[center][h1]Drowning in Drama?[/h1][hr]
[b]Involved:[/b] Penny Pellegrin, Marlijn Vance, Leon Solaire [@Jumbus], Linah Aranda [@SilverPaw][/center][hr]
Penny had tried so hard not to yawn during introductions. She'd been up most of the night doing... things. At least being remembered as the 'sleepy girl' was better than being remembered as 'the cripple', so she'd take what she could get, she supposed. 

The script had woken her up. Their Zeno seemed like the type to be aggressively indifferent to decorum and etiquette. It was... jarring, but not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, so maybe Penny wasn't too surprised at having the script more or less thrown at her. It was only when she'd stopped to read it that her eyes widened and she felt herself yanked into a stae of unwilling but undeniable wakefulness. She blinked a couple of times. It was... hilarious. Truly, abominably hilarious.

She was part of a troupe with four others: Linah (thankfully), a Segonese girl in a revealing dress who's name she'd already forgotten, and an annoying Eskandishwoman named Marlijn who was busy swooning over their final member: Leon Solaire. He was handsome. [i]By Ipte, he is beautiful,[/i] Penny thought, trying not to steal any more glances. [i]Have some self-respect,[/i] she scolded herself. [i]What are you going to do? Throw yourself at him in the hopes that he might bed you?[/i] Her cheeks flushed with shame, but there he still was, with an easy, natural grace about his manner and... a body and... that million couronne smile. Immediately, she found herself handing the script to him. "I-it's really something," she stammered, annoyed at her voice. "A true masterpiece."

Marlijn leaned in close to Leon, inviting herself into his space, and she was pretty. By Ipte, she was a beauty that Penny couldn't hope to compete with. She giggled. "Well, I guess we know who'll be the Prince."

[i]Well that much is obvious,[/i] Penny thought, trying not to roll her eyes. She glanced surreptitiously at Linah to see what her sometimes roommate might be thinking, but then Marlijn continued."Me," Marlijn chirped. "You've already got your shirt off. Mermen don't wear shirts." There was a twinkle in her eyes and she looked up at him expectantly. 

Leon noticed the lack of guys in the classroom. It was a shame more didn't see the value in drama and performance. Not that he minded either way. He was in pleasant enough company and he enjoyed the attention.

He thanked Penny when she handed him the script to look over it himself. Leon was overcome with the urge to cross off parts and add in others, if only he had a pen. The story wasn't irrecoverable but it was awful as is. For a moment he doubted whether he would be able to make it very entertaining. Of course he was going to be the prince, but he does little but swoon over the mermaid the whole time.

Marlijn's suggestion caught him off guard. It was not something he had considered, but it was certainly an idea he liked. Leon made direct eye contact with a smile. "I think you read my mind. You would make a fantastic Prince-ess Charming. Certainly that would be the shake up we need to make this script redeemable." he joked.

Penny hid a sour face. She was literally kind of shaped like a mermaid and had assumed the role would be hers, but that wasn't actually the issue. In truth, she had no desire to be front and centre. It was much safer in the chorus. She'd mainly taken this class for the comedy. She regularly used it to help set people at ease. No, the truth was that Penny was annoyed because Leon Solaire was right there, in front of her, and this little Eskandish - [i]Keep it classy[/i] - had thought of an idea that he liked instead of [i]her[/i]. Now Marlijn had nabbed the role opposite him and she was leaning in strategically, practically resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Oh Gawds," the redhead giggled, "It's soooo bad. I say we play it as a satire on gender roles. I should be like a muscle princess." She took a step back and flexed the wet noodles she had for arms. "You can like... I dunno. What [i]would[/i] you do? What's like... a mermaid stereotype?"

Penny blinked. "Seashells as clothing!" she blurted, "and a lovely singing voice." She forced herself to take a step in. "Also, a singing dancing crab companion who regularly dispenses profound wisdom in an accessible and charmingly homespun way."  She leaned over Leon's other shoulder and spoke with a mock earnestness. "I can be that crab for you."

This was certainly a change of pace from the mornings events. With the abberations on his mind and his dicussion with Carmila, Leon almost forgot this was a school after all. He didn't have a good concept of what a school was, but he always imagined it would involve study like this. Well, almost like this. 

Leon gave a out a chuckle in reaction to his company, even for him they were coming off a bit strong. He did want to study after all and if he let them carry on like this, he would find himself too easily distracted.

"Well, as much as a muscle princess would be surpising. I don't think you have the muscle part quite there yet." He chuckled a bit. "Unless you have some sort of illusion magic, I would play to the finer features you have. But don't let me stop you from showing off your titanic strength if you wish to do so." He joked in a pleasant manner.

Leon drew his attention to Penny keeping a welcoming demeanor. "Well I would say you carry yourself with too much grace to be a crab. But if such a role compells you, go for it. It will be a challenge to show off your acting skills to the Zeno."

"As for me, I don't see this role taking me out of my comfort zone at all. I'm not sure whether I should take that as an insult." He joked to the group and left a pause. "I assume everyone is decided on roles? Perhaps we take a few rehearsal rounds."

For her part, Linah seemed quite eager to play the villain, even though it was a truly awful role in this script. Seriana fairly threw herself onto a chair and sighed about how this humid weather was just dreadful for her complexion and how she would never make the Hundrian order's highest tiers with bad skin. Marlijn, for her part, threw herself into the role of Princess Charming. It was, of course, brilliantly ironic. The group had a redhead with a lovely singing voice and another girl who... rather looked like an actual mermaid. Yet, it was to be Leon who played the role. Perhaps that was the only way to prevent the two girls from coming into conflict. It was also a brilliant excuse to watch a half-clothed Leon Solaire strut about the stage - not an image that the Eskandishwoman minded in the least.

For her part, Penny yawned and sat on a chair. She was dangerously low on sleep after last night's skullduggery, but she hoped that things would do go plan, whatever that plan was. Father was much smarter than people gave him credit for, but Arcel was a wildcard and - simply put - Doge Prospero scared her. [i]The fate of nations is about to be decided and here I am swooning over Leon Solaire and ready o be petty with some Eskandish girl,[/i] she scolded herself. The definitely-not-a-princess stifled a yawn, blinked, and sat up straighter. When it was her turn for the musical number, she stood. 

"I know I'm just a seahorse," she began, "oh prince of the sea."
"But I've lived a long time; might you listen to me?" Her singing voice wasn't great, she supposed, but she was a seahorse and seahorses were probably not known for their singing.
"The land: it is pretty. I know it is green,"
"But the sea's still the best place that I've ever seen."

"I want to be home in the sea!
That's the best place for me!" She singsonged. "And you," she added, sweeping away from him.

"Up top, when you walk, your shoes may get muddy.
Down here? No way! You can [i]always[/i] stay clean!
On the surface you have to take [i]time[/i] to fetch water.
Down here? Look around you and see what I mean!"

"You know you want to be home in the sea.
That's the best place to be!" Penny shimmied back and forth on the ball and heel of her foot, twirling her crutch like a baton and ignoring a dozen aches for the sake of performance.

"The land is all dusty; the sea, she is wet." Penny wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, feeling like the dumbest thing in all of Sipenta.
"And think of the colours: The best you can get!" She pushed off and did a little spin, her dress and hair swirling around her. "I know the girl, she is pretty, my prince, yes I do.
But there are many fine ladies that live here just for yoooouuu." Penny had thought of finishing with a slide onto her knee, facing the audience, arms spread, but that ran her about a fifty-fifty for tripping up and then just being a sad fallen cripple, more likely to draw gasps than applause. Besides, she already felt more than goofy enough. She let her arms fall to her sides. "So... that was something I never thought I'd do with a straight face," she managed, forcing a smile and feeling the colour rise in her cheeks. "Any changes anyone would make?"

In the event, there were none. All of them decided that the best approach was to make this into a clever, ironic, and absurdly goofy social commentary. Long story short, it went swimmingly.