MsN: The Incredible Visible Boy

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In which the ever-clever Catseye discerns the true identity of the trickster who has been plaguing the show with "accidents" and "mishaps."

Not needed for this part of rehearsal, Catseye had nevertheless stuck around after her lines had been run so that she could help with the last of the set painting and wait for the rest of the Colony. She was on her way back to the dressing room to get rid of the painting smock she was wearing. She was covered from head to toe with paint but grinning happily. Though she had no artistic talent whatsoever, she could do grunt work like painting grass and sky and enjoyed the exercise very much for how liberating (for a human pastime) painting was. But the painting was done and now it was time to wash the rapidly-turning-crusty paint off and head back home. And find some pastrami.

A boy was coming towards her in the hallway, one she recognized vaguely as being in the play, though she couldn't remember his character. She grinned widely as she passed him, delighting in the fact that he went far out of his way to avoid coming close to her in the hallway, as if afraid she would get paint on him. As they passed, she caught a scent under the smell of paint that caked her own skin. It was the same scent she had smelled in the dressing room earlier in the month. The same scent she'd smelled around the costumes that had been doused in itching powder. This was the BadBoy who was playing the NotSillyGames on everyone! It had been a boy doing the NotSillyGames all along! Not accidents like the Colony told her!

She spun and nearly lunged at the boy before something made her hesitate. The girl couldn't jump on him and drag him all the way back to the mansion to show everyone what this BadBoy had done, the way a cat could bring its prey back home in its mouth. A human girl couldn't carry him by herself! So she would have to tell the Colony and get them to help her!

Triumphant, she barreled past the boy to get back to the rehearsal and all but pounced on Angel, the nearest schoolmate. "BurningGirl!" she cried out excitedly. "Catseye found him! Catseye found the BadBoy who has been playing NotSillyGames! It was a BadBoy just like Catseye said not accidents! Catseye smelled him! Come, come! Everyone come!"

In which Catseye convinces the other players of the farce.

"Come, my lord, and in our flight, tell me how it came this night...uh...whoa." Karolina interrupted herself mid-line and stared open-mouthed as Angel was assaulted. Karolina wasn't blind, after all, and it was definitely hot. Watching Catseye fling herself about was always sort of fascinating, particularly when her feline nature overtook her human sense and resulted in literal pouncing. Why she was doing it during rehearsal was something of a mystery. Kare glanced up at her Oberon who shrugged and looked just as fascinated. "Anyone know what she's talking about?"

The commotion caused by Catseye's outburst did not go unnoticed by Callie either. She glanced up from her position at the edge of the stage then made her way toward where the action was centered at the moment. Like Karolina, she was surprised by their fellow student's behavior, and was equally confused as to the occasion for it. "Ummm I have no idea," she said, her eyes flicking back between the smaller glowing girl and their feline-like classmate. "What are you talking about Catseye?"

Julian had been talking with Dominic when he spotted the commotion over his new acquaintance's shoulder. He excused himself and discretely headed across the stage to see what Catseye was so excited about- perhaps she'd found a mouse. Either way, she was making quite the scene and paint was getting on Angel's costume...which really didn't change it much, given that she was playing a fairy. "What's going on?" Julian asked, approaching the pair with his coat draped over his arm.

"Catseye found the BadBoy who has been playing NotSillyGames on the actors!" she explained excitedly, tugging on first Julian's arm, then Callie's to get them to follow her. "Colony said it was accidents but Catseye knew it was a BadBoy! Catseye needs help to pounce on him! He needs to be pounced so he won't do any more NotSillyGames like the itchypowder!"

"But Catseye, how can someone be playing the tricks? We would be seeing him," Yvette began, as she helped Angel back up from where she'd been pounced. "They are just the accidents, yes?"

Things were clicking together in Julian's head. "Maybe not...I mean, someone had to get the itching powder into that can, ruin the set piece that we've been repainting and switch out my script last week." He blushed slightly, having not read all the way through the script like everyone else he hadn't realized that someone had switched his lines for Midsummer with those from Taxi Driver. "It makes some sense if you think about it."

"Yeah, but makes sense and actual proof could be worlds away," Angel said, scrubbing at the paint that Catseye had gotten onto her cheek, though she didn't seem to mind too much. She turned back. "Not saying anything against your nose, Cats! Just we really can't go pouncin' away on people without a little more proof, you know? Though this guy sounds guilty as sin to me." She held out her arms, trying not to hit people with her wings. "Ideas?"

"We could try asking?" Karolina suggested dubiously--not because she didn't think it would work but because she sorely doubted that her classmates would like that idea better than, say, tying up the accused and torturing the truth out of him. She shrugged and folded her legs up under her, sitting indian-style in mid-air. "Where is he, Cats?"

"Was coming from the dressing rooms when Catseye was going there," she explained, agitated slightly by their reluctance. "Catseye does not know where he is going but Catseye will be able to smell!" She turned to Yvette. "Catseye did not see when the NotSillyGames happened, but Catseye smelled! It is the same smell now on the boy! Catseye is sure!"

"We cannot be arguing with your nose, I am thinking," Yvette admitted wryly. "I am thinking the only thing to be doing is to find him and be asking him, like Karolina is saying." She didn't like the other girl's attitude, but it didn't mean she couldn't actually have a good idea once in a while.

"I'm with Yvette here," Callie chimed in. "And you know I don't think we should assume that he's guilty before we find him. Even if he did do the itching powder, that doesn't mean he's responsible for everything. He could still be innocent."

Meggan thought for a moment, before looking over at Catseye. "Do you think--if we were able to track down the person you think it is, with your nose--that you could tell if they were lying if we asked them questions?" She wasn't sure if it was clear, so she shrugged and added, "I mean, would you be able to smell it on him? Like a lie detector?" She really hoped Catseye could--that way this weirdness would stop, and they could actually finish rehearsals without worrying about replaced scripts.

The purple-haired girl shook her head. "Catseye can smell when humans are sweating, but that is all. Some humans are good at not sweating when they lie."

Julian was silently thinking, the gears turning in his head, producing what he hoped would be an excellent idea. "Wait, what if we caught him in the act? That would be proof enough, right?" He looked at each of his classmates in turn, trying to gauge their reactions. The silent expressions on people's faces were a mix of approval, deep thought and caution.

Angel crossed her arms thoughtfully. "Huh. That would work. At the worst, we find out that he is behind all these stupid pranks but, if not, we can laugh it off. Ah ha ha - sorry, dude? Though what could we use as bait?" She scowled. "He already got us with itching powder, if we're going on the idea that it's him. Anyone have any ideas of how to do it?"

Noriko had been watching the conversation bounce back and forth from where she'd been working on the wiring backstage and finally she set her tools down to go join the group - after all, if someone was messing with the play, Nori wanted them caught but good. "Maaa... itchy powder is trap against people. Most of accident is against people. If we is have all people at not the school, maybe he is come, too. Is can... ano...... catch."

Julian tried to follow her broken English- it would have been easier for him to understand if she'd just spoken Japanese. "You're talking about a trap? Clear out the place and ambush him?"

Nori nodded. "Is we stop him. He is try trap, but we is can trap."