Completed [The Amphitheater] Sights and Sounds (Rinya)

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Fall, Day 63, 513 AV

His girl?! Was this kid serious?! Jorin was a little impressed by the boy's sheer presumption, but still! There was confident, there was arrogantly confident, and then there was this kid, who had only known Rinya for all of, what, ten chimes? And already was looking at her as though he owned Rinya. And that was what did it for Jorin, what set him off. The fact that the kid was treating Rinya like an object, not a person.

He never liked these games when he was an understudy, nor did he ever participate in them, though he'd seen Farline participate plenty of times. Clearly the kid had the wrong idea about Rinya, and it was equally clear she was letting him think it so as to not embarrass Jorin or get him in trouble. In truth, Jorin wouldn't have minded if she had just hit the petcher; he was an excellent actor after all and he was sure he could improvise something to get them both out of trouble.

And when the boy put his hands on Rinya it took an enormous effort for Jorin not to growl at him. Seriously, the kid apparently had no concept of personal space! Granted, among understudies this sort of horseplay was common and expected. And most girls gave as good as they got, and the whole thing is (usually) played for laughs. And this kid apparently was a very enthusiastic player, and it was a bit unfair in that he didn't know Rinya wasn't actually an understudy herself. Still, none of that logic registered in Jorin's head. All that registered was that some unshaven kid was putting his hands on Rinya, and he hated it.

Plastering a neutral expression, since a smile was difficult to force at the moment, Jorin watched Rinya squirm under the boy's arm, feeling her own discomfort and feeling of wrongness buzz through their bond. He couldn't agree more. This kid needed to learn when to back off, but he didn't seem to want to, even when Rinya pushed him away and disentangled herself. The understudy's eyes followed Rinya's form as she nearly sprang for Jorin's arm, and as soon as her warmth touched him, Jorin just felt an enormous surge of relief.

”Hello there… you were rather dashing on stage,” Rinya had cooed, her voice sweet but her emotions still roiling. Jorin knew this game, and was surprised Rinya wanted to play it, but realized that she was doing it just to get away from the understudy. What she didn't realize was that by doing this, she was signalling to the understudy that the game was on now. So rather than being put off, the young man just grinned even wider.

"Well, well, well, gorgeous here is a little liar, isn't she?" he taunted in a singsong voice, winking at Rinya and giving her his best smouldering look. Jorin seriously wanted to smack this kid, but there really was no reason to do it now that he no longer had access to Rinya anyway. "I thought you mostly went for girls," he added with a small chuckle. Clearly, he wasn't upset with Rinya's little deception. Petch, it was a good thing. Since she clearly was going for Jorin, that meant she liked guys after all. Which meant he still had a shot at her at the afterparty.

”You know all those hand signs too don’t you? Think you can find time to teach me?”

Of course Jorin knew what Rinya was getting at, he could feel her discomfort across the bond and, even if there was no bond, he was a good enough actor to know a cue when he heard one. But he also wanted this kid gone. Jorin absolutely loathed to flex his authority, but he had been an actor for nearly a season now, and as second billing he was second only to the lead actor and the stage master in influence. He had hated when the actors did this to him when he was an understudy, but this kid seriously needed to learn when to back off.

"Of course! I'll teach you whenever you like," he replied, his face softer for Rinya, trying to send calming feelings to her. He needed calm, anyway, since the next scene called for it, but more importantly he needed to restrain himself from throttling an annoying young understudy.

Then Jorin turned to said understudy and gave him a hard look. "You know, I got those instructions the first hundred times you sent them. Don't you have anything better to do?"

The kid just grinned and shrugged easily. "Not really," he replied airily, giving Rinya another one of his looks. "Just enjoying the scenery."

Jorin ground his molars. "We'll need extra hands for scene three. I can't afford taking a stagehand off for that, could you help with the props?" Though the question was polite, Jorin's voice was steel, and brook no argument, but the kid just laughed slightly.

"Can't you get somebody else to do that? I'm busy here," he complained, with a wink at Rinya. Jorin's face did not express it, but he would have raised his eyebrow and gaped in surprise. Credit where it was due, this kid was brave, to talk back to an actor like that. Didn't he realize he could lose his job over this?

"No. I cannot. Do you seriously want to do this, kid?"

The boy studied Jorin's face intently for a moment, trying to gauge just how serious Jorin was being. For a stuck-up actor, he sure was expressing a great deal of interest in getting alone with the girl understudy. Was he laying claim? It wasn't uncommon, and the girl certainly seemed to prefer Jorin over himself. It was true, being an actor was more prestigious than being an understudy, and there was little he could do to actually compete with Jorin. Still, maybe he could get lucky if he could get this girl alone later.

Deciding the fight was not worth the cost, the understudy just grinned one last time. "Catch your act at the afterparty later, gorgeous," he threw out at Rinya with one of his easy smiles, before he bounded out of the actor's box.

As soon as the boy was off the stage Jorin couldn't help it, he hugged Rinya close to himself tightly, holding her close and just trying to forget that whole incident. It was strange, he never considered himself a particularly jealous man, yet seeing that boy just strutting as though he owned Rinya... even Rhys hadn't done that! Say what one would of the Akalak, he was aware he had to actually chase and catch Rinya before he could claim to act in that fashion. This boy acted like Rinya was already mated to him, and after only a few chimes, no less!

"I'm sorry about that, Rinya," he apologized quietly, as he held her close. In truth, he was more than sorry. This had been a bad idea from the start. He'd forgotten the games that went on during the chaos backstage. It had been seasons since he'd been an understudy himself.

"Don't worry, Rinya. I won't be far away... and I' m sorry you had to act like... that." Jorin sighed, and released Rinya slightly to look into her beautiful golden eyes. "I wanted this to be a good time for you... well, anyway maybe we can still salvage it."

Jorin was planning to give Rinya a quick kiss, but was interrupted when a stage hand marched up the steps to grab him. "Hey Jorin we need you for a bit of an emergency over at the props," the young lady called, and Jorin nodded at her in acknowledgement before tossing Rinya an apologetic look.

"It never ends..." he shrugged, and wandered off to see what new fire he had to put out now. The stage hand remained behind, and giggled a bit as she observed Rinya's dress.

"Going for Jorin?" she tittered, as she started to gather the props that were scattered in the area. Understudies and actors sometimes used the actor's box as a general dumping ground for props rather than doing what they were supposed to do and place them in the racks.

"Not a bad choice! He's certainly nicer than some of the actors around here; not as stuck-up, anyway." the girl shrugged. "Not much of a flirter, though. Not sure how much of a chance you've really got."

OOCI would have written out the emergency at the prop racks and the next scene in the play, but I figured I'll save that for the next post, or this one would get ridiculously long .

[Rinya]

Day 63, Season Fall, 513 AV

Rinya could feel Jorin’s anger flare at the mention of being the kid’s ‘girl’. And for once she didn’t doubt Jorin. He knew that she wouldn’t do that to him—or in the very least he should. There wasn’t much else she could do to convince him of it. His rage didn’t seem directed at her though, so for the moment she felt relatively at ease with him. However, she wasn’t entirely sure the understudy would be fine. The touching, the claiming—those were only things he could do, because Rinya allowed it.

"Well, well, well, gorgeous here is a little liar, isn't she?" Liar? Rinya resisted the urge to frown; after all she was trying to make him go away and not closer. Being stuck to Jorin’s side was the best she could think of at the moment. He was looking at her… oddly however and she had no idea why. Or what it was supposed to mean. I thought you mostly went for girls," Petch! Forgot I said that already… Rinya could feel her grip on Jorin’s arm tighten. ”Well I said more, not only.” Rinya hissed, very barely able to contain the snippy attitude she wanted to so badly show.

"Of course! I'll teach you whenever you like," Judging by Jorin’s face he really wasn’t upset with her—thank the gods. She focused on him and his feelings and tried to ignore the boy as Jorin addressed him. Apparently the understudy had little else to do but bother her. Lovely. Jorin tried to ‘suggest’ to him that he should go help with an upcoming scene, but for some reason the boy was steadfast in just… annoying her. Biting her tongue so she didn’t just tell the boy to scram, Jorin pushed harder—and the understudy finally cracked.

"Catch your act at the afterparty later, gorgeous," As soon as he was out of ear shot Rinya groaned. ”Not if my life depended on it.” Sighing, Rinya wrapped her arms around his middle the moment he turned to hug her. Jorin apologized to her, trying to reassure her that maybe the night wasn’t a complete waste. ”I’m leaving the acting to you. Not playing that little game again, I’m terrible at it. Girls actually like being talked to like that?” The question was more rhetorical than anything else.

Jorin almost looked ready to kiss her, and Rinya really wanted nothing more than to kiss him and forget the advances of the understudy, but apparently it was not to be. "Hey Jorin we need you for a bit of an emergency over at the props," Of course… Rinya withheld her disappointment, there was always later—even if this whole idea tanked. She got to go with him regardless. Jorin shrugged and headed off, leaving her with the girl.

Rinya turned back to look at the stage. She actually had no intention of paying attention to the girl, but as was her luck tonight, the girl had something to say as well. "Going for Jorin?" Rinya tilted her head in the girl’s direction, raising an eyebrow at her. She recognized the tone of voice. Farline used it with her when Rinya had first met her. It immediately set her on edge. "Not a bad choice! He's certainly nicer than some of the actors around here; not as stuck-up, anyway. Not much of a flirter, though. Not sure how much of a chance you've really got."

Well… at least the girl was far more generous to Jorin than Farline was. Rinya debated on a proper answer. Unlike Farline, Rinya didn’t feel threatened by this girl. Which didn’t entirely make sense to her, but there was no reason to dwell on that thought. After several ticks, Rinya just shrugged her shoulders slightly. ”Why does that matter?.” Her tone wasn’t flat, but it wasn’t entirely friendly either.

It really didn’t matter, because no matter what anyone thought of him, he did go home to her. She already snatched up the chance with both hands. ”Nothing wrong with trying…” Of course the girl couldn’t know that she was already with Jorin. So Rinya kept the truth buried underneath words.

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Fall, Day 63, 513 AV

Like most disasters, this one was born of a combination of conflating factors. Jorin had been quite certain when this play had begun that all the sword props would be available; he'd double-checked the inventory to ensure it. Not that inventory was usually a problem, but in this case recent issues with delivery times, owing to the hiccup the storm that had ripped through the city earlier that season had caused, meant that on occasion some things slipped the cracks.

Then there was the issue of "borrowing". Jorin had told the actors, again and again, that the costumes and props were Amphitheater property and should be returned in a timely manner. He considered instituting a policy of charging the idiots late fees or something to enforce the "no borrowing past a couple of days" rule, but nobody ever seemed to listen to his suggestion. Probably because they were busy breaking that rule.

So the logistics became a game of trying to guesstimate how many of the props and costumes would be returned by a given date, taking into the calculations such factors as upcoming holidays, festivals, and weddings. As far as he knew there weren't any weddings the week of the show, but he also knew Beautyfest was coming up quite soon and that usually meant that dresses were in short supply.

What he hadn't anticipated (and really should have) was that the wooden sword props would also run into short supply. He supposed in retrospect it did make sense; the costumes included sword scabbards after all, and any men borrowing such costumes would likely borrow a wooden sword to complete the ensemble.

"What do we do? There aren't enough for the second act!" What do they do, indeed. It wasn't very often that Jorin miscalculated. And it wasn't so much that he miscalculated so much that he'd forgotten to include all the relevant data into his formula, and thus had mistakenly believed they had sufficient swords for the scene.

Running over the fight scene in his head, Jorin considered the possibilities, ruminating giving some of the actors perhaps axes or daggers. All of which could potentially work, but not very well. The combat scene just wouldn't flow very well; they were coordinated for swords, not axes, and the daggers would have insufficient range. It would just look silly for a swordsman to be defeated by a knife-user, and more importantly, it would give away which character would win that fight. Unless...

Jorin walked over and picked up one of the daggers and turned. "Alright, here's what we're going to do," he announced, then went into detail. The main actor and himself, as well as the primary antagonist of the scene, would be given daggers. It would allow for closer, more personal combat, which the scene could benefit from anyway. All the other actors would receive swords, and would rotate in and out to give the impression of a moving battlefield. They would "hand-off" their weapon as they left the stage so that the same wooden props would always be circulating and would compensate for their current inventory shortage.

Having somewhat resolved the minor emergency, Jorin turned his attention back to the play. The next scene was about to begin, but in the chime or two he had to himself he focused on Rinya, and their bond. He wanted to know if she was feeling stressed again; if he had to he'd let that petching understudy take his spot for the next scene so that he could personally handle any idiot trying to upset his mate. But fortunately, she did not seem to be under any stress or feeling particularly upset, so he nodded to the stage hand giving him the handsign that he was due onstage.

Hopping back up onto the stage, Jorin swallowed and turned to the audience. In fact, this scene was a soliloquy, and Jorin was usually fairly good at those. The only problem was, Rinya was watching this time, and he wanted to do this well, in order to impress her. He knew she'd never criticize him even if he delivered it poorly, but her opinion mattered to him, and he wanted her to be happy with how he delivered his lines.

"It is strange to think the soldier's life, duty the only call.
When orders given orders take, no choices here at all.
When trumpets blow we march to war, a thousand lives as one,
When command is given we turn to face our fate with the rising sun.

It is not this fate that I fight against, my life is Suva's own
I'll fight this war with all my strength, till skin turns into bone
And fight into the night I shall, yet heart still beats for home
'Tis that which stripped my rank from me, why in the wilds I roam

Hark! Ye gods above my head, do find this wandering soul
Protect the one still home for me, the half that makes me whole..."

Jorin delivered the lines with as much force as he could muster, face anguished with a plea to the heavens as his character begged the gods, any of the gods, to protect his wife at home. He promised his life to any god who would answer his plea, but of course; such a promise carried consequences, though those consequences would only be seen later in the play. After the soliloquy had concluded, a few of the other "soldiers" returned to the scene, and Jorin greeted them with dignity yet caution.

"Come to finish the job, old friends?" he asked. His face and demeanor was resigned, as though he knew what was coming next. But the men shook their heads, raising their wooden weapons above their heads and whooped, declaring that they were on Jorin's side. Gratitude shone in Jorin's eyes as he stared speechless at the men who'd joined.

"We are less than half of who we were, but twice as strong. For we believe. Let the commander follow his orders. Let us follow our hearts."

----------

"Why does that matter?" Rinya had asked, and the stagehand just shrugged her own small delicate shoulders to Rinya's question.

"Maybe it doesn't," she suggested. "It's just that... I've never seen him go after any of the girls here in the Amphitheater."

She sighed a bit, gathering up more of the props to return to the stacks, while nodding to Rinya's comment about there being nothing wrong with trying. "Of course not, it's just I thought I'd warn you that I don't think you'll have a lot of success. I mean, one or two of the girls tried, and he kind of shut them down pretty quick, you know? We thought he was... y'know, into guys, actually."

The stagehand shrugged again. "But he never went after any of the guys either," she noted, patting down her dress and smiling kindly at Rinya.

"I'll admit though, I've never seen him smile at any of the girls like he smiled at you just now, so maybe you've got a shot," she mused.

[Rinya]

Day 63, Season Fall, 513 AV

"Maybe it doesn't, it's just that... I've never seen him go after any of the girls here in the Amphitheater." This fact really didn’t surprise her so much. The two of them had been getting much closer than just friends by the time he landed the job at the Amphitheater. While they hadn’t been actually together, knowing what she did now it wasn’t likely that Jorin would have dismissed his feelings for her so easily. It was kind of amazing actually when she thought about it. How far they had come since they last time they were here.

"Of course not, it's just I thought I'd warn you that I don't think you'll have a lot of success. I mean, one or two of the girls tried, and he kind of shut them down pretty quick, you know? We thought he was... y'know, into guys, actually." Instead of inciting the usual rage she felt when someone thought badly of Jorin, Rinya wanted to laugh. It was obvious the girl wasn’t insulting him. It was just something that came to mind after shutting the girls down. Rinya had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing out loud at the thought.

”He is not gay. Trust me. Call it instinct,” Experience. ”He’s not gay.” Rinya smirked at the girl. "I'll admit though, I've never seen him smile at any of the girls like he smiled at you just now, so maybe you've got a shot," Rinya inwardly hummed. Coming from someone else it actually was rather pleasant. She smiled genuinely at the girl—even if she didn’t realize how much the comment actually meant to her.

Rinya’s eyes were glued to the stage the moment Jorin reappeared. In the back of her mind she knew she might be a little… obvious in her attention, but it was also the very reason she was here. He had nerves again, but nowhere near as harsh as before. Jorin took a breath, and then began to speak. It seemed personal—for the character at least. Rinya cocked her head to the left slightly. The character himself wasn’t speaking to anyone in particular. Part of her wondered if this was a common occurrence in plays. Telling the audience thoughts meant to be personal. She could see it being helpful in the very least.

His face twisted with the emotions. He was very good at this—if she didn’t have the bond, she would have certainly believed him. While acting was clearly not in her talents, her faith was adequately placed. In fact she was rather proud of him. It had taken him so long to finally land a job with the Amphitheater. Even before the bond was fully formed she knew how badly he wanted to be up there. But gods—he made it look easy. For her first play, even with the understudy nuisance, she was actually enjoying herself. Rinya smiled slightly… the kind of smile she was often caught staring at him with from their bed.

"Come to finish the job, old friends?" More soldiers had joined him on stage, and she found herself actually wondering what was going to happen next. It was becoming increasingly easier to picture the actual story, and not just the stage and the people on it. Jorin’s influence no doubt. As the soldiers pledged themselves to Jorin’s cause, Rinya realized she had completely forgotten one important thing—or rather person. She glanced back at the stagehand and the smile slipped from her face. Right…


”I’m sorry… I’ve never seen this play before. It’s quite good actually.” Rinya tried to ignore the blush that rose across her face. Though the girl didn’t seem dense—she probably got the hint that it wasn’t just the play she was into.

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Fall, Day 63, 513 AV

As the actors filed onto the stage for the final scene of the first act, Jorin looked over at Rinya. Every time he saw her he felt a fresh surge of desire. It was strange; he didn't even feel this way when he saw her nude. Not that her nude form didn't attract him, it very much did, but this attire was... tantalizing, teasing. Showing just enough to be interesting, but covering up just enough to be modest, it was like the perfect outfit. And it was driving him crazy. Jorin hoped he'd be able to behave himself after the show.

Jorin was the first to leap up onto the stage, his small wooden dagger already drawn. The scene was already set; the commander was battling a fierce opponent, an old grizzled Alahean mage who was pushing him back with every strike. The commander's soldiers were "dead", lying on the stage with swords "through" their bodies, and only the commander and two most faithful soldiers remained. They shouted out their defiance as the Alahean mage laughed and prepared to annihilate them when...

"No Suvan soldier fights alone!" he cried, jumping into the fray, his own soldiers bringing up the rear. The commander looked bewildered, asking Jorin why he chose to come. Didn't he say that following orders was pointless?

"Maybe so, old friend. But you've always taken care of us. When any of us had problems, you'd help us." Jorin blocked another dagger blow, and pushed the mage back, before turning to the commander and offering him a hand up. "Time to return the favor," Jorin added with a small smile. The commander could only nod, before his eyes grew wide.

"Look out!" he shouted, leaping forward. Jorin turned just in time to see the Alahean mage lunge forward with his blade, and the commander jumped in the path, the wooden dagger seeming to penetrate his heart.

"NO!" Jorin screamed out, cradling the commander's body with seemingly genuine anguish. The Alahean mage crowed about his victory, and Jorin just gritted his teeth.

"Enjoy your victory while you can, Alahean dog," Jorin ground out. "Someday I will make it taste as bitter as defeat."

The mage simply smirked and agreed. Someday, he said, but that day was not today, and the character strode off the stage, leaving just Jorin and the commander.

"Why did you do that, sir?" he asked the commander.

"Followed... my heart, right?" the veteran actor gasped out. Jorin had to admit he was impressed. If this wasn't on a stage with wooden weapons he'd have sworn the man was actually dying. The man knew how to sell a death scene.

"At least, I had one last... dance before the night," the commander continued, his breathing getting shallower and shallower. "And I made it a good one. Make this worth... something. Take care... of that wife of yours..."

The character died, and the curtain dropped. The first act was over.

----------

"I’m sorry… I’ve never seen this play before. It’s quite good actually."

The stage hand just gave Rinya a gentle smile. "No one has seen this play before. It's a new production," she explained gently, with a slight giggle as she noticed Rinya's reddening face when she was looking at the actors. She knew who Rinya was looking at.

"You're not really an understudy, are you?" she asked lightly, as she picked up the last of the props and put them into a small box. But instead of leaving, the girl just plopped the box down in a nearby corner and approached Rinya.

"It's OK, I won't tell anyone," she insisted, trying to calm Rinya down. Then she shrugged and smiled. "I mean, understudies don't usually act like you do, y'know? They act a lot like that young man who passed me by some twenty chimes ago." The girl was referring, of course, to the young understudy who had made the very obvious passes at Rinya.

"You're her, aren't you?" the girl asked at last. Then she went on to explain what she meant. Among the stage hands (the understudies were always too busy being amongst themselves to talk to lowly stage hands), there was a rumor mill circling about one Jorin Ertihan. While some were, of course, of the opinion he was gay, that wasn't borne out by the facts; he didn't hit on any of the beautiful men in their number, either.

There was an alternate theory, that Jorin already had a sweetheart and did not wish to break her heart by accepting the attentions of another. Many of the women favored this theory, but it had a fairly major hole as well. Namely, that no one had ever actually seen this mystery woman, and unless positive proof could be furnished, the theory was just that.

"We almost thought we had her identity at one point," the girl giggled to Rinya. "Jorin's mystery love. You see, about half a season ago, there was this actress showed up at the Amphitheater looking for him. What was her name?"

The girl tapped a finger to her chin and looked thoughtful for a moment. "What was it? Farleen? Forline?" The girl shrugged helplessly, and gave Rinya an apologetic smile. "I'm so sorry, I forgot her name. Anyway she came around looking for Jorin and half the women were convinced she was the one, but I for one never was. She had that... actress look, y'know? Like everything she does is fake."

The girl was actually fairly perceptive, despite her lowly position. Having dealt with overbearing actresses for the better half of two years she learned a thing or two about people who were pretty on the outside and mean on the inside. She looked at Rinya and gave her a smile.

"I'm glad it's you, though," the girl confessed to Rinya as the act drew to a conclusion. She walked over to the box of props and picked it up.

"You seem like a nice person," she observed, looking over her shoulder, "Jorin really needs that. He takes so much shyke from those actresses..." the girl's cheeks colored from her use of profanity.

"And he doesn't even deserve it! Nobody ever stands up for him. I'd always wondered how he was able to handle it without cracking..." The girl looked almost sad for a moment, before looking up at Rinya and smiling brightly. "Now I know! Anyway, it was nice to meet you!"

And with that, the girl hefted the box and walked down the steps of the Actor's box and out of sight.

[Rinya]

Day 63, Season Fall, 513 AV

"No one has seen this play before. It's a new production," Rinya felt her face turn even more red. Well—that was a terrible excuse. But the girl was nice enough to ignore the flub. But she took the hints far more easily than the understudy—either that or he just hadn’t cared. If Rinya had to guess it was the latter of the two. The girl’s question caught her off kilter though. Rinya drew her eyes away from the scene, gaping slightly at her. The stage hand wasn’t even looking at her and Rinya groaned inwardly.

”Well uhh… someone was just trying to…” Rinya felt her jaw clamp shut. Great, now she basically just implicated Jorin too. She had already picked up on his smile, there was little doubt she would guess just who snuck her in. She must have sense Rinya’s stress because she dropped the box and started to approach her. "It's OK, I won't tell anyone, I mean, understudies don't usually act like you do, y'know? They act a lot like that young man who passed me by some twenty chimes ago."

Rinya did groan this time. The idea of girls acting just like the boys… what kind of games did these actors enjoy? At one point, Jorin had been stuck in games… maybe still was just a little? She couldn’t tell honestly, while he would come home and talk to her about work, there were times he just looked plain exhausted and Rinya never pushed. She knew work could get under one’s skin. "You're her, aren't you?"

Rinya felt her back go rigid. Her? What did that mean? Frowning slightly, she crossed her arms over her chest. If the stage hand noticed her irritation, she ignored it. She just went on to explain. She wasn’t entirely sure if she should be happy or upset that Jorin being gay was the worst rumor they could think of. Not that in the long run it really mattered. It was just a rumor, but she wondered if Jorin knew about it. Even if he did, it wasn’t likely that he would have told her.

Given Jorin’s personality, she was more surprised that most of the girls hadn’t guessed he might have had someone at home. In the very least they stopped bugging him—or trying to bed—or whatever it was with the games they played. The idea made her spin. Her eyebrows furrowed when the girl mentioned that they thought they had figured it out. Who the special girl was. But Rinya knew she hadn’t been to the Amphitheater in over a season, so she frowned again.

"What was it? Farleen? Forline?" Rinya gritted her teeth together. The whole issue with Farline felt like it was ages ago, far more than half a season. Clearing her throat a little, Rinya settled her eyes back on the stage, glaring at it slightly. ”Farline.” She muttered through her teeth. Everything the woman did do was fake. There was no question about that. "I'm glad it's you, though,"

Rinya jolted slightly and looked back at the girl. She didn’t know a thing about her and she was glad that Jorin had her? Did they really give off that much of a vibe? Her creeks flushed again as the girl explained that Jorin was a nice person, but he took too much from people—no one ever took his side. Rinya literally sighed. That wasn’t a surprise. Jorin really was too nice for his own good at times.

The girl suddenly shifted, telling her it was nice to meet her and disappearing with her box down the steps. And while in the back of her mind she had been keeping up with the play as best she could, Rinya’s head felt a little foggy. Even with information that wasn’t new to her, she was still struck by the awe of how gentle her mate really could be. Not just to her. She wasn’t sad per say, but it was kind of nice to know that not everyone was out to make Jorin miserable.

Rinya rubbed the back of her neck as the commander died in Jorin’s arms, and the curtain dropped. The play wasn’t even over, and she was already impressed. Though she knew she would have been impressed even if Jorin was terrible.

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Fall, Day 63, 513 AV

The closing of the first act meant that the first intermission was now upon them. As Jorin released his arms to allow the lead actor to get up, he stretched his arms and otherwise tried to get the kinks out of his muscles, safe in the knowledge that the audience was now shielded from seeing him by the curtain. There was no time for milling about or general complacency however, as the stage crew was already up on stage, taking away props and moving and adjusting or occasionally outright replacing them, setting the stage for the next act.

Jorin had already risen to his feet as well. He wanted to go over to Rinya, ask how she was liking the play so far, whether it was everything she thought it would be, but time did not permit that. He needed to prepare for the next scene, rehearse with the fellow actors, and ensure that what happened with the props debacle did not repeat itself. There was a general bustle as everyone rushed backstage for preparations and perhaps to grab a quick bite to eat, and as Jorin headed back there he heard a strangled cry.

"What do you mean he's sick?!" Jorin winced. He knew that tone. He also knew that voice. The stage manager was clearly upset, and this time it sounded like an unexpected illness had caused something of a hiccup in their lineup. Walking over smoothly, Jorin raised an eyebrow as he continued to listen to the stage manager explode.

"We don't have anyone with the right skillset to do act two's battle preparations scene!" he continued to complain, wailing about how the scene was ruined. Jorin just waited for the man to finally talk himself out of breath before making his own suggestion.

"Just have the commander do it," he recommended. The stage master stared at Jorin as though he'd grown a second head.

"Are you out of your mind?!" he screeched. "I don't know if you were paying attention up there, but the commander died!"

Jorin shrugged. "So throw some white powder on his face, and have him put on one of those ghost costumes. The all-white ones. Besides, it's more dramatic that way."

The stage master opened his mouth and inhaled, looking ready to toss out another explosion, when his face turned thoughtful. "You know, that could work," he mused. "OK! Change of plans, people! And someone get that commander over here, NOW!"

--------------

Rinya's little area exploded with activity as soon as the curtain dropped. Actors coming and going, stagehands hurrying to move large props into the scene, and general chaos and hubbub as shouts floated through the air.

If Rinya looked for Jorin she would have had barely enough time to see him get up before she was shoved aside by an actress wearing a long lavender-colored dress with a plunging neckline and sleeves that puffed out a slightly as they approached her elbows. She had her long brown hair done up in a rather elaborate braid and was barreling through the area as though she were on a mission. Which she was.

"Who was the idiot who requisitioned this dress?!" she demanded to know, and the stagehands refused to meet her eyes, scurrying out from under her gaze like mice from the gaze of a hungry cat. As her green eyes swept the stage, they landed upon Rinya. Specifically they landed on how she was dressed.

"And who are you supposed to be?" she sniffed, looking down her small, pert nose at Rinya's clothing. "I'm sorry dear," she continued, sickeningly sweet voice showing she was anything but sorry, "But the whore scene isn't until act three."

Several of the stagehands winced at the actresses' words, and gave Rinya silent signals not to engage in this verbal spar. This actress was notorious for being quite vain, and as she looked at Rinya's dress she realized that it was prettier than her's. Was this her replacement?!

She knew that she hadn't been available for the last two productions, but there were extenuating circumstances! And now they're bringing in this hussy to take her place? Staring defiantly into Rinya's golden eyes, the actress sniffed and set her mouth, waiting to see if she dared talk back to her.

[Rinya]

Day 63, Season Fall, 513 AV

Rinya internally debated if she should look for Jorin or not. While the backstage had been busy before hand, this seemed much worse than before. There was shouting and so many people jostling each other about. Rinya folded herself back against the side of the actor’s box so she wouldn’t be in anyone’s way. Most people just ignored her, which was just fine by her of course. Just because one stage hand was nice about keeping her secret did not mean everyone else would.

Even trying to be out of the way, a woman still managed to shove her, apparently completely uncaring that someone was already occupying the space currently. Rinya bit down on her tongue and moved, but focused on the people around them scurrying from place to place. "Who was the idiot who requisitioned this dress?!" Rinya winced. The petching woman was practically howling in her ear. The people around them fairly ran from her and Rinya couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

This time Rinya took in the appearance of the woman. Judging by the dress—which apparently she was very unhappy about—she was an actress. Oh yay… another one. She got the feeling that this woman wasn’t going to be much different from Farline. "And who are you supposed to be?" Rinya blinked and looked up at the woman. That tone, the face… she was looking down at her. ”I’m sorry?” What was she supposed to be? Invisible… petching outfit.

"I'm sorry dear, but the whore scene isn't until act three." Rinya sucked in air almost as if she was punched in the gut. Apparently she was very much like Farline. No violence, no violence… She could feel it, at the bottom of her gut. Anger and annoyance. There was something about the actresses that brought out the worst in her. The others around them were trying to motion to Rinya not to start a ‘war’, but Rinya had enough already. First the understudy and now this?

”Oh I see. Yes I would hate to steal your scene.” Rinya stated in a deadpan tone. This woman was pulling the wrong kind of staring contest. Anyone who knew predatory birds—you don’t look them in the eye. Rinya locked her gaze on the woman’s green eyes, hands landing on her hips. There was no backing down from this. ”Do yourself a favor… back off.” Rinya’s tone had dropped from deadpan to cold, hard. If the woman was stupid enough to think she could intimidate her—for no reason at that—she was sorely mistaken.

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Fall, Day 53, 513 AV

The second act was about to begin, and Jorin genuinely wondered what was happening with Rinya. Because he felt a tell-tale anger he hadn't felt since she'd met Farline, and that was never a good sign. When Rinya got this angry she tended to snap, and whens she snapped, fists usually started flying. Her fists. Which as Farline had loudly complained during the week when Rinya had blocked their bond, tended to hurt.

Jorin debated what he should do. Should he go over to the actor's box to defuse whatever situation was brewing? But for one thing, Jorin didn't have time and for another, that could be construed as him not trusting his mate to be able to handle herself. Deciding that he would let it go for now, Jorin turned to his fellow actors and nodded. It was time for act two to begin.

As they strode onto the stage, Jorin almost groaned when he realized their table prop was mis-placed. In the rush to set up the scene, one of the stage hands must have accientally read the stage directions wrong and set the table crosswise, rather than lengthwise, and now there wasn't enough room for all the actors to stand at one end of it; they would block one another and the audience would only see the actor at the end.

Thinking quickly, Jorin jumped onto the table like it was a platform, arm outstretched and eyes gleaming. The other actors looked a bit startled, but recovered quickly and understood Jorin's improvisation, forming a small crowd in front of him, so that now the audience could see everyone. Taking a breath, Jorin spoke to his "soldiers".

"And so we find ourselves without orders or commanders. What say you, men? Shall we lay down our arms and go home with our tails between our legs?!"

The soldiers shouted "Nay!" with vigour, but Jorin just continued. "Shall we let these Alahean dogs beat us back into the arms of Dira without a fight?!"

Another chorus of nays echoed across the theater. Jorin nodded. "The commander is still with us," he insisted, "he is in every sword swing, every marching beat, every shadow and every day we march. He is with us, men!"

A round of cheers finished off the scene, with the men slapping each other's backs and marching off the stage. They disappeared, one by one, stepping down the stairs in the back, but Jorin stayed on his makeshift pedastal, still staring forward. When he was alone, he began a quiet monologue.

"Commander," he cried, voice full of anguish. "I've done all I could. I've roused the men, gathered them. But... but I don't know what to do."

Jorin's face revealed his doubt and confusion. Spreading his arms, he beseeched the sky. "I am not a brilliant strategist! I am not a master tactician! I am not you!"

"You don't have to be me," the lead actor's voice floated in from the left. Jorin looked around wildly, but no one was there. After a tick or two, he shrugged.

"It must have been the wind," he concluded, both for the character's benefit, and for the audience's.

------------------

The actress narrowed her eyes at this impudent woman who dared speak back to her. Nobody talked back to the lead actress! Nobody! Not even the other actresses would cross her, and here was this... this... hussy, dressed up like that... the actress couldn't help but look up and down Rinya's outfit again. She had to grudgingly admit the shirt was quite well-made, and it definitely showed off the unknown woman's attractive toned arms quite well. Not to mention her scandalously short skirt showed off more leg than the actress thought was decent.

"Back off?!" the woman trilled shrilly. The stagehands around her winced at her volume; she was in the actor's box and any louder and the audience would hear her. But she didn't seem to care.

"I am the lead actress!" she fumed, stomping one of her feet on the ground as she said it. "You do not tell me to back off, you... you... you hussy!"

The woman humphed as she glared at Rinya. For all her bluster she was actually rather intimidated. Rinya didn't seem to want to back down like all the other actresses, and this distressed her greatly. She didn't know how to handle someone who wasn't immediately cowed, and unlike Farline she was not as skilled at improvisation, having been spoon-fed her lines her entire career.

"You are onstage in ten," came a cry somewhere to their right, and the actress waved her fingers airily in response.

"Understood, dear," she cried, and then turned back to Rinya.

"Don't think just because you dress like that, you'll get my part," she sniffed. What was with understudies these days?! She opened her mouth to say something else snarky, before a stagehand came up to her, and nervously whispered something in her ear.

"He what?!" she screeched, and the poor stagehand winced, his eyes wide at the actress's wrath. She glared one last time at Rinya before storming off. The stagehand wrung his hands and gave Rinya a worried look.

"Wow... I don't know what you did, but she really hates you," he said. And it was true. He hadn't seen her that angry since... well since a while anyway.

"Did you really have to dress like that? Are you trying to impress an actor, or something?"

[Rinya]

Day 63, Season Fall, 513 AV

The actress was mad. Good. There was no reason for her to act like she was the most important creature in the world. This one was more easily riled up than Farline however. Rinya wasn’t sure if she glad for that, or just more easily annoyed. The stage hands had no idea how to deal with her either to make matters worse. They just winced and tried to avoid making her mad. That probably just gave the woman more leverage. Rinya held in a snort and lifted her chin a little more, settling her glare on the woman as she quite literally screeched at her.

"I am the lead actress!" Rinya refused to let her jaw drop in shock over the woman’s behavior. So what if she was the lead? Stomping her feet on the ground like a child was all she actually was. Rinya literally had to bite her tongue when she realized those exact words were trying to tumble out of her mouth. And then came the hussy word. If I hit her just right, maybe I can just knock her out in one go… Never mind the fact she had no idea how to do that with just one hit—though she was more than willing to try. Rinya however was really beginning to realize that trying to look nice was just back firing on her.

But if she did happen to knock out the petching woman, then Jorin’s play would be affected. And she would probably be escorted out. Rinya’s jaw worked back and forth while she tried to focus on deep breaths. The woman obviously had no idea how to handle Rinya though, and she could use that to her advantage. ”Trust me… if I was after your part, you’d know it.” Rinya growled at the woman through gritted teeth.

A male stage hand approached the woman, whispered something to her that only caused to her explode further and storm off. Rinya snorted and she could hear in the background that the play had begun again. Lovely, she missed part of it. The stage hand looked truly worried though. "Wow... I don't know what you did, but she really hates you," Rolling her eyes, Rinya crossed her arms.
”And her hatred of me should… frighten me?”

The idea was laughable, but Rinya fixed her gaze back on the stage—and more importantly Jorin—and tried to figure out what exactly she missed. He was talking to himself again, and she wanted to grumble in annoyance. The woman had caused her to lose her place in the play. Glancing back at the stage hand, Rinya frowned at him. ”You realize you make it worse don’t you? Her attitude that is. You treat her like a queen, and she has every reason to believe she has the right to walk all over you. I mean seriously… the worst insult she could come up with was hussy.”

The stage hand asked about her outfit, and Rinya swore she was going to light the damn thing on fire when she got back to the condo. ”I wanted to look nice. I don’t have anyone to impress.” Rinya half lied. She did want to impress Jorin, but she also knew it wasn’t required. If she had known the outfit was going to incite such reactions in people, she would have dressed in her work clothing.

Then again, the actress would have probably just assumed she was a stage hand herself and tried to tell her what to do. It would have been a lose/lose situation regardless.