A Play to Remember

[garden_of_maidens]

"Gokigenyou."

"Gokigenyou."

The clear morning greeting travels through the serene, blue sky.

Today, once again, the maidens that gather in the Virgin Mary's garden smile purely to one another as they pass under the tall gateway.
Wrapping their innocent bodies and souls is a deep-coloured school uniform.

Walking slowly as to not disturb the plaits in their skirts, so as to not toss their white sailor scarves into disarray... such is the standard of modesty here. Running because one is in danger of missing class, for instance, is too undignified a sight for students to wish upon themselves here.

Lillian Private Academy for Women.

Founded in Meiji 34, this academy was originally intended for the young women of nobility, and is now a Catholic academy of prestigious tradition. Placed in downtown Tokyo, where you can still see traces of Musashi Field's greenery, it is protected by God, a garden where maidens can receive tutelage from pre-school to university.

Time passes, and even now, in Heisei, three era-names past Meiji, it is a valuable academy, where nurtured ladies raised in greenhouses are shipped out in carefully packaged boxes after 18 years of schooling - an arrangement that continues to survive.

"Two houses, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona where we lay our scene..."

An important time is upon the school. Once per year, a festival, just after the opening of the school year, in which the Yamayurikai sponsors a play. In normal circumstances, the lead male role would go to one of the students from Hanadera Boys' Academy, just on the other side of the hill from Lillian Academy - the Student Council president or Drama Club president. It's a time-honored tradition meant to solidify the solidarity and camaraderie between the two schools. It seems, however, as the time draws close for the play to begin...

A lone girl walks feverishly from the Drama Club room to the Rose Mansion, daring to disrupt the pleats on her skirt for the urgent news she bears. Not long after, one of the Yamayurikai joins her back to the Drama Club room, both striding with poise and purpose. It isn't long before the rumor breaks to the rest of the school, hungry for news...

... Neither the representative from Hanadera, nor his understudy, will be able to attend the play.

But the show?

The show must go on.

"Romeo, Romeo, where art thou, Romeo?"

Info | FAQ | Rules


[[Round 2 begins now. Capulet or Montague, Romeo or Juliet, the show must go on! Whether it be the drama leading up to the play, the night of the play itself, or the aftermath, in which case typically some members of the band get together to play and the whole school gathers around a bonfire to celebrate the performance as a sort of cast after-party - the next stage begins now!]]

Comments

Sei Satou | 3rd Year

[ibara_no_mori]

[A:

Well of course she's part of the overall play. Head of the Montague family, actually, and she looks rather regal trying to play a patriarch. The glue-on beard's a nice touch. At least this time she didn't have to stuff her clothing with pillows to fill out her bulk, no one suspected Montague to be a particularly portly man, after all, so that's a relief (though she thought about it. It was a funny idea at the time).

Her lines are relatively few, all things considered, but she prefers it that way, and most of the time, she ends up backstage helping put things together, or attending rehearsals.

Hopefully whoever ended up as Lady Montague or the ill-fated Romeo has a good rapport with her... it might be a little awkward otherwise.] We've got more foam swords, who else was supposed to be part of the battle?

[Yeah, that, too.]

[B:

SURPRIIIISE! Yes, she's actually at the after-party. Sei Satou, weirdo and somewhat antisocial enigma is actually at the after-party, mostly yucking it up with the other members of the Yamayurikai and-]

Hey, did you have fun?

[ people she dragged into the whole affair. Yes, you. All of you. B) She has your number.]

b

[green_eyed]

-She should have known this was coming, but Sei was her onlyfriend and she wanted to support her, but the party was a bit much. She looked clearly nervous, uncomfortable, and only seemed to settle down when she was near Sei, but in true Parsee style, she made a good show of looking like she didn't enjoy that either, much as it was obvious it calmed her nerves...-

You looked better in the facial hair.

[ibara_no_mori]

Really? [She purses her lips, curiously, tapping on her chin as she glances to the sky.] I don't think I was too convincing. [She... might or might not be serious about that.] I'll keep it in mind, though! [For what, she also doesn't mention.] How'd you like it?

[green_eyed]

It was alright... I don't really like love stories, even if they end like that. They still got to have each other. Not really a tragedy, as promised. -Wow, Parsee, way to look on the bright side while being horribly pessimistic.-

[ibara_no_mori]

[How did she do that. That was almost impressive.]

You'd rather they both died without ever meeting? Wouldn't be a very good story then. "Two houses, completely separate and with no reason to get along, but alike in dignity... in fair Verona where we lay our scene..."

[green_eyed]

It may sound boring to you, but at least it's realistic.

[ibara_no_mori]

Realism makes for great stories sometimes, but I doubt that in this case. [Trying out a:] At least they did still die in the end? There's no love everlasting, here.

They would've broken up if they'd survived anyway.

[green_eyed]

I dunno. Death is pretty everlasting...

... How do you figure they would have broken up, though?

[ibara_no_mori]

It was too much, too fast, really. [She tilts her head.] Think about it... they were declaring everlasting love and they knew each other... what, like three days?

[green_eyed]

... Even that long, they'd have a happiness other people never get. -Parsee shrugged, thumbing at the arm-warmers she always seemed to wear.-

B

[long_live_the_queen]

[Kaede grumbled when addressed, unsurprisingly. But she had already plopped herself onto the grass to sit, she wasn't getting up now.]

I suppose.

[There were some parts she really did enjoy! ...accidentally throwing her prop sword into the audience wasn't her proudest moment, though.

She just lost her grip on it, okay. And it didn't hit anyone! So!!]

[ibara_no_mori]

I suppose? I suppose that is a vote of confidence, then? Nice throw on the sword, by the way. [She may have laughed.] Did the Montagues proud.

[long_live_the_queen]

Thanks. [There was a sarcastic drawl to her voice while her slouch further entrenched itself by another centimeter.]

Lost control of it.

[The worst part was just the sisters looking at her and looking disappointed. It did a better job at chiding her than any smack with a ruler could.]

[ibara_no_mori]

It's alright. I think it gave some excitement to the story. Lot of these girls don't know how to be exciting. [Sei you talk like some of them aren't right around you.]

The staff especially. [Oh don't worry. She knows the Disapproving Look.]

[long_live_the_queen]

[>Kaede sure noticed! She blinked a bit in surprise, even.]

Hmph.

[She kept looking up at Sei for a moment before turning her gaze back to the fire.]

You're funny.

[ibara_no_mori]

I try my best. [No she doesn't.]

[long_live_the_queen]

[Kaede continued staring at the fire for a moment, glancing about only slightly under her bangs to see if the sisters were busy in conversation and not looking at them. When they were, her arm shot out, her hand grabbed Sei's ankle and swept forwards to tug the other girl off balance. The drama department had done their best to drill in basic stunt routines, after all.]

Sit down. [She said, deliberately after the fact.]