After the initial shock of us finding out Nelly and the rest of the actors were actually given a script completely in Simpletonese, it seems everyone's nerves soon calmed down once we saw their actual acting. Now as I said before, I'm not at all well-versed in the language, but just comparing her pronunciation with the rest of the actors, it seems she's blending it quite well with the crew.
"Je veux voler, mon prince!" Nelly shouted, her exaggerated gestures swaying the hearts of everyone in the crowd.
"It's like it's not even Nelly up there anymore..." I couldn't help but smirk at the situation.
"Yeah, you guys praised that girl even before, but I didn't actually think she was this talented." Othelia nodded, "Though it's wasted on someone like us, who can't understand a word she's saying."
"Right now, she's still naively singing along with the dove prince about her dreams of the future." Lemmy shushed us and translated, "Though she sounds amazing for our foreign ears, her actual accent is really noticeable when she gets put on a stage in front of everyone. Just look at the crowd's reaction whenever her lines come up."
Deciding to do just that, I was appalled to see one, two, ten or even more faces crack a mocking grin as they stifled their jeers in secret. As if every single moment her turn comes on, the same couple of people can't help but make fun of her. Dammit, you cowards think you could do any better, huh!? I didn't see you raise your stubby hands when they were looking for a replacement!
"How rude." Eleanor too got pretty annoyed at them, but soon shrugged as she turned back towards the stage, "But check it. Our Nelly doesn't even pay such imbeciles a second of her attention."
Right, just one glance at her Eyes reveals she isn't at all looking at the ones that are mocking her. Instead, she's glimmering brightly under the spotlight, her pure White smile reflecting only to us, who can only see the best in her performance. Of course, there was never any reason to doubt her. Nelly's dealt with such idiots ever since she came here, and probably way before during her time spent traveling with Cecily and Grim. She knows they're not worth fussing over, so she's just happily doing the best she can in delivering her lines as clearly as possible. It's true, her dialogue appears a bit louder and stiffer than the rest, but that may very well be purposeful. Rosette, the girl she's playing, wishes to soar the skies and one day travel the world with her beloved. A girl, or anyone for that matter, can never even hope to attain such a lofty goal without being a little bit crazy. In fact, it's at these moments where her smile most resembles her father's...
"Ah, for a second I forgot Grim was alive." I actually shed a tear there before everyone shushed me.
"Pourquoi, mon prince!? Notre amour est-il trop lourd pour que tes ailes puissent le porter?"
"Rosette, le temps que nous avons passé ensemble a été court, mais fructueux." The tiny prop of the dove prince hanging from a thread jumped a couple times in place as his voice actor spoke for it, "Je ne peux pas exaucer votre souhait. Au revoir, Rosette."
"Prince? Mon prince!" She ran towards him a few steps before stepping on her dress and faceplanting in the middle of the stage.
Gasping, the crowd was left speechless. "Was this part of the script? Poor girl, did she trip? Man, she's just faking it for the attention!" were only some of the many comments whispered in that very moment among the people. Still, that fall looked like it hurt real bad, and she even had trouble getting up after it to reveal a teary Eyed expression of embarrassment and regret. No, this wasn't what I... I-I only wanted...!
"Prince!" She yelled in the strongest, most desperate voice she could, "Aller! Volez seul, volez sans moi!"
"Eh?" Even the other actors looked surprised, "P-Pardon, Rosette?"
"Vous m'avez entendu, allez aussi loin que vous le pouvez!" She seemed to have gone completely off script as she made everyone dance to her tune, "Mais quand je reviendrai vous voir, dans un an ou même dans dix ans, promettez-moi! Promets-moi que tu me prendras la main, alors et seulement alors!"
"Fillette..." The other actors were touched, "Non, Rosette! Mon chère Rosette, je t'attends!"
"Moi aussi, je t'attendrai." The prince's knight nodded solemnly.
"Oui! Vive Rosette, notre future princesse!" The girl's clad in commoner clothes all cheered.
"Votre princesse... Non, ton princesse!" She pointed to the bird and announced, "Et sur ce, adieu!"
Not but a second after her grand speech, large and colorful fireworks erupted from behind the stage in a grandiose display as the curtains plummeted to the floor, as if weighted by incredibly heavy stones. The crowd roared, which only then led us into looking around us and realizing it had grown immensely in just this short period of time while we were watching. What started off as just about 20-30 attendees had now grown to the point where no empty seats were left, and even then the majority of the people just looked on, standing and in awe of this once-in-a-lifetime performance.
"Nel..." Lemmy still looked on at the stage, his mouth agape and his Eyes glimmering with happiness, "You were... perfect."
"What's this? Do I hear someone willing to admit he was wrong?" Othelia mocked him, "Remember this, kiddo! When Ed makes a suggestion, it's bound to end up a roaring success, so you best have some more faith in him and his dear niece!"
That's right! And don't ever forget it, shithead! She shone on that stage because of MY encouraging words, not your lame ass half-hearted worries!
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"I guess I do owe you two some kind of apology." Lemmy clicked his tongue, "Though in my defense, I couldn't have known she'd be this good at improv acting."
"Yeah, props to everyone for playing along." I added, "You said the story deviated from the original, but I don't exactly know in what way. It ended well, though, and that's all that matters in the end."
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
"While that may be true, I still didn't expect the ending to be as incredible as it was." Eleanor wiped a few tears away, "I could barely make out what was happening just from their raw emotions and actions, but I don't think anyone could expect the drama club to pull out all the stops with such large fireworks."
"That's cause they didn't." Issei spooked us from behind as Meil stood nearby, "Seriously, those idiots couldn't light a match on their own."
"Issei, what are you...!?" I gasped, "Wait, you guys were here the whole time?"
"Then, those fireworks weren't part of the play either?" Eleanor tilted her head.
"Indeed." Meil smiled and pointed to behind the stage, "If you wish to know who made such a spectacle unfold at the end, then it is none other than the chipper and proud father who is currently getting hugged by the teary Eyed princess."
Glancing back, we all couldn't help but laugh at the joyful sight. It appears everyone's favorite Grim had also heard Nelly's voice echoing in the crowd of watchers, and thus hastily concocting a mischievous plan to boost her performance with a few well-timed Materialized fireworks, he succeeded in attaining just a few more brownie points in her Eyes.
"Hm? Wait, what's happening?" I noticed an angry Kevin angrily approaching them before forcefully shoving Grim away from Nelly, "O-Oi!"
"What's that musclehead doing now?" Lemmy ran to help resolve the issue.
"Get away from her, dipass!" Kevin threw all sorts of insults at Grim, "I made a promise to Meil to protect her at all costs, so unless you want a nasty right hook coming your way, you better run off back from where you came!"
"Kevin, calm down!" Kiria tried to intervene.
"Hell no! This piece of shit just started feeling up our Nelly!"
"Kevin, you don't understand!" Nelly too ran in front of her dad to protect him, "He's my...!"
"Nelly, back off." Kevin gently moved her aside before slamming Grim right in between the Eyes.
"Oh, shit!" Lemmy couldn't help but yell, "You fucking maniac! That's her dad!"
"...Her what?" Kevin finally cooled off before slowly creaking his head back to face the guy he just brutally punched in the face, "Oof, huh? No, but wait, her dad's... Eh?"
"Mnf... Ack." Grim got up to crack his neck, "Right. I appreciate everyone's serious attitude in protecting my daughter, but you really ought to learn to keep all that mass in check, guy. Geez..."
"Papa, you...?" Nelly shivered once she heard all those scary sounding cracks and snaps, "You alright?"
"Heal, Heal..." He muttered, "Yep, ow. It'll pass by tomorrow, but... Crap, as I thought, the pain is gonna be, well, a pain to deal with."
"Ba dum tss." I added, "Well, I guess it'd make sense for Kev here to not recognize you, Grim. I'm sure Nelly told these guys you died, so..."
"Edward! Crap, and Meil!" Kevin hid behind Grim in a pitiable display, "S-Sorry for hitting this guy! I didn't know he was Nelly's acquaintance!"
"Nelly's what?" Grim glared at him.
"N-Nelly's father!"
"Nelly's what?!"
"P-Papa..." Kevin looked like he was about ready to cry.
"What the heck is going on..." Kiria sighed, "But wait, that's right! Nelly told us you were dead, monsieur!"
"I got into a fight with the Gods up above and they got sick of me, so here I am back here again." Grim joked, "Hey, somehow that sounds like the most plausible explanation yet."
"None of this is making any sense. Meil, do you know anything?" Kevin glanced at him.
"No one knows, and perhaps they never will." Meil smiled, "But I saw him die in front of me with my own two Eyes. Right now, I just wish to relish in the time I have with him again."
"You make it sound like I'll just poof away tomorrow morning, goddammit." Grim chuckled, "But never mind me. There's a certain star I'd like to treat to some really good cakes, and while we're at it, why don't we invite her friends there too?"
"You mean us? Oh, we wouldn't dare interrupt you guys." Kiria then pinched both Lemmy and Kevin, "Right boys?"
"Cake... Ack, y-yes ma'am!"
"Cake with Nel... O-Ow, okay, fine!"
"What's up with those begrudging faces!? You didn't believe in her when she needed the confirmation, and you punched her dad!" She yelled.
"Her what?"
"Ugh, papa! Whatever!" She got mad at Grim for that as well, "Point is, it'd be rude to intrude!"
"In my Eyes, it's even more rude to decline." Grim had her at checkmate, "Come on, I wanna hear more about Nelly's time in University, and for that I'm gonna need to employ the help of her closest friends."
Returning him an empty stare, they then turned to me as if I somehow had more authority in this scenario. Of course, I gave them the go ahead, since if Grim agrees, I really don't have a say in the matter.
"Then, it's decided!" Grim clapped his hands before pointing, "Meil! Take us to the most expensive cake shop you know of!"
"Hooray!"
As the happy-go-lucky group marched on towards the aforementioned location, only Nelly and I couldn't help but stand back and just take in the situation with a heavy sigh. I turned to her, who was still wearing that princess get-up mind you, and asked:
"So... How was it, your first acting gig?"
"Honestly, it was really fun." She smiled before turning it into a frown, "But everything went to shit after the curtains fell. Papa especially, he..."
"Oh, so you're not mad at me, phew! Geez, I was worried that you might be angry about me making you do this, but I'm glad that's not the case, seriously!"
"Uncle..." She giggled, "It was fun, alright? I got to act out my favorite childhood fairy tale as the main heroine, I practiced my Simpletonese, and somehow convinced everyone that I was good enough to deserve a loud campus wide applause. Though, I guess papa's responsible for that one."
"That's... No, it was your words that made the moment epic to begin with."
"Cheh, like hell!" She smirked before walking off to the rest of the group, "You can't even spit in Simpletonese, uncle, who're you trying to fool?"
"Heh, maybe so, Nelly." I couldn't help but chuckle, "Maybe so."