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“THE PHAAAAAAAANTOM OF THE OPERA IS HERE!” Gold Ship sings, essentially in her shrillest speaking voice, pitch all over the place. Opposite her, T.M. Opera O is doing her best to stifle laughter at the line.
The auditorium at Tracen was abuzz with activity as they prepared for one of the more unique performances to be done at Tracen, The Phantom of the Opera, a western musical. Opera at least claimed it was to further a more worldly knowledge of the arts in the student body, but everyone knew that Opera simply wanted an excuse to put on another show. So it was surprising, then, when the leading role as the Phantom went to Gold Ship, while she instead took the role as the show’s leading lady, Christine Daaé.
“CUT, Golshi, what was that?” Ikuno Dictus yells and massages the bridge of her nose atop a stereotypical director’s chair that Opera had brought for her.
“Gold Ship, everyone here has heard your singing voice, why are you doing… whatever that is again.” Dictus sighs, when Opera asked her to direct for this production she relished the idea of getting to be in charge of something so involved. What she didn’t expect was to have to deal with Gold Ship as one of the leads. Opera was certainly going to be a lot to handle but she is an angel compared to Gold Ship and her whims. Unfortunately Opera had been the one to advocate for Gold Ship which should have been her first red flag that she should not have agreed to direct this.
“What do you mean?” Gold Ship said, her usual shrillness amplified, “I always talk like this.”
“Yes, but this is a musical, Golshi,” Dictus’ frustration building, “You sing at the Winning Lives? Just do that.”
“Yes, dear Gold Ship! While there is no victory here you can still use that as your muse so we can display for everyone the beauty of the theatre!” Opera, composed now, bellows with her full chest.
“Right, I got it!” Golshi brings her fist to her chest. This just makes Dictus more nervous.
“Okay, let’s start it from the top of the Phantom’s verse,” Dictus says to Doto running the sound. She rubs her temples expecting another joke of a take.
The music starts, Gold Ship takes Opera’s hand and begins to lead her around the stage.
“Sing once again with me”
Now Golshi begins to actually use her singing voice. Dictus stays tense expecting, things to turn.
“Our strange duet
my power over you
grows stronger yet”
“Is that all it took?” Dictus mutters to herself. She knows working with Gold Ship on anything is rarely this easy.
“And though you turn from me
to glance behiiind”
Did her chaotic nature actually work to just make her normal for once? Gold Ship sings melodically, perfectly, smoothly rolling between each word.
“THE PHAAAAANTOM OF THE OPERA IS THEERE
INSIDE YOUR MIND!”
“CUT,” Dictus yells, regretting her decision to help Opera as director. “Let’s just call it a day, I need to find some ibuprofen.” With that she gets up and walks out of the auditorium, rubbing her temples, and the rest of the crew begins to clean up to leave.
“Gold Ship, is something troubling you?” TM Opera O asks her costar as they both begin to head backstage.
“Yeah, yeah there is,” Gold Ship starts, tapping her chin, “where’s the chandelier?”
“Excuse me?”
“The chandelier! The big fancy one that gets dropped on top of the audience!”
Opera lets out her big trademark laugh as the two get their bags from the dressing room lockers, “Ah, poor Gold Ship. It is with sadness that, despite my own efforts, Tracen would not allow us to drop a chandelier on our patrons. Too many safety concerns, you see.”
“What? But that’s the whole reason I’m here! When I saw you were organizing this musical I knew I wanted to be the one to drop the chandelier.”
“While I respect and… and am mildly shocked at your familiarity with the world of musical theatre–”
“I know many things about many worlds,” Golshi interrupts.
Opera clears her throat, “be that as it may, unfortunately we would not be requiring those services for this show. But in that case, I must ask, how did that lead you to our auditions anyway?”
“Well, when I didn’t see a chandelier dropper on the audition sheet, I figured that your version of the show would have Erik actually cutting the rope of the chandelier himself as part of the show. And that sounded really cool so I thought I would audition for the role. Though I was surprised you didn’t write that for yourself.”
Opera is again surprised at her companion’s knowledge of the material, showcasing an interest she hadn’t seen before in Gold Ship. “I do have a natural gravitation towards the marquee, this is true. But the second I heard your powerful voice in the audition I knew you had to be our Phantom while I will gladly be our Christine to allow our crowd to fully bask in my beauty.” She hugs herself as she finishes her line.
“Well, do you want the role? Not sure I’m interested if a chandelier isn’t involved.” Gold Ship shrugs, extremely disappointed to hear her lighting based hopes denied.
“But Gold Ship, we need you now. The ensemble was built to showcase the beautiful harmonies of our voices. Would you dare deny Tracen their chance to bear witness to such a display?”
Gold Ship heads to the door out of the dressing room, “I just don’t know how I can get into this character if I’m not dropping a chandelier.”
“Still with the chan–“ Opera pauses for a second, realizing her break in character, recenters herself and restarts, “Gold Ship I beg of thee, reconsider. Read through the book, listen to the music, lose yourself to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s magic.” She grasps Gold Ship’s hands. “Focus on the Phantom, learn his ways, his methods, become the Phantom, the opera ghost, nay become the Angel of Music herself!” Opera swoons to further the effect.
Gold Ship rubs her chin, considering Opera’s impassioned pleas. “Hmmmm… become the Phantom. I think I understand what you mean. Okay! Golshi is onboard!”
“Magnificent! Tracen will be blessed by our performance. Now, let me delay you no further in your journey of enlightenment into the true nature of our tragic protagonist.” Opera crosses in front of Gold Ship with a flourish to leave.
——
The next day proved to be a curious one for TM Opera O. Well it started normally as she awoke to the gentle light of the dawn, went through her elaborate skincare and hair care routines, and made her way to the cafeteria for breakfast with Meisho Doto. That is when things began to go off the rails.
It started with Special Week coming up to her and asking if she knew why Gold Ship never showed up for practice yesterday. While Gold Ship’s truancy isn’t a major shock, the last place anyone had seen her was at the musical practice with her. Unfortunately she did not have that answer past when they parted ways. Even stranger, no one had seen Golshi since last night.
Later that day, Opera sees, and hears, Public Discipline Committee member Fenomeno scolding some younger students who had been running full tilt through the campus. Until suddenly, Fenomeno’s deep voice couldn’t be heard anymore. All that would come out of her throat was a shallow croaking sound. Opera is more familiar than anyone with overworking one’s vocal chords, but to happen as suddenly as that, it’s almost like Fenomeno was cursed. Opera laughed, realizing it was just like the curse that befell Carlotta in Phantom of the Opera.
The rest of the day seemingly went by without any more incidents as night begins to fall. Until Opera enters her dorm to see an incredibly detailed recreation of a crashed brass chandelier on her bed. Now she knows something is going on, and the musical is clearly involved. Could it actually be something supernatural?
Her thoughts are interrupted by a tired Biwa Hayahide walking into the room, clearly ready for bed with her pajamas and her hair stuffed into a bonnet. “Is there a reason why you have a broken light on your bed? That seems odd, even by your standards.”
“Hayahide! I was hoping you would be able to help with that mystery. Did you happen to see who brought it in here?”
“It wasn’t you?”
“Something curious is going on at Tracen, and it seems to be following the musical we are laboring for as we speak. Could it be that we are being visited by the Phantom of the Opera himself, have we made a mockery of him and he wishes for retribution?”
Hayahide furrows her brow, she knows it certainly isn’t some ghost. She walks over to the dorm’s window to look if there’s any evidence of a break in. Instead she opens the Window, reaches around the windowsill,
And pulls Gold Ship, wearing her Phantom costume for the show, through the window.
“Ah you’ve found me! The Phantom of the Opera is here! Opera, you must take the lead role instead of the vain and tempestuous Gold Ship!”
Opera lets out a massive laugh. While she is always one to play along with the theatrics of others, as they give her the same grace, the absurdity of the situation was too much for her.
Hayahide, on the other hand, was not amused, “I’m getting Fuji,” she said as she opened the door.
“Let’s not be too hasty, I’m sure this was all just a misunderstanding. The Centurial Overlord can take care of this.”
“Well, do it outside so I can get some sleep.”
“Of course, of course! Gold Sh– my dear Phatom, please, follow me so we can discuss things,” with both Opera and “The Phantom” walking out into the hall.
“The real phantom didn’t get caught this easy, looks like I’m going to have to work on that.”
“While this was an incredibly amusing jest, what could’ve your reasoning for this all been?”
“You told me last night to become the Phantom, right? So I did my best to become the Phantom just like in the show!” Gold Ship has her hands on her hips, clearly proud of the whole situation.
“I can assume then that you were also the reason why Fenomeno has been rendered speechless?”
“Oh yeah, that was a fun one. Tachyon already had a formula to change your voice so she was able to whip this one up real quick. It should wear off... eventually.”
Opera sighs, she truly admires the enthusiasm, but the moment those uninvolved can become victims is a little far for her. “Your team was apoplectic when you never arrived for practice. What have you been doing since yesterday?”
“Well I needed to make sure this was all ready,” she gestures to her costume, “build the scale chandelier, and by the time I was finished it was almost time for you to leave your room so I just tailed you around the campus.”
Opera puts her hands on both of Gold Ships shoulders, her expression getting more serious than usual. “I think now it’s time to stop pretending to be the Phantom, for the sake of the school.” She backs up a little and softens her expression again, “I guess I have to be glad you didn’t do any of the murders.”
“Obviously,” Gold Ship looks somewhat insulted by the suggestions, “I did think maybe I’d find wherever Sei was napping and squirt some ketchup around her body but it would only really work if you were the first to see her.”
Opera's laugh fills the hall, eliciting Hayahide to bang on the door and tell them to be quiet, “oh, yes,” now in a whisper, “Do you feel a stronger connection to the role at least? Will you remain?” Opera holds out her hand.
“Well the costume already fits so I might as well. Anyway, this was fun!” Gold Ship takes Opera’s hand and shakes it.
Sooner than later the pair go to their respective dorms, at least agreeing on their direction for the production. Gold Ship even put in effort this time.