Theoretically, walls and doors are supposed to keep the sound of what is going on inside relatively private. However, there was nothing in the multiverse that could keep the sound of Mataya De Luca squealing happily from being heard two floors down.
"That's wonderful! I'm so pleased for you!"
Inside her office, Carina was laughing as she was hugged to within an inch of her life by the vibrant theater owner. Her laughter only increased when she was put gently back in her seat and Mataya bestowed the same kind of hug on Arandir.
"You must be so excited!" Mataya was enthusing. "Goodness, so much to plan."
Aran was a little taken aback by the boss lady's very enthusiastic response to the news that he and Carina were going to be parents, but it didn't help him feel any better about the rest of the news they were about to share - about the real reason for their visit here today. It wasn't about taking a leave of absence; it was about offering his resignation as an actor. He didn't want her to think he was ungrateful for everything she'd done for him, but his situation had changed. As confident as he felt when he was with his own people, now that he was here in Mataya's office, all his practiced words disappeared from his mind, leaving him speechless.
As Mataya finally sat back down, Carina glanced at her husband, drawing in a deep breath. "Actually, Ms. De Luca, there are a few things we need to talk about," she said uncomfortably. "Obviously I can't continue in the Theater Company. I won't be able to dance safely - I barely made it through Rent, and I didn't have a large role. I, um ....I suppose you could say that I'm asking to be released from my contract. I am terribly sorry."
Mataya's face fell, but she wasn't an idiot. "For how long were you thinking?" she asked curiously. "Obviously you can't perform with the Theater Company, but you could transfer to the Rep for a while. Unless you're planning to be a stay at home mom, of course."
Aran exchanged glances with Carina, before turning back to Mataya, frowning at the obvious disappointment on her face. And that was just the start of it. He cleared his throat, determined to act like the prince he was and not a bashful, frightened child. "Actually, things have changed for both of us," he said, before going on to explain everything that had happened in the last few days and how those events had changed their lives completely.
To her credit, Mataya listened to everything he had to tell her without interruptions. Many people failed to notice that underneath the bubbly exterior was a business mind that had run a successful theater for six years with no previous experience; only those closest to her knew how fast that mind could travel at times. As Arandir fell silent, she glanced down at her desk, unsurprised to find that she'd been making notes. "All right," she said thoughtfully, drawing the words out as she put the next few sentences together in her head first. "Fifty people split into, what was it' Around twenty families ....Give me a couple of days, and you'll have all the building necessaries you'll need, as well as a few experts to get your village sorted in quick-quick time. Now, as to the theater ....I do understand your decision. I may not like it, but I understand it. However, I am bumping both of you down to Guest status only - we'll let you know with plenty of notice if we need you, and this way, you keep drawing a salary, which will help with any unexpected expenses for your village, town, whatever. And Carina, I need you to keep covering STARS until January."
Mouth open, it took a moment for Carina to respond. "Oh! Oh, yes, of course, Ms. De Luca."
Arandir's reaction wasn't quite so obvious as Carina's. At least, his mouth wasn't hanging open in shock. He wasn't too terribly surprised by Mataya's offer to help either, knowing how she had jumped at the chance to help him after he'd arrived in Rhy'Din, without a job, money, or a place to live. And yet, he hadn't expected quite so strong and quick a reaction from her, or that she'd insist on them remaining part of the theater, despite their concerns that they wouldn't have time for it anymore. But what struck him most was Mataya's eager, even enthusiastic, desire to help his people - people she didn't even know. "You would do that ....for us?" he asked, surprised and yet not so very surprised.
Mataya blinked, surprised by their surprise. "Well ....yes," she said, as though that should have been patently obvious. "I mean, obviously I can't personally supply the building stuff, but I know people. I got charm coming out of my ears, I can get you what you need. Since you're both still on my guest rota, you're keeping your apartment in town, too. You'll need somewhere to stay when you're performing. Last question ....Wizard of Oz is the next Theater show. Do you want to be on the roster for it, or step down quietly?"
Aran wasn't quite sure what to say, other than, "Thank you." He'd had his fair share of difficulty in Rhy'Din, but then he'd met a lot of people who, like Mataya, actually cared about the community and those involved with the theater. "Wizard ....of ....Oz?" Aran echoed, not quite sure what that was, though it was obviously a show on the theater's schedule. He turned a questioning look to Carina, unable to answer Mataya's question without knowing what she thought.
"It's a musical," Carina explained quickly. "A young girl gets whisked away from her home on Earth to a magical land where scarecrows, lions, and men made of tin walk and talk and need her help to defeat a wicked witch before she can go home." To her credit, Mataya's expression didn't even flicker as Carina explained this to her husband. Carina bit her lip, careful to keep her disappointment off her face and out of her voice as she spoke. "I think, for now, we should step back quietly," she said in a soft voice. "We have a lot to do, and winter is coming."
"Scarecrows?" he echoed, confused, but then he'd learned during his tenure with the theater that most of the plays were beyond his immediate understanding. Thankfully, Carina was always more than willing to explain them to him. Almost unconsciously, Aran reached for Carina's hand and slid his fingers through hers, not knowing it was almost like sending a message of solidarity to the woman seated across from them. "There is a lot to do," he echoed in agreement, and it wasn't just about building houses. His people had been hunted almost to extinction and traumatized. It was going to take more than building houses to rebuild their sense of safety and hope. "I'm sorry," he found himself saying, a frown on his face. "I am grateful for everything you have done for us. Words cannot express how grateful I am, but my people need me ....need us ....and I am afraid I must give them priority." Not only that but they were having a baby.
Mataya's pen scribbled over the page briefly before she looked up, leaning forward onto her desk with a gentle smile. "Aran, you have a beautiful voice," she told him. "So does your wife. And I'll miss hearing you. But you won't be gone for good, and you're right. Your people need you more than I do. But as far as I'm concerned, you are both guests on my roll call at least until the next round of auditions, and ....you get free tickets for life. So, don't worry about the theater. Don't worry about me, or the rest of the company. Worry about your people, get them settled in before the snows arrive. I need a day or two to contact people and make arrangements, but you will have what you need to build homes before the end of the week."
"That's wonderful! I'm so pleased for you!"
Inside her office, Carina was laughing as she was hugged to within an inch of her life by the vibrant theater owner. Her laughter only increased when she was put gently back in her seat and Mataya bestowed the same kind of hug on Arandir.
"You must be so excited!" Mataya was enthusing. "Goodness, so much to plan."
Aran was a little taken aback by the boss lady's very enthusiastic response to the news that he and Carina were going to be parents, but it didn't help him feel any better about the rest of the news they were about to share - about the real reason for their visit here today. It wasn't about taking a leave of absence; it was about offering his resignation as an actor. He didn't want her to think he was ungrateful for everything she'd done for him, but his situation had changed. As confident as he felt when he was with his own people, now that he was here in Mataya's office, all his practiced words disappeared from his mind, leaving him speechless.
As Mataya finally sat back down, Carina glanced at her husband, drawing in a deep breath. "Actually, Ms. De Luca, there are a few things we need to talk about," she said uncomfortably. "Obviously I can't continue in the Theater Company. I won't be able to dance safely - I barely made it through Rent, and I didn't have a large role. I, um ....I suppose you could say that I'm asking to be released from my contract. I am terribly sorry."
Mataya's face fell, but she wasn't an idiot. "For how long were you thinking?" she asked curiously. "Obviously you can't perform with the Theater Company, but you could transfer to the Rep for a while. Unless you're planning to be a stay at home mom, of course."
Aran exchanged glances with Carina, before turning back to Mataya, frowning at the obvious disappointment on her face. And that was just the start of it. He cleared his throat, determined to act like the prince he was and not a bashful, frightened child. "Actually, things have changed for both of us," he said, before going on to explain everything that had happened in the last few days and how those events had changed their lives completely.
To her credit, Mataya listened to everything he had to tell her without interruptions. Many people failed to notice that underneath the bubbly exterior was a business mind that had run a successful theater for six years with no previous experience; only those closest to her knew how fast that mind could travel at times. As Arandir fell silent, she glanced down at her desk, unsurprised to find that she'd been making notes. "All right," she said thoughtfully, drawing the words out as she put the next few sentences together in her head first. "Fifty people split into, what was it' Around twenty families ....Give me a couple of days, and you'll have all the building necessaries you'll need, as well as a few experts to get your village sorted in quick-quick time. Now, as to the theater ....I do understand your decision. I may not like it, but I understand it. However, I am bumping both of you down to Guest status only - we'll let you know with plenty of notice if we need you, and this way, you keep drawing a salary, which will help with any unexpected expenses for your village, town, whatever. And Carina, I need you to keep covering STARS until January."
Mouth open, it took a moment for Carina to respond. "Oh! Oh, yes, of course, Ms. De Luca."
Arandir's reaction wasn't quite so obvious as Carina's. At least, his mouth wasn't hanging open in shock. He wasn't too terribly surprised by Mataya's offer to help either, knowing how she had jumped at the chance to help him after he'd arrived in Rhy'Din, without a job, money, or a place to live. And yet, he hadn't expected quite so strong and quick a reaction from her, or that she'd insist on them remaining part of the theater, despite their concerns that they wouldn't have time for it anymore. But what struck him most was Mataya's eager, even enthusiastic, desire to help his people - people she didn't even know. "You would do that ....for us?" he asked, surprised and yet not so very surprised.
Mataya blinked, surprised by their surprise. "Well ....yes," she said, as though that should have been patently obvious. "I mean, obviously I can't personally supply the building stuff, but I know people. I got charm coming out of my ears, I can get you what you need. Since you're both still on my guest rota, you're keeping your apartment in town, too. You'll need somewhere to stay when you're performing. Last question ....Wizard of Oz is the next Theater show. Do you want to be on the roster for it, or step down quietly?"
Aran wasn't quite sure what to say, other than, "Thank you." He'd had his fair share of difficulty in Rhy'Din, but then he'd met a lot of people who, like Mataya, actually cared about the community and those involved with the theater. "Wizard ....of ....Oz?" Aran echoed, not quite sure what that was, though it was obviously a show on the theater's schedule. He turned a questioning look to Carina, unable to answer Mataya's question without knowing what she thought.
"It's a musical," Carina explained quickly. "A young girl gets whisked away from her home on Earth to a magical land where scarecrows, lions, and men made of tin walk and talk and need her help to defeat a wicked witch before she can go home." To her credit, Mataya's expression didn't even flicker as Carina explained this to her husband. Carina bit her lip, careful to keep her disappointment off her face and out of her voice as she spoke. "I think, for now, we should step back quietly," she said in a soft voice. "We have a lot to do, and winter is coming."
"Scarecrows?" he echoed, confused, but then he'd learned during his tenure with the theater that most of the plays were beyond his immediate understanding. Thankfully, Carina was always more than willing to explain them to him. Almost unconsciously, Aran reached for Carina's hand and slid his fingers through hers, not knowing it was almost like sending a message of solidarity to the woman seated across from them. "There is a lot to do," he echoed in agreement, and it wasn't just about building houses. His people had been hunted almost to extinction and traumatized. It was going to take more than building houses to rebuild their sense of safety and hope. "I'm sorry," he found himself saying, a frown on his face. "I am grateful for everything you have done for us. Words cannot express how grateful I am, but my people need me ....need us ....and I am afraid I must give them priority." Not only that but they were having a baby.
Mataya's pen scribbled over the page briefly before she looked up, leaning forward onto her desk with a gentle smile. "Aran, you have a beautiful voice," she told him. "So does your wife. And I'll miss hearing you. But you won't be gone for good, and you're right. Your people need you more than I do. But as far as I'm concerned, you are both guests on my roll call at least until the next round of auditions, and ....you get free tickets for life. So, don't worry about the theater. Don't worry about me, or the rest of the company. Worry about your people, get them settled in before the snows arrive. I need a day or two to contact people and make arrangements, but you will have what you need to build homes before the end of the week."