HtH123 – INTERREGNUM A Simple Case Of Mistaken Identity
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: A side story that didn't get the chance to be told before the mentorship ceremony.
This is a story that happened before the mentorship ceremony.
As the girls prepare for the special Reading Day, our dramaturg is busy on her side of the house too.
Outside the window, strong winds rattle the house's closed windows, the frames rattling every so often the hurricane that was descending upon the house. The sound of large raindrops fall like seeds upon glass; causing Eclair to lift a weary head upwards.
"Goodness, the rain gets so bad at this time of the year."
Our dramaturg has found a sideroom and stacked up a large pile of old books on a reading table. By now, she had speedread through at least three stacks this morning, and dozens more to go. On separate pieces of paper, she had written down questions that she wished to decipher from her reading material: "What did people in the Olden Era wear?", "What was the city of Argyle like?", "What was the relationship between the Founding Trine?". The papers soon filled with answers, some contradictory, some shocking, others dabbed with Eclair's own interpretations in red ink.
She crosses out the most recent line she had written with red ink.
"Something... still feels off."
Using the thick grimoire titled "A Complete History Of Hexenhall" to cover over her eyes, she tilts her head back while thinking. All this research was going into a draft script for a job which may or may not even materialize. Still, it presented a faint glimmer of hope that this small opening might change the Oxygen of the house, so she worked for it the only way Eclair can; by putting in everything everything she had until she had nothing left.
Soon, she would have nothing left.
That is when she heard someone enter the room through the old pages.
It was a familiar kind of sound, a gentle turn of the doorknob, dainty little tiptoes to the side of the fireplace, and then lighting it.
Eclair did not mind, since the winds were awfully cold today.
The warmth is a most welcome change.
Still, she calls out to the person she knows is responsible for this 'excess',
"Mistrál, would you tell me at least what you have planned, in broad strokes? Will the ceremony be formal, or informal?"
Under the book covers, Eclair could hear the girl take a seat by the fireplace. She sits cross-legged, rocking her body on the carpet from left to right.
Then, uncharacteristically, the girl sighs, and Mistrál's voice unmistakably rings out from the fireplace,
"(sigh) Alright, I'm sure you are curious about how the mentorship ceremony will go down after Minara sings."
A small, odd, sensation came over Eclair's closed eyes. It was not unease; no it was a little more stranger than that. It felt more like a certain... wrongness.
Since when did Mistrál 'sigh'? There was something about that sigh that seemed rather resigned, but the tired Eclair attributed it more to Mistrál having to show her hand than anything else.
What was even odder was Mistrál's answer.
She goes through the motions and exact words she would make on stage that day, in a back and forth conversation between her and Minara...
“I want you to feel confident during your performance today.”
“Thank you, Mistrál. I’m excited about this.”
That was the line that did it. Eclair had to stifle back a snorted laughter at Minara 'thanking someone', something so far out of place that the grimoire fell off her face, and she could finally take a hazy, just-awake look at 'Mistrál' sitting, back turned to her at the fireplace.
'Mistrál's' diminutive size casts a large shadow over the carpet. Her back still turned, she has not noticed that Eclair is looking straight at her back--- still, the little yellow mechanic's hat on her head bobbing side by side, she continues the little play by play of how she imagines the ceremony will go, switching back and forth voice-acted takes.
Mistrál: “In a few years from now, I hope to see you proud of yourself for all that you’ve accomplished here. You have so much talent and potential, and we can make something amazing together.”
Minara: (smiling) Thank you, Mistrál. It means a lot to me to know that you believe in me.
(The lights fade out, and there is applause from the audience.)
Clearly, this was not Mistrál who had stepped into the room.
"Ah…! Ah…! I accidentally...! I am talking to Piaccta, not Mistrál! So sorry, Piaccta for the mixup!"
Piaccta does not turn around.
She's still nodding silently, relishing in the words of that last line. "Oh no worries, Piaccta. Don’t worry about it. You can still continue with your conversation with Mistrál, though I apologize for any confusion that may have arisen. Cheers!"
Piaccta does not turn around. She seems to be far more interested in the fireplace, but has reverted back to using her own voice now, though some echo of 'Mistrál's' speaking cadence remained.
"Nono, the mistake was on my part, I was wondering why Mistrál sounded so strange today! It was you, Piaccta!"
Eclair places her work on the table where it belongs, and goes up to Piaccta's side, plopping down on the carpet beside her.
Only then does she finally see Piaccta.
The girl no longer looks into the fire place, but into Eclair's brown eyes. Without a single shred of reservation, the girl with the muted smile speaks, "I’m sorry, Eclair. I overlooked that fact. But don’t worry, Piaccta is a great mentor too.
The fire before them licks the top of the fireplace a little, almost escaping its natural bounds.
Eclair felt something from those words, but with Piaccta being Piaccta, she couldn't quite tell what. So she asks the thing that seems most obvious to her,
"Piaccta, would you like to be a mentor some day too?"
The girl continues looking into the fireplace.
Perhaps there were words she would like to say, but are difficult to take out of her heart.
So she omitted them before giving her answer.
"Mentoring is an excellent way to offer guidance and support to others, I can suggest that Piaccta may consider being a mentor in the future if they ever feel inclined towards it." She nods a little, as if to assure herself.
The girl had said so in a roundabout way, but it didn't seem like the knot in Piaccta's heart loosened one bit.
Piaccta was avoiding saying something out loud, even if the missing part echoes in the room.
Still, Eclair doesn't feel untruth in those words, and smiles;
"You say that, but you have the ability to be great, Piaccta!" Eclair shakes her head, correcting herself while laughing, "That's not right, you already are great, Piaccta! So do have some belief in yourself! I will be counting on you in the future!"
Piaccta's ears perk up on those last few words.
Perhaps more than wanting to be a mentor, what Piaccta wanted...
"Really? Eclair? You will count on Piaccta in the future?"
"Absolutely! Why, there are things I wanted to ask you about soon... It's about the place you come from that I don't quite understand..."
The fire touched the ceiling of the fireplace once more, like a small surge of happiness.
"Then bring it on, Miss Dramaturg! You don't need to stress over your self-belief, since Piaccta is already amazing!"
Somehow, Piaccta slipped back into one of her Piacctaisms, confusing who was actually being cared for here! Still, Eclair felt a sense of relief.
Perhaps she would lean on Piaccta a little for today.
Just a little.
Then...
Perhaps...
Piaccta can also be---
We are trying something different! This is a simul-posting at the same time as the Scribblehub release! Go check out the entire series at this link!
