I feel really guilty that after waiting for months for an update you guys only get this measly chapter and I'm just a terrible person. But thanks to some ah "encouragement" by dOcTeRlOvEr-IkUtOlOvEr I managed to poop this thing out before February (my birthday is the 1st! :D). And a special note to her actually, thank you for forcing a deadline on me, without it I don't even know when I would ever update, and please don't find me and hunt me down, I will not be able to explain the situation to my mother.
Also in case there's any confusion I've changed my penname to from music4soul to CaptainWangatang because I can.
DISCLAIMER: It's 4am and I've been through 27 of these I'm just gonna give up.
"Hi everyone!" Rima grinned and jumped from where she was to the left podium.
Nagihiko almost fell off of where he was sitting. Trying to recompose himself he cleared his throat and glanced nervously at the symbols under Rima's shining eyes. "Ahem, Alic-"
"Alice and her friends, now with renewed hope, march one towards the castle, where Princess Guinevere, Arthur's one true love awaited their rescue." From backstage, a thumping sound was heard. Tadase had fallen over and got back up with a bright red face. Nadeshiko was, once again, nowhere to be seen. "But even more dangers await them on their way!" Rima exclaimed with glee.
"More?" Nagihiko panicked. What did this girl think she was doing?
She completely dismissed his question. "Maybe they'll encounter a lion! Or a dragon!"
Nagihiko was about to bang his head against the wall. Even if they did decide (read: if she forced him) to input a dragon there was no way they could find and afford one instantly. Was Kusu-Kusu/Rima insane?
"Or," She continued, but this time she sent Nagihiko the brightest expression he ever had the pleasure of viewing from her. "Some clowns?"
Well, Nagihiko didn't know about insane, but she was definitely mad.
"This is so wrong." Nagihiko muttered in his clown costume.
"Really? I think it fits you pretty well." His sister grinned. He gave her an exasperated look.
He walked over to Rima with just a hint of frustration on his face. "How do you expect the others to just adapt to two new characters being thrown in?"
Rima glared at him. "You do not talk like this is my fault."
Nagihiko bit his lip. No I'm sure this is completely your fault. "Fine, but-"
Rima pointed a finger to his chest. "This is also not Kusu-kusu's fault."
"Wh-"
With each word she pronounced she poked him harder. "This. Is. Entirely. Your. Fault."
Nagihiko was silent.
"Right?" Rima was about to drill a hole in his chest with her tiny, manicured finger.
Nagihiko heaved a big sigh and, giving Rima one last look, gave in. Gave in to everything, her requests, the frustration, and his impatience. "Fine, it was all my fault. Sorry I didn't check where you were when I began the act, sorry I kissed you, sorry I told you how I felt, sorry I screwed everything up. You probably hate me more than ever now and I guess I'll just have to live with that." He turned quickly and walked away, feeling, for the first time, the need to cry real tears over someone.
Rima stared at his retreating figure in shock. What just happened? She tore a bell off her jester hat and threw it to the ground, watching it bounce and jingle around before rolling under the wardrobe. This still wasn't her fault. Nagihiko was the one who opened the curtain one her, it was all his fault. She didn't do anything wrong. Why did she feel guilty then?
He was probably in the other room putting on the stupid clown make-up, drawing a stupid red smile on his face. Maybe he was actually frowning underneath it. No, he most definitely was.
Rima looked at herself in one of the mirrors, the lights illuminating her face and bringing out every single little detail. Her pale, smooth skin, her small nose, her pink lips, turned down at the corners, and her long lashes, Brushing against each other when ever she blinked.
Her beautiful, golden-brown, eyes reflected the light but something was off. Her eyes did not sparkle, not like when she was working on writing the play with Nagihiko. In them, in the reflection of her eyes she peered through the windows of her mind, and she saw a cloud covering her thoughts, making them run over each other.
Thirteen years old, Rima, she thought to her reflection, for a thirteen year old you sure have a lot going on.
In one fluid movement she turned away from the chair and walked purposefully towards the make-up room.
"This is not my fault." She repeated to herself once again.
Nadeshiko, a meanwhile innocent bystander to the entire scene, had never seen her brother that frustrated, or Rima (in the short time that she had known her) that confused.
Nagihiko's hands studied the make-up carefully as he let his mind wander. At least everyone else was having fun, but this was supposed to be his revenge. Where was the satisfaction?
Oh wait, he chased it away, just like any chance he had with Rima.
He felt the costume was pretty appropriate for him now. Nagihiko Fujisaki, Fool of the Year. Why did he fall in love with someone so stubborn?
Rima slammed the door open to find Nagihiko intently staring at a tube of lipstick. She puffed out her chest to make herself look as big as she could and stomped over to his side. He didn't even turn to look at her.
Oh god, if I pretend to space out maybe she'll go away. Nagihiko inwardly panicked. Don't look at her!
He felt a hand grab the puffy collar of his costume and pull him downwards. He had to grab the table to keep from falling over.
"That's not fair, Nagi." She breathed, cheeks red from anger or something else.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about." And he genuinely didn't, but Rima was making this look like a bad interrogation scene.
"You're bigger than me."
"So?"
Rima pushed him back again. "So? Everyone is bigger than me! My emotions are more concentrated because I'm small!"
She looked completely serious but Nagihiko couldn't help but break out in laughter. "You-" He wiped a tear from his eye. "You really think that?"
She lightly kicked his shin. "It's not funny." She mumbled.
"Why are you telling me this?" He smiled lightly, feeling better that they could still talk like this.
"Because since my emotions are so concentrated, they leak out and I do some pretty rash things."
Nagihiko lifted an eyebrow. Is she trying to apologize? "Is that-"
Rima cut him off by grabbing his collar again. "Like this." Oh, now he could see that her face was extremely red for some reason and she was pulling him closer and closing her eyes-
Chu~
She let go and looked down at her feet. "W-w-we h-have a play to f-finish." And with that she ran out of the dressing room without a second glance.
Nagihiko stayed frozen where she left him for a minute before falling down into a chair. He glanced at his figure in the mirror and decided that, just this once, he wouldn't be needing lipstick on stage.
"Where were you two? The other's are already onstage." Kairi crossed his arms and scolded them in true class representative fashion.
"Chill out Kairi." Nagihiko sent him a cool look and smirked.
"Chil- Fujisaki-san I-" Kairi sputtered in shock. Why was the polite and reserved Jack that he respected acting in such a sloppy manner?
"Yeah Kairi! We doing this to have fun remember!" Rima beamed at him, and suddenly he realized that these two must be chara-changed or delirious from the heat of the costumes.
"Uh, right, well, your last-minute edited entrance is about to come up so just be prepared for that…I guess." Kairi scratched the back of his head, carefully avoiding the fuzzy ears.
"No worries man, we got this." Nagihiko gave him a thumbs up.
ACT 2 Scene 0.5
"Oh You Jest!"
-All enter stage left.-
JACK: Guys! I think I see the castle! It's just over that hill.
CHESIRE: It's about time.
RAPUNZEL: Well sorry we couldn't walk faster Mr. Attitude.
CHESIRE: You're forgiven.
-RAPUNZEL throws her hands up in exasperation.-
ALICE: Do you see something over there? (peer towards stage right)
LITTLE RED: It looks colorful! I think they're people! Hello!
ARTHUR: Oh no...We need to hide, right now.
-Everyone hides behind a bush.-
JACK: Why? Who are they?
ARTHUR: The Wolf King's jesters. They aren't really strong but they'll mess with your head.
JACK: Like…special powers?
ARTHUR: Well I wouldn't call them powers they're just-
RAPUNZEL: Just what?
ARTHUR: Really annoying.
LITTLE RED: Oh! I'm really annoying too! I'll go and stop them!
ARTHUR: Wait no!
-LITTLE RED jumps out of bushes and confronts jesters.-
LITTLE RED: LET US THROUGH!
JESTER 1: Okay.
JESTER 2: You don't have to yell.
LITTLE RED: Really?
JESTER 1: Of course we'll let you through.
JESTER 2: We'll let you through us.
JESTER 1: We'll let you through the air.
JESTER 2: We'll let you through the grass.
JESTER 1: We can let you through many things.
JESTER 2: And you can go through them all.
JESTER 1: But why would you need to anyway?
JESTER 2: You're still a young girl.
JESTER 1: You shouldn't be going through anything at all!
-JESTERS 1 and 2 laugh.-
-RAPUNZEL bursts from the bushes and marches up to the JESTERS.-
RAPUNZEL: HOW ABSOLUTELY VULGAR!
LITTLE RED: I don't get it.
RAPUNZEL: It's okay Ya-Little Red you don't need to.
JESTER 2: It's the trapped princess!
JESTER 1: Trapped no more!
RAPUNZEL: How do you know who I am?
JESTER 2: We don't know who you are.
JESTER 1: We just know what you're known for!
JESTER 2: Her temper comes with a name!
JESTER 1: And the rumors stay true!
-JESTERS skip about chanting "RAPUNZEL".-
RAPUNZEL: SHUT UP! Who are you two anyway?
-JESTER 1 stops, followed by JESTER 2.-
JESTER 1: Clyde!
JESTER 2: Bonnie!
JESTER 1: Usually we're switched but today we are switched.
LITTLE RED: I'm confused.
JESTER 2: (to RAPUNZEL) Where's your prince?
JESTER 1: She scared him off!
JESTER 2: You know what they say…
JESTERS 1 and 2: Hell hath no fury like Rapunzel! (laughing)
-JACKS steps out from behind bushes.-
JACK: You guys can zip your mouths, her prince is right here.
RAPUNZEL: Jack…
JESTER 1: With those clothes? A prince indeed!
JESTER 2: And a woodsy smell. A prince that knows work!
JESTER 1: Covered in dirt? This prince isn't afraid of a little dust!
JESTER 2: Wait a minute maybe her prince…
JESTER 1: Isn't a prince but a pauper!
JACK : You take that back!
JESTER 2: Take what? I have nothing to give so I have nothing to take.
JESTER 1: But if I did (which I don't) I would not give any to you.
ARTHUR(whispering): God, they'll be arguing for hours at this rate.
ALICE: Is there a way to stop them?
ARTHUR: Not that I know of.
CHESIRE: I have an idea.
-CHESIRE jumps in between JESTERS 1 and 2.-
CHESIRE: Why did the chicken cross the road?
JESTER 2: Why did it cross the road?
JESTER 1: Why would a chicken be near a road?
JESTER 2: Why not?
JESTER 1: Why why not?
JESTER 2: People people leave leave!
JESTER 1: There there they're there!
JESTER 2: James while John had had had had had had had had had had had a better effect on the teacher!
CHESIRE: Okay guys, let's move out. These guys could be at it for hours.
LITTLE RED: But I still don't understand what's going on!
JACK: Just go Little Red, it's not important.
LITTLE RED: Okay…
-JESTERS remain competing onstage as others exit stage right.-
-Lights dim. JESTERS are frozen in the background.-
-LITTLE WOLF enters stage left. SPOTLIGHT follows him.-
LITTLE WOLF: (bites thumb) Those Jesters were totally useless. I'll have to find another way to stop them.
-Curtains close.-
END OF ACT 2 Scene 0.5
It's a bit confusing and it doesn't really matter all that much but Nagihiko was Jester 1 and Rima was Jester 2. Also in the first part if you didn't get it they were talking about puberty. I didn't know if that was appropriate or not so I guess I left it a little vague?