The Hermitcraft Plays

16: Further Rehearsals

Joe arrived before everyone else early the next morning. It didn't take long for them to reconstruct the stage, and went on to start designing sets for what did turn out to be 8 different settings, and then finding 11 props. By the time other people started to arrive, the stage looked almost professional.

'Ren! Hey!' Joe called as the protagonist arrived, looking around the mass of wool backgrounds, tired and confused. 'I'm just getting everything ready for Mumbo.'

'Mumbo?'

'He's agreed to make set and lighting with redstone...'

'Sweet! You know, this play really is very clever and fun. You've done a really good job with this, dude.'

'Thanks!'

'Hey Grian! Hey Scar!'

'Well hello there, Ren! What's going on here?' Scar landed just behind Grian, starting to look through the mess of set pieces.

'Set design.' Not long after Cub appeared too, equally curious, and after that the rest of the hermits until they were all gathered. 

'Mumbo, can you work out that system for the set to change while we go through the scenes?'

'I certainly can... how big does this need to be?'

'Uhhh... 15 across and 10 up. Can you make something that big?'

'I'll try... if you're going to be performing on the stage I can't... really work on the system?' 

'Good point... let's go over here then. We'll be working on scene 4 and 5... the dream scene and the first Christmas Vex scene... because last time we went through this Grian was director.'

'I mean, I didn't do too bad a job...'

'Yeah, but we need to be better than that... There, this point will be good enough. We can build up a quick stage...' Joe built up the sides and back of the stage, with a layer of wood for the main area. 'Now, Ren, Pearl, you're onstage... can either of you do it off-script, or not?'

'It's the dream one... yeah, I don't have much in this scene.' 

'Great! Now, begin.'

'I can't believe we've done this.' Pearlie started. 'The other villagers will be worried about us.'

'We'll be fine. I'm sure these Christmas Vexes are all bark and no bite.'

'That one managed to stop you very easily, Rendolf. And according to the rumours, the other one is worse.'

'The rumours are probably incorrect.' Rendolf lay down further. Pearlie joined him. 'Look, we'll sleep for a bit now and continue on in the morning... according to the map we've still got a long way to go.'

'Fine. But don't blame me when this goes wrong.' But Rendolf was already 'asleep', and Pearlie joined him, lying down.

'Blackout, and then we hear Grian and Etho backstage.'

'Is anyone here?' Grian called

'Tree?' Came the reply.

'Hello?'

'Tree! Friend! Hello!'

'Who are you?'

'Christmas Tree-tho!'

'I'm the Christmas God. I was trying to deliver presents but I fell unconscious and I woke up here.'

'Sounds!' Etho exclaimed suddenly.

'What?'

'Other sounds!' 

'Greetings, prisoners.' began, 'How are you enjoying your prison cell?'

'I'm Treetho!' Etho replied

'You will spend the rest of your life in here until you die, or give us the secret to Christmas and becoming gods!'

'Oh no.' Grian replied. 'This is not good.'

'Have you made up your mind, Christmas God?' 

'Scar!' Came Cub's line from even further offstage.

'I will give you time to decide... but then we will see... goodbye!' 

'Lights back on! Ren, Pearl, finish the scene.'

'Pearlie, we need to go now!' Rendolf whispered.

'What?'

'I just had a dream about that nasty Christmas Vex... he's got the Christmas God in a prison cell and is keeping him there!'

'What?!'

'Let's go! Now!' Ren scrambled to his feet, and ran offstage, followed by Pearl.

'And continue on to the next scene! Cub, Scar, Bdubs, you're up.' It didn't take long to switch the characters over, and they continued on.

'How are the prisoners doing?' Cub started, back to the audience.

'Oh... they're doing just great, Cub. Soon we'll have more power than anyone can imagine and we'll destroy Christmas and all things related!'

'OH MY GOODNESS THAT WORKED?!' Came a very loud yell from Mumbo as he apparently redstoned correctly. 'YES!'

'WELL DONE MUMBO!' Grian bellowed back. 

'THANKS!' 

A pause. 

'Continue the scene?' 

'Very good... you have done extremely well, my friend.' He turned around to face Scar with a very evil smile, and the over vex gave a little villain laugh back.

'Our... devious plans have succeeded, and we will be victorious!'

'Exactly...'

'My noble and powerful masters, the prisoners are asking for food... should I give the squabs food?' Bdubs entered and asked

'Let them starve.' Replied Cub with a dismissive wave. 'Tell them that they can only have food if they tell us the secrets to controlling Christmas, so we can control it forever more!'

'Yes!' Scar grinned back. 'We will control Christmas! From now on we will be the true Christmas Gods! And if anyone thinks they can... oh no, big words... get past our... walls...  they they are wrong!' Scar finished confidently. 

'Hmmm... walls... that well known long word...'

'I skipped all the words I didn't know.' 

'Penetrate our unsurpassable fortifications!'

'What?'

'That's what it says.' Grian continued failing to explain.

'Grian! You're not director!'

'But Scar's... failing at English again!' 

'I am not failing at English, I'll have you know!' 

'Then say your line!'

'If anyone thinks they can pentriate our unsurperassable fortifications they're wrong!' 

'Exactly!' Bdubs continued.  'Your supreme majesties have been very clever with your evil plans!'

'The power of the Christmas Vexes remains unrivalled by the peasants of the village.' Cub laughed. 'Come, Scar, let's enjoy some cake and watch the chaos unfold...'

'Ah, cake.' Scar continued, remembering his secret from the day before. 'I love cake... mmm, my favourite...' 

And they went offstage. 

'Well done... the scenes are getting better. Now, we're going to continue through with the script over the next few days some more, but to properly do it, we all need to be offscript by Sunday. We don't have too long until we're going to be performing, and we need to make the most of all of it... also start figuring out costumes. I think Stress wanted to assist with that... would anyone else be able to help?'

'I've got a lot of different outfits I can bring out.' Scar replied

'As do I.' 

'Great! Grian, Scar, Stress, if you can all get together and discuss any ideas you have over the next few days... for now, get to work learning lines.'