Dark Receiver

[DeliciousMaiden]

"I could imagine Elron being a tough director ... "

She commented in response.

"And I guess fate plays a role in everything ... if I hadn't met Elron that day in the park, well .... I'd have probably given you a pretty average rendition of Phebe ... but as it is ... "

She smiled, thinking how much had happened so quickly. She had even doubted that she should audition and now she was sat drinking coffee with the play's producer.

" ... here we are ... "

She completed finally.
Although her producer and she his leading lady, what he'd said about he and Elron being her friends meant alot to her and she was as happy about the fact taht she had made new friends as about playing the lead role ...

 

[DeathsKnight]

Glen Kane

"That is just how things happen I guess."

He chuckled, then looked at her, his voice measured, captivating,

"For you to capture that Juliet in Act three scene five you have to imagine this in vivid detail. You have up until the marriage never really loved, you are young and sheltered from the world. Your parents have decided that you will marry a very eligible bachelor who is of course trying his best to woo you. But you are in love, so madly in love that you will forsake your family name, give up everything you have and know to be with the son of your family's enemy, the man that loves you just as much as you do. This mutual love is bound together in a marital ceremony, while not sanctioned by the houses, binding in it's own way as it is a promise before God. Also remember that back in the Victorian era the church held lots of power, so if it came to blows between the families and the church, guess who would have won? The church of course. Now you had to go through that tumult of emotions and here it is, the big night, where you embark on the voyage from being a girl to becoming a woman."

He gave her a smile, making sure that she was drawn into the situation,

"You spend the evening oh so short an evening with your one and only love, you are now a woman, no longer a child, but a married woman, a wife. Yet as the day light dawns he must leave or death will steal him from you forever, but you want to hold him just that minute longer, that minute that you can ill afford...you don't want to believe that he must go, yet the cold reality is in his eyes and in his words, he must leave or be lost to you forever..."

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

Beth listened transfixed as Glen described the events, the feelings, the depths of the act she found so difficult to portray accurately. His words did indeed pain a picture in vivid detail, but she could only imagine so much ...

" ... Yet as the day light dawns he must leave or death will steal him from you forever, but you want to hold him just that minute longer, that minute that you can ill afford...you don't want to believe that he must go, yet the cold reality is in his eyes and in his words, he must leave or be lost to you forever..."

She nodded.

"Yet that is the last time they see each other alive. The irony is that he is lost to her ... "

She commented.

"But of course, I have to forget that ... and play the scene for what it is to Juliet ... "

She sighed and sipped her coffee.

"I can't quite imagine a love like that ... can you Glen...?"

She asked as her eyes lowered to the script.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Glen Kane

He looked at her and for a moment he could not answer, then he smiled.

"Yes I can actually, and not only can I imagine it I believe in it."

He placed his hands behind his head and leaned into them,

"And you must remember that you can see the future of the story and Juliet can not, she only knows what happens as you play it, so maybe you should try and focus on her feelings at that exact moment."

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

"Yes I can actually, and not only can I imagine it I believe in it."

Beth watched him for long moments. She had never had him pegged as a romantic and in fact that was not what he was saying. Romeo and Juliet was beyond romance; a feeling, a commitment so much deeper than that.

"And you must remember that you can see the future of the story and Juliet can not, she only knows what happens as you play it, so maybe you should try and focus on her feelings at that exact moment."

She nodded.

"Yes, I know that ... and I've been working on doing just that."

She smiled at him shyly.

"I guess unlike you and Juliet, I find it difficult to imagine that depth and intensity ... I've never really had a serious boyfriend, just a few dates here and there ... to leap into Juliet's mindset is a big ask from that limited experience ... "

 

[DeathsKnight]

Glen Kane

"Then maybe you should feel that intensity once to understand half of what Juliet went through."

He smiled at her,

"Something that of course would send Mr Capulet into a screaming rage until he realize what it is that I meant,"

he gave her a wink.

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

"Then maybe you should feel that intensity once to understand half of what Juliet went through.
Something that of course would send Mr Capulet into a screaming rage until he realize what it is that I meant,"

Claire wasn't at all sure what he meant, but smiled at the image of Mr Capulet assuming he was referring to her father.

"Well ... if you can fix that for me then you truly are one hell of a producer!"

She commented.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Glen Kane

A chuckle escaped his lips,

"Be careful what you wish for my dear, you might just get it."

He finished his juice and crossed his legs at the ankles as he watched her,

"We should get you home, if I'm this worn out, I can only imagine how tired you are by now."

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

"Be careful what you wish for my dear, you might just get it."

She laughed with him and finished her coffee.

"We should get you home, if I'm this worn out, I can only imagine how tired you are by now."

She nodded.

"And I'm under strict orders not to be late to work again ... "

She commented.

"I doubt the Capulets are any calmer, but... that's their problem .. "

She shrugged and began to gather together her papers.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Glen Kane

He stood up and handed her a few of her things and stretched out,

"Well my offer to drive you still stand. But I can tell you now, it will not be Driving Miss Daisy."

He smiled,

"I lack the proper car to do that in."

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

"Well my offer to drive you still stand. But I can tell you now, it will not be Driving Miss Daisy. I lack the proper car to do that in."

Again she laughed. It seemed so easy to do that with him!

"A lift would be nice ... but I thought you were tired?
I can just as easily go wait on the bus ... "

She told him checking her watch.
She would be early, but better that than late and miss it.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Glen Kane

"It's on my way as you know and come on, why wait for another two hours if you can get the wind through your hair and the freedom of the road?"

He grinned and waited for her to decide if she would drive with him or rather wait for the bus.

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

"It's on my way as you know and come on, why wait for another two hours if you can get the wind through your hair and the freedom of the road?"

She laughed at the description.

" ... that is definitely an offer a girl can't refuse .... "

She gathered her papers and smiled at him as she did so.

"It seems you're making me alot of those offers lately ... "

She told him, thinking back to his offer of her role, the dinner they had shared and of course the lifts he offered ... as well as his friendship ... and company throughout that evening ... she found that she was enjoying being with him more and more ... which was of course natural, she told herself, given their roles in this production ....

 

[DeathsKnight]

Glen Kane

"Oh why not? I like you, I have a bit of chivalry left in me and who can refuse a lady so lovely the open pleasure of the road?"

He smiled and held his arm for her,

"Shall we m'lady?"

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

"Oh why not? I like you, I have a bit of chivalry left in me and who can refuse a lady so lovely the open pleasure of the road?"

She smiled and put her arm in his as he invited.

"Shall we m'lady?"

Her bag over her shoulder they left the coffee house.

" ... ahh the age of chilvarly ... perhaps I was born in the wrong era ... ?"

She silently considered the pros and cons of her statement as they headed for his bike.

" ... though I think I like the modern version of the 'noble steed' ... "

She added, thinking that she would fare considerably worse on a real horse!

 

[DeathsKnight]

Glen Kane

He chuckled and ran his hand over the gas tank of his bike,

"The age of chivalry, when you got knighted for killing people, you spoke about God and religion and that night you rape a girl captured in a town you plundered. The only thing that would save you is if you are from a noble born family, only a barbarian would threaten your modesty as back then the women had more power than they were cared to believe."

He handed her his helmet,

"And this here noble steed have no rolling gait, just a purr and vibration when used right could be used to gain access to a naive young maiden's modesty. But that is a despicable act, one that gives bike owners a bad reputation."

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

"The age of chivalry, when you got knighted for killing people, you spoke about God and religion and that night you rape a girl captured in a town you plundered. The only thing that would save you is if you are from a noble born family, only a barbarian would threaten your modesty as back then the women had more power than they were cared to believe."

Claire took the helmet and secured it on her head.

" ... women had power...? ... there's a new concept ... "

She quipped.

"And this here noble steed have no rolling gait, just a purr and vibration when used right could be used to gain access to a naive young maiden's modesty. But that is a despicable act, one that gives bike owners a bad reputation."

She laughed then.

"Ahhhh... so ... are you gentleman or barbarian ... ?"

Her eyes danced in amusement.

" ... I could definitely call you ... demanding ... but a threat to my virtue ...?
I don't really think so ... "

She threw him a sassy grin as she seated herself on the bike.

"Though ... you could always prove me wrong ... ?"

 

[DeathsKnight]

Glen Kane

He got on the bike and started it,

"I may be seen as a barbaric gentleman in some circles and a Gentle Barbarian in others."

With a chuckle he pushed the bike off of it's stand, checked the traffic and pulled away. The wind blowing through his hair as he navigated the streets and on an open part he opened it up a bit and slowed down when some turns turned up again. He stopped again at the bus stop and waited for her to get off,

"Hope that wasn't too fast for you."

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

"I may be seen as a barbaric gentleman in some circles and a Gentle Barbarian in others."

As he spoke, he pulled away. Claire wrapping her arms around his waist, clinging more tightly as the bike accelerated, the sensation scary, but thrilling at the same time. All too soon they arrived at the bus stop. She was breathless and didn't quite trust her legs.

"Hope that wasn't too fast for you."

Belatedly she realised that she still had her arms wrapped around his waist. Slowly she eased back and dismounted from the bike, pulling off the helmet.

" ... faster than I'm used to ... "

She commented, but her eyes dancing with enjoyment.

" ... I'm not sure it's wise to encourage your 'leading lady' to become a speed-junkie, are you?"

She giggled.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Glen Kane

He received the helmet from her and chuckled,

"As long as my leading lady stays on the safe side of being a speed junkie I see no wrong with it. Maybe if you can slip away for two days..."

He smiled,

"Let's just stick to that, if you can slip away for two days over a weekend, I will have a surprise for you."

He winked and slipped on the helmet,

"I'll see you tomorrow and tell sir Capulet that if he detains you again I will sue."

With a chuckle he started the motorbike again.

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

"As long as my leading lady stays on the safe side of being a speed junkie I see no wrong with it. Maybe if you can slip away for two days..."

She wondered what he was going to suggest, but he halted.

"Let's just stick to that, if you can slip away for two days over a weekend, I will have a surprise for you."

She chuckled, intrigued.

"I'll see you tomorrow and tell sir Capulet that if he detains you again I will sue."

She nodded.

"I'll tell him that... it will make all the difference ... "

She commented and stood back as she watched him ride off.
The smile was still on her face as she let herself into the house.

Immediately she was bombarded by the what-time-do-you-call-this? and the your-food's-burned ... She merely let the complaints and questions run their course before replying.

"I was late for work this morning, so I had to stay back to cover the work I missed."

Neither parent looked convinced.

"The sooner you realise how important this is to me and the people I'm working with the better ... "

She told them.

" ... but if you can't deal with that ... then I'll have to find somewhere else to stay whilst I'm working at the theatre ... "

It had been on her mind for a while, but she had not intended to voice her thoughts so soon.

"Why you can't both just be happy for me, I don't know ... "

She told them finally and made her way to her bedroom refusing offers of drink, food or futher conversation ...

 

[DeathsKnight]

Glen Kane

The next morning he awoke early again, he went to the gym and after that to the theater. He made himself some coffee and by the time his rapier students showed up he was ready for them.

"Right, today we work hard, I want you to use everything I taught you so far and fight. Yes really fight. You will have your protective gear, but I want some anger in there, you must look like you want your opponent dead."

What followed was a comedy of errors and Glen wasn't sure if he had to laugh or cry,

"Stop stop stop! You are not apes swinging tree branches at each other for heavens' sake. What did I train you for? Again."

They were still at it when the first of the actors started to show up.

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

The next morning, her parents seemed to have changed tactic. Claire found herself at the end of the 'silent treatment'! In truth she didn't know whether to laugh or get angry, but having learned by the previous day's experience, claire let it pass, ate breakfast, made a sandwich and pushed it in her bag to serve for lunch or late afternoon depending on how the schedule turned out and headed off to the stop to catch the early bus.

She arrived as Glen was calling out:

"Stop stop stop! You are not apes swinging tree branches at each other for heavens' sake. What did I train you for? Again."

And repressing a giggle sat quietly in the stalls as the actors continued to work through their moves.

As others began to enter, Claire joined them and joined in their chatter, pleased to indulge in some friendly conversation. Soon enough Glen would call them to order and then, if he had remembered from the previous night, they were to start work on her nemisis, Act III, Scene V.

For the first time since the evening before, she thought about Elron and looked round to search him out ...

 

[DeathsKnight]

Glen Kane

He noticed Elron sneaking in a bit late, but not enough to get reprimanded for,

"You two continue and if I catch you trying to use a stabbing sword for a steak knife again I will kick you out and get two monkeys to act in your place."

He waved Elron over and pointed at Claire,

"I want you to go over Act III, Scene V with her, take the players you need. As soon as I'm happy with these two we start off with Act III, Scene V, tell everybody that please?"

Elron nodded and walked away, Glen turned to the two and smiled slightly, they seemed like they were on eggs,

"Oh come on, that thrust looked like an old lady threading a needle."

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

Glen was preoccupied with the sword play, but went over as soon as he gestured for her to join Elron.

"I want you to go over Act III, Scene V with her, take the players you need. As soon as I'm happy with these two we start off with Act III, Scene V, tell everybody that please?"

Obediently the two moved off to the side. Claire couldn't resist a quip.

" ... late night?"

His response was given in the same vein.

" .. no later than yours, I imagine... "

She had no chance to reply before the actors playing nurse, Lady and Lord Capulet descended on them and they had to begin. It was far from intimate, but she tried to capture the nuance as Glen had described it the previous evening ...

"Is this working for you...?"

She asked Elron finally once they had run through the scene for the first time.