open ✧ you are invited

[removal]

Who: Phantom and you!
Which: Open log/mingle
Where: Phantom's Music Studio
What: A music studio has opened! The staff are seeking students, but everyone's welcome to just hang out and chill.
Warnings: N/A

I. A Letter

[ Sometime on the 10th, a neatly-written invitation appears on everyone's journals: ]

Music Studio Opening on Theatre Row
Seeking students and fellow appreciators of acoustic arts
[ There is a hand-drawn map below that indicates where to go. The studio is located on Theater Row beside a bridge. It's not difficult to find Phantom's ID on the message, but he seems to have signed it with a facsimile of a wax seal shaped like a cat mask. ]

II. The Opening Act

[ There are two bluebirds perched on the stairs leading up to the studio asking passersby to drop in. There are no posters or other advertisements put up around town, as Phantom did not wish to attract too much attention. In fact, finding him is a whole hide-and-seek game on its own.


The reception room is rather cozy, with a few talking animals staffing the counters and offering cupcakes to any visitors. Right now, the studio only has basic equipment, so they are also looking for people who can help them expand their repertoire and build more instruments. Most of the animals are able to play at least one instrument, and they are willing to teach anyone who wants to sign up for regular lessons. Currently, there are beginner courses offered for piano, violin, flute, and singing.

The back half of the first floor is occupied by a small library dedicated to music scores and instruction manuals. However, the shelves are pretty much empty save for a couple collections of popular songs with no discernible origin. Oh, and this.

Sometimes the staff members will perform on the second floor to showcase their chosen instrument, or invite a visitor to take the stage. The more the merrier! ]

III. Behind The Curtain

[ The small music studio is staffed by enough people to ensure everyone's entertained. Notably, all of the employees are talking animals - birds, cats, dogs, and a bear with a truly impressive vocal range - and none of them have claimed authorship of the journal invitation. Asking the employees will reveal that the message was written by the studio's manager... who happens to be quite averse to showing himself.

Occasionally, you may feel a presence behind you, only to turn around and find nobody there. Maybe a gust of wind ruffled the curtains behind you, as if a ghost is haunting the studio. Or it might be a two-tailed black cat strolling leisurely through the rooms with a refined, self-assured air.

Eventually Phantom answers the call of his employees and reveals himself - a tall man dressed entirely in black, his hood not quite doing its job of concealing his Feline ears. He tends to hang out near the corners and away from conversational groups, though he would not turn away anyone who tries to talk to him... mostly.

Later he's talked into going upstairs to play the (sadly upright) piano. He spins one of the sonatas he had committed to memory on its ivory keys - only the first ten minutes or so remain in his fractured memory, but it is enough. ]

IV. Intermission

[ Feel free to tag in with your own prompts/tag each other in the studio! It's open to everyone. I'm also up for any and all wildcards! Feel free to PM or find me in the game discord for plotting owo)/// ]

Comments

[voidbug]

[The creatures of this world were still fascinating. They came in all sorts of types and sizes they never though imaginable before, and while some of them were deadly it was pretty easy to tell when most of them weren't. So they simply sat there calmly while the cat approached. No words, just some good mellow vibes. Curiosity.]

[removal]

[ Miss Christine watches Ghost for a few more moments before coming closer. She makes a circle around Ghost, looking at them from all directions, forming her detailed assessment of who they might be.

Then she sits down next to them, meowing once and then tucking her two tails next to her body. ]

[voidbug]

[Perceiving! Still not exactly doing a whole lot but watching the cat back and wondering what she was doing, until she stops. Casually taking note of the tail tuck though to the extent that Ghost managed to take a sort of round loaf position themselves with their cloak, in solidarity. Or maybe it was just coincidence. We may never know.]

[removal]

[ Oh? Ghost approaches her? She seems satisfied, purring audibly once they're both sitting loaves. She'll rest there awhile, getting comfortable in the fading afternoon light in a way that only cats can.

Eventually, footsteps sound from somewhere down the street - a man in a black cloak and hood is walking this way, and Miss Christine turns to watch him with her bright blue eyes. ]

[voidbug]

[Alas... they can't completely embrace their inner cat since they cannot purr, or make any sound for that matter, but they were quite content just resting here for the moment. At least until another appears.]

[When that happens Ghost simply sat up straighter and turned their head in the same direction. It's another speaking type by the looks of it, but cannot be too sure. So instead they just tilt their head to the side slightly with confusion.]

[removal]

[ Phantom took a break from attending to the studio, and his apparently aimless wandering brought him to Miss Christine's side. He notices Ghost sitting next to her, and so he half-kneels down so they can talk at approximately the same level. ]

Greetings, [ this is addressed to both of them, to which Miss Christine meows her response. ] Miss Christine, have you made a friend?

[ His golden eyes look at Ghost closely, finding an unbidden sense of familiarity with their mask (?). ]

[voidbug]

[New friend new friend.]

[Ghost was surprisingly chill and just vibin', and quietly staring back. Although, being referred to as a 'friend' did cause their dreamotion to bubble up a little in happiness. They like having friends... Friends are great.]

[removal]

[ The person doesn't respond - not verbally, at least, but he can certainly see the dreamotion around them. They seem positive, and unafraid of Phantom's general presence. ]

What is your name?

[ He wonders if Ghost will speak if they are addressed directly. ]

[voidbug]

[Still no words, but they did finally bring out their journal to help out with this one, to write something in it.]

Ghost.

[...Just a perfectly normal name yup.]

[removal]

[ Ah, so they choose not to speak, or cannot. Phantom won't question it. ]

I am Phantom. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.

[ Usually he wouldn't be so open with others, but Miss Christine certainly has taken a shine to them, and he feels that their appearances are somehow not so different.

Maybe he should sit down. ]

[voidbug]

[...Phantom. Well. At least both of them had good naming tastes.]

Do you live here?

[removal]

[ 'Live' is a complicated word. Everyone lives here for the duration of their stay, so he figures Ghost is asking if he was a native. ]

I come from another world. While in this one, I reside in the music studio.

[voidbug]

I am not from here either.

[The treehouses were kind of strange, and a little too spacious. Not that they knew exactly what to do with any sort of living area anyway. But they had eventually carved out their own little den somewhere since...they were supposed to have something?]

[removal]

[ He's not sure why, but the answer isn't surprising. Maybe it's due to his belief that darkness should not exist in dreams, only in nightmares, but he doesn't voice it. ]

Do you wear a mask?

[ He holds out his own. It looks somewhat similar to Ghost's. ]

[voidbug]

[Some may call it a mask, others a shell. At any rate no they can't take it off. ...Not willingly anyway.]

[But masks for some bugs also meant something.]

Masks are something valuable.

[removal]

[ That's not quite a direct answer, but he knows better than to harry Ghost about it. Masks are valuable - a way to protect oneself from the outside world, an identity to wear. He understands. ]

That they are...

[ He sits down next to Miss Christine, so that the three of them form a sort of line. ]