[Open/Mingle] Practice makes...something.

[mediadarling]

It's been quite the month or two. In spite of everything, however, the show must go on--and in order for the show to go on, practice must go on as well.

Maybe your part in Mettaton and Ryoji's play is being an actor. In which case, there are scenes to rehearse with your fellow actors, both heroes and villains alike.

Maybe you're a set designer--better remember to stick up those "Wet Paint" signs!

Costumes? How are those fitting, anyway? And will they ever be done in time?

What about lights and sound? Those must be quite the challenge in a medieval-ish castle.

Props? Better watch where that hammer goes, or someone's going to need a bit of first aid.

Or maybe you're someone who missed the initial casting call and are wondering just what the heck is going on. Never fear: Mettaton and/or Ryoji will be more than happy to fill you in--and possibly drag you into the whole production. (Is there even going to be an audience at this rate?)

Comments

hope this is ok!

[trombones]

There's not much for a play-recorder to do besides press a button and kick back, which was perfect for Sans - until he got "volunteered" to paint backgrounds for the whole dumb play too. And since there wasn't a lot of reason to record anything yet (as if that'd stop him, he's recording himself right now), the skeleton was stuck in a room with wood panels and buckets of paint.

So far, he painted a bush. Like, a really crappy bush with a single brush stroke that went dry not even halfway through. Then he put his name on the corner in white paint. Then he put his hand (bone?) print on his jacket, also in white paint.

Perfect.

Amazing.

Magnifique.

10/10.

For a job well done, he took a nap on a pile of blank panels. He's still there. Sawing logs on top of some wood.

Remember when he was playing halfway decent guitar and being sort of helpful.

It's perfect! <3

[lostlegacy]

Sophie's all set to start painting. Gee Girl insisted on putting her hair in pigtails with ribbons, because apparently white hair shows paint really well. Not that she cares much--it's only a pain to get washed out.

...It looks like somebody already got started, though. She regards the...green...thing, reads the name in the corner, then looks over at the skeleton sleeping in the corner. Her nose wrinkles. She could do way better than that.

She grabs the green paint and the brush he'd abandoned, and gets started on showing him just how much better she can do. When he wakes up, he's going to discover the best darned bush a newly-turned-eight-year-old can do.

[mediadarling]

It's hard to keep an eye on everything when there's so much to manage. He's so very grateful for Ryoji--otherwise, this whole play might never get done.

...Especially with help like this.

"Sans!"

[dustless]

...

Well, okay then. Frisk said they'd be helping with anything-and-everything. Sans and his pitiable bush pretty clearly need some kind of help.

Where is the paint? Ah, there is the paint. They drag it over to the (start of a) bush and start filling it in a little.

[mercybutton]

Frisk, of course, is more than happy to offer their part for the play. It's started to settle in just how bad and dull things can get here, and… they don't wanna know what happens when they get bored enough to...

Of course, they have to rehearse their steps, what little they have as the blind oracle. And their lines. It's tricky, trying not to stutter or stumble over their words, especially seeing how often they do in casual conversation-- but they manage. Plus the costume will probably make them look cool. It has a blindfold.

Feel free to catch them trying to rehearse their lines and restarting from the beginning when they mess up, no matter how far along they got.

Meanwhile, they also act as sound engineer. Things like making sure the instruments at least sound alright, if anyone even knows how to tune them. (They can tune an acoustic guitar, but that's about it.) That, and making sure that instruments don't overpower each other in a castle of stone walls and reverberations. And also confirming that yes, this brief sound effect is grandiose enough for that scene.

They can also be found plucking away at a guitar. They've started to clean off their rust.



Flowey, meanwhile, has taken to being the world's worst pre-production critic, left in his pot while Frisk is off doing… something. He's nitpicking every single detail he finds, whether it be in the backdrops, the props, the acting, the flair.

I hope you have a lot of patience.

[dustless]

"You're gonna do stuff with the music? You're--you can play music?!"

Hello, it is that Younger Other Frisk, sounding a lot less...awful than the last time they had an encounter. If anything, they sound outright gleeful.

[mediadarling]

On one of his breaks from rehearsing his own lines, the sound of one of his niblings practicing catches his ear.

Especially since they seem to be practicing the same part over...and over...and over....

As he heads in their direction, he calls out, "Frisk-darling? Might I offer a tip?"

idk if notifs will work eventually but

[trombones]

"You should use a whoopee cushion."

As always, Sans came from literally nowhere. No sign of footsteps save for the couple he took when he was already close to Frisk as they tuned this and that instrument. Frisk wouldn't be able to see, but there's various paint spots on his jacket now.

He had just come back from doing the world's worst job painting backdrops, as Flowey might know.

"I think it'd really heighten the drama for those big moments, y'know?"

[sansational]

Sans has not been able to get out of doing lights. Especially not now that Tauriel is here to remind him of his responsibilities.

But that's fine. It's genuinely fine, honestly. Life has taken quite a turnaround from the past month or so, and he's trying not to think about certain things and just trying to enjoy the reprieve while he has it.

The lighting setup is probably pretty impressive, for a mideval castle. Sans has been able to make his original plan of candles and mirrors work out fairly well. It's not like he actually has to move that much. A lot of the setup is really just meant to focus the beams of several candles into something that can be directed into a bright enough spotlight.

Though Sans is proving rather specifically dense in terms of where, exactly, to put the spotlights during rehearsel. He mostly gets it right. To within an inch or so. Otherwise, he likes it up in the rafters. It's easy to doze off between cues.

Otherwise, he'll probably get roped into painting sets at some point. And, for reasons of his own, he actually is mildly interested in learning how to sew. So the costuming crew might find him hanging around.

[mediadarling]

...He is going to dust that skeleton, he swears.

"Sans! I told you, spotlights are supposed to be centred on the performer! They're not supposed to light up empty space!"

All right, so maybe he's only off by a few inches--but honestly, it's not that hard!

assuming notifs work again i am here

[trombones]

"Hey."

Sans probably doesn't have to ask why his pseudo-doppelganger is suddenly and literally beside himself. The second Sans' jacket is covered in spots of paint now, along with the grease stains that were already there. Even in an alternate world, Sans insists on being consistently disgusting, but at least they could distinguish themselves even better now.

"Rafter? I hardly know her."

[antitemporal]

Serif is going to need a new costume. He's outgrown the old one that was made for him. Otherwise, he is ready and comparatively raring to go where rehearsals are concerned, driven partly by embarrassment in holding things up by having been scattered across time and space.

Ryoji and Mettaton both made good on their promises to make him the prince in...whatever this story is. He can often be found sitting on the edge of the stage, dutifully reading through the script between takes. It's actually a pretty good story. He doesn't have a lot of experience reading stories written like this, but he likes the plot.

Otherwise, if you look like you're between tasks, you'll be likely to find a slightly taller skeleton coming up to you to ask if you can help him run through his lines.

His style of performing is...rather dramatic, actually, though also rather graceless. It will probably quickly become clear that he's been watching Mettaton for direction as to how, exactly, one goes about acting. But seeing is not the same as doing.

[mediadarling]

"Of course I can help you--oh, my."

Mettaton blinks once he gets a proper look at S2. The poor darling has had a terrible time of things lately, and now he's come out of it...taller than ever before?

"Goodness. Someone's had a growth spurt."

[havesomefun]

Jack completely missed the initial casting call, but it's impossible to miss this many people gathering all together this frequently. And as soon as he pokes his head into the staging room to see all the fuss, his attention is quite caught. Bustle and activity are two of his favorite things. And he can sense in the air that the pall of depression that's hung over the castle more-or-less since he got here has eased just a little, even if it might only be just for now.

He's not sure he wants to get involved - he still doesn't take direction well. But he's still curious by nature. So Jack will make his way around the groups of people doing this or that, peering over their shoulder, asking what they're doing. Don't mind him if he tries to poke you in the shoulder to get your attention. He's conducting an experiment.

Otherwise, he'll happily be the audience. Jack can be found kicking back with his feet up in front of the stage to watch the actors go through their paces.

[mediadarling]

Now there's someone he hasn't seen before. He'd definitely remember that hair, given there's only one other person in the castle with anything like it.

He watches the young man flit about, asking questions here, chatting there. Then, he sets aside the latest revisions to the script and heads in his direction.

"Why hello, there, darling," he greets him as he draws nearer. "Interested in learning more about the castle's very first, and soon to be greatest, play?"

[dustless]

Frisk is wandering around, looking for something to assist with, but Jack arrests their attention immediately.

They look less miserable than they did during their first meeting, outright smiling when they see him, and giving him a big wave, turning into a beckon. "Frost!" That's the only name they know he has, so far.

[dustless]

Frisk is gonna do everything they can, like they told Mettaton, and they're doing to do everything they can really hard after their embarrassing stupid temper tantrum. To...make up for it, they guess. Not for the castle itself, but for everybody who found them.

A lot of the time, they'll be found puttering around with a custom-made "crown"--it's a piece of paper cut and taped in a circle with the words THEATER ASSISTANT scrawled over it (in pink-and-silver lettering, of course).

Otherwise, they're around dancing, and it's taking a bit of practice to learn how to really do it. Posing and wild flailing is fun, but actual dancing takes more coordination and grace...and they only have coordination and grace when they're dodging things, like bullets. So they're choosing to see it as a puzzle, solved by by listening to rhythm and imagining stuff flying at their feet instead of their SOUL. They're pretty sure it's working.

[boogerman]

Hint: it's not. He's popping into the library to snatch a few more books before vanishing to whatever dark depths he's chosen to hide in today. And immediately distracted by flailing child, who hasn't seen him yet. They look very intense for how goofy it seems to his eye.

Of course, he chuckles under his breath before he can stop himself. His bad! Years of habit, of not expected to be heard when he laughs at idiots... it's only natural!

...Oh yeah, I need to do something with that placeholder, don't I.

[mediadarling]

It's good to see Frisk looking a little more like their normal self. Not that he would let on too much, but he's been incredibly worried about his darling nibling. But with Tauriel and S-4 returning, and S2 turning back into someone they actually recognise--things are looking up. And if he has anything to say about it, that's exactly the way they're going to stay.

He takes a moment to watch, smiling, as Frisk practices their dancing while wearing their absolutely adorable crown. But soon it seems as though it's time to step in.

"Frisk-darling? Would you like a hand?"

[sansational]

Sans lets himself believe that Frisk looks...better. Then again, why wouldn't they? He's certainly better, now that the babybones and their mom are back. And he's definitely overheard them talking to people while deep in "Theater Assistant" mode - their voice is back to its normal levels of quiet.

He hasn't really come near them, since the clearing. It was pretty obvious to him that he's exhausted his claim on their personal space for a while. But eventually, he starts to wonder if they might think he's mad at them. And he...was, for a little bit. But S-4 and Tauriel coming back, and Serif recovering, put a lot of things back in perspective. So maybe he should at least let them know that much.

His opportunity comes when he turns up early to the work area one day, intending to grab an early nap up in the rafters, to find them practicing their dancing. He very awkwardly clears his skull to let them know he's there, before forcing a smile that doesn't quite succeed at not looking anxious.

"hey, uh...pretty great moves so far." At least as far as he can tell. Which isn't very far. "looks like you've been practicing. 's good. i mean, not that i'd know. skeletons don't really dance. y'know why?"

He's babbling. Please let him salvage this pathetic attempt at babbling with a pun, Frisk.

[regalduchess]

Duchess is padding around the area, quietly rehearsing her own lines and perfecting the just-right queenly stroll.

She's taken to it like a natural (and why would she not!) and makes a few rounds around the set before curling up on a plush red chair to watch, with glittering sapphire eyes, the goings-on.

[trombones]

The goings-on in Sans' neck of the woods aren't much, but on his 7th break from painting and recording rehearsals (and being equally obnoxious at both) he notices Duchess curled up nearby.

He's littered in paint spots and also a skeleton, but approaches slowly anyway and sits down cross-legged in front of the plush chair.

"Hey there. You takin' a break to?"

[mettaton_rex]

The other Mettaton is, of course, being completely professional and mature about working with his double.

...well, he's trying. He's not about to give that heap of scrap yet another excuse to humiliate him in front of the entire castle. Feel free to take bets on when he's finally going to snap, everyone.

When he's not rehearsing his own part, he'll be around to offer supportive advice and encouragement to the castle's up-and-coming new talents. It's good PR. He might not have the best reputation around here, no thanks to trashbot, but that changes now. Or you might find him by himself, running through his half of the choreography for his fight scene. Any muttered remarks about what Mettaton the so-called Magnificent can do with himself are entirely in-character. Obviously.

now that notifs are working for me

[trombones]

"Hey, Met."

Unlike the Sans-es, it's thankfully not that hard for this Sans to tell the Mettatons apart. The skeleton's jacket was blotched with a rainbow of paint. Despite all of it, the background panel he was painting is barely touched, save for some shoddily-done bushes and trees.

Double despite it, that's not what Sans wants to ask about.

"You got a second?"

Hey, if Mettaton was offering advice and encouragement, why not take advantage?

[justletmewin]

"H-Howdy! Sorry I'm late! Here, I got this for you."

In his arms, Asriel got the robe he promised Mettaton and Ryoji. It's currently folded into a thick purple square, which he offers to the robot.

"I've been doing some thinking... I think my character is too powerful? I don't want to take too much attention from the main character, especially if he's supposed to be the strongest! You don't have to use him if you don't want to. I won't mind if I don't get a part either. I still want to help with the play though! Is there anything that still needs painting...?"

belated thing if you do not mind?

[dustless]

Frisk is...somewhere off in the background when Asriel rushes by with his robe. They shrink against the wall, all-too-familiar guilt churning in their abdomen, and they consider running.

...that'd be pretty cowardly, though. They'll just. Stay here. If he notices them, they'll apologize. If he doesn't, they don't think they'll mind so much.

[andthebat]

Participating in a motley community theater project is proving to be a surprisingly useful way to keep the Batman occupied- so much so that he's thrown himself into things with a degree of seriousness that is arguably disproportionate to the circumstances, and definitely to the amount of enthusiasm he expressed when he agreed in the first place.

Either way, the end result is is: Those sets that need building? Batman is going to spend all night painting in details and hammering out the structures. Costumes? Will be meticulously constructed and altered, possibly while you're still trying them on. Lights? Sounds? Props? Just making sure everybody's working on their lines? All of this is going to be subject to the machinations of a bossy batman who's predisposed to workaholism.

Hopefully you'll be happy to have his help, rather than just find him frustratingly overbearing.

[regalduchess]

Someone looks positively harried by the winged man... thing... Batman. Duchess swoops in with practiced ease.

"Oh, Batman dear, would you mind helping me? I am afraid that my crown hasn't been finished yet. I hope you understand, I dearly wish to try it on before the date of this grand performance draws much nearer."

She paws at his ankle. "And I... well, I am not the handiest around." See? She's taking a page out of Sans' (she's not sure which one) book!