At the Performance Hall - Jygust 30 ET

[Viviana Kaleyis]

The Performance Hall was a large, predominantly round impressive building in the upper city, close enough to the mansions of its wealthy patrons to be easily accessible, but far enough away to protect them from the crowds and noise of the common rabble who also attended its performances. Tonight, as there was no performance, the elaborately carved double doors were closed and no welcome light spilled through the entrance.

Dylan took Skylar to the backstage entrance. Even through the closed door, they could hear voices, laughing and talking. “You'll love it here,” he said reassuringly as he opened the door and led her inside.

The area Skylar found herself in was large and predominately bare. Old wood that had long since lost its polish adorned both the floor and the walls, splashed here and there with paint stains in many different colors. There were about twenty people in the room, and they all turned to look as Dylan and Skylar entered. For a flicker or two, they all fell silent as most of them had never seen anyone of Skylar's obvious beauty. After that, they all went back to their various activities.

A long table in the middle of the room held snacks, bottles of wine, and a few glasses. There was also a pitcher of water for anyone who did not drink wine. About half of the snacks were already gone, some of them on the plates of the people who sat around the room in groups, talking among themselves. A young man and a middle-aged man sparred with wooden swords in one corner, and three older women wearing elaborate hats sat around a small table as if they were having tea. Near the back, a group of younger people were practicing dance steps. A couple, with disheveled hair and clothing that looked like it had been thrown on with haste, staggered arm in arm up the back staircase leading down to the basement. There was no doubt about what they had been doing there.

Perhaps the most notable of all was the young woman in a tight-fitting red bodysuit who stood on her hands on top of the desk set up by the door. As Dylan and Skylar passed, she lowered herself to a back bend and then stood upright. “Hi, Dylan,” she said, gazing with interest at Skylar. “Master Prine is looking for you.”

Dylan rolled his eyes. “I'm late again, aren't I?”

The dark-eyed girl smiled. “Again.”

Even if he couldn't remember to be on time, the young man always remembered his manners. “Skylar, this is Rachel. She's a gymnast and contortionist. Rachel, this is my friend, Skylar.”

Rachel bent backwards again and kept on going until her head, propped up on her elbows, was between her feet. It looked painful but the girl was still smiling. “Hi, Skylar. Welcome to the Hall.”

Before she could say anything in return, an older man in a pink skirt leaped over to them. He was carrying a stick adorned with multi-colored ribbons and a glittery star on the top. He touched Skylar's head briefly with the star. “Now you're covered in fairy dust!” he exclaimed before leaping away as fast as he had come. The “fairy dust” was apparently imaginary since the swan maiden was not covered by anything but her clothing.

Dylan and Rachel both laughed. “That's Marwin,” Dylan said. “He's always like that. You get used to him eventually.”

“He's also one of the best actors this theatre has,” Rachel added, unbending herself and sitting cross-legged on top of the desk. “Don't let his strange behavior fool you.”

“Yes, he is really ...”

“MISTER ORALIA!”

The entire room fell silent. An important-looking little man emerged through a door leading into a small office. A bit on the pudgy side, with black hair and a mustache, he was dressed in an impeccably tailored dark formal suit. He strode over to Dylan without so much as glancing at Skylar. Rachel stood up, flipped off the desk, and scurried away.

“You are LATE, Mister Oralia,” he said. Despite his small stature, he still managed to look down his nose at the extremely tall playwright.

Dylan smiled reassuringly at Skylar before turning to the director. “I know, Master Prine, but I think you will be ...”

“I do NOT appreciate LATENESS! Do you think I have nothing better to do with my time than wait around for YOU, young man?”

“I'm sorry, Master Prine,. I promise I will not be late again.” Inwardly, Dylan cringed. Master Prine always made him feel inferior, something else he wasn't accustomed to. And he didn't like the feeling at all.

“I hope you have finished the play.”

Dylan held out the precious notebook. “Yes, sir. Here it is. I ... I changed quite a bit of it. It's much better than the original. I think you'll like it.”

Master Prine snatched the notebook from his hand. “I certainly hope so. I WAITED long enough for it.”

Dylan turned toward Skylar. “And Master Prine, I'd like you to meet ....” But the little director was already moving in the direction of his office. He walked inside and abruptly shut the door behind him. “I'm sorry, Skylar. He's usually not so rude. I'm afraid I made him mad. So ....” he smiled at his charming companion. “I have to wait to hear what he thinks of the play before I leave. Anything you want to do while we're here? I'll be happy to show you anything you wish.”

[Skylar]

The sights, the sounds, and all of the people. It was almost too much for the senses to take for the usually solitaire swan maiden. So much in fact that for a moment she felt as though she must have had a deathlike grip on poor Dylan's arm a few times. Especially when that Master Prine fellow came bellowing into the room in the manner that he did. It wasn't intentional on her part, but clinging to him in the manner that she had felt very safe for her.

"It's quite ok Dylan, I think I was partially to blame for your being late," she told him after he apologized to her. "Had you not ran into me you probably would have made it here on time, or maybe even a little bit earlier."

Skylar was beginning to feel a little more at ease, yet she still kept a firm grip on Dylan's arm. She was polite to those that greeted her and she said to all of those that had spoken to hr. Even to the contortionist to which Skylar had to take a good long look at. She had never seen anyone move in such manner and she thought it had to be rather painful to bend in such fashions.

There was also no hiding the delight that the blond felt being with Dylan right now. She had been to the Hall many times but this was the first time that she had ever been backstage. Her head turned this way and that as she tried to take in all that there was to see and hear from the performers. Inside she was smiling, no doubt that inward smile showed on the outside as well.

"Maybe in a little bit," Skylar said in response to Dylan asking her if there was more that she wanted him to show her. There was plenty of time to walk around and see other things, but right now she was too fascinated by the people that were there.

"Do you know all of these people," she asked but was quick to answer her own question. "Of course you know them all, I meant are all these people your friends," she asked as she bumbled over what to say next. Her excitement was making it difficult to think straight at the moment due to her almost childlike wonderment. "They seem nice and they all seem to like you," she concluded. Everyone except for that rude Master Prine fellow. He didn't have to yell in that manner, at least Skylar didn't think so.

[Viviana Kaleyis]

“You weren't responsible for my tardiness, Skylar,” Dylan said. “I was already running late when I bumped into you.” Dylan was almost always late. It was a bad habit of his. This time, though, he had a good reason. As he sat on the banks of the Mer, he'd been flooded with ideas on how to make his play better and more interesting. He had always thought the story Master Prine wanted him to tell was boring and would lose the audience's attention quickly. This new version would hold them spellbound until the end. He was certain that Master Prine would like it.

He didn't mind that Skylar kept hold of his arm. In fact, he rather liked it. He was entranced by her childlike wonder at this scene he now took for granted. He had to admit some of the performers were a bit on the zany side, but he liked them that way. It was such a refreshing change from the stuffy household he had grown up in.

He smiled as she looked this way and that, trying to take it all in. She was so different from the other women he had met in his lifetime. More natural, for one thing ... not given to false airs. He truly liked being with her and hoped she enjoyed his company as well.

“These people are more than my friends,” he answered her question with a smile. “They are like my family. They have accepted me as one of them, and they will do the same to you once they get to know you. They are a great bunch of people. Even Master Prine is not so bad once you get to know him. He does have his good moments.” He certainly hoped she would come here quite often ... preferably with him.

His other arm was suddenly seized in a vise-like grip and he winced in pain. Looking down, he saw Karina's signature ruby red fingernails digging into his shirt. “Why hello, Dylan,” she purred from slightly behind him. “Aren't you going to introduce me to your new friend?”

Karina was a pretty young woman with long raven-black hair and pale blue eyes. She had been watching them from the back of the room, where she had been dancing with the others. It angered her that Dylan was with this other woman ... a woman far more beautiful than Karina herself. She thought she had him wrapped around her little finger, but apparently she was wrong. Still, Dylan was hers and hers alone until she decided otherwise, and she would make sure this lovely blonde woman knew it.

The tall playwright pried Karina's fingers from his arm. From the look he gave Skylar, it was plain that he did not think much of the dark-haired girl. “Yes ... of course. Skylar, this is Karina.”

Karina did not miss the way Dylan put Skylar first in the introduction. This only angered her further. Although she didn't want to admit it, she was jealous, not just of Skylar's beauty, but the way that Dylan looked at her. He had never looked at Karina with such delight on his face. Skylar had to go. She wasn't sure how she was going to do it, but Karina knew she had to somehow turn her against Dylan, so that she would go away and never return. The blonde stood in the way of her plans.

“It's nice to meet you, Skylar,” she said sweetly, but the sweetness did not reach her eyes. The pale blue orbs were hard and cold, spitting venom at the swan maiden. Karina thought she was a good actress, but she was wrong. She had never been able to disguise her true feelings.

[Skylar]

Oblivious to any innuendos or anything of the like, Skylar smiled a great big smile and said hi to Karina with every bit of kindness that she possessed. The maiden looked at her hair and her eyes and complimented the woman on them in detail.

'You have the prettiest eyes Karina that I think I've seen in a very very long time," she began to tell the girl. "And your hair, oh it's so pretty and it looks like it's very smooth." Skylar then turned to look at Dylan as she continued to sing praises of Karina's beauty. "She is very pretty Dylan," her tone was a bit matter of factly. "And LOOK at her fingernails, my my they look wonderful on you. Maybe I can get mine done just like that one day!"

"Dylan," she said. "If you were a smart man you would take this lady as your wife if you haven't already. You too would look fantastic together."

Skylar showed the same enthusiasm she did about the others with the girl that now stood with her and Dylan, and had made her the focal point of the conversation.

"So what part do you play Karina?" Skylar was perhaps more captivated by her at the moment than she was of the contortionist she had seen only flickers ago. "If I were to guess you would be the leading lady. I would make you the leading lady if I had any say so in the matter." Then the thought hit her. Dylan had asked Skylar if she wanted to walk around and see more of the place. Well now would be a perfect time to do so.

"Karina, Dylan was kind enough to ask me if I wanted to take a look around the Hall to see everything. Why don't you come along with us? I know it's all stuff that you've seen before but it would be lovely if we could walk around together." Her head turned to face Dylan.

"Don't you think it would be fun to have her come along with us? That way she could tell me some of the things that she's done here too!" Skylar was beaming with excitement at the prospect of having Karina join them. She seemed a lot more pleasant than Master Prine did. Just the thought of his name made the young maiden want to wrinkle up her nose.