Difference between revisions of "4595/Persona:WTWM FA3 - Operatic"

Latest revision as of 03:25, 31 October 2016

August Kohler has posed:
SOMETIME, ALBERICHSTADT, GERMANY. Sunday, September 18th, 2016.

The Drachenblatt School Festival may have quite a lot of aspects to it, but there's only one core focus: the four day showing of Der Ring des Nibelungen, Richard Wagner's most famoius opera cycle. Tonight's opera is Siegfried, about the eponymous German hero. The first two showings got rave reviews, including a surprise standing ovation for the part of Fricka, played by Alexis Eberhardt, who disappeared briefly last year. People say that ever since her brief disappearance, she seems to have a much better feel for 'tragedy'.

Before today's showing, however, there's plenty of prepwork to do. Equipment checks, stage checks, performance checks. August Kohler hates in job up in the light booth, especially with the raging headache he has. So he needs to distract himself. Therefore, he's called some folk backstage to...well, fuck around and make him stop focusing on monotony.

The Drachenblatt school stage is magnificent, a true testimony to the shitload of cash the school has. Backstage is currently a ridiculous amount of people talking over each other, getting prepared, and checking props, including a magnificent ebony throne, from the previous two showings. Near it stands a young woman, around 16, anxiously rehearsing her part. However, she's not in costume at the moment, and is mainly being ignored, unlike the other major roles, such as Siegfried and Wotan. August sits near the entrance to the backstage, trying to kill his horrible headache, as he waits for the others.

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
Ren Tanaka's contribution to the whole hootenanny is over. Loge only gets to be in the first part of the performance, even though some might say that it's more than enough because, good grief, four day long play.

    The weird appropriateness of the part he played probably didn't go uncommented on.

    So, he's been mostly hanging around backstage ever since, helping carry things, although, you know, not doing too much (always lift with both hands) in order to make sure his ironclad alibi as an 18-to-20something senior student remains .. uh... ironclad.

    Always drink responsibly, kids.

Janine Liberi has posed:
    Janine is here, for some godforsaken reason. She too, is nursing the side-effects of drinking too much, though part of it is numbed by her course of painkillers. But still, it doesn't take much to sour her mood any worse than it already is, so she strides into the backstage area looking ready to kill someone. The 16-year-old does go ignored, even though she was very helpful in tidying up her booth.

    Upon spotting August, Janine produces a bottle of pills and walks over, rattling them gently. They're both dying here, no need to add to the general loudness. "You look like shit. Get one of these in you." The bottle is covered with labels warning about the dangers of this particular brand of painkiller. The phrase 'DO NOT EXCEED THE RECOMMENDED DOSAGE' appears more than once.

    Should August accept, she tips a single white pill into his hands and takes a seat. "You better be getting some kind of extra credit for this bullshit," she decides, blowing a strand of hair from her face.

Finna (513) has posed:
Finna's answered the call, transitioning from a member of the audience (this story is one she's actually finding quite interesting!) to backstage. Somehow she managed to leave the audience with nary a soul noticing, and nobody really has much reason to take notice of a new extra backstage, dressed as some nondescript part that looks SCARILY authentic for the setting if anyone looked closely. Too authentic.

    But this transition's made all the brighter for her because it's a chance to see August! She wastes little time passing up alongside and leaning sideways in a weird pirouette manuever that brings her face JUST on the verge of what she's learned is his 'personal space.' Juuuust enough to make a man pause!

    So he gets a faceful of smiling Finna, and a view of her foxears twitching a few times!

    As usual, none of the schoolfolk seem to notice them...

    "Looking a bit queasy there, August. Need some morale support?" Is it just his imagination or is Finna's smile growing even brighter and warmer?

    Far too warm and friendly! But it's probably more than enough to give anyone a sudden case of the warm fuzzies, brief as it lasts!

    Well. At least she's not harassing him this time.

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
So theres been a lot to do in Alberichstadt and Kotone had been taking in some of it on her own but today however? She'd managed to catch up with some of the others from the group of people who have been poking into the Forest and the shadows. Still this festival time seemed like a good way to have fun, blow off steam and get to know everyone better. Given her own personal problems? This was something Kotone badly needed. She did stick out though, her age was hard to place with the nature of her body it could be somewhere from 18 to 20 something but it would be hard to tell. She was in good spirits and wouldn't say a thin about booze given well Germany's laws on it. Hey it's not Canada or anywhere else. She waves to August as she spots him grinning.

"Hey Good to see you."

It also seemed they were not alone as others started to join them. Though some people were not in the best of spirits here.

Ren Tanaka (165) has posed:
"Something tells me," Ren says to whoever's listening, "That something happened which served as an excellent moral lesson that everyone will take on board, reflect on and know better later. Or not." Is he still wearing his costume? Or is it actually something worse? Stupid Ren with his stupid crushed velvet tuxedo and his stupid not getting drunkenness. It's almost insulting.

    He looks at Janine. Offers her a comb.

Kazimir Volkov (920) has posed:
Kazimir is not one for spouting lines. He's a bad actor, given his tendency for emotion tends to be 'stoic acceptance' and 'moderate derision'. His no-nonsense attitude, along with his gift for handywork however, has landed him a useful position in the production: Stagehand. A number of the scenery pieces are made with solid, well-secured lumber, fronted with wonderful imagery done by the art classes. Kazimir himself moves along the backstage area, prowling amongst an array of ropes that are attached to a complicated pulley system. Each rope set connects to solid metal anchors in the scenery fronts, allowing him to smoothly swap out without needing dollies.

He refers to his watch almost constantly, the clicking a constant affair as he compulsively flicks it open and closed, checking the precise time for the various cues. Naturally, he's grousing about scheduling and people being lazy. "Kohler!" He yells. "Are you ready?" He must have asked that like a dozen times over the last couple hours. Unlike the others, Kazimir shows precisely zero signs of a hangover.

Then again, who can tell, given his usual demeanor?

Emily Branford (999) has posed:
    Janine might be ignoring the girl working herself to the bone for this festival, but her butler isn't. Emily had seen the poor thing at the first day, and now here she is watching the student rehearsing her heart out right before a performance.

    When she's not looking, a white-gloved hand sets down a drink beside her in passing. If the girl looks up, she'll get only a brief smile from Emily as the butler follows Janine onward.

    And on seeing her charge offer a pill to August, all the woman has to say is, "If that doesn't help, I shall be sorely concerned for your biology, Kohler."

Janine Liberi has posed:
    The addition of more company only sours Janine further. A long glare is given to Finna as she deliberately messes with August's personal space. "When are you gonna tell her off already?" she asks the man himself with a sigh. Kotone gets a long look too, before the Italian says, "Wish I could say the same." Is the staring just for intimidation, or are her comebacks coming slow from the hangover?

    Ren though, he gets a pretty fast one. "Something is telling me to tell you to shut the fuck up. It's my brain. Telling you to shut the fuck up." Hey, it's fast, doesn't mean it's any good. Kaz gets a stare too, but it's one of amazement. "I saw you put back several beers, how are you not dead too?!" she yells at him, raging at the sheer injustice of it all. At least Emily is trying to be good in a cruel world. "Do you even know that girl?"

August Kohler has posed:
Janine's arrival is the greatest thing to happen to August, mainly because it brings drugs. August takes the pill, goes "thank god", and shoves it down his mouth, dryswallowing. He shakes his head around for a second, before suddenly getting a faceful of Finna. He's startled, but for once, it's not...entirely upsetting? "Stop doing that...!" He turns away from her, waving to Kotone, as he stares blankly at Ren. "Are you telling me you've never had a hangover?"

Kaz gets a slow nod from August, as he speaks. "No, but this is the closest I'll get. Come on down, I brought some others back here." He's not going to attempt to hide it, as he responds to Janine. "Uh...Ada, I think? I think she's a maid or something."

Meanwhile, the maid girl spots the drink as she rehearses, looking up to Emily as she passes it over. She looks entirely anxious, about a lot of things. Stage fright, maybe? Still doesn't explain the lack of costume only an hour or so before show.

Emily Branford (999) has posed:
    "Not as such, no," Emily replies to Janine. "But this makes the second day I've seen her working herself as if her life depended on it. I thought she deserved at least a little something to help her along." She glances between August and Janine both, then turns around to look at the anxious girl again - 'Ada', apparently. "...though in point of fact, she seems a tad concerned, and not just about whatever part she's going to play." That puts some vague worry in the back of Emily's mind; if she's having some kind of troubles with life, that makes her more susceptible to becoming the Forest's next victim. Potentially, at least. "Perhaps I should have a word with her, see if she's holding up all right."

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa has not seen Kazimir in a very long time and she'd wondered how he'd been doing and it is good to see him but Kazimir seems to be one who has no sign of a hangover. This does not shock her and in a way she envies whose who were drinking. Even with the hangovers? Drinking is something that's basically lost to her. She does seem to be in good spirits though as she looks to Jaine for a moment and does not comment about the seeming hangover. Still man Jaine is not very pleasant at the moment. She then laughs at Finna's antics and tries to not laugh for too long.

"I can't have them anymore myself...and I can't enjoy booze in the same way I used to either. I can't even get drunk."

She seems glum about the loss of enjoying a drink now and again even with the downsides. She also gives Ren a bit of a look she's not run into him much.

"Looks like most of you have been partying pretty hard, I hope it was fun."

She doesn't seem to being mean she's honestly hoping they had fun even if they are paying with the hangover right now.

August Kohler has posed:
DESCRIPTION NOTE: Maid girl is of average height and weight for her age, fairly attractive. Dirty blonde hair, blue eyes. Looks as if she overworks herself.

Finna (513) has posed:
"Whyyyyyyy?" Finna singsongs in the cutest teasy tone she can manage, but doesn't chase him, in favor of about-facing and having a look around at the others, kicking a foot back and forth in idle merriment. She can't help but grin over at Kotone!

    "My mom knew some good remedies... not sure how much they really worked, but father always took them." She muses aloud...

Kazimir Volkov (920) has posed:
"I know when to stop drinking." Kazimir simply replies. "You guys do not." Of course, he did seem to mysteriously vanish when everyone started playing that drinking game... Regardless, the face of Janine's indignant rage more or less crashes upon Kazimir like the Black Sea against a granite escarpment. He barely pays attention to the maid. SHE'S doing her job- oh no, wait SHE'S NOT DRESSED. Kaz himself checks the watch, and glances to Emily, nodding. The butler is solid, clearly. He doesn't meddle in that, instead gesturing to Kotone. "You. The robot girl." He gestures. "Good to see you again. Yamakawa, right?" He gestures. "Are you strong? Maybe you can help with lines. Will be faster than just me." He gestures to the ropes to indicate he does not in fact mean speaking parts.

Janine Liberi has posed:
    August would find the drug fast-acting, quickly dulling the pounding behind his eyes. It might also numb his extremeties, but who's keeping track here? Emily gets a dismissive snort in response. "Bless your bleeding heart. Do as you like I guess." To Kotone, Janine merely clucks her tongue. "Don't rub it in."

    Janine justs SIGHS aggressively at Finna. "If you're gonna do anything with him, just do it already." And then, a long long look at Kaz, a horrible realization setting in. "Oh god, this was a con wasn't it? You two conspired to get us out here to help out. You sons of bitches, I should be in bed." Her hand is run up and down her face as she groans. "Fine, whatever. What do you need?"

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa looks at Finna for a moment and shakes her head. "I fear the day you discover what Pixie sticks are Finna, I really do."

She then gets spoken to by Kazimir and she grins a little bit.

"I'm glad I was recalled and it's good to see you as well. I sure am let me help you, just tell me how you want it done. I don't have much of a history with productions like this."

She looks at Jaine for a long moment.

"I miss being able to."

With that she'll get back to work helping Kazimir!

Emily Branford (999) has posed:
    "Of course, Janine," Emily replies to Janine simply. "I should be within earshot, if you need anything."

    A few moments later, businesslike footsteps stride right up behind the girl reciting lines, and a crisp British voice asks, "You seem a tad frazzled, miss. Is there anything I can help with?"

August Kohler has posed:
"Jesus /christ/ this is a miracle cure." August shakes his head as the medicine kicks in, turning to Janine. "The hell is this stuff?"

The maid girl turns to Emily, startled as the butler approaches behind her. She speaks German, sounding native, as she replies. "U-uh, I'm fine. Thank you, miss, especially for the drink. Are you on staff? I haven't seen you before..." 'Ada' eyes Emily's uniform as she asks this.

And then, across the backstage area, another student approaches. A girl dressed as a valkyrie, with blonde hair and green eyes, with two girls not in costume alongside her. The outfit is that of 'Brunnhilde', one of the principal characters of the show. The girl approaches 'Ada', sizing her up, as one of her friends looks up and stares at Emily. And then, the Brunnhilde speaks to the maid girl, condescendingly. "Oy, you, help. I've heard you're rehearsing up a storm. What's that about? You think you're ever going to actually sing those lines? You think you're going to go up there? That means you'd have to replace me, and that means something would have to happen to me. Do you expect something to happen to me? Huh?"

The maid freezes up, just going 'no' 'I'm sorry', as the girl with infinite more pressure closes in on her. Other students and staff notice this...but it doesn't look like they'll do anything, especially with one of the cast members being the instigator. The two friends just laugh and go 'yeah!' respectfully, essentially cliche mean girls.

And then, the Brunnhilde just sneers at the maid girl, and responds, "Get out of my way, you're useless." With a push of her hands, she goes to shove the girl, straight into that black throne, as her friends laugh, and if not stopped, she'll turn to walk away.

Emily Branford (999) has posed:
    "Not as such," Emily replies, shaking her head. Her own German is surprisingly fluent; not quite without accent, but close to. "I'm exactly as you see, a butler. I saw you cleaning the other day, on my day off; you're working yourself rather hard." She's about to say something further, when an old cliche decides to take human form and commence the badgering. For a good few moments, the butler is silent; she gives the girl staring at her a calm, bland look in return, but when the sudden push comes-

    Those palms connect not with the maid, but with a strong, sturdy arm, held out in front of the poor thing. Emily does not push back, but simply intercepts the shove and keeps her arm steady, not letting it move so much as an inch.

    One eyebrow arches. "My goodness. Violence, backstage, just before a play? Celebrity careers have been broken by less. What do you think audiences would have to say about an actress so insecure she shoves around the help, because she thinks they're a threat?" Subtly cutting, in a way that only makes it worse if the haughty 'valkyrie' loses her shit further.

Janine Liberi has posed:
    "It's this semi-experimental stuff not on the market yet. That one pill would have covered weekly rent in a decent apartment," Janine says. Of course she would wait until AFTER August had taken it to tell him that. "You're not missing much. Makes you act like an asshole and feel like one the next day," she mentioned to Kotone, as Emily steps in to prevent some good old-fashioned bullying.

    "Oh goddamnit, now I have to get involved..." she scowls, before marching over. "Yo, Daria!" she says in a very false friendly tone to the girl playing Brunnhilde. "How's it hanging? You got a lead role, that's great! How much polling went into landing it?" There are many many insinuations to that question, and none of them are pleasant.

Finna (513) has posed:
Finna's ears twitch as she hears this drama unfolding. She grinds her teeth and purses her lips. Her eyes swivel between the two girls, the one on the throne and miss haughty over there.

    Well, someone's feeling awful mighty! But Finna focuses on the slighted maid.

    The strong dominate the weak, it's just the way of things.

    But is that girl really so weak?

    She quirks an eyebrow, sprouts a mischevious smile... and looks over her shoulder for the 'valkyrie.' "So full of yourself, it's a wonder there's any room for the lines in that stuffy noggin' of yours. You're tempting fate..."

    From most students this line would be delivered to casually to be a credible warning, but Finna's tone is deadly serious and authentic from someone who faces life and death regularly. The deadly chill it bears might just strike hard enough to get a shiver from the jerk....

Kazimir Volkov (920) has posed:
Kazimir just watches Janine come to the realization that she's been played.

Kaz doesn't deny it, his expression as mercilessly businesslike as always. "You sleep too much. How do you expect to get anything done in bed?" He asks, then points. "Help people get dressed. We are behind schedule."

He moves to help Kotone to the lines, pointing at the latches that keep each one fastened to the floor. "Clamps are for safety. Normal people cannot kick them open. Do not kick them." He says pointedly. "Each is numbered. Stage director will call out what numbers to retract and which to let down at points during show. I will be helping with this during play, just ask if you have question."

Despite his working with Kotone, a visible expression of irritation crosses his face as he sees the prima donna stride over to oppress her lesser. "If you keep messing with your backup, she /will/ be doing your lines after I pitch you into the /fucking/ orchestra pit. Now stop being a diva and make sure you have your own damn lines together."

This is how Kazimir deals with school drama: By being as subtle as a bulldozer.

Because he doesn't have time for this crap.

August Kohler has posed:
Daria seemed haughty, full of herself. But a few things happen: Emily is way more fit than she'll ever be and stops that push like a wall; Janine pokes directly at her history; Finna's voice pierces straight into her heart; and Kazimir is a scary Eastern European who could probably bench her. The girl backs off, losing all of her composure for a second, as her friends move away and behind her, before she replies, trying to come out on top, despite her lack of confidence. "Y-yeah, whatever, this is a waste of time." And then she runs off with her tail between her legs.

The maid girl, however, is completely stunned by the entire thing. She steps backwards as the push comes, and falls back, landing onto that black throne. It's a soft landing, not having a push behind it, and lands sitting in the throne.

And for a minute, just a minute, she seems almost like a queen.

The girl just sits there shocked for a minute, before replying. "A-are you guys okay? What if she does something to you?!"

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa is working with Kazimir with the rope she will follow his lead as best she's a bit at it. Yet it seems that something else is is going on. She gets some hostility? Bullying? From Janine and just doesnt respond in kind with hostility of her own, she focuses on the job she's doing. She does pause at the Valkyrie Girl and the others whom are with it. Egos and understudies seem to be what's going on there. She frowns at this it seems things are getting bad with the Valkyrie but now Emily seems to have it well in hand thankful.

She turns her full attention now to the job, the last thing she wants is someone getting hurt right?

She will follow each direction and she will not kick the clamps. He is right to warn Kotone, she might do so and break something.

Then Kazimir drops the hammer and she can't help but smile a bit, hopefully between him, Janine and Emily? This nonsenses will be stopped cold.

Emily Branford (999) has posed:
    Emily's response never goes beyond the protective arm and her own subtle jab. Even if she'd been alone in covering the beleagured maid, she wouldn't have taken it beyond that. It wouldn't do to get any more... in-depth. Not while she's 'on the clock'. But Kazimir puts on the display all of them absolutely wanted to, and when Daria scampers off, she favors him with a warm, pleased smile. He's made a good impression, it seems like.

    But there's a young lady concerned about her. Emily turns around to look at her, and reaches out a white-gloved hand. "Come on, then, up you go. Don't worry about me, I've smiled in the face of far more intimidating men and women. Are you alright, though? I get the feeling there's some history here, if you don't mind discussing it a bit."

Janine Liberi has posed:
    Janine sneers at Daria's back. She considers calling her a waste of skin, but the hangover still rages and she doesn't need a bickering match right now. Kaz's forward threat just makes her laugh though. "Holy shit, I'd pay to see that." In response to the girl's question, she just sneers. "Bitch please. Her daddy runs a German company, mine runs an international one. I could kick her ass in a fight, and I don't give a shit about rumors. I'm basically invincible."

Kazimir Volkov (920) has posed:
Kaz gets a +2 bonus to intimidate checks because he's from Eastern Europe. Living next to Russia has its benefits. And drawbacks.

Kazimir just shrugs as he gets back to work. "I do worse things to myself than anything she can do." He replies. "Or maybe she has a good strong strong boyfriend. Maybe someone from rugby team? That might almost be interesting." He laughs mirthlessly for a moment before he turns away. "No point in worrying about tomorrow. Barely have enough time to deal with today."

August Kohler has posed:
The girl seems less nervous with their reassurances, as she takes Emily's hand. She straightens herself up, before nodding. "I-I'm not actually a student here. I'm part of the in-house cleaning, with my mother. I thought it'd be fun to audition, and I got an understudy role...but I'm still just the help, right?" She laughs, sadly, and then turns to everyone.

"What are your names?"

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone, watches as things play out a bit more but there's nt much she can do while she's working and the young lady who took the fall? Has people helping her which is good. She smiles a bit at Kazimir. "I'd put my money on you if I was betting in a fight." Kotone notes but for now she's going to make sure all their work is done here. AS the girl spekas up asking some questions.

" "Kotone Yamakawa."

Emily Branford (999) has posed:
    "They picked you, even as an understudy, above all the pampered, spoiled students with parents that will make a million-dollar fuss at the drop of a hat. You /must/ have some talent." The butler releases the girl's hand and takes a step back, only to sweep her arm in front of herself in a deep, formal bow. "Emily Branford, butler. Absolutely charmed."

Janine Liberi has posed:
    "And you always will be with that attitude," Janine mutters. Sure she helped out, but she has no time for self-pity. "Janine Liberi. Emily's my butler." A rather famous name in Drachenblatt once upon a time, but now it's absolute mud.

Kazimir Volkov (920) has posed:
Kaz doesn't stop working as the maid does her thing. She was here to work and help out, she'll get to it. His consideration manifests in not telling her she's /also/ behind schedule. "Kazimir Volkov." He replies. He doesn't spend any more time on it as he tests the ropes, checking them intently for signs of wear or weakness before he looks to Kotone. "Keep an eye on the lines." He says, simply, before he moves to check on some other gear further in the back.

August Kohler has posed:
The girl nods sheepishly to Janine, as she looks up to Emily. "T-thank you, miss. You really helped me out today. I should get back to work, though. M-maybe they need help at the costumes." She moves away from the black throne, preparing to leave, before she remembers something, and turns back to the party, smiling gratefully, speaking before she runs off to work.

"Oh, name's Adelle. Adelle Kaufmann. It was a pleasure to meet all of you!"