The Black Swan Theatre, Sunday

[bluhblahbluh.livejournal.com]

Welcome back to the Black Swan Theatre. Where The Screen Door was still on stage and, amazingly, the cast had not changed from the previous evening; none of the young ladies had gone missing in the night. This, coupled with the general good mood of the Count today, made the actors relaxed and happier than they had been since the company had arrived in this strange little town. Poor silly children, chuckled the Count as he sat in his office reviewing ledgers. He'd had a very pleasant night and the noises of the House that penetrating even this dark sanctuary today couldn't turn his spirits. There are far worse things awaiting... He would be hungry again tonight, after all.

[The Boards is still the Black Swan Theatre. Come see the play or chat with the Count]

Comments

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

There was a woman watching from the shadows, with a .45 at her hip.

Funnily enough, she gave off no body heat. And didn't seem to have a shadow.

[bluhblahbluh.livejournal.com]

None of that, not even the gun, mattered to the Count; she held nothing of interest - the blood is the life, after all, and she obviously had none.

"I bid you welcome." He didn't look up.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah wandered over, and perched on a seat near him. "Interesting production. Interesting place." She gave him a once-over. "Interesting host."

And by interesting she meant what the hell is this?

[bluhblahbluh.livejournal.com]

The Count finally finished making his notation and returned his pen to the inkwell before looking up at his 'guest'.

"Thank you my dear. Although I must confess I don't know that there is much that is interesting about myself. I am merely the owner of a very fine theatre, after all. A humble patron of the arts."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"And you're not alive," Dinah noted. "I can tell, since I suffer from that condition myself."

[bluhblahbluh.livejournal.com]

"A mere technicality on my part, I assure you." The Count's smile was friendly. Ish. "And not nearly as interesting in this town as one might think."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"No? How's that work?" Dinah asked, skeptical.

[bluhblahbluh.livejournal.com]

"How does what work, my child?"

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Nobody noticing you're not breathing. That you're cold. That you aren't getting any older?" Dinah tilted her head. "Or do they notice, and you pay them off? Or put paid to them, for good?"

She was already dead, why not satisfy her curiosity?

[bluhblahbluh.livejournal.com]

"Pay them off?" He managed to look offended at that. "I have no need for such crass tactics. And you'd be amazed what people don't notice, little one. Especially when they do not believe in what they notice."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"I think I'd believe how much they don't believe," Dinah murmured, eyes on the stage. The Serious Actress girl was dying, hallucinating, going back to her room. "You ever met any other ghosts?"

It was lonely, being a phantom.

[bluhblahbluh.livejournal.com]

The Count raised an eyebrow at the tone in her voice. "Several." Though thankfully none he'd created.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"How long did they hang around?"

[bluhblahbluh.livejournal.com]

The Count leaned back in his chair and looked at her curiously.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"I was only supposed to stick around 'til I solved my murder." Dinah stared at the stage, watching a girl pretend to die. Remembering what it felt like, to gasp out blood, feel the dark closing in on her. "...but I'm not ready to go, just yet."

The dim theater lights made her look very young, the edges of her form hazy in the shadows.

[bluhblahbluh.livejournal.com]

"Then don't." Because yes, it was that easy, in his mind.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah gave a little huff of laughter. "What would I do? Hang around the graveyard, scare the tourists?" She paused. "I'm not sure I get a choice, anyway."

But she said that a little more speculatively.

[bluhblahbluh.livejournal.com]

"If that's what you wish, though I personally would find it rather dull and dank." He closed the ledger and stood, carrying it to the shelf he'd taken it from ealier. "And if you're here now, who is to say you won't be here tomorrow?"

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Could it be that easy?

I'd known when I took this job, that it was supposed to be my Last Job. But my killer wasn't who or what I'd expected, and neither was Fandom.


"If I hang around-- I'm keeping an eye on you, mister."

Things might be getting even more interesting around the Black Swan, if the ghost of the Black Canary was hanging out.

[bluhblahbluh.livejournal.com]

"Count, my dear." he managed not to chuckle. This was apparently the weekend for being threatened by little girls.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Count," she repeated, with a little more sass, and rose to her feet. "Then if this works out, count on me to be around."

[bluhblahbluh.livejournal.com]

That did get a chuckle from him. "My dear, your beautiful presence would put our current ghostlight (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_light_(theatre)) to shame."