus

[justonezero]

Player: Dani
Considerations: Hizumi Mizushiro from Spiral: the Bonds of Reasoning, Hiyono Yuizaki also from Spiral: The Bonds of Reasoning, Sasuke Sagami from Hakobune Hakusho, or Shoka Sakurane from NEO: The World Ends With You. Or maybe someone else if they occur to me! Who knows!!
Likelihood: my schedule is super up in the air so that, too, is a mystery
Questions: where did my brain go have you seen it
Insert Meme:
No meme just look at my son please he's so cute

[coldseep]

i love all of these (SHOKA!!!) but finally getting to experience your hizumi is exciting ngl

[ocenon]

Player: pom
Considerations: bro i'm going to be so real with you, i have no idea. jingles my bag willing someone to fall out and smack me in the face brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Likelihood: pretty likely? i think? the later invest block could be huge for me given the fact im now stuck in the gulag and will be even more unavailable during the day
Questions: none at the moment, probably will change when i actually come up with someone omegalul
Insert Meme:

[castoria]

GET OUT OF MY FUCKING HOUSE

[castoria]

Player: tori
Considerations: Artoria Caster from FGO is the one that's rotating the most in my head right now!
Likelihood: uhhh like 85%!
Questions: NOPE
Insert Meme:

[impacter]

me, crying as i try to parse which of the 47389574856737485 artorias this is this time

[enscene]

Player: Shay
Considerations: This is another instance of me speculating without having accounts ready, so I would probably NOT be participating in the Hoyoverse bloodbath to play Furina here despite her aesthetic fit. otoh i DID just play her and would not have to canon review, so. Anyway. I have a different jellyfish in mind.

The character I've been leaning toward the most for this is Cantarella Fisalia from alternative gachaslop source Wuthering Waves. Those familiar with Utena will understand why. You may recognize her from the 16 different goonerbait discourse arguments she caused before and during her release cycle. Alternatively, I do have a blood pact for codependent heterosexual nonsense with Naru, so I've also considered Milla Maxwell from Tales of Xillia. You may recognize her from being everyone's favorite Milla in-universe and everyone's least favorite Milla out-of-universe.

I see Tori put Castoria down, which means I might have to kill them because of OUR blood pact, but it does mean a nonzero chance of Morgan or Aesc from Fate/Grand Order.
Likelihood: Uhhhhh like 30% because as many of you know, I have been getting plowed by life, and I have some other things I need to figure out if I can juggle life- and hobby-wise before I figure out if I have MG energy or not or if I can plow through canon reviews in time or also if I can do this without dying. Unfortunately, I love Utena and doing things with my friends and have a poor relationship with FOMO. We'll see!
Questions: I'll wait until I'm more committed, but because of my considerations please anticipate some stupid as shit biology or physical condition questions in your inboxes.
Insert Meme:

[sedulitas]

shay out here with two whole blood pacts. i'm crying........ but tenderly holds your paw. only good things for shay.

[fetteredwings]

Player: marimooo
Considerations:

Anjo Nala from Reverse 1999. She is a succubus who lives for your love, will likely to have numerous hilarious break downs and is totally normal, she swears. What do you mean, eating raw chicken to satiate your hunger cravings is perfectly normal. Or I could do Sonetto idk.

Jiu Qianqiu from Kill the Male Lead to Become the Villainess. She wants only two things in life: kill the male lead and break free from the game developers trapping her in this hell hole.

Don Quixote or Hong Lu from Limbus Company bc Im a PJMoon simp

Or I could do Estelle Bright from Trails into the Sky SC or blindside myself by picking a random ass Fire Emblem character from the Ye Olden Days. yeah. Lapis from The Dark Lord's Confession is also nice and safe and comfy.

Likelihood: 50/50? Looks at work and laughs in teacher despair but the one thing that can bring me back to dwrp is UTENA THEMED GAME
Questions: will i need to commit sleep crimes again im scared.
Insert Meme: me, im the fool

[coldseep]

omg all your picks sound fantastic...... bring them all somehow (no

WRT SLEEP CRIMES outside of the schedule mentioned in the post, we're going to try to take partner timezones / availability into consideration when matching ppl up + cr building can be done at your own pace!! IF THAT HELPS AT ALL

[lightlessflame]

Player: Danielle
Considerations: honestly I am feeling incredibly head empty about who I want to bring here so it really could be anyone depending on my vibes when reserves open but right now my front runner is Agnes Montague from The Magnus Archives. I'm not like 100% sure how her nerfs would work because there's a nebulous area surrounding what is a power and what is simply her physiology so I'd probably have to hash that out with the mods. Otherwise I'm looking at some other quirky girlies from obscure canons but I mean hey maybe I'll pivot and bring a disney gacha twink that's always a possibility since they have a constant chokehold on me.
Likelihood: Pretty high! like 90% unless something comes up last minute!
Questions: nothing immediately!!
Insert Meme:

[coldseep]

OMG AGNES OMG TMA it's been a couple years since i finished the series so i'm fuzzy on the details of what agnes's Deal (tm) entails, but i recall the gist well enough that i figure we can discuss and work sth out if you end up going with her!! EXCITED NO MATTER WHO U BRING

[aspirings]

Player: Cal
Considerations: Tsukasa Tenma from Project Sekai!! ... That's the only one, I have brainrot
Likelihood: 70%...!! Ish?!! This looks like a lot of fun but it def depends on if i can come up with a suitable secret for my brainrot blorbo
Questions: Can the secret be something stupid
Insert Meme:

[beatmatching]

:CATRUNS:

we'll get you back when our main mod is awake re: question

i could have logged on minami but then id be sad so you get luka instead

[whileaway]

Player: Ginshi
Considerations: Ignore the account currently it's just what I'm logged in as-- I've possibly got Till (Alien Stage) if I can wrangle my brainworms properly, but I am also trying to load up some alternates as I think about partners and secrets and who'd be easy on my soon-to-be job hours. Cathedrals and Naru mentioning Lavi makes me think of DGM but damn I would have to review so much

Likelihood: a solid 80% because I want to 100% be here but gestures at life

Questions:

Insert Meme: while I wait for Limon to notice the other thing

[beatmatching]

what am i noticing...

[dokudoku]

Player: cocoa
Considerations: (by the blessings of nik) Yugamu Omokage from the Hundred Line, maybe a secret second or third thing im too tired and HLpilled to think about it rn
Likelihood: 80%?? i really do want to try a mg but cocoa lives an painful retail life...
Questions: but can you handle all that freak
Insert Meme:

[coldseep]

COCOA!!!!!! PICKS U UP AND SPINS U if you end up not being sure you're welcome to spectate and see how the cadence of a mg goes, but !! opens arms to u and chews on your freak lovingly

[trollophoroi]

Player: LA
Considerations: Up for consideration is the notorious Final Fantasy XIV BITC-- i mean ASCIAN Fandaniel. Time to play the canon version, who is not at all redeemable like the MMO AU one was. (:
Likelihood: I got a lot of time on my hands so uh if you'll all tolerate a murder game greenhorn, pretty likely.
Questions: idk if it'll be fine that I'll be unavailable for part of the first trial from 6-11PM EST? I'm assuming it will be since I'll be able to tag earlier. :|a
Insert Meme:

also ignore that most of this journal's icons are currently irresponsible captain tylor if you know you know

[impacter]

YES YES YES YES YES YES YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS

[immortalpoet]

Player: Crystal
Considerations: uhHHHHHHHHHHHHHH i don't even fucking know. maybe keats (folklore), lovecraft (bsd) or hansa cervantes (fate/strange fake). leaning towards lovecraft maybe. he's Normal and has bones like a normal human being
Likelihood: 50%?? my life is So Much
Questions: do crabs have eyebrows
Insert Meme:

[impacter]

This poor school is going to have the weirdest faculty list

I vote lovecraft for reasons :) but cries and makes grabby hands over hansa