The white-masked stranger enters; Cassilda is oblivious to his presence. She begins a soliloquy in which she speaks of each of her children who wander in distractedly as they are discussed (they are named here for the first time): her eldest son, Thale, restless, contented and cruel; Uoht, her second son, flawed, ambitious, sensitive; Camilla, her daughter, quiet but influential. She bemoans how the family was only ever held together by the Yellow Sign. The theater is absolutely still. Jing Yi senses a tension in himself, something tells him a truly awful event is about to occur. As all the other actors save Cassilda leave, the silent stranger, almost forgotten in the shadows, steps past her to the very front of the stage. He faces the audience.

Jing Yi was initially judging the performance a bit before, but honestly this is managing to be effectively creepy, and bravo to Talbot and Hannah Keith.

The queen, Cassilda, is alone on the stage. She is quiet for almost a minute — very odd for a play — and then she reacts as though someone has joined her although no one has. She speaks of the approach of madness, and she talks ever more excitedly about the power of the king, the King in Yellow, and there are pauses in her conversation as though she is listening to another side. Then a second figure enters wearing long silk robes and a bone-white mask. She ignores him. Someone at the back of the theater shouts out and people in front of Sal turn to look as the disturbance continues. On stage the queen now looks at the newcomer. She visibly struggles to remain calm.

The play is growing beautiful and strange. She's become fixated on it.

--She looks behind her.

The person has calmed.

The Stranger immediately throws up his arms to reveal the Yellow Sign painted on breast and sleeve and Cassilda collapses with an agonized scream. (Sal and Terrence notice that the actress wasn't looking at the Yellow Sign.)

There are gasps and cries from other audience members around the investigators and then the stage lights go down and the house lights go up.

A couple of audience members appear to have been overcome by mild hysterics and there is muffled sobbing from more. One or two gentlemen are conversing rather loudly about the play in deprecating terms as though seeking support. But many other audience members appear to be spellbound. Some people are going home, but not many. One woman who is leaving seems to be being taken out against her wishes.

She's shaking.

Why is she shaking.

There is no reason for her to be shaking. And Sano is looking at her and she needs to get herself under control and-- this isn't helping--

...Okay! This is not really how audiences are meant to react to these sort of things? This is happening anyway, apparently!

Terrence laughs, it's happy and a little giggly and goes on for perhaps longer than is conventionally appropriate.

He tries a couple times to speak but dissolves again, eventually manages to stifle it. "I- ahem - goodness."

That was creepy but took itself way too seriously and the mask motif has been a bit stale since like 1892. Also, everyone's a bit overexcited if you ask him. Have none of these audience members heard of Artaud?

It's over? That was so -- abrupt.

Lovely play, though. Very strange.

"Fuck," Sano says, and runs away from his seat.

The lights dim.

People are speaking and moving but Terrence can’t tell what they’re saying. The sound is distorted and lost; the shapes are only vague shadows.

He finds the play energizing and moving.

The principals stand in silence. Another figure appears in tattered robes: it is the King in Yellow. He is huge and he holds a sword and a torch that emits smoke but no light. He talks with the Queen and the priest, Naotalba. He announces that Yhtill has become Carcosa and all must wear the mask. The King disappears. Out of the crowd of fear-stricken guests runs the child. He goes to the Stranger who himself has fallen to the ground, and taking him by the hand follows in the wake of the King.

At least he hasn't read this part before. Though admittedly... the effect is a bit different on the stage, if he's being honest.

A masked ball is taking place on the palace balcony. The guests are finely dressed, intricately masked and they move to music played by the small house orchestra (there are some extras out on stage now to make up numbers). It takes a moment to see the Stranger, he wears a bone white mask and moves stiffly and without gaiety. After a while the revelers begin to take off their masks. Their eyes look bright and their actions are extravagant, unrestrained. The Stranger grasps the Queen by the arm and she collapses.

She's still shaking. Why is she still shaking?

Where did Sano go?

A room in the palace that has been taken by the Stranger. The surroundings are severe. One by one the principals come to talk to him. Thale wheedles and threatens in order to try and gain the Stranger’s help in pressing his own suit for the throne. Uoht tries to bargain with him to gain support for his own claim. Camilla wants nothing. She says she wants to listen, to learn something from him but then she does not listen. She speaks of Yhtill’s troubles. Cassilda starts to treat him as an enemy but then suggests an alliance, even a marriage of convenience between them whatever he represents. Finally the child comes in and stands mutely. The Stranger says not a word throughout the scene.

Hannah Keith is really good at this part. He is taking notes. ...metaphorically. The lights are off and it would be rude anyway.

He is focusing on how good the acting is as a barrier to stop himself from freaking himself out.

People are speaking and moving but Sal can’t tell what they’re saying. The sound is distorted and lost; the shapes are only vague shadows.

The transition from the ruckus of intermission to this odd impression of sound and movement feels like taking a plunge.

The lights go up.

"The play is over now!" says a voice over the intercom. "Everyone can leave! It's done."

Suddenly all is uproar. It’s as though a spell has been lifted.

...Well, he has no reason not to follow the intercom person's instructions.

Honestly he's quite happy to leave at this point. (But he does need to see if he can get in touch with Hannah some time at a later date.)

She's--

Why is she crying STOP CRYING--

Where'd Sano go--

Sal can't get himself to move. He stares up at the stage, unblinking, until someone jostles him and he snaps out of it.

Seven men and two women go temporarily insane: the symptom in six of the insane is a berserk rage and in the other three catatonia. Two of the men rush forward toward the curtain where they are met by stagehands; three others turn on members of the audience at random, forcing unaffected patrons to flee or fight to protect themselves. One assailant has a bottle, a gentleman uses his cane, and a woman scratches and claws; all attack indiscriminately and with abandon.

Oscar blinks. He has no memory of what he just watched.

...Jesus Christ, what is going on in here.

The point at which the canes and suprise broken bottles come out is the the point at which to leave swiftly.

Yes. Where the fuck is the exit.

(Who the hell brings a broken bottle to a play?)