๐ผ Curtain door is an original fan unit for the game Project sekai, following the journey of four students at Central Artistic School*, one of the most renowned classical music schools in Tokyo that has been operating for decades. But what does a place with such mythical status look now? And what mysteries does it hide from its students?
*All places and names mentioned in the story of the group are purely fictional
Tags:
#cd cards - cards of Curtain door characters, including original characters and original virtual singer designs
#cd story - original Curtain door event stories being posted on ao3
#cd inspo - content that shaped the look of Curtain door. Includes: #curtaindoorful music, #curtaindoorful fashion, #curtaindoorful aesthetic, #curtaindoorful themes
#cd memes - memes that remind me of Curtain door. Pure silliness
#cd notes - stages of creative process in any sphere, me rambling about my own characters, etc
Event archive with cards and stories
About the blog runner:
๐, he/him, adult.
The creator of Curtain door characters, the author of Curtain door stories, the artist behind Curtain door art and edits.
Has a discord server that features gachas with Curtain door art as well as other events. Join the server to view even more content about the characters, including cards that wonโt be posted on this blog!
Also, make sure to check the stories about Curtain door members on ao3. Relevant stories focusing on each character are linked under their card art on this blog.
Hope you like it here! I appreciate all positive interactions and love chatting about my characters and answering asks
Step 2. Send the reference sheet / example drawings of your original character(s) in the Collab set thread of Art and creativity channel before July 31st
Step 3. Vote for your favorite submissions with ๐ต emote
Step 4. The collab card set will be complete in November 2026, and each participant will get a card with their own original character(s) for free!
* you can apply for the contest with multiple of your original characters
* these characters can belong to any fandom
* the characters must be your original designs
* you also have the feature to request being paired up with a specific curtain door member (Ren, Takashi, Marianne or Sayaka)
* you do not have to draw anything, I will simply insert your original character(s) into the card(s)
* read the announcement in the discord server for more details
Wishing you all good luck and a productive collaboration
This is a song that has no mv and so few views despite it being over ten years old but please take a listen. This is peak and this is one of the rare cases of a vocaloid song that perfectly fits the orchestral and somewhat mysterious aesthetic similar to Curtain doorโs
In all honesty I came across this song after finishing the main story of my pjsk oc unit but I think it still fits even without me writing the main story with that song in mind
Step 2. Send the reference sheet / example drawings of your original character(s) in the Collab set thread of Art and creativity channel before July 31st
Step 3. Vote for your favorite submissions with ๐ต emote
Step 4. The collab card set will be complete in November 2026, and each participant will get a card with their own original character(s) for free!
* you can apply for the contest with multiple of your original characters
* these characters can belong to any fandom
* the characters must be your original designs
* you also have the feature to request being paired up with a specific curtain door member (Ren, Takashi, Marianne or Sayaka)
* you do not have to draw anything, I will simply insert your original character(s) into the card(s)
* read the announcement in the discord server for more details
Wishing you all good luck and a productive collaboration
Faced before a choice of uncertainty, Ren Ikuhara has to evaluate what's important for her and her friends. What can it lead to? How will it impact her musical career?
What even is the concept of a want or a need when you have one common goal?
Ren: (I can't believe he hasn't progressed in researching about the Founder even a bit since we first met.)
Ren: (He sets pessimistic expectations that he won't get any answer at all...)
Ren: (And this approach only creates limitations that he will never find the courage to surpass!)
Ren: (I've known him for quite a while, but...)
Ren: (I couldn't have imagined his soul would have so little light.)
Marianne: ?
Marianne: (Ikuhara-senpai looks deep in thought.)
Marianne: Ikuhara-senpai, each of us has one more piano class today before we're free to go home.
Marianne: When the school day is about to be over, you do also feel a pretty relieving atmosphere in the air?
Ren: !
Ren: I do. It's a reminder that the next day is about to start fresh anew and you can experience it all again.
Ren: Especially when you feel less pressure to do the thing your way in your free time.
Marianne: True. You can focus on what you really need to rehearse depending on what you're going for.
Marianne: Regular midterm concerts staged just for the insider school staff, and personal tours require different sets of skills.
Marianne: I've heard you have a lot of first-hand experience with performing music in independent orchestras, don't you?
Ren: I do. Both of my parents are piano players themselves and they have taught me the love of performing music.
Ren: I've been playing the piano for as long as I can remember, attending music club in the elementary, switching between different private tutors as I grew older.
Ren: That was also the time when I was first invited to take part in various concerts and performances. Not without the help of my parents and those who have known them in their youth, I did manage to get quite a boost in my early live experience.
Ren: Staying in a regular school would be a bit silly at that point, since I started asking the principals in my older schools for concert leaves almost every month. What is even the point in that?
Ren: So my parents recommended me to apply for this school instead to easily finish the basic subjects and make this whole pre-tour ritual less awkward for everyone involved.
Ren: This was the sole reason I opted for this place instead of continuing my music career in a more... ground setting.
Ren: My family is well aware that the atmosphere and the status of this place among those in the know hasn't quite been the same for the past few decades.
Ren: But they are convinced I can meet very valuable people here to perform together with. I am getting more certain in that by the day.
Marianne: !
Marianne: That's so wonderful when you can put your feelings into music in front of a big audience who choose to share such a special moment with your orchestra mates.
Ren: I agree, but I also think it would be wrong to say that the intentions of performing these pieces belong to me only.
Ren: I do not exist in a bubble. There are countless of artistic experiences and ideas that existed long before I was even born.
Ren: My purpose as the music artist is to deliver those messages to the listeners, nothing more.
Marianne: Yeah, I've heard you said that before. That's an interesting perspective.
Marianne: But wouldn't that destroy the purpose of so many various concert troupes, if the only correct way of interpreting these pieces would be to perfectly transmit the creators' original ideas?
Marianne: I believe that each performer puts a lot of their own insight by playing the piece in their own timeline and life context.
Marianne: You have such a unique story, wouldn't it be interesting to be layered on top of the timeless classics you play which rightfully connect many generations of people?
Ren: ...
Ren: I see your point of view, too. When you work in an orchestra, it does really feel like the fates of many people who have spent their entire lives getting where they are now, intertwine.
Ren: But this observation can't really be appreciated by anyone who doesn't go out of their way to learn about their backstories. And I don't blame them.
Ren: Because the audience itself, themselves, also have their own backstories that get transformed by the art of classical music. It brings them the meaning that they are predestined to take in.
Ren: But if one thing at all changes about the way the message is being delivered, it can affect a lot of people who might get the wrong idea.
Ren: It's kind of like the butterfly effect.
Ren: That's why I believe that a performer's charisma or personal story shouldn't overtake the main purpose of a piece that doesn't account for it.
Marianne: But you start to appreciate it more when you know all of the people who made the concert possible and when you can express your gratitude to them for tugging at your heartstrings!
Marianne: Art is often created in groups of people who are initiated in the bigger story behind it.
Marianne: Like it could be in our own concert all together in this school, Ikuhara-senpai.
Ren: ?
Ren: With me?
Marianne: Of course!
Marianne: When this whole thing with the event organizing club gets settled, we'll make the most of our experiences we live through every day and perform in front of everyone!
Ren: Heh, I never thought I'd be included in such a stable orchestra troupe... even if it doesn't exist yet.
Ren: With how much I fly from one place to another, I would kind of be that family member you only see at the holidays.
Marianne: But you are so skilled! We would love to see you in our orchestra either way, it will be worth it.
Ren: I'm just wondering, if I can keep up with consistency at all.
Marianne: ...
Marianne: Well, we need to wait for Takashi's reply first, anyways.
Marianne: We have enough time to conceptualize our own student-organized concert.
Marianne: Thank you for such a thought-provoking conversation with you, Ikuhara-senpai. I will have to go to my class now.
Ren: (I've never planned on dedicating myself to any particular orchestra formation.)
Ren: (If I join my friends, does that mean I'll have to play in every show?)
Ren: (That's probably their goal. Why else would they work for it?)
Ren: (...)
Ren: (Besides, Len does feel lonely without any family at all...)
Ren: (...)
Ren: (The class is about to start. I can think about that later.)
Ren: ?
Ren: (Now that I think about it, I have accidentally filled out my skip permission sheet for the wrong date, and technically I'm still not expected to turn up for today's classes, either.)
Ren: (I can practice that class now, but if I skip it, it won't be registered as such, either.)
< Ikuhara Ren, please come to my office today to discuss a new concert opportunity. K.Y. >
Ren: Hm? Principal Koizumi-sensei? That's an unusual message to get from him.
Ren: Especially just as soon as I'm back from my concert.
Ren: I wonder how long ago it took for the message to load. Is it too late to enter his office now?
Ren: It's not like I'm loaded with other activities anyways. I might as well visit him now.
Principal's office
Ren: Good evening, Koizumi-sensei.
Yoru Koizumi: Good evening it is, Ikuhara-san. How has your return to school after your first overseas concert of this season been treating you?
Ren: Not stressful at all, I've been able to quickly catch up to everything I'd missed.
Yoru Koizumi: It couldn't go any other way. You have already grown accustomed to the way this whole thing works here in your first year, so now, you make it look easy.
Yoru Koizumi: Have you already worked out your further concert schedule?
Ren: No, not really. We've been getting a lot more subjects this year that require one to be physically present and rehearse with everyone, and I could manage it all this one time, but I can't guarantee I'll be able to bounce back just like that every single time.
Yoru Koizumi: I think you needn't worry, Ikuhara-san. Just focusing on your main studies won't let you make use of all wonderful opportunities you get to see in the real world. You have already grasped the basics enough, and if you don't seize your chance, your own voice won't be heard.
Ren: (Highlighting the limitations of classical training with no practice? In his own classical training school?)
Yoru Koizumi: There's one concert venue that has begun its own season as well. The schedule for it develops multiple months ahead and independent performers need to be specifically invited to join the collective.
Yoru Koizumi: Which also happens to be, The Lotus venue[1], the venue that I have been the head of since foundation.
Yoru Koizumi: That was also the time when Hikaru Ishida-san and I were business partners and he was the head of this school.
Ren: !
Ren: (The school founder...)
Yoru Koizumi: I think you're more than worthy of an invitation.
Yoru Koizumi: Don't look so surprised, Ikuhara-san. You've been working towards this your whole life, haven't you?
Yoru Koizumi: This will be all you have ever dreamed of: community, a place to hold on to.
Yoru Koizumi: Where your voice can be heard.
Yoru Koizumi: It goes without saying that you will be the star of the show. You already are. It is destiny.
Yoru Koizumi: Just look at your parents. Back when I was a school student in the same class as them, I knew their child would inherit their excellence.
Yoru Koizumi: You already shine so bright, and I think it would be fitting for you to find real performers on par with vou.
Yoru Koizumi: Besides, this offer will do equal good for you and I.
Ren: ?
Yoru Koizumi: Ever since the... reformations in this school and the changes in structures, I haven't had enough time to support that concert venue as much as I used to.
Yoru Koizumi: And as time went on, the two projects started to slowly distance from each other.
Yoru Koizumi: I've spent countless nights trying to come up with a way to rekindle that old sparkle, and I'm convinced that, as the head of the venue, I should not look for options that will not hold up to the expectations.
Yoru Koizumi: Ikuhara-san, please, take this form. If you feel like joining the Lotus team, just fill it out and bring it to me. You are free to enter my office whenever.
Yoru Koizumi: Just make up your mind before the end of this academic year. Remember, your path in the world of music is in your own hands. After all, this is your decision only.
Ren: โฆ
Ren: I understand, Koizumi-sensei. Thank you for this opportunity. I will consider it. Have a good day.
Ren: (Perhaps the most attention to my candidate I've got in a single day.)
Ren: (Usually, it's more of... admiration from afar, from a distance that starts to distort the original image in the fog.) Ren: (But today, it's like I'm the most in demand piano player in the entire world!..)
Ren: (It almost feels targeted.)
Ren: ...
Ren: (The choice is so vast. Is this what being an adult must feel like?)
Ren: (Is this how it feels when you have so many life routes you can take even when everything seems to be written out for you long before?)
Ren: (My friends who I have been discovering the Curtain door with... We have such a tough path ahead of us, trying to fight against the destructive environment we're trapped in.)
Ren: (But even if we can't win against it, would it be correct to call it futile?)
Ren: (This school is too conservative for the idea of student-run, authentic, truly free art.)
Ren: (But the partner venue that exists in the business interests of the man who made the air so stiff in this building in the first place...)
Ren: (I'm afraid that neither of these is the way for us four. The goal of both of these places is to put us in their strict boxes.)
Ren: ...
Ren: (I wish I could join the Curtain door, but I can't stay on ground for too long...)
Ren: ?
Ren: (Another message? Did Koizumi-sensei forget to mention something the last minute?)
< Renโฆ You will play this concert for us all, right? >
Ren: (Huh? This message isn't even signed... who can it be from?)
Ren: ??
Ren: (Even more messages when I open it?)
< The stage has been so empty for years... >
< We have forgotten what music even sounds like. >
< Ren-san... >
< If you isolate yourself, you will also forget it all one day. >
Ren: !?
Len: Ren-san...
Ren: (It's him...)
Len: I see you're deep in thought. What is it?
Ren: Well, Len-kun...
Ren: It's hard to describe, you see.
Ren: I have been performing music all my life.
Ren: But nothing could have prepared me for this conversation about the actual role that I play.
Ren: I have always been in the right place at the right time. I do what I need to do, what I'm expected of, and this has become my purpose, so to say.
Ren: Exactly fitting the purpose of the situation I find myself in. The perfect instrument to complete the symphony.
Ren: That was the comforting way to see my life and my music career.
Ren: But it seems... I have had the wrong idea about myself this whole time.
Ren: Or is it everyone else who's wrong about me?
Ren: When people are so eager to invite me personally into their team, highlighting me as the only person who can do the job properly, are they just hypocritically pressing me to do it, whereas they don't actually find me that special...
Ren: Or are they being genuine?
Len: ...
Len: It's difficult to say how these people actually perceive you, Ren-san. I do not know these people. You, your friends, and the first principal who discovered us are the only people I've ever known.
Len: When you don't know what intentions some people have with you, it can also seem like you don't know them at all.
Len: Do you feel like you don't really know these people you're questioning the true motives of, Ren-san?
Ren: ...
Len: But I know you. And I think you are beyond just an instrument that completes the full picture.
Len: You are a person with their own story that hasn't withered. In fact, it hasn't even started.
Len: And your story can ignite the hearts in other people, who will be inspired by you, those who you will make a difference for.
Len: I know how it feels to see yourself as just an instrument. That's all that has been left of me now, after all these years.
Len: Maybe... You and your friends can revive us again, Ren-san.
Ren: In the hands of the people who don't care about us, we're just here to serve a purpose.
Ren: But when we take the matter into our hands and open our hearts to writing our own stories, we create the purpose why we're here.
Ren: My friends... they can help it! They already have a purpose.
Ren: Takashi-kun... The same-year who I've known for what seems like an eternity.
Ren: He really has his own way that not everyone agrees with.
Ren: But it only goes on to prove that he is shaping his own reality, no matter how full of opportunity or, on the opposite end, dreadful, he shapes it out to be.
Ren: He hasn't realized his place in impacting people like he already does, like he already impacts me, but he doesn't water himself down as someone who does what's expected of him, to fit himself to complete the picture.
Ren: In fact, he positions himself against the idea of functionality. It's fascinating to conceptualize it like that when you aren't involved in the actual situation.
Ren: I want him to acknowledge his self from that angle. Maybe that will also start a conversation in his head about his identity.
Ren: Marianne... An exciting encounter of this year.
Ren: She seems like she had already lived multiple lives by the time when she entered the school building. What was it? I think she's mentioned something about sports.
Ren: She's wonderful. She has the type of future ahead of her that will shine brighter than all the horrible things that might have happened to her.
Ren: What happened?
Ren: She needs her friends to break free from what has been keeping her down all these years. That is why she's here.
Ren: Does she need me?
Len: ...
Ren: Sayaka... An incredible person.
Ren: It seems like she has been in the know of the music world for a while and also experiences it for the first time like a small child in a big, big world, simultaneously.
Ren: She seems like a person from the past... Someone who my own parents would know personally.
Ren: Maybe she will make it big one day.
Ren: That is my first impression of her. But today, she seemed different.
Ren: Not as open... more wary. Has she been driven to fear something? What is it?
Ren: I don't think she has anything to be afraid of. She has what it takes. She's magnetic, she is the unstoppable force that is sure to revive the event organizing club. Transform it to what it used to be back in its heyday.
Ren: The family that will always have a place for you and never let you go.
Ren: Never let you go...
Ren: Is this the way for me?
Ren: Is this the way for a person who has way too many in front of them?
Ren: But if I spend too much of it, will your prophecy come true?
Len: ?
Len: What prophecy?
Ren: The message you texted me.
Ren: About me wasting so much time weighing everything in and doubting myself not to present myself in the wrong way, which will lead me to being as isolated from the thing I should really focus on as you guys are, in your Stage 'realm'.
Ren: But the thing is, I don't really know what I should focus on for myself. I can't figure it out with just me on my side.
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