?Subpixel Interactive.? A pause, a beat. ?They are an indie video game company coming to watch a rehearsal. For research.?
?Research.? Katarina repeated, blinking a few times. ?A vid?a game ?bout ballerinas.?
Auden game an apologetic smile and shrugged slightly, ?That?s what I know. They are a local small business coming to watch and record a rehearsal for a game. I would like you to keep them company. Be our public relations, if you will.? Katarina followed him in the rows of seats of the theatre to the small setup that included desks over chairs to create flat surfaces. ?They are allowed to record without publishing the material, naturally.? When the look she offered him was pleading, he chuckled, ?Just be yourself. They?ll be gone before you know it.?
She grumbled as he left. An aging prima ballerina bumped to being a talking head for other people. Putting the sour feelings aside, she was able to greet the small group of observers with a smile when they arrived. There were seven of them in total. There were two recording devices, and several brought sketch pads and materials. One man seemed to be directing the cameras and where he wanted them. She waited around patiently as they set themselves up before the rehearsal started.
?Well, that seems to take care of things.? The man charge finally declared with an easy smile. He was tall and thin, and appeared to be a few years Katarina?s senior, with silver hair flecking his temples against dark hair. He held out his hand to her in introduction, ?I?m Damien Sharpe, the developer.?
His title meant little to her, but she smiled brightly and shook his hand, ?Katarina Smith, ?m a principal dancer wit? the ballet troupe here.?
?Yes, I recognize you.? She flushed a little at the comment, before further explaining, ?This game has been in development for quite some time. Naturally I have done some research.?
?Righ?.? They set down just in time for the troupe to come onto stage and begin their warmups. It was unusual for the troupe to have a simple rehearsal on stage, but the visitors dictated the change. ?I?m nah real familiar wit? vid?a games, so ?m sorry if ?m nah tha? much help.?
The corner of his mouth quirked up in amusement at her pronunciation, but said nothing of it. ?The game is an episodic graphic adventure game where character choices can impact the story and the ending.? A pause, ?Think of it like a graphic, choose-your-own-adventure book.?
?Oh. Tha?s?. differen?, righ??? She chuckled a little, from nerves and ignorance, ?Sorry. I didn? grow up wit? vid?a games and cer?ainly don? hav? time fer ?em wit? this career.?
?So, how long have you been dancing??
She almost laughed, then stopped as she painfully counted the years back. Damn, she was old, ? ?bout my whole life now. Nothin? ta sneeze at, all thin?s considerin?.? Katarina looked back to the stage, shrugged to herself, then looked back at the gentleman, ?It?s a lifestyle, righ?? It?s dictated everythin? ?ve eva done ?n mah life. There was only one move ?ve done that I didn? know ?bout mah dancin? career. A move fer my family.? A sting in her eye as she thought about Johnny, and then continued, ?An? tha? was movin? here, so I guess that it really worked ou? fer me. Mos? cases, ya live where ya study, an? then ya dun move until ya go? a job there ?er elsewhere. Takes a long time ta move yer way up ?n a company, mos? o? th? time.?
As she talked, Damien was jotting down notes here and there, making agreeable ?mhmm? sounds. ?And nutrition? What is that like??
As some of the artists continued to spend their time videoing the rehearsal or drawing their own sketches, Katarina described the daily lifestyle of a ballet dancer, or dancers in general. From how they study to what they eat, she tried to encapsulate everything about her life shaped by her career choice.
?Well Ms. Smith, thank you so much for letting me pick your brain while we have been here.? As they stood, Damien produced a business card between his fingers. ?Here is my card if you have any questions, or if we contact you again and we?re the last things on your mind.? His smile was friendly and casual, ?We didn?t even get to touch on that accent of yours. Do take care.?
?Nice ta meet?cha.? Katarina glanced down at the colorful business card in her hand after the group had left. She flipped it front to back a few times, pondering this medium of media that eluded her. At least today she felt useful.
?Research.? Katarina repeated, blinking a few times. ?A vid?a game ?bout ballerinas.?
Auden game an apologetic smile and shrugged slightly, ?That?s what I know. They are a local small business coming to watch and record a rehearsal for a game. I would like you to keep them company. Be our public relations, if you will.? Katarina followed him in the rows of seats of the theatre to the small setup that included desks over chairs to create flat surfaces. ?They are allowed to record without publishing the material, naturally.? When the look she offered him was pleading, he chuckled, ?Just be yourself. They?ll be gone before you know it.?
She grumbled as he left. An aging prima ballerina bumped to being a talking head for other people. Putting the sour feelings aside, she was able to greet the small group of observers with a smile when they arrived. There were seven of them in total. There were two recording devices, and several brought sketch pads and materials. One man seemed to be directing the cameras and where he wanted them. She waited around patiently as they set themselves up before the rehearsal started.
?Well, that seems to take care of things.? The man charge finally declared with an easy smile. He was tall and thin, and appeared to be a few years Katarina?s senior, with silver hair flecking his temples against dark hair. He held out his hand to her in introduction, ?I?m Damien Sharpe, the developer.?
His title meant little to her, but she smiled brightly and shook his hand, ?Katarina Smith, ?m a principal dancer wit? the ballet troupe here.?
?Yes, I recognize you.? She flushed a little at the comment, before further explaining, ?This game has been in development for quite some time. Naturally I have done some research.?
?Righ?.? They set down just in time for the troupe to come onto stage and begin their warmups. It was unusual for the troupe to have a simple rehearsal on stage, but the visitors dictated the change. ?I?m nah real familiar wit? vid?a games, so ?m sorry if ?m nah tha? much help.?
The corner of his mouth quirked up in amusement at her pronunciation, but said nothing of it. ?The game is an episodic graphic adventure game where character choices can impact the story and the ending.? A pause, ?Think of it like a graphic, choose-your-own-adventure book.?
?Oh. Tha?s?. differen?, righ??? She chuckled a little, from nerves and ignorance, ?Sorry. I didn? grow up wit? vid?a games and cer?ainly don? hav? time fer ?em wit? this career.?
?So, how long have you been dancing??
She almost laughed, then stopped as she painfully counted the years back. Damn, she was old, ? ?bout my whole life now. Nothin? ta sneeze at, all thin?s considerin?.? Katarina looked back to the stage, shrugged to herself, then looked back at the gentleman, ?It?s a lifestyle, righ?? It?s dictated everythin? ?ve eva done ?n mah life. There was only one move ?ve done that I didn? know ?bout mah dancin? career. A move fer my family.? A sting in her eye as she thought about Johnny, and then continued, ?An? tha? was movin? here, so I guess that it really worked ou? fer me. Mos? cases, ya live where ya study, an? then ya dun move until ya go? a job there ?er elsewhere. Takes a long time ta move yer way up ?n a company, mos? o? th? time.?
As she talked, Damien was jotting down notes here and there, making agreeable ?mhmm? sounds. ?And nutrition? What is that like??
As some of the artists continued to spend their time videoing the rehearsal or drawing their own sketches, Katarina described the daily lifestyle of a ballet dancer, or dancers in general. From how they study to what they eat, she tried to encapsulate everything about her life shaped by her career choice.
?Well Ms. Smith, thank you so much for letting me pick your brain while we have been here.? As they stood, Damien produced a business card between his fingers. ?Here is my card if you have any questions, or if we contact you again and we?re the last things on your mind.? His smile was friendly and casual, ?We didn?t even get to touch on that accent of yours. Do take care.?
?Nice ta meet?cha.? Katarina glanced down at the colorful business card in her hand after the group had left. She flipped it front to back a few times, pondering this medium of media that eluded her. At least today she felt useful.