trust you've got a game plan

[isawallflower]

[ At noon on Wednesday, Riley's standing ready in the dining hall, with a clipboard and a big smile to anyone who shows up. She's set blank stacks of paper on the table, but we'll get to that. As promised, there's some basic snacks as well as some tasty banana bread. Snacks for everyone! ]

Welcome everyoooone~! Thank you so much for showing up. This is a new and confusing experience for all of us, but I'm sure if we strive to stick together and cooperate, it'll help us foster the most productive environment that we can. [ Bright, bright smile. ] So! I've gathered all of you so we can share any discoveries and compare basic information that might give us any idea of why we've been brought here. Good? Okaaaay!

[ That smile never leaves her face. She sets something down from her clipboard and starts passing out that blank paper. ]

Sooo, following my example, if you could fill this out, that...can be a good starting discussion!

[ Her example is essentially a survey. Wonderful penmanship, again. ]

Comments

[mcfife]

[Angus has a few things he got from the vending machine today, which he's bringing to the meeting. His 80's dancer outfit is accessories with a bohemian scarf and his space sunglasses that he had not expected to find here.

Seeing the other food brought in, he has a bottle of Mountain Dew and some Mountain Dew-flavored ice cream. Surely people will appreciate this.]

I have found a secret passage under the balcony that leads to a chamber of mirrors, then to another tunnel that may lead to the Phantom's lair. The way down is locked, but taking another ladder led me to the costume room.

If we are to fight this Phantom, we must seek the key to unlock the trapdoor!

[justmeheere]

Where, uh. Where did you get that?

["That" being the Mountain Dew he's pointing at.]

[mcfife]

This? [He holds up the soda with a smile.] The booth of merchandise provided it in exchange for the coins in my room.

[justmeheere]

[You know how you can sometimes look at a person and know they're internally screaming? Jeremy's internally screaming.]

Oh. Cool. Uh. M-mountain Dew is really high in caffeine and sugar, so. Everyone should, uh. Be. Cautious? If you're going to drink it.

[please don't drink it please don't drink it please don't drink it]

[isawallflower]

I probably should've provided some kind of sparkling water.

[mcfife]

[This young man is not well. Clearly.]

So I should only drink a little of it? [Is Jeremy worried that he may accidentally poison himself?]

cw: you ever just have a panic attack about soda?

[justmeheere]

[How much Mountain Dew activates a Squip? He doesn't know, because he thought it was a fucking scam, but apparently Christine has a Squip so that implies they're real unless Christine's profile is lying, but why would Christine's profile be a lie when his is 100% true and Stephen said his was mostly true and -

DEEP BREATHS, JEREMY. DEEP BREATHS.]

Probably? [His voice cracks on that.] It's just, uh. Super unhealthy. Like all American food.

[mcfife]

[He slides the bottle away from himself.]

Not all food in America is unhealthy. [There must be something that Jeremy is not at ease to disclose.] Jeremy, what's going on?

[37773972]

[oh no]

Jeremy, do you need some air? I can go with you. [If he wants.]

[isawallflower]

The coins? That's what they're used for? Did someone hand this out to you?

[mcfife]

No, they were on the vanity in my room when I woke up.

[...]

Would the Phantom leave this for us?

[isawallflower]

I don't know. He was never...really generous in the stories, outside of [ ugh ] his obsession with Christine. [ ... ] His Christine. The one in the story. Not- you know what I mean.

[37773972]

Secret passage? We definitely need to explore that.

[mcfife]

Beware of the sudden drop from the balcony panel. Knock on it thrice, and it will open without warning.

...It would be best to use rope to lower ourselves down.

[37773972]

...right. Let's. Do that tomorrow. [Maybe?]

[etincelledefierte]

A mirror chamber? How strange...

[mcfife]

It might be there to confuse anyone who attempted to sneak inside. Who knows what may lie further within.

[etincelledefierte]

In a weird way, it makes sense that there are parts of this place that are blocked off? I know that in the Paris Opera House - and not the one that opened in the 1980s - from when and where I’m from, there are a lot of parts that are either not open to the public or blocked off. Usually for safety, because it’s such an old building, but there are parts of it used to transport scenery or big set pieces that aren’t open to the public.

[mcfife]

Would they use that for something other than the stage?

[etincelledefierte]

I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t, if someone wanted to try it.

[reassuranceandrevolution]

Perhaps we could pick the lock? Or break it down.

[mcfife]

We can try. Do you have lockpicking tools?

[reassuranceandrevolution]

I don't, but some bobby pins would work.

If nothing else we can try to annoy him enough to get him to come out.

[mcfife]

I could work on commanding him to come out... [If he calls him for battle enough times, then the Phantom will eventually come.] Do you have Bobby pins with you?

[reassuranceandrevolution]

That sounds fun, if nothing else.

[She frowns]

No, maybe the costume room or the prop shop have something?