week 1

[stagemanagers]

[Well, all escape attempts have failed thus far. None of you have seen the Phantom since his brief appearance on Sunday, or heard from him at all. It looks like, for the time being, you’re all going to be stuck here.

You're free to continue exploring your surroundings to your hearts' content. The only real restriction on your movements is that the kitchen is closed between the hours of 10 pm and 7 am. Better make sure to grab any midnight snacks you may want ahead of time. Also, remember to label any investigation toplevels!

The Merchandise Booth is now open for business as well! The Phantom hasn't deigned to explain how it works, but...well, some of you will start to find mysterious coins in your rooms, and the Booth's got a place to put coins. You'll figure it out.

Should you wish to engage more with your host, you're welcome to drop letters in the box office slot. There's no set way to converse verbally with him, and he's certainly not guaranteed to respond if you just yell at the walls - but that doesn't necessarily mean he isn't listening. Just something to keep in mind.

Enjoy your first week, everyone.]

Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday

(( OOC: This will be the last mod post for this week! Feel free to start submitting regains for any threads that aren't with the Phantom. Remember, song threads mean an extra coin! This is a peace week, so get all that CR while you can! ))

Comments

THURSDAY

[stagemanagers]

[madgiganticfeelings]

[Well! Yesterday was... a bit of a disaster, to be entirely honest. Finding out the trivia on her program might have been right after all? The discussions of losing time, of letters and secret passages? It's been a lot weighing down on Christine.

Enough that Christine doesn't. Actually feel like investigating today. Which is shocking, but she doesn't even put on her deerstalker cap today. Sorry, Steven, no good cop bad cop for today.

She does, however, notice that small pile of her coins on her dresser, and that does give her one avenue to check out that morning. You can find her at the merchandise booth, slipping in coin after coin.]

C'mon, big money, big money!

[And after she has her spoils? Well, she does what she does best.

Hanging outside the dance studio is a poster of some teenage heartthrob of some sort (wasn't he in some sort of... musical? About high school? Or in a high school? It's unclear.) and trailing from his mouth is a speech bubble. Written in bright, loopy cursive is the following:

ACTING LESSONS
IMPROVISATION, CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, AND MORE
DROP IN ANY TIME!

And inside the room is Christine. She's dressed... a bit oddly, with a pair of sparkly ruby slippers adorning her feet, an oversized Eminem t-shirt pulled on, and, uh, whatever this is wrapped around her waist as a makeshift skirt. And she's kicking her feet to a tune only she can hear.]

I love play rehearsal
If there isn't one here, then I'll make my own
Life is easy in rehearsal
I don't have to fret, about not going home...

They say that we're stuck here for all of our lives
But tears won't fall from my eyes
Helping others be happy is all I can do...

[She trails off and beams when she sees someone join her.]

Oh! Did you, did you see the sign? Oh my gosh, are you dropping in?

[Even if you stumbled in by accident, it may be hard to make an excuse now, with Christine's big eyes fixed on you like some overeager puppy.]

dance studio because of course

[isawallflower]

[ When you see a cardboard cutout of...someone with some kind of announcement written on him, you're going to take note. Riley's going to get some kind of workout in, because- well, that's what she does, she's going to keep herself in tip-top shape. But this? ]

Acting lessons? [ She almost asks who, but then her brain catches up with her. Oh, of course.

Well, even if she's not going to do anything, she can at least keep Christine company while doing some opening stretches. That's what she intends, until, well.

Until she catches Christine's little lament. ]

Oh, um.

[ She's rooted to the spot, like she's a kid with her hand caught in a cookie jar. The way her brows knit together and her lips scrunch up, that fades after a few small seconds, into a brilliant smile. ]

As a matter of fact, I am. You're the one offering lessons?

[madgiganticfeelings]

Yes! Yes, of course I am!

[I mean, really Riley, who else would it be? Christine is luckily oblivious enough to only notice her bright smile, and she claps her hands eagerly.]

Oh, I'm so excited! I thought maybe no one would want to show up at all, I mean, the poster was really the best I could do without materials, so...

[She jumps up to her feet and tugs Riley into the centre of the room.]

Okay, come in, come in! Do you want to start with a warm up?

[isawallflower]

Yes?

[ Riley knows what a warm up means in the cheerleading world. But in theater? ]

Confession, that time in middle school I mentioned, I...did not make it to the warm ups part, so I have nooo idea what we're supposed to be doing.

[ It doesn't feel good to admit that!!! But Riley swings her arms back and forth for a moment and then tries to make, like, eye contact. That's important in being confident!!! ]

[mcfife]

[Angus starts the day with another trip to the merchandise booth, hoping to receive something less sinister than the foul drink and sweets he brought yesterday. The first few items are inoffensive, sometimes strange, but overall not unpleasant. The tumbler looks like something very useful, plus the sandbag may come in handy!

He turns the plastic crown in his hands a few times with a sad smile.] The Hootsman would have appreciated a gift like this.

[Then everything else comes out. Some strange ice, a book, a wig, and...two cutouts of some strange man that Angus has never seen before in his life.]

Where am I going to keep all of this?

[Afterwards, he will be hanging around the ballroom balcony for a while with a broom in his hand, waiting for someone to pass by, and then-] I can show you how to enter the Phantom's secret passage if you have the time.

secret tunnel secret tunnel

[37773972]

[someone is...slightly hungover, but not horrifically so. Still, he perks up at the offer.]

Yeah. Let's go.

[mcfife]

Come, Doctor!

[He's in a good mood today, and Angus waves him into the ballroom, up the stairs, wielding the broom with more energy than he had for most of Monday.]

Right here, on the floor. [He guides Dr. Browning to the tile he found earlier. On his knees, he outlines the thin seam separating it from the rest of the floor.] Stand back. I will knock on it with a stick this time, so you can better see how far you have to go down.

[37773972]

[Just gonna stay juuuust out of reach of that broom - or what he hopes is out of reach - in case Angus gets too excited. But it's clear he's interested; he drops in to a kneel of his own as they go to investigate the floor.]

Wish I had a flashlight...

[We're going to say they made a pit stop for some rope, though, so at least he has that]

Through the mountains! Secret secret secret secret tunnel!

[madgiganticfeelings]

[Christine is here, giving an eager salute!]

Yes! Please, show me, if you don't mind!

[Maybe if she knocks politely, he'll actually answer this time!]

[mcfife]

This way!

[Over the mountains steps they go, to the hidden entrance beneath the polished floors. He stops before the spot where the Phantom stood as he taunted them.]

Be careful. It opens quite suddenly.

[madgiganticfeelings]

[Christine puts up her dukes, as if suspecting the Phantom to pop up out of the floor suddenly.]

I'm ready!

[likemypicture]

[While the others may have struggled to find clothing more... 'normal' in the costume room, Anne has fully embraced the absurdity of it. During her life, she had worn a new dress a each day-- and she didn't intend to become an outfit repeater here, either. Today, she's opted for a long plaid old fashioned farm dress-- only because it has an apron. She's got the sleeves tied up, her crown of spikes still worn across her head.

The kitchen really could do with a bit more choices, as she burrows through the fridge--]

No duck, or figs, or fresh peaches! Really! [Feel free to comment on that, or maybe you might rescue her as she tries to reach the bag of flour that's a little out of reach?]

[revelfree]

[He hears the clamoring in the kitchen and ambles in. Even after three separate lessons in kitchen-ing, he's still eager to observe others and learn.

he enters just as he watches the woman lean up. He blinks once, before moving to provide assistance.]

Just a moment -- [He reaches up and grabs the flour.] This?

[likemypicture]

[[She's been rescued, from a very messy situation! Anne smiles, then points.] And the sugar to the left, if you would be so kind.

[revelfree]

[Well, since he's here, he doesn't mind. He plops the sugar on down too.]

And just what are you planning on making, madame?

[reassuranceandrevolution]

Well, I suppose we can't expect too much luxury in a prison.

[Sigyn leans against the door frame]

What were you thinking of making?

[likemypicture]

I suppose we can't. I've become spoiled! [Anne laughs, but her shoulders droop a little in disappointment.]

Something... Warm. And sweet. There are so many young people here-- it does the heart good to have something homemade.

[etincelledefierte]

[After the meeting on Wednesday, Claudine spent half the night unable to sleep out of worry. She's convinced something bigger than just a kidnapping is going on. It's not as if she's worried about a specific person even though she is especially worried about them, it's that she's worried about everyone back home.

She's not one to mope more than she has to, though, so once she's up, she makes her way to the costume room, looking to pull together a basic leotard, tights, and ballet slippers so she can do her usual morning routine. That accomplished, she can be found in the dance studio, this time doing more formal practice that includes a full barre routine. Those few days that she'd skimped on the routine have her feeling a little rusty, though she's probably the only one who would notice.

Later that afternoon, she can be found sitting on the ballroom steps, a letter in her hand. She doesn't seem to be too happy with its contents.]

ballroom steps

[37773972]

[Stephen hasn't seen too much of this girl yet. It's probably best that he get to know all of them, he figures, and after a moment of considering her from a distance he moves to approach]

You look like you got some bad news.

[etincelledefierte]

[Hi, neighbor!]

I wouldn’t say bad, exactly, but it’s disappointing. I was hoping for a straight answer about something and got a complete non-answer instead.

ballroom steps doubling up eyyy

[isawallflower]

What've you got there? Is it... Oh. Is that a letter from him?

[ Riley, who's taken a seat next to her, wrinkles her nose. ]

[etincelledefierte]

Oh, hey, Riley. Yeah, I got a response, but to say it was completely unhelpful is an understatement.

ballroom steps

[musacal]

Clau-chan.

[ Claudine will find a banana muffin outstretched to her. Where did Nana come from? Who knows. She came very quietly though that's for sure. ]

You look like you could use one of these right now. I made blueberry as well today.

[ She sees that letter. She has a hunch it might not be too good. ]

[etincelledefierte]

Thank you, Nana. I appreciate it.

[She'll set the letter down for a minute so she can take the muffin, then take a bite of it.]

...so I got a reply to that letter I said I was going to write at the meeting. It's just about as much of a non-answer as someone could give.