Tweak

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Tweak says, "Fan mail from some flounder?"

Bellum Anon (bellum_anon) wrote in bellumlogs,
@ 2010-05-18 10:00:00

Entry tags:

beauty, christine daaé, phantom of the opera, scheherazade

Group G: Scherezade, Beauty, Phantom, Christine

The plaque on the wall says:

In the Beauty's mind there is a play
From the greatest Bard of his day,
And with her to direct Phantom and his lady,
The queen of tales shall see
A scene of two star-crossed lovers,
Horrible though one may be.
A word of warning for those present here:
Not a drop of real blood shall this play house see,
Or the house will become a prison
For the offender, whoever he (or she) shall be.

A replica of The Globe Theatre, down to the last board and peg.

Any of the scenes between Romeo and his Juliet may be recited, but they must be performed verbatim as per Ella's memory. If Ella's memory is wrong, recitation according to what she or the audience member recalls works just as well. Only Bran and Lotte may be on the stage. A back door will open when the scene is complete.

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lemortvivant
2010-05-19 06:29 am UTC (link)

Bran knew Lotte didn't want to do the death scene, and if he hadn't wanted to leave so badly then he would have challenged Ella's choice until she agreed to change it. As it was, however, he didn't feel like being drawn into an argument with one of the most annoying people he'd ever met; especially not one he'd tortured in the past. He preferred to interact with her as little as possible, and if they never spoke again he would consider it a bonus.

When Ella changed her mind, however, he couldn't help but look at her with a hint of surprise. She seemed like the stubborn sort, not easily deterred from something once she'd decided on it. Well, whatever the reason, he wouldn't argue. It'd be nice if she could make up her mind, though.

He glanced at Lotte, trying to gauge her reaction. "Are you alright with the balcony scene?"

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still_lotte
2010-05-19 01:43 pm UTC (link)

She'd resigned herself to the death scene when Ella changed her mind, but Lotte's face lit up. It didn't hit her what the balcony scene was and entailed - it was just more important that it wasn't the death scene. "Thank you," she said, offering a tentative smile. Maybe Ella did understand.

It didn't hit her until Bran asked her if she was alright with it and she blinked. Acting, she told herself. It's just acting a scene- "It's better than the death scene," Lotte said, before reaching for his hand. It was done unthinkingly - she didn't want to be in the middle of the stage alone, where she didn't know where the trap doors were. At least, he should be able to hold on if she fell through.

"Do you think we just have to say the words or do we need to...act more of it out?" Lotte called down to the other women. She stopped center stage, looking for a place that had seemed the least likely to have a trapdoor beneath it.

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bookshelved
2010-05-19 01:56 pm UTC (link)

Ella, who was sitting beside Sherri on the ground now, actually audibly sighed at Lotte's obvious pleasure. She tried to hold her tongue, she really did, but she was too much of a lecturer at heart to manage it, and she knew Lotte wasn't bad, just overly trusting and, it seemed, exceptionally young. "I know you think I'm being cruel, Lotte, but I wouldn't be a good friend if I didn't tell you that I'm worried about what you've gotten yourself into," she said, giving Bran a quick, cursory glance, her gaze dropping to their joined hands. "What do we know about you, sir?" she asked Bran, as she felt certain he would slink back to whatever shadow's he'd come from once this was done.

"It mentions directing, so..." her voice trailed off, and she pointed to the stairs leading up to the makeshift balcony (which had materialized on the stage as she spoke). It was a rickety, wooden affair, true to the time and hardly stable looking.

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lemortvivant
2010-05-19 05:56 pm UTC (link)

Bran hadn't read the play in years, and he could barely remember any of it, but if he'd had to choose then the balcony scene would definitely come before acting out a double suicide. As uncomfortable as it might have been for Lotte, since they were hardly star-crossed lovers, he didn't allow himself to overthink it. After this was a haze of complications and emptiness, so if he could pretend for even a moment that he was someone entirely different, he would seize the opportunity with both hands.

He didn't flinch when she took his hand, he looked down at their joined hands with a mixture of confusion and surprise. Wasn't she afraid of him now? Why was she touching him?

Ella's question almost slipped by unheard, but he caught it at the last moment and turned to her with a blank expression. "About as much as I know about you." He didn't like being made to feel like some kind of dangerous animal, and he wasn't about to let Ella forget that he couldn't trust them any more than they could trust him. "It's very clear that you don't trust me, and I don't expect you to. But I don't have any reason to trust you either." Bran didn't owe her anything, certainly not a life story. There it was again, that annoying sense of self-righteousness that had annoyed him from the start. Maybe she hadn't learned anything after all.

When the balcony appeared he glanced at Lotte, gently slipping his hand free from hers. Once they got this over with, he wasn't sure if she'd ever see him willingly again, and he was far too cynical to hope.

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still_lotte
2010-05-19 06:10 pm UTC (link)

Lotte's lips pressed together as she looked to Ella. Her mind immediately went back to when she'd gone down to her apartment and Ella had warned her that the story wasn't a romance and it was a horror story. Slowly, Lotte shook her head and let her hand fall away from Bran's. "I know. But it's not like that. Not now, we're in Bellum like you said." She looked up at the stage and shook her head. "Or we were - I don't know. It's different."

She didn't say anything else to Bran, only offering him a tight smile before moving to the steps and climbing up. She moved slowly, hand on the railing. Heights had never been a problem for her - up had always been a good direction to go. Once at the top, Lotte peered down and gave a little wave. It wasn't so bad up high - better than being on the stage below. "I'm ready whenever you all are."

She leaned against the balcony's rail carefully, trying to remember what she did of Romeo and Juliet. It was just acting, right? It shouldn't be a hard role, she just had to be instantaneously in love with ...Bran. Her expression tightened, but from where was it was hard to see. She rested her head on her hand, her elbow on the rail, trying to tell herself that this would be fine.

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withinastory
2010-05-19 06:17 pm UTC (link)

The change in scene was a relief even to Sherri. It was a more familiar scene, anyway, one that she remembered fairly well herself. She craned her neck to look up at Lotte, then back down to Bran. Lotte made a fairly convincing Juliet, she thought, and in spite of the situation she was almost looking forward to seeing the two of them perform a scene.

Though she doubted it would be needed, she glanced over at Ella and offered, "If you have a problem remembering any of it, I can try to help. I think that would be okay, as long as I said it to you and you were the one to do the directing, right?" The loophole was pretty clear, at least.

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bookshelved
2010-05-19 06:46 pm UTC (link)

Ella was grateful for the presence of the woman beside her. She was too tied up in watching Bran, listening to Bran, trying to find anything that would absolve him of her attack (for Lotte's sake). She nodded at Sherri. "I think that would work," she said. She liked the Bard's sonnets more than his plays.

"Romeo enters," she said and she nodded toward the makeshift balcony. "What light through yonder window breaks," she began, hoping little prompting would be required.

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lemortvivant
2010-05-19 10:41 pm UTC (link)

Bran watched Lotte climb the steps, distrustful of how well they would hold - and if she fell, he wanted to be ready. She made it to the top successfully, however, and he couldn't help but smile - albeit slightly - at her wave. Now all he had to do was recite Romeo's lines, get through the scene, and get out.

He stepped forward, as though just noticing the balcony, looking upwards and trying to remember what the hell came next. "What light through yonder window breaks," he repeated, his mind blank. "Uh... it is the East, and Juliet is the sun." Okay, that was fairly simple, but what came next? How was he supposed to know the stupid thing off by heart? Honestly. He shook his head, turning to look at Ella. "I haven't read Romeo and Juliet in at least ten years. Maybe more."

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withinastory
2010-05-19 10:50 pm UTC (link)

Sherri's forehead wrinkled as she frowned, having problems recalling the next part herself. She brushed aside the reeds on the floor, trying to recreate notes from the Shakespeare class she'd taken in college with her index finger in the dirt. "Something about the sun killing the moon because it's jealous of Juliet being prettier, I think..."

Glancing at Ella, as well, she shrugged. "Sound familiar?"

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bookshelved
2010-05-19 11:03 pm UTC (link)

"Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon who is already sick and pale with grief," Ella said, giving Bran a smug little grin at his lack of Shakespearean knowledge. "That thou her maid art far more fair than she. Be not her maid, since she is envious," she went on, shrugging immediately after. "I have a photographic memory for words," she admitted, thinking back to how odd Daniel had originally found her penchant for quotes.

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lemortvivant
2010-05-19 11:24 pm UTC (link)

Bran resisted the urge to scowl at Ella's grin, instead silently repeating the words so he would get the lines right. He wasn't sure if anything would happen if he got them wrong, but he didn't want to risk any sort of delay. "Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon who is already sick and pale with grief. That thou her maid art far more fair than she." He paused, momentarily distracted by the fact that she had a photographic memory for words. Interesting. His own memory wasn't half bad, although it was quite sharp when it came to music - he could remember any tune, any melody; any piece he'd ever heard, no matter how long ago it was.

"Be not her maid, since she is envious." He'd resigned himself to the fact that he didn't know the lines, and there was nothing he could do about it.

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withinastory
2010-05-19 11:38 pm UTC (link)

"Romeo is a pig and says that it's stupid to be a virgin and she should have sex with him. Except... in a more Shakespearean way." Actually, that was exactly what Sherri had written in her notes, and as a consequence the only way she could remember what had happened next. Apparently she'd been in a particularly foul mood that day. "And then he says she's his lady even if she doesn't know it."

Though she knew Ella probably knew it, it at least made her feel better to contribute something. Maybe having the gist of the phrases provided so she didn't have to think about that, as well would make remembering the wording easier, at least.

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lemortvivant
2010-05-20 12:45 am UTC (link)

"That's what he's saying?" Bran hadn't cared much for Shakespeare - Macbeth and Hamlet were really the only plays he could get through - and he hadn't paid a lot of attention to what the words meant. Why did everyone think this was a pivotal love story if Romeo was such a jerk? "No wonder Shakespeare can't be modernized. That's not romantic at all."

He managed to look slightly sheepish, trying to think of what came next and failing. "Um, her vestal... something.... damn it." This was beyond frustrating.

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still_lotte
2010-05-20 12:57 am UTC (link)

There wasn't much to do up on the balcony and Lotte mainly stayed quiet, watching those below. She winced when Ella snarked and leaned a bit closer to the railing. Was she supposed to know all this too?

And then Sherri gave her translation, which Lotte hadn't realized as well. Why did these things always have to come up? "I think I have a problem with this," she started, before they began with the act again. She sighed as Bran didn't have the words and finally spoke up.

"Ella I don't know this either - you've got to help more. I - I didn't study it, I watched it once when I was a freshman?" There wasn't any way to deny she'd not been to college and had never wanted to go and she added. "We're never going to be done at this rate."

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withinastory
2010-05-20 01:07 am UTC (link)

Somehow, Sherri didn't think that an ad-libbed version would be acceptable. That was all she ever did, when telling stories... it was more fun to put things into her own words, anyway. It seemed Ella was going to have to feed it to them line by line, and if she hadn't memorized the whole thing...

She remembered enough to realize they weren't even halfway through Romeo's first block of speech. She scrunched her eyes closed, trying to recall any specific wordings. "Vestal... livery? Is... sick and green?"

And she'd thought that stupid class would never be useful.

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	bookshelved 2010-05-20 01:42 am UTC (link)
	"And none but fools do wear it. Cast it off. It is my lady! O, it is my love! O, that she knew she were! She speaks, yet she says nothing. Because she isn't talking to me, and I'm an idiot," Ella recited, very calmly and serenely. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

lemortvivant
2010-05-20 02:33 am UTC (link)

At least he wasn't the only one who had no idea what he was doing. It would have been worse if Lotte had known the scene word by word, and he was the one stumbling along like an illiterate fool. Bran did have to admit that Ella's patience was impressive, considering the situation.

He repeated exactly what she said, but stopped right after 'she speaks, yet she says nothing'. Either what came next was really what Romeo was saying in non-Shakespeare language, or Ella was just being childish. Frowning, he turned back to look up at Lotte, speaking through clenched teeth. "Because she isn't talking to me, and I'm an idiot." He glanced down into the pit. "Was that even part of the scene, or did you just decide to include it yourself?"

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still_lotte
2010-05-20 02:47 am UTC (link)

Ella was so calm when she said it that Lotte didn't realize the changing of the words until Bran had said it. Her eyes met his and her hand covered her mouth, unsure if she wanted to yell at Ella or laugh. Instead she shut her eyes and tried to calm down. An obvious piece - she didn't want to do this, this was only becoming more complicated - came to mind and she let it run through her mind.

"Je veux vivre - dans ce reve." It came out quietly, almost a chant rather than giving the piece what it deserved. It didn't matter - she was just trying to calm down. Even singing, even if the voices had come, would have been better than this. Breaking herself from the music, Lotte shook her head and called down in a tight voice. "Ella, please."

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	withinastory 2010-05-20 02:55 am UTC (link)
	Sherri tried not to laugh, but it was hard. "It's... true, though." From what she remembered, "He just lurks in the garden like a stalker for a while, until she starts sighing over him, too." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

bookshelved
2010-05-20 03:02 am UTC (link)

"It wasn't a reference to you, but rather to Romeo, who is rather an idiot," Ella said, deciding no one had a sense of humor in this room, and it was best to just make it through the scene.

She recited Juliet's lines, the ones asking how Romeo got to her, and she kept true to the words as she remembered them, though she skipped a phrase here and there. Normally, she would have offered commentary throughout, but she did not mention the childishness of Romeo and Juliet, despite her wish to.

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lemortvivant
2010-05-20 03:29 am UTC (link)

Bran just blinked, not understanding why Ella had to make it so complicated. All he knew about Romeo and Juliet was that they were from rivaling families, fell in love, and committed suicide together - and all this happened in a day or something. He didn't know nearly enough to get the joke, or even find it funny. "Oh." He shrugged. "Now I remember why I only read it once."

Acting normal and reciting the lines was the only way they were going to get through this, so that was what he did - he didn't even bother trying to put emotion into it, not while there were people scrutinizing his every move.

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still_lotte
2010-05-20 03:33 am UTC (link)

She nearly made a comment on how everybody romanticized being stalked and it wasn't half as 'romantic' everyone made it out to be, but she kept quiet. Biting her lip until it finally became her turn to speak. Lotte shakily repeated what Ella told her to. Though she tried not to grimace at Bran directly, she couldn't hide the fact that she wasn't enjoying this and couldn't get into Juliet's character in this situation.

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withinastory
2010-05-20 03:46 am UTC (link)

With things going more smoothly, Sherri sat back and listened, occasionally giving quiet input. At least it was getting done, even if it was impossible for anyone to enjoy the play, under the circumstances. She had completed her remembered notes on the balcony scene, feeling a lot better after realizing that she at least remembered the synopsis of the entire scene.

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bookshelved
2010-05-20 05:40 am UTC (link)

As they spoke their lines, Ella looked at their surroundings, and she tried to pay as little attention to what was happening on the stage as humanly possible. She wondered where Daniel was, hoped he wasn't worried that she was missing, and then she realized that was a silly hope. He always worried. She willed Bran and Lotte to finish their emotionless portrayal quickly, and she stopped reciting when the scene came to an end, letting them finish at their own pace.

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lemortvivant
2010-05-20 06:00 am UTC (link)

This was probably the worst performance of Romeo and Juliet to ever be acted out, but luckily the quality of the play didn't seem to matter. They were both essentially repeating Ella's words, back and forth like two players of a game wearily trudging forth to the inevitable end. Bran didn't expect emotion, and even though he tried to tell himself she wasn't grimacing and wincing at him, it wasn't very convincing.

"By a name, I know not how to tell thee who I am." Well, wasn't that appropriate. "My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself because it is an enemy to thee. Had I it written, I would tear the word." He couldn't help but sigh, listening to Lotte speak her lines and interjecting when it was his turn. Romeo's problems were nothing compared to his own.

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still_lotte, 2010-05-20 01:29 pm UTC

lemortvivant, 2010-05-20 07:07 pm UTC

still_lotte, 2010-05-20 07:37 pm UTC

withinastory, 2010-05-20 08:52 pm UTC

lemortvivant, 2010-05-20 09:40 pm UTC

still_lotte, 2010-05-20 09:58 pm UTC

lemortvivant, 2010-05-20 10:13 pm UTC

still_lotte, 2010-05-21 12:05 am UTC

withinastory, 2010-05-21 12:25 am UTC

bookshelved, 2010-05-21 12:36 am UTC

lemortvivant, 2010-05-21 01:51 am UTC

still_lotte, 2010-05-21 03:01 am UTC

withinastory, 2010-05-21 03:23 am UTC

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