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

[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.

[37773972]

Let me guess- you wrote to the Phantom.

Can I ask what you asked him?

[etincelledefierte]

I did, yes. I asked him if he had an explanation for why my classmate Nana and I were brought here four months apart. All I got back was a non-answer saying it was because of our respective circumstances, whatever that’s supposed to mean.

[37773972]

I could imagine how - if he's able to cross spacetime, then time itself wouldn't be a problem.

Why, though...[hm.] It probably relates to why you two were chosen in specific, as opposed anyone else. [Same as Jeremy and Christine. And him. And Ariel. Etc.]

[etincelledefierte]

It's weird to think of anyone being able to actually cross spacetime, but I suppose if someone could rewind or fast-forward it...though that's the same as crossing it in a way, I suppose.

[She hums.]

I can't think of a specific reason why it would be the two of us, though. I mean, we're classmates, and we both had some shared experiences, but there were nine of us that went through the same things. I'd think that if it was something we had in common, all nine of us would be here.

[37773972]

The two of you don't have anything in common that the others don't have?

[He's just curious, not suspicious. Nonetheless, he nods slowly.]

Then again, for all we know, it could be completely random.

[etincelledefierte]

[She thinks about it for a minute, then shakes her head.]

We went through a lot back at home, but nothing stands out as being a reason that Nana and I would have been taken. If anything, I can think of reasons we wouldn’t be.

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.

[isawallflower]

What'd you end up asking him about?

[etincelledefierte]

I'd thought that if I narrowed down the question to just the time difference, I'd get something of an answer, but it was all "it's because of your individual circumstances". That's just about as much of a non-answer as you can give someone.

[isawallflower]

What? Ugh. [ Riley wrinkles her nose. ] What an ass! He could at least pretend to be helpful. [ ... ] Or, well, it'd be nice if he did.

[etincelledefierte]

I don’t know why I expected any differently. I at least thought there would be some kind of riddle or something like that, something I could at least puzzle out, but...

[it is all she can do not to crumple the letter into a ball and throw it away, but she manages not to.]

[isawallflower]

Did he really say nothing else? Anything you can guess at?

[etincelledefierte]

Nothing else, much as I wish there was. It’s frustrating, to put it mildly.

Any ideas I have would apply to more of us from home than just Nana and I.

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.

[musacal]

You did?

[ She moves and goes to sit next to Claudine on the stairs. ]

What exactly did it say?

[etincelledefierte]

[Claudine nods.]

"It's simply a matter of your personal circumstances."

Whatever that's supposed to mean. It doesn't make even a little sense to me.

[musacal]

"Personal circumstances"...? Huh...

I guess we just won't get a straight answer out of him. I didn't really get an answer either.

[etincelledefierte]

Did you ask him about the time difference, too?

Either way, I doubt he would give a straight answer, but...

[She pauses, nibbling at the muffin a little more.]

I...you have every right to say no to this, but do you want to know what it’s like at my time point? If you don’t, that’s one hundred percent fine. I won’t push it, but I did want to ask you.

[musacal]

Yeah, I did. [ well technically she actually asked about something else entirely but it was related and she's not up to talk about it anyway.

Claudine's next question gives her pause though. Truth be told, she'd been thinking about asking Claudine about that... or specifically, asking her one question in particular: who won the Revues? But she's scared. She's scared that if she knows for sure what happened then it'll really all be over... everything she worked for. Done. Poof. With nothing she can do about it.

She stays quiet in thought for a few moments more before responding: ]

...I think it might be best if I don't know. Not yet anyway. After all, if we go back home and I'm back at my time then...

[ Another pause before she lowers her voice a bit more, not wanting anyone else to hear if they happen to pass by. ]

It might affect... my performance in the revues.

[etincelledefierte]

[It’s a heavy question, one that Claudine almost regrets asking the moment that the words are out. At the same time, though, if she’s honest with herself, she wouldn’t be able to forgive herself if she didn’t at least give Nana the choice. She’s one of the kindest people Claudine knows, and withholding information from her - or pushing the point and telling her what happened without even asking - would be cruel. Nana doesn’t deserve that.]

That’s completely fair. I would never put you into a position where you wouldn’t be able to perform at your best. That wouldn’t be right.

[She pauses.]

We’ll figure this out, whatever these supposed circumstances are, and we’ll make it right. Even if I have to duel him myself to get to the bottom of things.