xp_logs | Midsummer's Nightmare: Accidents Happen?

Was it just an accident... or something more sinister?

There was a high pitched squeal as a blue figure zoomed towards the
stage from the back of the auditorium; the fire around her cast a
weird shadow around as Angel barreled towards the stage. She pulled
up short and landed on nonflaming legs, skidding on the stage floor. A
quick glance at her would confirm that she looked odder than normal
considering she was sporting a pair of wings and a sparkling outfit.
"My Moth costume is fireproof!" she cheered, flailing. "I can
actually fly during the play!"

There was a giggle and a glow of blue from up on the catwalk and then
Yvette appeared, climbing agily down the scaffolding that was to
support some of the set. "You are looking very much the part of the
fairy, yes," she agreed. "Was Forge letting you have some of his
special cloth for the costume?"

Angel rocked on the back of her heels so she could peer up at Yvette
without straining her neck. "He gave me a weird look when I told him
what it was for but, hey, can't argue with results!" She wiggled her
back so the wings fluttered, leaving behind a puff of glitter. "How
goes it here?"

"Yeah Angel that's like totally awesome," Callie squealed as she
ventured out from the wings, a very fake looking green bob on her
head. She had been watching Angel fly about, but had kept her distance
so as not to get burned. "I'm like totally jealous."

"You should not be. You look very..." Yvette paised, trying to think
of the best word but even her natural niceness was stuck for a way to
descriibe the wig. "Um, fresh? Like the spring, yes?"

The other girls lips twitched just a bit and Angel had to bit the
inside of her cheek. "A tasty salad!" she offered. Which ...
considering that was Angel, it wasn't actually a bad thing that she
thought Callie looked like food.

Callie's nose wrinkled. If it wasn't bad enough that she was already a
bright pink let's add a wig and complete the look. It made some sense
though, use wigs to make the trio of fairies to appear somewhat
similar. That didn't mean she had to enjoy it though, and nothing that
her classmates could say could convince her otherwise. "Thanks guys."
She reached up and pulled the monstrosity off her head and shook her
hair free. "Seriously, it's gonna be so cool to have you two go
whoosh all over the place and climb all over stuff ya know?"

"As long as we are not forgetting our lines," Yvette added with a
nervous sounding laugh. It wasn't so bad, standing here on the stage
with no-one really paying attention to them, but the thought of the
room being filled with people watching her as she spoke made her
stomach knot.

"Don't worry, Yvette," Angel responded, tucking her hair up into a
ponytail because it kept getting caught on her wings and it was
starting to get annoying. "By the time the play actually happens,
you'll be reciting the play in your sleep! And then I'll throw
pillows at your head and you'll totally be ready for opening night!"

Callie nodded in agreement. "You'll do great, Yvette-"

"Look out!" Callie's words were cut off as one of the sandbags whizzed
down from the rafters above. There was barely time to react as gravity
pulled the heavy object toward the stage, narrowly missing the three
girls. A muffled boom could be heard by all on stage as impact with
the floor was made by the rogue piece of theater equipment.

Catching sight of the sandbag as is proximity to her head lowered,
Callie jumped back, managing to not lose her balance for once
(although she did teeter for a moment) and stared at the grey object.
"Woah."

Yvette had dropped into a crouch, hair stiffening as her powers
reacted to the sudden shock and she glanced around almost sheepishly
as she straightened, realising there was no threat. So much for
behaving like a normal human girl. "Is everyone being all right?" she
asked, moving over to the sandbag and looking up at where it had
fallen from. It was the same area she had only recently vacated.

She wasn't the only one to act instinctively - Angel landed back down
on the stage, hands clasped over her heart. She joined Yvette and
poked at the sandbag with her foot. "Oh yeah, no problem. I just
someone to get my heart down from the ceiling. Damn, that was lucky
it missed all three of us. We'd be heading to the ER by now if it had
hit."

"Seriously. Being knocked hit in the head with that thing," Callie
inched closer and poked the bag with her foot. "Would be really bad."
She crouched down, and carefully slid her hands under the sandbag's
sides; if she couldn't pick it up at least she would be able to drag
it off stage and out of the way. "Hey guys, come here... looks like
someone cut the rope. See?"

Yvette crouched down to look at the rope and then glanced up again at
where it had fallen from. "Oh no," she murmured, one hand reaching up
to touch the back of her hair - the spikes sliced into the
self-repairing cloth. "But I was being careful..."

Angel patted Yvette on a cloth covered shoulder. "Don't worry,
roomie-of-mine," she said, seeking to reassure her. "No one was hurt.
Besides, apparently this stuff happens in the theater all the time.
If we get it out of the way now, opening night'll be a breeze."
Honestly, she had no idea herself but the local kids had talked about
the curse and then the normal stuff that just happened to go wrong.

"I hope so." Yvette sighed a little, privately resolving to avoid the flies from now on - it was too risky. "We should be cleaning this up, yes? And telling the teachers?"

Callie nodded slightly in agreement. "You're right Yvette, let's do that. And don't worry, these things happen. Remember: There's no such thing as a curse."