Act 2, Scene 2

[smell_as_sweet]

Mamoru stood backstage inside the auditorium, sifting through old costumes and putting up recently cleaned ones, trying to arrange them in some type of logical order. The place had been left in a mess before he came to the school, and he still simply hadn't gotten around to fixing the problem in some areas. It was something to do while waiting

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[stcatsfiresoul]

Rei's expression took on a satisfied smirk as Minako gave her a casual embrace publicly, though those present would likely assume it was merely a friendly gesture. She looked over at Motoki, remembering her Mina-chan mentioning something about "the really cute guy" at the place she and Hikaru used to go sing karaoke. Between that and hearing that he was a close friend of Chiba-sensei, she eyed him suspiciously for a moment before smiling, knowing that she had little to fear from him.

However, her smile quickly vanished when Mamoru chose her and River to partner up for their audition. Should have Seen -that- one coming, the miko thought to herself, knowing that her Drama professor would try and do something to make things more difficult for her. Grumbling to herself, she complained about Mamoru's excuses for prying into their personal lives. He crosses the line, giving the reason that he wanted to see how well the two of us got along together. If that's the case, then why deliberately split us up with different partners? She sighed, left with no alternative but play along with his little game. Taking a quick glance at her notes, she began to read some of the lines off to her partner.

"It is my lady, O, it is my love!
O, that she knew she were!"

The words seemed shallow and empty, this false confession of her love to someone else than her true lover who stood by and watched helplessly. While she did not do badly, Rei did not have any natural chemistry with the girl that she never truly got along with, and it was enough to make Rei glad that her role was all but guaranteed. She definiely had the look, the voice, the attitude to play a brooding prince; now, she couldn't do anything except hope that her princess would win the role that only she could play.

[babblingriver]

River took in a deep, shuddery breath, obviously nervous at being made to work with a girl she was obviously at odds with. She assumed her position and breathed deeply, retreating into her mind as Rei read off her lines flatly. What to do, what to do, what to do...

...It's a game. This is a game. You are not River Tam, and that is not Rei Hino. No. You are Juliet Capulet, and that is Romeo Montague, the man you are madly in love with. It's the Shakespearean era. It's a game, be Juliet.

Reality melted away from her, and she knew who she was. Speaking passionately and longingly with an old English accent, she began to perform.

"O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name;
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I'll no longer be a Capulet."

[babblingriver]

((And, uh, by "Old English," assume I mean the accent used in that day and age. >>;;))

[stcatsfiresoul]

As a fellow Seer, Rei could feel the nervousness coming off her unwanted Juliet like heat from a flame. Though she did an impressive job once she began her lines, a thought flashed through Rei's mind...if only there were a way to catch River off-guard, and use that anxiety to distract her from her performance...

Rei tried to think of how to best do this without appearing to be a bad actress herself. Luckily, Juliet still had another long series of lines to go before Romeo's next part. Recalling her next line, she looked over at the small audience, and asked "Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?", the slightest bit of sarcasm in her voice. Though that aside was Romeo's next line in the script, she tweaked it ever so slightly to seem as if she was asking Chiba-sensei if that was enough from River or if he wanted to hear more from the girl.

[babblingriver]

River shot a quick, almost unnoticable glance at Rei. The girl was full of spite, but no matter, for now, she was Romeo, her Romeo, her lover. The sarcasm evident in her voice would only act as a strike against her, in any case.

Speaking as though she were daydreaming and musing to herself, frustrated, she began again.

"'Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title."

Here, her voice grew pleading.

"Romeo, doff thy name,
And for that name which is no part of thee
Take all myself."

[stcatsfiresoul]

Rei smirked ever so slightly, noticing small bits of frustration aside from that which was called for in the script. She could not seem to break down River's natural talent for acting, but that short glance - if noticed by their professor - would be a small piece of proof that the two girls had no chemistry together.

Making sure to deliver the best possible lines she could to hide her next jab, Rei dug deep into her limited experience in acting to try and keep up with her partner...

"I take thee at thy word:
Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized;
Henceforth I never will be your Romeo."

[babblingriver]

River closed her eyes briefly as Rei read off her lines, pushing out the obvious spite in the girl's voice. Not my fault, not my fault, don't stare the darkness in the eye. When it was her turn to speak again, she acted surprised and somewhat alarmed to hear the voice, as though she had just realized that she wasn't alone.

"What man art thou that thus bescreen'd in night
So stumblest on my counsel?"

[stcatsfiresoul]

Rei continued with her lines, trying to give the best performance she could. She began reciting some of the lines from memory:

"By a name
I know not how to tell thee who I am:
My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself,
Because it is an enemy to thee..."

Pausing, she repeated "an enemy to thee..." in a quiet voice, as if trying to remind herself of the line that followed. If River just so happened to let it unnerve her, then it certainly was no fault of her own. In a way, she was indeed acting, though her apparent failure was Rei's greatest success as an actress. Upon taking a quick glance at her script, her eyes lit up briefly as she remembered where she had left off.

"Because it is an enemy to thee;
Had I it written, I would tear the word."

[babblingriver]

River didn't register Rei's attempt at unnerving her this time around. She read off her lines.

"My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words
Of that tongue's utterance, yet I know the sound:
Art thou not Romeo and a Montague?"

[stcatsfiresoul]

"Neither," Hino Rei replied, as she truly did not want to be this girl's Romeo or Montague. Her partner apparently did not catch that last jab, so the would-be prince decided to bide her time, waiting for her next opportunity.

"Neither, fair saint, if either thee dislike..."

[babblingriver]

With Rei's latest attack, River's mind was in battle mode, and she would not allow herself to lose.

"How camest thou hither, tell me, and wherefore?
The orchard walls are high and hard to climb,
And the place death, considering who thou art,
If any of my kinsmen find thee here."

[stcatsfiresoul]

The sudden sharpness of River's words caught the miko off guard. While she herself had been poking and prodding her partner all along, Rei did so by pretending to forget certain lines or accidentally misquoting the script, still giving an otherwise great performance. However, dropping her apparent professionalism, she allowed the audience to see her become visibly startled by River's lines and out-of-character tone of voice.

Quietly, but not too quietly not to be overheard by their professor in the almost empty auditorium, she whispered to River in an attempt to help her out. "Pssst! I don't think you should read that last line so angry. Juliet's supposed to be calm and gentle and wistful in this scene..."

Clearing her throat, she regained her composure and continued with her own lines. "With love's light wings did I o'er-perch these walls..." With a sweep of her arm, she motioned out towards the audience as if there were an unseen prop on the stage, a wall that she would have to climb to be with her false lover.

While glancing out over the audience, her eyes met with those of her Mina-chan, as she called out the next line or two directly for her. "For stony limits cannot hold love out" Risking overacting, she continued her glance out into the empty seats before returning her eyes to her fellow Seer.

"And what love can do that dares love attempt;
Therefore thy kinsmen are no let to me."

[babblingriver]

River responded in a stage whisper. "Nay, dearest Romeo. In that particular line, Juliet was upset at Romeo for potentially putting himself in danger. I was acting my part appropriately."

Clearing her throat slightly, River read off her next line, passionately and almost angrily, as one would expect from one concerned over their lover putting themself into foolish danger.

"If they do see thee, they will murder thee."

[stcatsfiresoul]

"Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye than twenty of their swords"

That line, Rei thought, seemed equally appropriate for both character and actress. She tried not to smirk in satisfaction of her theatrical opponent breaking character to get her own word in edgewise with that not-so-subtle stage whisper, and with how the upcoming line was an order for River to do the opposite of what she truly felt.

"Look thou but sweet," Rei commanded River in a slightly condescending tone, "And I am proof against their enmity."

[babblingriver]

River, recognizing the bait, didn't allow herself to rise to it.

"I would not for the world they saw thee here."

Or on the stage when we perform, River thought agitatedly.

[stcatsfiresoul]

Thankful that the only two psychics in attendance were on stage, Rei played her lines seriously and innocently, trying to provide a stark contrast to the agitated Juliet she shared the spotlight with:

"I have night's cloak to hide me from their sight;
And but thou love me, let them find me here:
My life were better ended by their hate,
Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love..."

She hardly felt like begging for River's love, but it gave her an excuse to play the victim, and by comparison try and make River look even more angry than she actually was letting on.