HtH96 – We Need To Sell The Theatre!
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The girls are gathered for a very important meeting.
"We need to sell the theatre!"
Once again, Piaccta's wording shocks everyone who is present in the dining room! A flurry of discussion goes on amongst her other four genmates; Piaccta standing proud in the front, having come to the obvious conclusion!
It is Lumi who speaks first--- one hand raised and trembling, she points out the obvious flaw in Piaccta's plan,
(Lumi's eyes become round and white, in a state of shock)
"But... Piaccta... If we sell the house, we won't have anywhere to live..."
"No no no, Lumi, that's not what Piaccta means!" Eclair hurries to cut in, hands waving before her. She had to stop anyone else from reaching wrong conclusion that Piaccta's words leads to! "What Piaccta means is that from now on, we need to focus our efforts on promoting our theatre house!"
Sighs of relief and the a belated """"Piaccta!!"""" in sync go around the table. Our sunshine girl still has her arms folded across her chest, in absolute confidence of the rightness of her vocabulary! It had been a simple miscommunication after all! However, Piaccta's words also circled around an important issue.
It was time to open up the house.
"Ahem," Eclair clears her throat, now that everyone was on the same page, "We have built something really valuable here. And perhaps... It is time that we share it with the continent, and open the doors to guests from the outside."
"What's the difference between that and what we have been doing normally, then?" Ablam pipes up, noticing an odd tone in Eclair's words. "You aren't trying to manipulate us into doing more work, are you?"
Some encouraging laughs were had, with Eclair laughing along as well.
"Ifuyuhihihi! What we do will not change," Eclair pauses, searching for the right words to speak,
"Everyone, do you still remember our vow?"
When Eclair said those words, the girls had an inkling of what she was referring to.
In our theatre house, there is a vow, a vow that is printed on the top of every sheet of paper the house.
A vow that holds a promise to help the girls who live here laugh, smile, and be better people than before.
"I remember when I was still new to this house, and I recited the vow for the very first time. [R31] I remember that warm feeling; of what it was like to have found a place where we can laugh, have fun, and explore this stage of ours without fear. Slowly, but surely, we are all starting to find our place on this stage."
Eclair looks around the table, even now, the girls were supporting her, encouraging her by listening intently to her words.
"This theatre house where we are free from worry is like heaven-sent to me! And..."
The words clump up a little in Eclair's mouth, but manage to come out true anyway!
"And I thought... I thought, maybe we can share a bit of that joy with other people as well!"
Our dramaturg finishes her tiny impromptu speech, looking into the expectant eyes of the Echoes. What a strange, foreign feeling this was. This time, she was the one to encourage the girls to continue down this red-dust road. A year ago, she would not have been able to imagine herself in this place...
Now, however...
The girls are ready.
Not perfectly, but enough to stand on their own two legs.
"Ah, Eclair raises a fine point. Mistrál can't help but notice that the Theatre House Delaroux vow also says to help 'all who pass through this house'."
"Let's do it!"
"I think... we can give it a try!"
"Remember, Eclair, I am against any extra work!"
Then, unexpectedly, it was the last voice that echoed the loudest.
(a small hopeful chime, piping up among the discussion)
"Everyone...! Everyone, I... I have a suggestion! Since we are building the new room to open to guests..."
It was not often that Lumi speaks so candidly, the other girls slow down their discussion to give her the speaking space she needs. Having all five expectant faces on her did make little Lumi tremble a little, but she had gone through these thoughts before. And she would come back to them again and again, for in her heart, it felt true---
(A slow, deliberate response)
“I think… I believe our theatre should be a place of connection. A place where stories are shared, not just told. A place where we explore the complexities of the human experience – the joy, the sorrow, the hope, the fear – with honesty and empathy."
Lumi continues with a small, hopeful suggestion, “Perhaps we could focus on collaborative storytelling. Where each of us contributes our unique voices and perspectives. Where we create a space where everyone feels welcome and valued. And… (a slight hesitation) …where we don’t shy away from difficult conversations. Because sometimes, the most powerful stories are the ones that challenge us to see the world in a new light.”
“Ultimately, I believe our theatre should be a reflection of our own growth, our own evolution. A place where we continue to learn, to connect, and to bloom.”
The girl spoke those final words in a quiet, resolute tone. For a bit, there was a quiet in the room. Not because nobody expected this out of Lumi; but rather because she had painted a wonderful vision of the future. It was a beautiful future that they could walk towards, together!
From the side, a slightly red-faced Lumi meets Eclair's eyes, and that expression filled Lumi's heart with content.
For now, a small lamp has been lit.
The rest, is doing!
Recall
[R31] Eclair first read out the theatre house vow all the way back in Hell's Theatre, Chapter 31!
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!
