#do you think kabuto's play counts as in-universe rpf

[asordinaryppl]

A3! Main Story: Part 4 - Act 15: PAINFUL RE:BAKE - Episode 18: The Fate of Ashes

also proofread by myuntachis!

Kabuto: "The ancients confessed before God. Now man is repenting before society." (1)

Kabuto: In other words, the script is done. Sorry.

Banri: It’s so damn light…

Aoshi: Please don’t drag Akutagawa into this.

Kabuto: Perhaps I should say I was entangled in the evil customs of the detestable world of theater… I need more than just time in order to write, there’s not much I could do differently.

Kabuto: Well, it’s well in time for our first performance. We’re going to start practice, so read through it properly.

Banri: Want me to hand out copies?

Kabuto: Yeah.

Actor A: I thought we’d end today with just etude training again…

Actor B: We’re finally starting the real thing, huh.

Banri: (Like he said, I’m the lead, and Hyodo’s the co-lead. Let’s see–)

Banri: ——

Kabuto: The title is “The Fate of Ashes”.

-

16th century London.

After the death of his mentor Jakes, a great playwright and director, the actor Baal takes over his theater company.

Gifted with talent, the directing techniques he had inherited from his mentor, and a large theater company, Baal felt omnipotent.

Just when he thought his time had come, his master’s will wished for him to act out the final play he had written alongside an unknown actor.

The lead would be played by Baal, and the co-lead would be played by an actor who went by the name of Judas. His mentor had discovered him in an orphanage, taken a liking to him and taught him acting.

Without understanding his master’s intentions, Baal welcomed Judas into the theater and they began rehearsals. However, secretly, he despised Judas’s acting, which was barely anything more than amateurish.

In an attempt to embarrass him and make him leave of his own accord, Baal made Judas act alone in the town square, introducing him as the new actor.

But when Judas started acting in front of the audience, it was as if he was a completely different person from the one during rehearsals, and his acting captured the hearts of the people.

When Baal witnessed the acting that had attracted his late master in the first place, he became filled with a jealousy stronger than he’d ever felt before.

As the opening day of the performance approached, Judas’s talents became more and more refined, and Baal started fearing that if they stood on the stage as they were now, he would be seen as the inferior actor.

Growing mad with the fear that he would lose his position and the theater company he inherited from his master, Baal devised a plan to replace the prop knife during the performance’s sword fight with a real one, and kill Judas in a way that would seem accidental.

And on the opening day–

Judas, despite being fully aware the props had been switched, still accepted Baal’s challenge.

Judas was jealous of Baal. He had been cared for by Jakes and stood in the spotlight, not only as an actor, but also as director and owner of the theater company, and wanted to kill and replace him.

The murder attempts disguised as acting escalate into a shameful scuffle on top of the stage, and they wind up killing each other.

The curtain falls, and their corpses are showered with thundering applause.

-

Banri: An one-man show in the town square…

Banri: (... Ain’t this just a rip-off of our Portraits?)

Kabuto: Heh.

Banri: (Now he’s done it.)

Banri: (Baal fixates on Judas’s acting to the point of jealousy and madness… It’s like he’s tellin’ me this coulda been me...)

Banri: (Honestly, it’s irkin’ me that I gotta perform this for him, but… It’s interesting, and seems like a role worth playing.)

Banri: (And this is a play I can’t perform in MANKAI Company– It’s a play that’s got Hyakka Troupe written all over it.)

Banri: (It’ll definitely become a huge source of knowledge down the line.)

Banri: But what’re you gonna do about the artwork and staging necessary for this?

Aoshi: We don’t have the time to create the props necessary to reflect the time period this play is set in.

Kabuto: We won’t be making any props this time.

Kabuto: My plan is to arrange, stack and break soapboxes in order to reflect each scene’s atmosphere.

Aoshi: Soapboxes?

Juza: I’ve seen… somethin’ like that before.

Juza: While the actors stood on stage, stuff like panels and chairs were moved around to represent either a train or a conference room–

Juza: The way the actors themselves created the set while acting was impressive.

Kabuto: That’s exactly “somethin’ like” it.

Kabuto: I plan to have all actors, main cast included, carry soapboxes during each scene change.

Juza: Sounds interesting.

Banri: … Do you even understand how difficult operatin’ through this is gonna be?

Banri: …

Banri: (What does Hyodo even think of this script?)

Banri: (Is he aware that we’re the inspiration for it? Or is he too dumb to get even that much…)

Banri: (Either way, this is a play worth actin’ for both of us. He’ll need to walk over my dead body to beat me on stage.)

Banri: (Uh, I do die in this play, though.)

Banri: ‘lright, let’s get the read-through started–

Kabuto: Wait.

Banri: ?

Kabuto: You and Hyodo will be playing each other’s roles until I tell you to switch.

Banri: Huh?

Juza: I’ll be playing Baal…?

Aoshi: You also had them act as each other during the etudes.

Banri: Ahh, yeah…

Kabuto: That being said, you can start.

Banri: Yes, sir. As you wish, Your Majesty.

-

Kureha: Hmmm… Muffins, or donuts…

Keiku: …

Kureha: Ah! It’s you again! Look, I’m still trying to decide!

Keiku: Doesn’t seem that way to me tho?

Kureha: J-Just wait a second, I’ll pick one right now–

Girl A: What, what?

Girl B: What’s wrong, Kureha-kun?

Keiku: Sup.

Kureha: He snatched the sweets right as I was picking last time, so I’m trying to secure them this time. Ah, but thanks for the puddi–

Girl A: You can eat my desert, then!

Girl A: This seasonal sweet potato roll cake is sooo delicious~! I’ll give it to you!

Kureha: Huh? Th-Thanks…

Keiku: (... Lovable, eh?)

Keiku: What’s that feel like?

Kureha: … Huh?

Keiku: ——tch.

[Keiku walks away]

Kureha: Ah, wait–

-

Keiku: …ugh. I should comm with someone.

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NOTES:

(1) quote from ryunosuke akutagawa's shuju no kotoba (dwarf's words)

(2) the title of the chapter (and the play) literally translates to 'divine providence of the scorched earth'... kabuto when i get you