The Hermitcraft Plays

24: The Stress Rehearsals

'We will stop you!' Declared False, drawing her sword and running from the stage

'FALSE! COME BACK! YOU CAN'T FIGHT THEM!' Pearl yelled, before joining her, and the second scene started.

As Ren properly recovered with a healing potion, he watched False's rendition of his character. It was decent, finishing scene 2 and starting scene 3. By this point, Grian had come up with the name Rud-false, which was immediately accepted as being perfect. Keralis played his part surprisingly well, while Grian, Ren, Stress and Tango convened.

'Stress, you take my part, Tango can play ice-queen Elsa again, Ren plays one of the Dumb Men, because it was funny before... Cub! Scar!' The pair looked over as Grian called to them, walking over.

'Chaos?'

'Chaos. Scar, I want your part.'

'Can I have your part?'

'Stress already has it... you can be one of the Dumb Men again, if we can convince Impulse or Zed to give over their roles.

'And, as you all know, Cub's the biggest Frozen fan and really wants to play Stress's role...' 

'Ice Queen Cub or Ice Queen Tango?'

'Tango.' Cub said before Scar could give his opinion.

'Good. Stress can play Cub's role.'

'I'm already playing your role...'

'Or we can get Impulse or Zed to do it, because they won't have roles now you two have taken them...'

'Scar! Grian! It's your scene!'

'Who has my script?' Stress raised her hand. Scar no longer had his either. 

'I gave it to Stress too.' He admitted.

'Come on!' Stress ran over as Joe called for her parts again, then stopped suddenly.

'Right, you lot...'

'We're not doing anything!' Protested Grian as Stress started her new lines. 

'Hey, why don't we all give Stress our scripts?' Suggested Cub with a laugh,

'The Stress rehearsal.' Grian invented. 'It's the Stress rehearsal.' 

'What are you lot laughing at?' Joe looked over, eyes narrowed.

'Oh, nothing, nothing... Scar laughed, with a sigh, Joe returned where Stress was playing Scar, Grian, and now Etho. Pearl and False had sacrificed their own scripts, seeing what was happening and that if even the eternal tree had given up his script that it was going to be good. 

'How are the prisoners doing?' Stress began, then continued right on 'Oh... they're doing just great, Stress. Soon we'll have more power than anyone can imagine and we'll destroy Christmas and all things related! Very good... you have done extremely well, my friend.' She somehow successfully changed from role to role

'My noble and powerful masters, the prisoners are asking for food... should I give the squabs food?' Bdubs questioned upon entering the stage, still in possession of his script.

'Bdubs, luv can I have your script.' 

'What?'

'IT'S THE STRESS REHEARSAL!' Grian yelled, and Bdubs instantly obeyed. Stress continued with flawlessly acting as everyone until the end of the scene, when Joe snapped.

'STRESS!' She looked over.

'Yes, Joe?'

'GET OUT.'

'What?' 

'YOU'RE OUT OF THE PLAY.' 

'Oh, so that's all it took?! Stress, can I have all the scripts?' Asked Jevin, walking over. 

'AND YOU'RE DOING HER ROLE FOR THAT COMMENT. LEARN HER PART AND DON'T COME BACK UNTIL IT'S PERFECT!' 

Jevin snatched at the nearest script, which turned out to be Joe's director's script, successfully obtaining it and holding it in the air. 

'I SHOULD'VE DONE THIS WHEN I HAD IT BEFORE.' He yelled, and tore it in half. 

'JEVIN!'

Without another word, Jevin flew away, leaving the hermits in shell-shocked silence. Grian stifled a shocked laugh.

'Dramatic...' Mumbled Scar. Joe turned to where he, Grian and Cub were standing.

'It's you three. It's ALWAYS you three, isn't it?' He stepped closer, a burning hatred on his face that no one had seen before. 'RUINING THE PLAY.'

'I'm not ruining it, I'm making it fun!' Insisted Grian, Third-life instincts setting in as he stepped in front of Scar. 'None of us wanted to do this... except maybe Ren and Etho... but they're fine with mixing it up too! They- we're HERMITS, not ACTORS!'

'Well maybe I wanted you to be both.' Joe fought back tears as he spoke. 

'We weren't trying to be mean...' 

'SHUT UP SCAR!' 

'Joe...' Cub drew his bow. 'We've done nothing wrong.'

'I'm exhausted, annoyed, it's Christmas Eve, everyone's coming to the server tomorrow expecting a play and all we've achieved today as an ARGUMENT.

'If you're exhausted then get some rest and let me take over as director.' Joe glared at Grian. 'Seriously, get some sleep, and come to watch the play with everyone else tomorrow. And find Jevin too. If he wants to come back, tell him to. If not, he can watch too. And I promise it'll be even better than you planned.'

Joe paused. 

'The last time someone tried to be nice to get my script was Cub tricking me. I'm not going to believe you.'

Grian walked over, picking up the two pieces of script and handing one to Joe. 

'Then we direct together, and I will make this thing a living nightmare until you let yourself rest or have fun.' 

Joe handed over the script and, without another word, flew away.

Ah, the angst.

I was wondering when that would arrive...