week 2

[stagemanagers]

WEEK 2
[It's been...

One week since you woke up here
Met your house manager and said "We’re angry"
Five days since he laughed at you saying
"Write me some letters and you’ll never see me"
Three days since the mirror room
You realized there’s more the Opera House wouldn't tell you
Yesterday you'd bonded more
But it'll still be two days till you get your motive


Welcome to week 2, performers.]

[Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday]


[ooc: happy week 2, everyone! Don't forget to submit your AC and your regains! Regain rolls are done Sunday and Tuesday nights.]

Comments

TUESDAY

[stagemanagers]

MOTIVE: DISAPPEAR

[inside_yourmind]

[The Phantom does not make another booming announcement from wherever he hides in the ceiling. Instead, there's simply a note, sealed with a red-wax skull, placed in everyone's room this morning:

Your presence is requested in the ballroom at noon today, for an important announcement.

You can shout at the sky and/or the mirrors all you like, but he won't be responding to anything today until noon. This time, the Phantom will not be waiting for you in the ballroom. He enters after the last stroke of twelve has sounded, walking into the room as if he was right there in your midst the entire time. He isn’t wearing the full Red Death getup anymore; instead he’s in a neatly-pressed black suit with a dark navy shirt and tie. The mask he wears today is a plain white, and still not the iconic half-mask. It covers his entire face, save for his mouth and chin.

There’s no pause here. As he enters, he’s already beginning to sing - seemingly directing it towards some of the teens, a little bit:]

Those like all of you
You're just the losers
Who keep waiting to be seen - yes?
That is - no one seems to care
Or stops to notice that you're there
So you get lost, and you go unseen

But -
If you can finally commit murder for me
And make another that abandoned memory
I can do something for you
I’ll take out someone who you
Want gone...

Some people deserve to be forgotten
Some people deserve to fade away
You could make them just go
And have no one know they were ever even here
Someone deserves to disappear
To disappear...
Disappear

[He holds one hand out towards all of you, smiling.]

That’s right! If you can kill someone and get away with it this week, I will erase one person from your world’s history. Here they are, right here. [With a wide gesture from the Phantom, envelopes flutter down from above into your hands. They contain a photo of someone from your world that you may wish gone, wish never existed in the first place.] Don’t bother questioning my abilities. I brought you all here through time and space, didn’t I?

This offer is only available for one week. I suggest you consider it.

[He claps his hands together, and the room goes pitch black. You can find the lights and turn them back on, but the Phantom will be well and truly gone, well before anyone can attempt to grab him for further questioning. You have your motive.]

[revelfree]

[He opens the envelope, careful and deliberate. He takes all the time he can, because he doesn't want to consider what he'll see within. He needs only to open the envelope slightly to see the picture there.

He's out of the room almost immediately.]

[mcfife]

[Angus doesn't have to open the envelope to know how is inside. His attempts to keep his hands from shaking are almost entirely successful, but he stops just after unsealing the envelope, he lets out a heavy sigh.]

[etincelledefierte]

[Claudine doesn't even want to open the envelope in front of anyone, because she has the feeling she knows what's in it without looking. Instead, she takes it and leaves without a word to anyone else.]

[holyspit]

No one deserves to be erased!

[And of course the Phantom is gone already.]

[Steven hesitates for just a second before opening his envelope.]

What the- HEY!

[The envelope and photo crumple in his hand.]

That's not funny! AND IT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE!

[likemypicture]

[For just a moment, Anne is mesmerized-- in fact, anyone near her may hear her whispering]

Disappear
To disappear...
Disappear

[Then the room's dark. With the lights back on, Anne's holding the envelope gently to her heart. She doesn't need to open it.]

[justmeheere]

[Jeremy's just looking down at the photo in his hands.]

♫ But why would I kill my favorite person?
We're never not gonna be a team
Is it really true that my favorite person
would never be, like it was a dream?
Murder's perverse
and without you life would be so much worse
This just can't be true!
I wouldn't hurt you
for some sick murder game!

[isawallflower]

[ The whole thing seems a bit insulting to her. The presumptuous attitude, the way he seems to be singing mostly to the teens on the group. Riley’s frowning more and more, just—Ugh! It’s got her wound up enough that she opens her envelope right then and there, and the frown turns into a full-on scowl. ]

What? Okay, that’s not- Cute, real cute.

[ It’s more with irritation than any distress that she storms off. ]

[recessives]

[ Shilo opens her envelope and just sort of... frowns at the picture of this old guy in it. ]

Why would I want Rotti Largo erased from history?

[ Nathan Wallace screaming in the background ]

[superbeliever]

Now hold on a second! Who said anything about murder?

[He catches the envelope on instinct, but by the time he opens it and looks at the photo inside the Phantom is gone, leaving the King with a deep frown on his face.]

[redjoker]

Ha ha, nice try, Phanty. There's plenty of ways to make someone disappear but you can't just fucking vanish them out of existence.

[Not that he really needs an incentive to do some murder but he'll humor the spooky bastard for now. Jonny opens his envelope with a roll of his eyes, unimpressed with the theatrics, but when he sees the actual photograph his expression darkens.]

Oh, come on!

[herwiggles]

[Spinel opens her envelope and stares at it, for a long, long minute. Confusion visibly washes over her.]

...You'll erase them? Why would I want that to happen?

[reassuranceandrevolution]

[She knows who it's going to be before she even opens the envelope, but she does it anyways.

A look of pure, unadulterated rage crosses her face as she crumples the picture in her hand]

This is bullshit! You expect us to believe that just because you can bring us here you can just erase people from existence!?

[musacal]

[ Nana opens hers and... IT'S COMPLETELY BLANK okay well no it's not but it may as well be with how little it actually means to her. Yes she knows who this is, would she want her erased though? Nope. ]

Oooooooookay?

...I'm going to go make lunch if anyone else wants some.

[ And she's out, later gators. ]

[madgiganticfeelings]

What in the world...?

[Christine is left frozen in confusion as the Phantom sings for them, trying desperately to parse the words. Sure, she had felt like she was being ignored by most of her peers, sometimes she felt she didn't get recognition, sometimes she felt like no one really wanted to care... but that didn't mean she hated any of them!

She grips the envelope tightly, about to open her mouth to protest, when the room goes dark. Even though the Phantom is gone when the lights turn on, she shouts up at the ceiling.]

I don't care about your offer! The real Phantom can't do that anyways! It's... it's so stupid!

[She tears her envelope in half, and then again and again, letting the pieces fall to the floor without a spare glance. Really, she seems more upset about the Phantom than about the motive, still stubbornly looking around for a sign of him... but then all she sees are people around her staring at their own photos, and her rage-filled expression is cowed into worry.]

[revelfree]

[Ariel is quick to leave the ballroom, stopping briefly to squabble with Stephen, and then duck into the supply closet. Eventually, he'll slam the door to his room. It's probably fine!

So is the smoke that may or may not be visible under his door. This man loves fire, apparently?

Whether or not you worry about that, he'll eventually make his way to the Merchandise Booth. He ends up with... a lot of stuff. Including another feather, which is great! He crumples that up within his fist and throws it on the floor, before making his way back to his room.

Eventually, he'll open the door for actual visitors. And include a whole pile of items right outside. Yard sard? Yard sard! He'll also have a piece of paper stuck to the side of his door.

Everything they'd done had been in the interest of not having secrets, after all. Better to air out the same information that he'd requested others provide:]


Profession: Alchemist, traveler
Talents: Alchemy?
Strengths: Relatively skilled in survival, working knowledge of chemicals, acids, etc.
Weaknesses: Single-minded focus. Unaware of most technological advantages present in this mansion.
Enemies: None that I am aware of
Important Connections: I have cast off most of my connections
Missing Memories?: No
Secrets?: I have been known to be addicted to a handful of substances in the past.
What do you feel makes you useful: I am currently searching for the meaning of life. I may not be the only one.

[37773972]

[As before, he'll knock - and this time, with a care package in tow. He may have said no alcohol, but how about some fresh coffee?

He sets down two mugs on the dresser.]

I'm not gonna ask who it was. [Read; you can tell me if you want, but I won't pry] Just ask if they're in the way of your search.

[reassuranceandrevolution]

[Sigyn stops to read the paper on the door before addressing Ariel]

Cast your connections? Sounds lonely.

smoke

[isawallflower]

[ That is...never good to see. Riley starts knocking on Ariel's door the moment she does, during a trip back from the merchandise booth. ]

Um. Ariel? Are you okay in there?

[etincelledefierte]

[Claudine has a routine that she's developed during her time in the Opera House: wake up, practice, eat something, practice, take a walk. So it's normal to see her in the dance studio or the kitchen, or even in the ballroom.

Today, though, she went down to get the motive, and that's just thrown her whole routine off.

She got the photo and went into her room for a while. She absolutely wasn't punching a pillow, whatever do you mean?

When she's out and about later, it's without the usual pep she has. She's going to take a seat on the ballroom steps again, but without a letter or an envelope. She's looking down, to say the least.]

[mcfife]

[After the envelopes are distributed, Angus disappears into his room only to emerge several minutes later with a large warhammer and a determination that cannot be stopped. He marches up to the front doors and swings the hammer as hard as he can.

And again.

And again.

There's little progress to be made, but he refuses to cease.]

[isawallflower]

[ This morning sure sucked. It leaves Riley in a bad mood and she doesn't know why she expects this to improve it? But after a little time in her room, she strides up to the merchandise booth, inserting twenty-five coins and tapping on the counter. ]

Alright, you have my things, hand 'em over! [ The Phantom, he'd told her to be nice to his associates. Fat chance. The resulting pile of items has nothing quite like last time. Though, there's a confused sort of recognition on her face, at one point. ] Isn't- isn't this my... Why did you take my parents' landline?

[ But the folks behind the merchandise booth, they aren't going to say anything. Congrats on the new phone-shaped paperweight, Riley. And a few, um, other things?

Her first stop is to Shilo's room, and it's with a portrait that's not only holographic (what?), it's almost as tall as she is. She almost drops it a few times, not because it's too heavy, but it's cumbersome. Knocking more with her foot than her hands, Riley calls: ] Shilo? Shilo, I've- there's something that I think belongs to you out here?

[ If she's not in her room this is gonna suck.

Anyway, later... Well, later Riley's set up in the dinging room. She has two (2) chess boards out and set up, and...strangely? A picture of a girl, just set up between the two boards against an old-timey radio. Like she's watching. Riley herself is taking turns knocking the figurines over and setting them back up. Down goes a knight, slain by the queen. Bam, a bishop's been captured. See ya later, pawn. She looks bored, but...then she glances at the photo. Dryly: ]

You'd probably get a big laugh out of this, Chess.

[ She heaves a sigh and sets board #1 back up. ]

[likemypicture]

[It's somewhat obvious that Anne has been crying-- you can take either the puffy, slightly red eyes as a hint-- or perhaps you hear some dramatic sobbing coming from Room 11. Either way, her sulking doesn't last long-- and later in the afternoon, when she perches on one of the benches in the Lobby, peering down at the small portrait that was within her envelope, she puffs out her cheeks in a somewhat comedic fashion.]

And he said I didn't look like I did in my pic.

[That evening, she can be found in the kitchen attempting to bake away her feelings. She's making loaves of bread, as if there isn't bread in the pantry. Who does that?

She also struggles with a can of fruit cocktail for a while, having not lived long enough to meet either the can, or the can opener.]

[holyspit]

[Well that's kind of a lot, from today. But it's fine! It's fine. The motive is ridiculous and clearly won't lead to anything terrible ever, so they just need to band together and show the Phantom they're not going to be pushed into his terrible, murderous shenanigans.]

[So if you're part of the Sad Teen Squad (or Spinel), at some point later in the evening Steven will be approaching with a handwritten invitation.]

☆YOU'RE INVITED!☆
☆☆1st Annual Opera House Kidnapee Sleepover☆☆
Brought to you and hosted by Christine Caligula and Steven Universe

[The header is flanked by doodles of Christine and Steven in fancy dress, one on each side.]

When: Wednesday night, all night!
Where: Room 12
Who: You, of course!
Why: Relax, have some fun, and ignore that dumb motive!
What (to bring): Yourself, your pajamas, and anything you want to share!

Snacks and extra pillows and blankets will be provided. Please RSVP in person or in writing at Rooms 12 or 13!

[In the afternoon, Steven can be found in the music room, looking pensive and occasionally looking over the crumpled photo from the motive.]

Here comes the past, suddenly alarming.
The things you did, the people they're harming.
Choices to make, suddenly looming.

Oh, are we losing hope? We're losing touch?
Do the Phantom's rules actually matter so much?
Threat'ning to confuse us, tempt us to losing?

Take a moment, remind ourselves to, take a moment and find ourselves.
Take a moment to ask us if, this is how we fall apart?

But it's not, but it's not, but it's not, but it's not, we just can't.
It's okay, it's okay, it's okay, we'll be okay.

We've got nothing, got nothing, got nothing, got nothing to fear.
I'm here. I'm here. We're here.

[Steven can also be found at some point putting up a piece of paper by The Rules. The writing is- he's attempted to make it much fancier than the invitations, which mostly seems to consist of adding a bunch of extra swirls onto letters.]

ROYAL DECREE no. 1
By order of his majesty King Richard the Tagalong of Room 7

Murder and all murder-adjacent activities are hereby totally and prohibitively forbidden and banned for ever and forthwith, forsooth.

Further proclamations may follow.