( open to all ) all the world's a stage

[dothelokimotion]

Who: Open to All
What: Party @ The Opherium
When: August
Where: Central City
Content Warnings: N/A



( i. here for your entertainment )

[ most people would see the strange arrivals as an imposition. and loki does to some degree. that being said, he’s more than willing to turn that problem into a business opportunity. show that he’s open and welcoming. throw in a little extra money to establish the theater as a prominent spot in this world. the doors are open, fees are reduced. and if you’re not interested in catching a play, you might want to stop by the steps where there are a few vendors selling cotton candy, ice-cream sandwiches and beer to passersby and there are a few street performers there to catch your attention, whether they’re juggling fire balls, doing magic tricks or simply playing a pianoforte on the steps of the opherium. ]

( ii. the curtain rises )

[ for this month, loki is running a bunch of shakespearean plays. hamlet, macbeth, the twelfth night . . . you name it, it’s probably running. during the intermissions, there’s an open bar for you to rub elbows with the other patrons, maybe discuss your favourite part of the play. enjoy the arts so to speak. if you catch the really late night shows, you might find that your favourite plays might . . . turn out a little differently. like the trees are real in macbeth. that the ghosts move through the audience, sending chills down your spine. but the experience is still worth it. or is it?

or perhaps, you might need some alone time after a show, wanting to catch the infamous view of the city from the opherium's balcony. the choice is yours. ]

( iii. something wicked this way comes )

[ the theater keeps up odd hours. its productions run late into the night. and sometimes, you might feel the urge to linger and explore. after all, it’s strange to hear that a god of mischief is running a theater these days. almost suspicious even! so you might be wandering the halls, ears and eyes peeled to hear anything that might be unusual.

and you might just get your wish. a ghostly murmur, the flicker of a shadow against the pane of glass, statues that seem to be unnerving with their gaze upon you . . . is there something really there or are you just imagining things? ]

Comments

Slade Wilson | Ryslig CRAU | OTA

[ikonsuit]

⸻ forte

[ Leave it to the world's deadliest assassin to draw in a crowd.

As per usual, his first goal upon entering this new space is to gather information, whatever form that takes. Sometimes it looks like a covert killer keeping his ear to the ground and his hands in his pockets. Sometimes it looks like a spooky angel playing piano in front of a crowd of people.

Chances are they already had eyes on him, mind you. Meta and monster aren't entirely synonymous. Some people, he's noticed, look as exaggerated as he does. Most don't. He's in the monster minority, which means it's better to abandon the pretense of normality and lean into the absurdity of being once again taken to a new place with new rules and new people.

Surely, it occurs to him that he may have enemies here, that he should keep out of the spotlight, but Slade's worst enemy has always been himself, and he's been dealing with himself for decades.

He can handle it.

Once he wraps up, he turns slightly on the piano's stool to face, well, whoever. ]

Requests open.

⸻ to be, or not to be

[ While he doesn't exactly believe in luck, Slade knows better than to say Macbeth in a crowded theater, let alone see it. So that rules that out. Hamlet, though, is a good one. He'll take Hamlet, even if the point is definitely lost on him. Swearing revenge after the loss of a family member is so familiar he has to ignore it.

He's sitting in the middle of the theatre, dorky opera binoculars held up to his eye(s)—which only work half as well as they should with the eyepatch covering two-thirds of his vision, but he holds them just the same. ]

There are no 'good guys' in this.

[ Some white guy in a tux is going to try and mansplain Shakespeare to you in whispered tones. Better brace yourself. ]

There is no good. There is no bad. People are never just one or the other. Hamlet thinks he's good, but he's not. Revenge is neither a moral or an amoral thing. It's colorless. Agender.

[ Please hush him. ]

⸻ ghosting

[ After crashing on the couch of a vampire in the most haunted side of the Ryslig peninsula, Slade isn't afraid of no ghost. Even if the statues turn to watch him on his way to the bathroom and back, he isn't curious enough, or motivated enough, to investigate. There are bigger things in this world, like making money, killing Titans, and finding his found family team.

So, instead of looking for ghosts, he stands out on the balcony and looks out at the city. For a better view, he flaps his wings and flies higher into the air, which is just something he can do now, apparently. He lands on the roof beside a lump that looks like a gargoyle, but he isn't so high that he can't see what's going on down on the balcony. Should something catch his attention, he's ready to swoop like a dark angel. Or a weird goose. Whichever fits. ]

Jason Todd | DC Animated Movies

[robintohood]

Shall drink down all unkindness

[It's been a long week to say the least so a night or two spent just to enjoy the arts is a good respite for Jason. He's in a suit and at the bar during intermission just to get some water. He still wants to keep his senses sharp in case trouble pops up]

All the world's a stage

[You could also probably catch him at the balcony taking in the view of the city. While he's there, he's frowning a little. It was only a couple of months ago that he took in a similar view. However, now it feels more ominous with all the riots and mobs breaking out]

2

[robintohood]

[Jason nods, surprisingly not too bothered by the three-eyed man]

That's precisely the point and what really makes the whole thing tragic. It's not about the body count.

forte

[wallsofjericho]

[ Joe Wilson doesn't need to see the wings and horns to see the pianist as a borderline monster. At best, he's a deeply troubled man. At worst, an unrepentent killer who's near immoral.

At all times, he's Joey's dad.

When Slade turns to the audience, he'll find his son just regarding him for a long moment. ]

Requests open? How far open?

[ He is going to try and handle this civilly. After years of dealing with his father and everything that follows in his wake, Joe has every reason to suspect that Slade is involved in the chaos outside and to request that he put a stop to it. Civilly. ]

[ OOC note: All ASL will be presented as italicized dialogue, bold will be used for emphasis. ]

loki odinson | mcu

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki, the owner of the theater is around, overseeing the little things and making sure no harm comes to his beloved place. mostly, he can be spotted here and there, dressed in a black suit with a long green scarf over his shoulders. he seems to mostly preoccupied with the cotton candy machine, eyeing the finely spun sugar curiously, trying to understand how it works.

otherwise, he can found near the bar, looking somewhat perplexed. ]

No, there are no ghosts in the theater.

2

[definecat]

Suddenly there's a light weight on Jason's shoulder as Sleeper hops up to share the view. The place doesn't look all that great from here, and they worry about it.

"If I thought it would work, I'd consider trying to tamper with the city's water supply or something. Give the whole population some chill pills." they suggest, trying for a little levity.

[definecat]

At the bar, the tall man in black and green might be surprised to see something that mostly resembles a cat leaping up to sit on the edge of the bar, tail flicking as they wait to see if there's a chance to get service.

"I thought all the best theaters had phantoms?" they offer, mildly.

[dothelokimotion]

[ a talking cat. curious. ]

Any phantoms pre-disposed to lingering here would still need to answer to me first.

[definecat]

"Would you make them pay rent? That might be interesting to see managed."

There are ghosts and there are ghosts. Echoes of the personalities that were once part of the hive are a normal part of Sleeper's life, but the concept of immaterial spirits and haunts is merely a curiosity that they know through human culture.

"I don't believe I've ever seen a ghost."

[robintohood]

Jason lightly huffs and reaches to scratch Sleeper under their chin.

"Yeah, no kidding. You would have my support for that plan," he says, appreciating humor. "You'd be a real hero to this city."

[dothelokimotion]

Perhaps. Or make them work for my benefit.

[ he doesn't take freeloaders here. ]

Why so curious?

[definecat]

"One should never stop seeking new experiences. That would be boring," they comment.

"Your dramaturge has made some surprising alterations to the normal ebb and flow of the plays. I rather enjoyed Birnam Wood coming to life." Even if they couldn't quite see how that was managed.

[definecat]

"You know it wouldn't be that easy. I'd probably have to swim in the reservoir for days getting the levels right," But they have considered it. Instead they just lean into the scratches, making a rumble of appreciation.

"What do you think of the shows?"

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki supposes finding a ghost could be considered that. ]

I like adding my own flair to the productions. It sets us apart from the crowd.

[robintohood]

"Not bad. The delivery could've been better at the beginning of Midsummer Night's Dream but once the cast got comfortable, it felt more engaging. The sets were nice too," Jason replies.

So far it's been one of the more enjoyable nights he's been having in a while. Having someone who appreciated literature and theater as much as him helps too.

"What about you? What'd you think?"

[definecat]

"It would be rather hard to assemble a crowd that would include me," Sleeper stated, grinning as only a cat can. "Though I suppose one could try."

They don't really fit in, since most symbiotes tend to seek hosts, and Sleeper...is largely a loner in that sense. Gregarious, but freeranging.

[definecat]

"It was nice to see something other than a papier-mache donkey head. And there was a nice balance of polish and spontaneity in the performances," Sleeper mused.

"I suppose not everyone finds it easy to use a language that has shifted so far from the current colloquial." Some of the words are hard to get from context because the assumed meaning is nothing like how it was used at the time.

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki shrugs. ]

It could be an experiment of sorts, seeing what like-minded traits you may share with others.

[robintohood]

Jason nods in agreement.

"Yeah. The way we talk now is nowhere close to back then," he says. "It's interesting to break down the shift and all the poetic meanings but you really have to sit down and spend time to take it all in."

His interest was strong enough for him to study the plays for fun but he knows not everyone has the same kind of motivation as him.

[definecat]

"I will have to return with my brother some time. His upbringing was nowhere near as nuanced. The poor kid doesn't know Austen or Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber," they said. It was a horrible thing to learn about an otherwise perfectly intelligent young human.

"Hopefully he isn't completely ruined for developing a love of the finer things."

[definecat]

"Most people are unaware of the fluidity of language. They even think dictionaries can be complete." That idea gets a derisive snort.

And Jason at least appreciates these things, even when they aren't the center of everything. "I wonder which we should bring Dylan to. We have to fix the gaps in his education. Or he'll end up thinking more things like the Rolling Stones are the best rock band of all time."

[dothelokimotion]

[ loki wisely doesn't point out that he wasn't all that familiar either. he does, at least, take pains to supplement his education when it is lacking. ]

There is always room for growth.

[robintohood]

Jason scoffs in mild amusement.

"We definitely can't have that. It'd be tragic. At the very least he should listen to Queen," he suggests. "As for Shakespeare's works, I was thinking Twelfth Night could be an easy one for him to take in. Everyone knows Romeo and Juliet but it's such a cliché and overplayed at this point that I'd rather save that as a last resort."

[bestbrotherever]

[Are onlookers seeing double? Because there's now another him standing behind him. He's even dressed identically (thanks to an illusion wardrobe, natch).]

Are you certain? Given how many times you are said to have died...

[dothelokimotion]

[ well. this is an unpleasant surprise. though hopefully it doesn't have to remain that way. however, the matching wardrobe is rude. ]

I think I would know if I became a spectre or not.