2025-02-19 - Waiting for Godot

Mornings are the time when a lot of the background work of running shows happens. The public shows are largely afternoon and evening. So morning is the time for rehearsals, tech runs, and loading in from the scene and costume shops. Which explains why Ravin is here, looking not entirely awake, yet and clutching a to-go cup of tea as he tries waits for the director and choreographer to show up for a blocking discussion, which might well also have the set designer coming in to discuss options and lay out tape marks. Ravin's dressed casually and not wearing make-up at the moment.

Ari is a frequent presence at the amphitheatre, but just as often he can be found in the workroom down in the tunnels that run beneath the nearby castle. It's from them that he emerges, stepping down the multi-level stairs to the bottom and the stage.

He's in a pair of blue-grey Spellbound coveralls, though it's only zipped up to his midsection while the rest is bunched up around his waist, sleeves tied there like a belt, and a white t-shirt otherwise. And like Ravin he's not empty-handed, coming in hot with a reusable coffee mug whose label is nearly rubbed off from frequent washings, though it looks like it was once advertising some kind of business. He sips from it before managing a "Morning," that sounds far too chipper for all the caffeine he hasn't yet had to drink.

Ravin gives a little wave towards Ari. "Hey, I've seen you around, but I don't think we've been introduced. I'm Ravin." He stifles a yawn and takes another sip from his tea. "I thought being in theater meant not having to be any place before noon."

The wave is quickly returned, and then Ari's shuffling forward a few steps so that he's in easy talking distance so he can itnroduce himself. "Ari," he says, pronouncing it like airy, though his nametag actually spoils his full name as being Arizona. "I'm one of the Warners," he adds, without context.

Then he smiles. "If only." There's sympathy in his voice, and as he warms his hands around his mug, Ari looks around. "My usual spiel is that if there's anything I can do to help improve things or make them easier for you, just let me know. I know I'm still new here."

Ravin laughs. "Oh, well, I'm newer than you, I'll bet. I've been here less than two months. And I have heard of the Warners, but not run into any others that I know of. Or maybe I missed it while I was trying to get up to speed." He drinks a bit more tea and looks around. "What are your usual responsibilities? Just so I know which areas I should ask you for improvement in."

That gets a nod. "Okay, fair point. Sounds like I have a whole month on you, just about." Ari smiles at that, just a little bit, to show he's teasing.

"Well, I work on all of the builds for the set that don't count as props, because my sister handles those," Ari explains. "So any pieces you think would add to your performance, I can make. Or if anything needs repairs or improvements, I can do that too. Plus I help out in setting up between the different performances. Y'know, swapping things out."

Ravin nods. "Would probably explain why I've largely missed you. I'm usually busy doing costume changes and I've been trained to treat the stage ninjas as invisible except for dodging purposes." He grins a little. "If I think of anything, I'll let you know. Though mostly I just show up, sing what they want, where they want."

Ari laughs, good-naturedly, then says, "Well, I do try to be as unobtrusive as possible," and it sounds like an agreement. He gives a little nod afterward, and then unclenches one of his hands from around his coffee mug, flexing his fingers like the feeling is just starting to return to them before he goes right back to leeching the warmth from his drink.

"Sounds good. I also do general maintenance when it's not worth putting in a ticket to dispatch someone out here for it, so if you notice anything like that, you can just let me know."

Someone comes by saying the choreographer has been delayed, so rehearsal is being bumped a bit.

Ravin sighs at the news, then shrugs and finds a seat to lounge in. "So, tell me about your family. I hear there are a bunch of them around here. I might as well get a precis."

Taking Ravin's lead, Ari follows over to the lowest tier of seating and sits down on a bench, legs stretching out in front of him into the empty space between where he's sat and the stage.

The comment about his family earns an amused smile, and he nods. "Yeah. Um. Well, there's seven of us here at the park right now, all working at the amphitheatre. So yeah, a bunch of us around, and our family's even bigger back home. You've probably met some of us in passing, there's..." He starts counting off on his fingers, "Callie, Bam, Wash and Reggie, Neve, Lora, and then me."

Ravin rolls his neck stretching a bit, then smiles over. "Okay, that does sound like a lot and yeah, I'm sure I've seen them around, just not been properly introduced in the bustle." He sips his tea and considers. "I'm not sure I could work with my family like that. Don't get me wrong, I love them. Just could see how working together would complicate things." Then he grins. "Okay, anything I should know about any of them so I don't put my foot in my mouth?"

Ari agrees with that first statement with a quick nod, because the odds are in Ravin's favor on that one. And then he seems to remember that his coffee cup isn't just a handwarmer, so he takes a drink from it. "We've been doing it all our lives, more or less, so I guess we've just adjusted," he says after.

The follow-up question prompts him to fall into a momentary silence as he considers it, his answer. "Um... not that I can think of. We're all pretty chill, and you seem nice, so I don't think there'd be any issues."

Ravin waves a hand airily. "I'm too tired to pull full diva at the moment. That takes energy. And more make-up than I was willing to put on this time of the morning."

"Well, we've been working in theatres most of our lives, so divas are not a new experience for us either," Ari is happy to point out, a grin crossing his face as he says so. He shuffles how he's sitting, one leg ending up tucked beneath him as he does, and then he reclines back against the next level of benches above him.

His expression turns serious. "I guess the same question back to you, is there anything you'd like me to know so I don't say anything offensive?"

Ravin snorts and lounges a little more. "I'm a black, bisexual, gender-fluid person working in theater. Honey, you'd have to work to be offensive to me. I've heard it all. Mostly, just don't be stupid about any of those things, but I don't get the impression you would be."

Ari's head ducks a little, but he's smiling in a small, private sort of way. "No. Um," he pauses to gesture at himself. "I'm--," but he seems to struggle with saying it out loud, so he just exhales a heavy breath and nods. "No, I won't be stupid about any of that stuff."

Ravin grins. "Well, good." He considers. "I promise I'll flirt with you when I'm more awake." pause. "If you'd like me to, that is. If it gets to much, just lightly bap me on the nose and I'll stop."

"Good," Ari echoes. And then the flirting talk happens, and he ducks his head, feeling his cheeks warm a little bit. He doesn't have much to say to that except an "Okay, will do," before he takes another sip of his rapidly-dwindling coffee. Which he frowns down at, on account of it being nearly all gone already. "What's the rule on how long we have to wait for people to show? Back in school if the professor was 15 minutes late, we got to bail."

Ravin grins more at the head duck and the blush, then laughs. "Sadly, the answer is stuck here until they show up, send someone to dismiss us, or we're out of working hours. The good news is we get paid."

It's not as if it's anything Ari wasn't expecting to hear, but he still puts on a pout about it. "Wow that sucks. Everything but the paid thing, I mean. I do like money." His other leg ends up tucked against his front just so he can lean his chin on his knee, and he squints up at the stage behind his glasses.

And then, probably coming somewhat out of left field, he asks: "Okay, my go-to ice breaker question: if you could time travel, where would you go?"

"Opening night of Folies. Sondheim's. Probably many other shows as well." Ravin answers far too quickly on that. "Or, really, see some of the lost Shakespeare plays, though I'd have to practice my Original Pronunciation to fit in and not have an impossible accent."

"Nice," Ari says, of Ravin's choice. "That's a new one for me, I haven't heard an answer like that before. Someone once said they'd go back to see the original Darth Vader plot twist live in theater, though." He points a finger back at himself. "I'd go into the future until we're Star Trekking it up. I wanna be on the crew of a starship. Discover new worlds and stuff. Boldly go exploring."

Ravin grins. "That would be fun, too. But I'm not sure most of my abilities would be useful there. IF they need singers of old songs or incorrigible flirts, then I'm all for the future. Or if I could invest money in some kind of a mutual fund now and be assured that I'd be solvent or they had universal basic income or something."

Ari grins right back, encouraged by Ravin's reaction. "I mean, I think - I hope - that we're always going to need singers. Creative types, artists, that kind of thing. I don't want to live in a future where we don't." He cups his chin in his palm at that thought, frowning as he considers it. "I mean, what's life without art?"

He takes the final sip of his coffee and then, sighing, sets the empty mug aside. Eventually he'll get himself a refill.

Ravin grins and sets down their tea to go back to stretching without getting up from their chair. "True. And I suppose there will always be people interested in things from the past. But I won't know any of their modern music. Though it would be interesting to see how styles had changed."

Another assistant comes by. "Apparently, we're cancelling the meeting for today. You're free to hang out or go as you wish. Sorry about that." And then they're off to make sure everyone else knows.

"That's true. Popular media has never really convinced me that we can actually predict what music and art and fashion will be like in the future. It always ends up dated, or just... like, EDM." Ari laughs at that, not much louder than his already quiet speaking voice.

When the new assistant walks over, he falls silent, and listens in on the update. To which he nods, and then looks over at Ravin. "Well, guess I get to grab that refill earlier than I expected," he says.

Ravin rubs his face. "I could have slept more." He yawns a little. "The question is, am I now awake enough that I should go with you and get a refill or should I go home, see what chaos my little pink creature has caused in my absence, and try to get a nap."

"I mean, given the option I'd always pick a nap," Ari offers, in case Ravin is up for taking suggestions. "But I'm happy to go get refills with you in the break room!" As he says that, he picks up his empty mug and stands, stretching an arm over his head until something pops or cracks and makes him sigh. "So you have one of those bunnies, huh?"

Ravin nods. "I do. I named him Point after the character from Yeomen of the Guard. They have a song to sing-o." He stands and stretches. "Haven't found their match, yet, but I'm sure I will. Do you have one?"

Ari gives a shake of his head no. "Just a cat that lives in the shop, most of the time," he says. Drumming his fingers against his mug, he finds all of the warmth he was previously stealing has now entirely dissipated, so that refill is sounding extra nice. "Oh that's right, I heard about the matching! Good luck on that. Sort of feels like an excuse for a meet-cute, huh?"

Ravin laughs. "Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. We'll have to see who has the one mine is paired with. But it could definitely be a meet cute." He yawns again. "Okay. I'm glad we got to chat and I look forward to seeing you around, but I think I am going to go try to get that nap."

"Sure, enjoy your nap!" Ari says, and he pauses before departing to wave. "I'm gonna go caffeinate some more. It was nice talking to you!" And then he's off, back into the tunnels to take him to the break room and blessed coffee.