Marguerite Blakeney is clearly beyond scruples (blazeinhereyes) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2017-11-19 13:46:00 |
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Now that the random towers had stopped showing up, things had returned to normal and there were no more concerns about prop weapons and set pieces suddenly becoming live weapons. An actual guillotine. That had been something she could have lived without seeing in the real world as she had enough guillotine related dreams, thank you very much.
Even so. The show must go on, and while it was still the rehearsal process and the beginning of blocking rehearsals, there was no reason to stop the rehearsals. As such, Marguerite found herself across from Ben, who was playing Armand once again rehearsing lines that she had said in dreams.
“Armand, no more of this… travelling about, do you hear me?! And to France! Mon dieu, how can you think of it?! You are the only family I have in this world, dear God, what would I do if I--”
“I swear to you, I won’t die.”
“How can you swear such a stupid thing? Of course you will, we all will. Only I don’t want you to go and do it right now. Oh be careful my little brother… please be careful
You are my only brother, and my friend, what would I do if you were gone?”
“Why are your eyes so full of fear? I will be here, we will go on.”
“You are my home/you are my home
You make me strong/you make me strong
And in this world of strangers I belong to someone
You are all I know
You’re all I have
I need you so
I won’t let go…”
Having gone through the blocking earlier (which for Marguerite had been second nature, the fiddling with the cravat that would be there, her typical fretting over her brother as Ben watched her understandingly and stilled her hands) until the dramatic music as they broke apart and ‘Armand’ was to leave….
Arm outstretched, it was through her peripheral vision that Marguerite noticed a very familiar silhouette and felt her concentration break as her arm dropped and her attention now on the form in the aisle.
“Armand?”
“What, that’s not the--”
Realizing the confusion, Marguerite turned her attention to Ben.
“No, not you. The real Armand. As in my brother.” And before she could be bothered by teasing comments about how she and her brother had the same names as characters from the musical, Marguerite quickly ran down the steps from the stage and to where her brother was and hugged him. She was confused as to why he was there as she could have sworn he would have started law school by now. (Though of course he would show up after she once again dreamt of him being thrashed by St. Cyr’s men, this time with Percy apparently intervening and that being their first meeting. Wasn’t that always the way of Orange County?) But she would get answers after greeting him.
---
He was not looking forward to this conversation, not really. She hadn’t been happy the last time he’d come back to Orange County without telling her, and the fact he’d been back since the beginning of August...well, he was expecting to get his head bitten off for that. He loved his sister, but acting was such a great profession for her because she was such a drama queen.
Not that he was much better, to be honest. Showing up at her rehearsal to tell her? Yeah, he could have done it any other number of ways, but he had missed seeing her on stage. He hadn’t gotten to see the last few musicals she’d done, and they’d only really gotten a brief visit when he graduated.
He should have told her his plan to go back to Orange County then, but it had been so good to see her it had slipped his mind.
He grinned when she hugged him, enjoying every minute of it. “You know, your voice just gets better with age,” he said, teasing her gently.
---
So far no questions about the content of the scene that they had just been rehearsing. That was a relief. It wasn’t exactly something that she wanted to explain while cast and crew were nearby. Even though they were used to weird things because Orange County, the conversation this would lead to? That was a bit much, even for the most steady of OC citizens who weren’t also dreamers.
“Haha, very funny.” Pulling away some, Marguerite’s eyes looked over her brother. He seemed in good health. (She would always fret, it didn’t matter how old they got or how often they saw one another - though it had been a couple months since the opening of Bandstand.) That was when she noticed his hair and quirked a brow, “Did you join a boy band?”
She could tease just as much.
“Alright everyone, take a break for lunch, be back in an hour.”
Looking back to her director, Marguerite gave a thankful smile before lacing her arm through her brother’s.
“Looks like you have me for an hour. Assuming that was why you came by.”
---
He stuck his tongue out in response. “No,” he said. “We know you got all the musical talent in our family. If I joined a boyband it would be as their legal representation.” He paused. “Well, it would be once I pass the bar, and only 9% pass at my law school.”
When the lunch break was called he offered her his arm. “Of course I’ve come to sweep you away for lunch. What kind of brother would I be if I kept you out for the whole hour and didn’t feed you?” Once she took his arm and they walked away from the earshot of others, he spoke again, lowering his voice. “And you can tell me why I dreamed about what I saw up on stage when we’re somewhere where no one will care.”
---
“Well your hair says otherwise.” Though there was that comment. Law school with a 9% pass rate for the bar. Okay. But it was October and that meant that there classes had started at basically all schools at this point. And there was that suspicion again. But then there was going to be lunch and so she would have time to question him there.
“Good answer.” Why else would Armand show up around lunch time? Of course then there was the comment about what he had seen and wanting answers and Marguerite could only nod. “Yes, and you can tell me why you’re here when you should be at school.” He received a pointed look - oh, Marguerite well remembered her brother showing up unannounced with the news he had transferred schools. First though, they had to get to lunch.
Luckily there was a deli nearby and park close enough where they could eat and catch up.
---
He had the feeling that this conversation was going to be full of the dramatic no matter where they ate, and with her pointed look he decided he might as well drop the big bomb of news now so she could get any yelling she wanted to out of the way. “Today is my day off of classes, by the way. Even at Pacific University good fortune smiled on me that I haven’t had to take a class every day. So...there’s that.”
He waited for her reaction because...well, he was waiting for the riot act to be read. Maybe not so much “Why aren’t you at Harvard Law?!?” as “Why have you been back in Orange County since at least the beginning of the semester and didn’t think you should tell me?!?” And maybe that showed how estranged they had gotten that he hadn’t told her all those months ago that this was the plan?
Or...maybe he hadn’t wanted to admit the dreams had, frankly, frightened the shit out of them and being around people he couldn’t talk to about it had made things harder. That at least, might mollify his sister a bit. Good thing it was the truth.
---
Well of course he wouldn’t have classes on a Saturday, however Marguerite still didn’t see Armand just popping on over to Orange County for a weekend without telling her when there wasn’t a show opening. It did bother her though that Armand hadn’t even told her he was planning to apply in California. There were plenty of law schools, that wasn’t the problem. But him not even talking to her about it? And then not to say anything when he had been there for the opening of Bandstand as he obviously would have known by then where he was going to law school?
“I see.”
There was a slight edge to her voice and she turned and headed to the deli, working through her thoughts, jaw set, though while dealing with people she was just as personable as ever, though she fell silent as she waited for Armand to order his food before heading to the park, still silent.
---
He winced when she spoke. Oh, he’d screwed up. And screwed up big time. But to be honest, he hadn’t entirely been sure of whether this was a good idea until he actually did it, and then...well, then he’d been a big fat chicken about telling his sister. There was really no way to make this right anytime soon, either. He’d have to live with disappointing her until she moved past it.
“I wasn’t sure I was going to stay,” he said. “So part of me didn’t want to get your hopes up and then dash them if I transferred to Harvard Law or somewhere else.” He knew it sounded like a weak excuse as soon as he said it, but it was the truth. “I’m sorry, Marguerite. I know I should have told you regardless.
---
There really wasn’t much that could be done to make it right in that moment. There were layers of issues, things it dredged up for Marguerite. So she just listened to her brother’s reasoning.
“You’re right, you should have told me that you were even considering it. Things that have such an impact on our lives are the things we’ve always talked to one another about.”
Moving to Paris to perform? Something she’d discussed with her brother. New York hadn’t been one that really needed it because he’d already gone back to Boston for that and had always wanted her to get there. Running her fingers through her hair, Marguerite sighed. Secrets had nearly ruined her life - numerous times - in the dreams. To know that Armand hadn’t even told her he was considering Orange County when he was looking at law schools? It stung. Deeply.
---
“I am sorry,” he said, really meaning it. “I am. I fucked up considerably on this.” He’d lost his appetite now, so he just stowed his bag of food in his messenger bag and looked over at his sister. “You have every right to be pissed, as long as you need to be.”
Then he got a good look at her. They hadn’t really talked about the weird OC stuff or their dreams or anything when he went back to Boston. He’d stopped having anything strange happen to him there and he’d just assumed the same had happened for Marguerite when she’d been gone. But maybe since they were back, or since she had been back, things had started happening again. “Hey. Aside from me being monumentally thoughtless, is everything okay?”
---
Well, at least he seemed contrite and meant his apology and seemed to understand why she was so upset about it. That was something and most people would dig their heels in and deny any wrongdoing. So she let out a slow breath and just nodded. “You did, but that’s part of life.”
Oh how Marguerite knew that one. Mostly from the dreams, but even in her waking life as well. Still, it was true that since she had returned to Orange County, there had been things she kept secret from Armand just because he was living his life and really, who didn’t want to escape the crazy sometimes? What good would it do to say she’d had more dreams, different sets? No. She had mentioned dating - no name, but a person she knew he’d like. She’d kept him apprised of everything with the stalker case (though not the fact it had been St. Cyr’s son). Shows. Things that she could talk about.
So how was she besides what Armand had just pulled on her?
“Besides that? Yes. Orange County remains Orange County. Though as you see, it seems our dreams are set on stage which no, I didn’t write.” Armand knew how that could be, he’d dated Christine Daae after all. “Though it seems that there are other versions of the dreams that you might want to potentially prepare for. I’ve had two whole sets since returning and have started yet another. Annoying for the most part, but knowing the general idea of how things go does help.”
---
She seemed to be accepting of his apology, which was a good start. He knew he’d have a lot to make up to her, and he would, but this was a start. He did not like it when they were on the outs, and this time, it was all his fault. Therefore it was his responsibility to fix what he could, what she would let him.
He groaned when she mentioned new dreams? “Seriously? Two more? Qu'est-ce que la baise éternelle?” he said, using one of the more scandalous French phrases he knew. But it was true. This was not news he wanted to hear. Hopefully he would be lucky to escape the trouble of dreams a second time around.
He shook his head and then took a sip of the drink he’d bought. While he might not be hungry right now, thirsty he was. “What about your new boyfriend? How are things with him?” She hadn’t told him the guy’s name yet, but after the stalking thing, she probably didn’t want him to run a background check on the guy and attempt to be intimidating with his rapier. He didn’t blame her, to be honest. If there had been a girl in his life after Christine, he’d probably have done the same.
---
“Oh I am quite serious. It’s tedious, even knowing how they end up playing out. Usually more to them actually.” Waking up with the signs of having been crawling and walking along a dirt path and in the brush to avoid being seen by Chauvelin and his men? That hadn’t been fun but it always could have been worse. Besides, it wasn’t like there was much she could do about it. She just did as she had before, kept on going.
There were plenty of reasons why she hadn’t mentioned Percy’s name. Part of it was concern about Armand going into overprotective mode. Then there was the fact that yes, he was the Percy of their dreams and that meant she had wanted to make sure it was real and not just dream crossover feelings and knowing that Armand would question that so wanting an actual answer before giving him that part of the information. Still, he was here now…
“Funny you should mention that…” Taking a sip of her own drink, she shrugged, “Things are going well with him. Who you should know is Percy.”
---
He had just taken another sip, having been drinking his drink during the first part of their conversation, but when she name-dropped Percy Blakeney he chocked on the drink. After getting control again he looked at her, wide-eyed. “Percy? The Percy? Percy Blakeney?”
Well, this wasn’t on par with “hey, I’ve moved back to Orange County to go to law school and been here for a few months without telling you” level of secret keeping, but it was a big one. He didn’t feel as hurt as he knew he had made his sister feel, but...he had memories of their whirlwind courtship. He remembered being absolutely entranced with Percy. And he would have liked to have shared in it a little more from the start. But, he did understand. After the stalker, and especially because it had to do with their memories, he understood her caution.
It didn’t mean he liked it, though.
---
“The one and only.” There was a lot to unpack with that. While their relationship here was probably going faster than most, it was actually slower than it had happened in the dreams in…. any of them honestly. They had moved in together about two months after making it official even though they’d been seeing each other for a few months before that.
“I wanted to make sure it was real before saying anything more, you know?”
Yes, Marguerite was the type to throw caution to the wind, get swept up in a moment and live each moment as her last. And probably would have had there not been the added history of the dreams. But because of that, she had needed to know that it was more than crossover emotions. Yet they were going strong and had that added benefit of communication and learning from the dreams and which mistakes not to make.
She also understood that one could understand all the reasons and not particularly like it. She remembered how much Armand had liked Percy in the dreams and perhaps part of her worried that wouldn’t be the case now. Though she had always mentioned that she knew Armand would like him as well.
---
He nodded, getting over his initial shock. Yes, that made sense, wanting to get to know it was real. He didn’t blame her for waiting to tell him, because if his original set of dreams were any indication, he would adore Percy simply because...well, he had pledged his life to him, in his way. So knowing she was with the Percy and had waited to make sure it was really love...if it was at love...he could understand that.
“Are you happy, knowing it’s him?” he asked. Oh, he knew she was happy. Despite everything, despite his arrival the way it was, he knew she was happy with Percy. The real question was, ws she happy that he was her destined love?
---
“Well my first reaction when I put it all together was that I was in so much trouble, but I’d already felt that connection at that point.” That had been both amusing and terrifying in its own way. A whole night just talking and connecting on a level she had never connected with anyone else before only to get his name as he was leaving. Realizing how similar it had all been to the dreams and then just wondering but not wanting to step back.
“But… I am. I mean, I would be happy even if he weren’t. But it also… helps in a way I suppose. Both in the fact that we can not make the mistakes we did in the dreams, but also just having someone who understands the dreams and what happened in them.”
Even with the show now, people who would now know those painful months. It wasn’t exactly the same.
“As I always say, things find an interesting way of working out.”
---
“It does,” Armand said with a nod. Though with the few dreams he’d had he knew there was no one like Percy was for his sister, he could admit it had been good to have people who understood it all when he had been in the OC before. His time in Boston without being able to talk about...well, everything, had been hard. He was simply grateful that his sister’s match had turned out for the bet so far.
After a moment, he decided perhaps he was hungry after all and got his food out of his bag. “So, perhaps you can tell me exactly what I have to look forward to on opening night?” he asked. “It does help to be prepared when it’s your life story up on stage, after all.”
---
Marguerite herself had found that one of the reasons she’d come back was that sense of community and understanding. She loved performing on Broadway and she loved performing in Paris, but it wasn’t until she had run into Christine and Meg that she realized how much that understanding was needed. And the fact that she had ended up meeting Percy and falling in love with him all over again? Well, she couldn’t really complain.
And good, Armand was eating and taking care of himself. But she supposed it made sense that her brother would ask about the musical. It was only fair.
“Well, it basically goes from my last performance at the Comedie Francaise and ends after Chauvelin is set up as the Pimpernel and we leave for England.”
Which admittedly was the majority of the Dreams. At least that set of Dreams.
---
“So nothing I haven’t lived through in my dreams,” he said, feeling relieved. “That’s good. Comforting, almost, even though it’s going to be weird seeing you be...old you. Other you?” He took a bite of his sandwich. “You know what I mean. Dream you.”
He pondered his other question for a moment. It wasn’t as though Percy hadn’t had his fair share of dreams, he gathered, but he wondered if it was weird for him as well, to know they were immortalized in a musical. “Is Percy coming to see it as well, or is he avoiding the show?”
---
“Basically.” Because really, it did help that there was nothing beyond what Armand had dreamt. That would be hard to explain. Though as her brother tried to find the way to describe how weird it would be to see, Marguerite could only smile some. “Yes, I know what you mean.”
The good thing about Percy was that he had finished his dreams right before she had been cast in the show, so at least he also knew everything that was to come. “Oh, he’s sat in on rehearsals and as you can imagine, he has to keep from telling the actor playing him on what to do.”
Because of course he was. It was Percy after all.
---
Armand chuckled at that. “Then you definitely don’t want me at rehearsals. I’ll sulk that I’m being portrayed too over the top. But I imagine Percy and I will get on well once we actually meet with this in common.”
After a moment he set his sandwich down and leaned over to give her a hug. “I’m glad I’m back in time for this, even if it’s going to be strange as hell,” he said. “No one is a better sister and a better Marguerite than the real deal, and I’m sure all the critics will see it and love you for it.”
---
“I do try to keep things from being too over the top.” Honestly, the entire cast did...eerily well at performing those she had dreamt of. Even her brother. It wasn’t all that hard to delve into those emotions no matter what Dreams she had with their ability to capture the essence of those she knew.
Returning the hug, Marguerite smiled, “I’m just happy you’re here.”
---