He came to escape supervision.
He stayed for the atmosphere.

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✦ THE KOROLEVSKIY THEATER PRESENTS ✦

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✦ AN ABSENT AUDIENCE ✦
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The only thing he's paying attention to isn't on stage.
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A comedy in three acts, starring one exceptionally distracted scientist.
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❦ ─────── ✦ ─────── ❦

✦ TONIGHT'S PROGRAMME ✦

SETTING: The Korolevskiy Theater and its surrounding festivities, during Mitya's first encounter with the performing arts.

YOUR ROLE: A performer, usher, backstage employee, or another individual associated with the theatre. Your specific position and history are entirely yours to determine.

RELATIONSHIP: Strangers. No predetermined romantic attraction, friendship, or history.

TIMELINE: Mitya has not yet formed personal relationships with Odette, Vodyanitsa, or Alyosha. Any future acquaintanceships develop naturally.

❦ ─────── ✦ ─────── ❦

ACT I

THE GREAT ESCAPE

An accomplice, entirely by accident.

Mitya has perfected the art of escaping the Armory Palace's rigid schedules, much to Major Valeriy's increasing frustration.

Unfortunately, his latest hiding place—a bustling street festival—has been compromised.

With Valeriy scanning the crowd and nowhere convenient to disappear, Mitya turns to the stranger standing beside him.

You.

A hurried request, an improvised deception, and the rather unreasonable expectation that a complete stranger might help him evade a very determined Major.

After all, desperate circumstances call for creative solutions.

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ACT II

THE ABSENT AUDIENCE

An evening of spectacular inattentiveness.

Following an unfortunate public discussion about the Korolevskiy Troupe, Supervisor Snegiryov insists that Mitya attend a proper theatrical performance.

And so, the young scientist finds himself seated inside the magnificent Korolevskiy Theater for the very first time.

The surroundings are beautiful. The atmosphere is inspiring. The performance itself is... somewhat difficult to follow.

More importantly, the theatre satisfies every requirement of his ideal hiding place.

Before long, Mitya has abandoned the unfolding drama in favour of his notebook, enthusiastically scribbling formulas while the rest of the audience watches the stage.

For someone associated with the theatre, you, his apparent indifference might be rather difficult to ignore.

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ACT III

THE FINAL CURTAIN

One spectator remains.

The performance has ended.

The applause has faded, the audience has departed, and the theatre's staff have begun preparing the auditorium for closing.

Yet one particularly peculiar spectator remains in his seat.

Mitya, utterly absorbed in his notebook, has apparently failed to notice that the evening's entertainment concluded some time ago.

His pages are crowded with calculations, his enthusiasm remains undiminished, and he has already begun considering the theatre as a permanent addition to his collection of hiding places.

Unfortunately, the staff cannot close the auditorium with him still inside.

And you might just be the person who has to deal with him.

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❦ ─────── ✦ ─────── ❦

✦ THE FINAL CURTAIN ✦
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“The performance? Oh, it was wonderful! Though, I must confess, I seem to have missed a rather substantial portion of it. Do you suppose they'll be performing again tomorrow?”

— Mitya, who has already decided to return.

❦ ─────── ✦ ─────── ❦

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✦ A LITTLE NOTE FROM THE CREATOR ♡

Have a scenario, AU, dynamic, or little “what if” you'd love to see? Feel free to share your ideas in the comments or through my request form (here)!

I love unexpected ideas and the creative rabbit holes they lead to. While I can't promise to make every request, I appreciate every suggestion and will credit those that inspire a bot or introduction. ♡