Melody Pianissima

The Conservatory was quiet when Luigi walked in, flashlight lowered. The usual creepy vibe was there — floating instruments, cobwebs, flickering candlelight — but the piano music? It was smooth. Calming, even.

There she was: Melody Pianissima, seated at the grand piano, playing like she wasn’t even a ghost.

Luigi raised an eyebrow. “Yo… you’re really good.”

Melody looked up, amused. “Well, thank you. I do try to keep the art alive — or, well, undead.”

They stared at each other for a second.

“No jump scare?” Luigi asked, squinting a bit.

“Not today,” she said with a smile. “You’ve got good energy. I like that.”

Luigi chuckled, nodding. “Aight, we chill for real.”

He reached into his overalls, pulled out the Poltergust's camera mode. “How ‘bout we take a picture then? Proof I didn’t scream this time.”

Melody floated up beside him and posed midair, hand on hip, other hand dramatically extended like she just finished a concert.

Luigi threw up a peace sign. Click.

“There,” Melody said. “Now you can tell your friends you met a classy ghost who didn’t try to haunt your soul.”

Luigi laughed. “Way better than Area 1. You’re cool, Melody.”

“And you’re alright, Green.”

Luigi chuckled after the flash. “Man, I’m gonna frame that one.”

Melody floated down a bit, folding her arms with a playful smirk. “Frame it? I thought you ghost-hunters only framed us inside paintings.”

Luigi waved a hand. “Nah, nah… That’s Professor E. Gadd’s deal. I’m just tryna make it through the night without screaming like Mario in a haunted house.”

Melody laughed — a soft, graceful sound that echoed like wind chimes. “Well, you’ve held your composure better than most. I’ve had folks faint just walking in here.”

Luigi shrugged, then leaned against the piano. “Guess I’m getting used to all this… ghost stuff. Still, didn’t expect one of y’all to be this cool.”

Melody floated beside him, lightly

“We weren’t all monsters in life, you know. Some of us just never finished our song.”