ACT I SCENE I "Greetings in shame"

[SmolOverlord]

CUE: FRENCH COMFORTING NOISES

"He won't." She uses English to affirm her statement, mumbling something softly to herself as her hands move to clutch desperately at her skirts as she fights for words to say. She hadn't mean to upset him or make him regret, if anything it's her fault for having brought up the school in conversation! There were so many things going on in her mind, she couldn't keep many thoughts straight, especially with the loud chorus of background noise that stung at her ears and caused her mind to throb with exhaustion.

"...Luce..." She whispers, gulping before glancing up at him- only freezing when she notices his visible affliction, pained, miserable, ears tearing up. Caelia lets out a choked gasp and almost in instinct grabs him again, pushing his head to rest on her shoulder as she guides him to the floor to sit. Glancing to Gio as if telling him to to the same.

"Pas ta faute. Cependant, cela n'a pas d'importance. Ce qui compte, c’est que nous restions positifs." She runs a hand through his hair, trying to maintain a tender smile on her features as she comforts the french boy. Caelia may have a personal space problem, having been an Exotic Dancer who's used to being prod and denied a personal bubble.

"J'aime danser. Je vous en suis reconnaissant. Sans cela, je ne vous aurais pas rencontré. Ou beaucoup d'autres personnes formidables. Si je meurs ici, je peux mourir heureux." She sniffs softly and her gaze pans out to survey the area around her, before she mumbles, "...Peut-être pas si heureux ... Un secret pourrait-il vous aider à vous sentir mieux? Je pensais vous l'avoir dit, mais peut-être pas..."

[SmolOverlord]

[ ALU POST ]

CUE: FRENCH CRYING

"Et si nous sommes morts en moins d'un jour, Caelia ... J'ai déjà tant de regrets, je ne peux pas respirer sachant que c'est ça ..." He looks up at her with tears in his eyes. "J'aimerais pouvoir vous dire les pensées qui m'entourent, mais vous ne comprendriez pas ..." His helpless gaze is glued to Caelia, literally following all of her facial features in an effort to remember exactly what she looks like. If they lose eachother, at least he'll have a memory. "Ne me dis pas que tu mourrais heureux, tu as un avenir devant toi. Une vie incroyable attend là-bas ..."

[SmolOverlord]

COMFORTING FRENCH NOSIES

Caelia struggles to keep her own tears at bay, trying to keep her forced smile on her features as she therapeutically runs her hands through Luce's french locks. At this point, at this moment, she had forgotten about Gio. "Dîtes-moi. Aérez vos soucis, je vais écouter et essayer de comprendre." Her words are laced with sencerity and she lets her hand rest on his cheek as she speaks for a few moments before continuing to brush through his hair. "J'aurai un avenir à faire ce que je fais maintenant, ce que j'ai toujours fait. Une répétition. Je ne manque de rien. Mais si vous le faites, si vous avez des regrets..."

Caelia averts her gaze and sighs, her gaze moving to the roof for a few moments as she pieces together her next words. After a few beats she turns back to the man and tilts her head, her hand frozen inbetween his hair strands. "Dis-moi, je t'en prie."

[SmolOverlord]

[ ALU POST ]

ANGRY FRENCH NOISES

Lucien suddenly pushes Caelia back, making another tsk noise. "Vous ne comprendriez pas et vous n'écouteriez pas!" He huffs and goes to stand up. "Vous n'avez pas écouté quand je vous ai dit que je n'approuve pas votre danse, vous n'écoutez pas maintenant. En fait, vous sauriez déjà ce qui me dérange jour et nuit si vous écoutiez depuis le jour où nous nous sommes rencontrés!" 

He tries to stand but fails and sulks down. His rage is replaced by more sadness. "Whatever... De toute façon, ça n'a jamais été à propos de moi, je l'ai déjà accepté. Ce n'est même pas ma propre mort qui me tue en ce moment..."

[SmolOverlord]

EXIT STAGE LEFT: CAELIA

Caelia falls backwards with a whimper and can only stare up at him, hurt reflected in her eyes as she takes in the words said to her. "I-I want to, Luce..." She pauses, forgetting herself for a moment. "...scusate..." Her italian breaks through for a moment and the girl's nails dig into her wrists as she clutches to her arm in an attempt to keep herself situated mentally. His words left the girl feeling empty, like she'd done so much wrong, but she couldn't understand, she had trouble, even. And the fact she didn't understand made her hurt more.

"...S...Cusate." Her hand twitches once before she lets out a soft wail and her hands move to her eyes, tears spilling free. "Je suis là, j'écoute.... Je suis là, j'écoute....." She mumbles for a few moments, almost like a mantra. "Je danse pour moi. Pas pour toi. S'il vous plaît, comprenez que votre approbation de ma danse n’est pas importante...." She hiccups and pushes her palms further into her eyes. "Est-ce que tu m'écoutes quand je dis ça? Je n'essaie pas de t'ignorer, je te le promets, mais tu dois aussi écouter mes souhaits!"

Caelia pushes her hands through her hair and lets out a choked whimper before shoving herself up and hiccuping. "...Fine..." Is whispered. "I can't be like this- I need..." She shakes her head, "...I need... I need..." Her eyes move to Gio, almost in a panic, then back to Luce, struggling on the floor. "...To go."

She starts down the hall, back into her dorm.

[SmolOverlord]

[ ALU POST ]

CUE MORE FRENCH CRYING

Lucien's hand moves to stop her but he's way too late and way too slow to catch her. It's honestly a pathetic attempt as if hope will get her back. "J-JE SUIS DESOLE!" 

He sits back down, his head falls back and hits the wall as he breathes in and out quite heavily. "Je suis désolée Caelia ... je suis désolée ... tu ne comprendrais pas ... c'est juste parce que je m'en soucie ... je ne sais pas comment te dire à quel point je m'en soucie ..."

[Sara Soul]

Hiro is utterly confused on what he just witnessed. He was sure of one thing, however: They got into a fight, and it didn't go over well. What confused him was what the fight was even about.

He looked over at where Caelia ran off to with worry, then back over to Luce.

He should do something, shouldn't he? But it might not be a good idea to intrude...

And what could he even do to help...?

[Ktoasty]

Takuya listens to the ticking of his bomb to find a new rhythm. A new song to play for the seven seas. It's time to be a pirate and blow things up. Fire the cannons! He makes cannon fire sounds with a rubber band because quality.

[Nerdy Barista]

Elise walked out of her dorm only now, rubbing her tired eyes.
Her soft footsteps was drowned out from the sound of the rubber band and countless bickering
She gently shook herself awake and finally took a glance.

Seeing a water glass on the tray, she walks over and grabs one
Taking a drink to cure her dry mouth.
She sighs in relief 

"Whats going on here? Does anyone know...?"

She again, took another drink.

[༺☆Venelop3☆༻]

Lilo looked at the thirsty girl,

"Do you not remember? We are here to compete to be in this amazing art school, for them to tell us we have a bomb inside us and we have to remove it within 24 hours or we die".

[Nerdy Barista]

Elise looked over at Lilo and gulped

"Y-yeah... But I mean, why is everyone panicking...? 
It shouldnt be too much of a problem..."

[Spell Craft]

Giovanni, upon noticing his surroundings change with Caelia’s running, acts without thinking and chases after her. All the while, he continues staring at Luce until out of sight, his mind numb and blank. It’s until he turns the corner after Caelia, that Gio finally snaps back to reality.



Naturally being faster, it doesn’t take Gio long to catch up to Caelia. He grabs at her wrist to pull her back into his chest.
”Non capisco! Caelia, what happened? I don’t speak French, what were you two saying that made you run off?” Gio has a decent hold on Caelia, not to harm her but just so she can’t break away. Gio wasn’t going to lose her again.

[SmolOverlord]

PAN TO: CAELIA

For a few moments Caelia squirms in an attempt to wriggle free, both out of shock and a futile attempt to be able to clear her mind, however when that doesn't work she just whimpers and turns, hiding her face into the comfort of Gio's chest. "Il n'approuve pas ma danse! Il prétend que je n'écoute jamais, que je ne fais jamais? Mais je ne comprends pas ce qu'il raconte, Gio!" She hadn't realized she was talking in French until she took a shaky breath, and without saying anything else she weeps heavily and clutches Gio's shirt, her breathing raggedy and uneven. "L-Let me go, let me breathe- disapprova la mia danza. lo ha sempre fatto- and- sono un buon ascoltatore, giusto?

[Spell Craft]

Gio looks stunned, and a bit saddened to hear Caelia day this. It was her dancing, after all, that Gio loved lost in this world.

“Ovviamente! Of course, you are a good listener. If it where untrue,” Gio hushes his voice and glanced around a bit. “Se fosse una bugia, non saremmo qui "in coppia" e non saremmo rimasti in contatto per tutti questi anni.”
Giovanni’s face lights up as he speaks again.



“And as for your dancing, è il più bello. It is amazing, and no one should say otherwise!”
Gio holds Caelia into a hug now, comforting her like a significant other should.

[SmolOverlord]

TRACK SHOT: CAELIA'S BIG MOVE

The words uttered to her on this dark, desolate morning caused the sobbing youth to stutter her breath and hug Gio tighter. Everlasting, that's all she wanted. But it's something she could never get. His warm words touched her mentally and allowed her to breathe easier. She was being stupid again. She was letting her mind betray her when she should just breathe, calm down... If only she could pirouette away the pain, or please a customer to feel whole- but alas she's stuck in such a sh-tty situation. After a few tender beats of comfort Caelia moved slightly and her lips pressed into Gio's cheek, she whispers against his skin right there, "Grazie, Gio."

She pauses a few moments before pulling away, trying to ignore the colour that now tainted her cheeks as she stiffled a sob and whispered, "Anche tu non stai bene. Cosa stava guardando prima? Sei malato? Unwell?" She hiccups and shakes her head, "Scusa, non intendo chiedere troppo. Probabilmente ho spaventato Luce, mi hai calmato ... dovremmo tornare indietro. Sono terribile- thank you kindly my love."