3rd Summer 515AV
The Playhouse
Early morning
The Playhouse
Early morning
"Thank you for coming..."
After the first five terrible auditions, Octavius evidently couldn't even bring himself to attempt to try and keep the sarcasm out of his voice. Adelaide could see a vein bulging slightly beneath the Theatre director's collar and was struck by the thought that if somebody didn't cheer him up soon, he would suffer a breakdown of some sort, maybe a heart attack. The victim of his displeasure, a small tow-headed freeborn, squeaked her thanks then fled to the exit as fast as her short, stubby legs could carry her without, of course, visibly running. Adelaide wasn't sure if she was amused or sympathetic to her plight, but really it had been a terrible audition.
"What is it about the theatre that attracts so many people with so discernibly little talent?" barked Octavius, his mouth twisted into a grimace, "For any other job, you have experience or your trained or, even, yes, exhibit talent. But here, anyone thinks they can just walk in and 'give it a go' - and it's not as if they come only once. I see the same faces time and time again."
Adelaide nodded sympathetically, "Well, they tell themselves that it's not them, it's just that they weren't what you were looking for this time. Then that gives them hope to continue."
Octavius jutted out his jaw slightly, as if he had some sweet stuck in it then, forcing his face into an uncomfortable-looking 'neutral' position, he told Vincent to let in the next victim or, as they like to be called, 'actor'.
"Octavius. Calm down." Adelaide said, poking him playfully in the arm, "It's alright. We have all day and it's not as though the troupe is in dire need of new actors."
If possible, Octavius's jaw clenched even more tightly. Adelaide wondered for a second if he really was going to have some sort of mental breakdown. It seemed plausible and Winona, who was sitting on his other side, didn't look entirely comfortable with the situation either. She leaned back in her chair and started looking at her nails, glancing up Octavius now and again, probably to check that her boss was still breathing.
"Next!"
Vincent led in a beautiful blonde who, conversely to the last tiny tow-headed victim, had legs that seemed to go on forever. Maybe Octavius wouldn't care if she was terrible, all things considered. But, then again, it was likewise possible that with the trials he believed himself to have suffered, still so early in the morning, lust had been thrown out of the window in favour of a dogged and relentless pursuit of even the most meagre talent.
"What's your name?" asked Winona, with a smile.
"Rhona Royl..."
"I've seen you before," Octavius interrupted, a slightly mad expression flickering in his eyes.
"Yes. I auditioned last season."
"And the season before that?"
"Yes. I..."
"Get out of here. Get out! Go! Go away!" The vein was really throbbing then. Both Winona and Adelaide raised their eyebrows and the latter couldn't help but feel it might be a good idea to send the theatre's manager home for the day. What use was he going to be in this state?
"Octavius..."
The leggy blonde had stormed off, her face turned bright red. Winona poured a glass of water and handed it to Octavius before turning back to look at her nails.
"Octavius..." Adelaide repeated carefully, "I think you should go home."
"What?"
"Winona and I are perfectly able to do the auditions without your help. You need to rest."
There it was - that vein again. It really was a marvellous thing. It looked like it had a life of it's own and there was something quite rhythmic about the throbbing.
"How dare you."
"No. How dare you!" Adelaide replied, her eyes narrowing, "My family employ you to run this theatre. Currently, you are in no fit state to do that. You shall do as I say and go home Mr Schneider."
It took ten chimes to get the director out of his seat and another five for him to find his hat, all while he muttered darkly under his breath. Maybe Adelaide should have been affronted by what he was saying, but it was completely unintelligible, so she only regarded it with a certain amount of amusement. Finally, he strode up the steps out of the theatre and Adelaide and Winona exchanged glances, not daring to say something until the man was out of the way.
"Thank goodness for that." murmured Winona finally, almost a whole chime after they had lost sight of him.
Adelaide nodded, and shifted slightly so that her seat was in the middle. She re-arranged the papers neatly and picked up a quill, absent-mindedly doodling a little angry face in the corner of one of the papers, then she looked up.
"Next!"
After the first five terrible auditions, Octavius evidently couldn't even bring himself to attempt to try and keep the sarcasm out of his voice. Adelaide could see a vein bulging slightly beneath the Theatre director's collar and was struck by the thought that if somebody didn't cheer him up soon, he would suffer a breakdown of some sort, maybe a heart attack. The victim of his displeasure, a small tow-headed freeborn, squeaked her thanks then fled to the exit as fast as her short, stubby legs could carry her without, of course, visibly running. Adelaide wasn't sure if she was amused or sympathetic to her plight, but really it had been a terrible audition.
"What is it about the theatre that attracts so many people with so discernibly little talent?" barked Octavius, his mouth twisted into a grimace, "For any other job, you have experience or your trained or, even, yes, exhibit talent. But here, anyone thinks they can just walk in and 'give it a go' - and it's not as if they come only once. I see the same faces time and time again."
Adelaide nodded sympathetically, "Well, they tell themselves that it's not them, it's just that they weren't what you were looking for this time. Then that gives them hope to continue."
Octavius jutted out his jaw slightly, as if he had some sweet stuck in it then, forcing his face into an uncomfortable-looking 'neutral' position, he told Vincent to let in the next victim or, as they like to be called, 'actor'.
"Octavius. Calm down." Adelaide said, poking him playfully in the arm, "It's alright. We have all day and it's not as though the troupe is in dire need of new actors."
If possible, Octavius's jaw clenched even more tightly. Adelaide wondered for a second if he really was going to have some sort of mental breakdown. It seemed plausible and Winona, who was sitting on his other side, didn't look entirely comfortable with the situation either. She leaned back in her chair and started looking at her nails, glancing up Octavius now and again, probably to check that her boss was still breathing.
"Next!"
Vincent led in a beautiful blonde who, conversely to the last tiny tow-headed victim, had legs that seemed to go on forever. Maybe Octavius wouldn't care if she was terrible, all things considered. But, then again, it was likewise possible that with the trials he believed himself to have suffered, still so early in the morning, lust had been thrown out of the window in favour of a dogged and relentless pursuit of even the most meagre talent.
"What's your name?" asked Winona, with a smile.
"Rhona Royl..."
"I've seen you before," Octavius interrupted, a slightly mad expression flickering in his eyes.
"Yes. I auditioned last season."
"And the season before that?"
"Yes. I..."
"Get out of here. Get out! Go! Go away!" The vein was really throbbing then. Both Winona and Adelaide raised their eyebrows and the latter couldn't help but feel it might be a good idea to send the theatre's manager home for the day. What use was he going to be in this state?
"Octavius..."
The leggy blonde had stormed off, her face turned bright red. Winona poured a glass of water and handed it to Octavius before turning back to look at her nails.
"Octavius..." Adelaide repeated carefully, "I think you should go home."
"What?"
"Winona and I are perfectly able to do the auditions without your help. You need to rest."
There it was - that vein again. It really was a marvellous thing. It looked like it had a life of it's own and there was something quite rhythmic about the throbbing.
"How dare you."
"No. How dare you!" Adelaide replied, her eyes narrowing, "My family employ you to run this theatre. Currently, you are in no fit state to do that. You shall do as I say and go home Mr Schneider."
It took ten chimes to get the director out of his seat and another five for him to find his hat, all while he muttered darkly under his breath. Maybe Adelaide should have been affronted by what he was saying, but it was completely unintelligible, so she only regarded it with a certain amount of amusement. Finally, he strode up the steps out of the theatre and Adelaide and Winona exchanged glances, not daring to say something until the man was out of the way.
"Thank goodness for that." murmured Winona finally, almost a whole chime after they had lost sight of him.
Adelaide nodded, and shifted slightly so that her seat was in the middle. She re-arranged the papers neatly and picked up a quill, absent-mindedly doodling a little angry face in the corner of one of the papers, then she looked up.
"Next!"
