Being the servant of man like David Xanatos was hardly ever boring. Except for nights like this one, nights where Xanatos had to show his face in public to the people he donated his money to. On this night Owen Burnet accompanied his boss to a local theater to watch a rendition of William Shakespeare's famous play A Midsummer Night's Dream. Owen did enjoy this play; he had seen it many times in his life. But he loathed the thought of mediocre actors portraying the characters in a poor fashion. Why Puck had seen the works of Shakespeare when they had been in their prime. When Shakespeare himself performed in them from time to time, those had been the days, Puck thought.
Mr. Xanatos was of course was greeted by both the director and producer of the production. The two men were led to the best seats in the theater. Mr. Blake, the producer stuck around to chat with Mr. Xanatos while the director, Mrs. Riordan took off to converse with the crew, who could be heard clunking around backstage. The theater was not exactly clean, it was average, and it was very old as well. One could almost catch a whiff of cigarette smoke from the late 60's when it had been built. Of course things had been added on here and there. Mr. Xanatos donated money to keep the theater from being condemned and also paid for a brand new light and sound system.
Owen spaced slightly as Mr. Blake explained the brand new system set up on the tech. board. His eye wandered about the theater, taking in the designs, everything. The doors backstage opened, letting in some light from what could only be the dressing rooms. A young woman ran out on stage, half in street clothes, and the rest in costume. She ran around the stage for about 5 minutes until she found what she was looking for. Snatching it up into her hand, she was about to run backstage. The director took notice of her. "Alva! Why are you out here? Shouldn't you be getting dressed?"
The woman turned and waved what looked like an ear cap around "Missing ear cap!"
The director seemed puzzled. "But your ears are already pointed, you don't need them!"
Alva shrugged and replied. "It's Nina's it came off during the last scene with her and Jake."
Mrs. Riordan nodded, and let the woman leave. Owen studied this Alva person; noticing the tattoos that ran down her arms, most of the body art consisted of the usual flora and fauna. Her hair fell to the middle of her back and was an inky black. In the light is looked like an oil spill, changing color in the stage lights, making it look inhuman and surreal. She was tall, but not overly tall. Just average, her skin was fair, slightly washed out by the stage lights. As if sensing his stare, the woman paused just before she disappeared through the curtains. Owen continued to stare; her eyes were almost liquid gold. He could have sworn he had seen those eyes before; the temperament seemed so strangely familiar. He couldn't put his finger on it.
Alva studied him, cocking her head to the side. A small smile brightened her features, and with a lazy salute to Owen, she ran back to the confines of the dressing rooms. Owen blinked and allowed his mind to fall back into listening to the producer ramble on about what Xanatos' money had brought the theater.
About 20 minutes later, the doors opened, and a large audience poured into the theater, people in red vests showed some of the people to their seats, directing the human traffic and what not. After 5 minutes of white noise and endless chattering, the house lights went out. And the stage lights went up. The play opened well. The actors were good, believable and seemed to understand fully what the lines they spoke meant. Owen listened, allowing the poetic rhythm of Shakespeare transport him, his eyes fell shut and he felt relaxed. But they opened when he could hear the cue coming for Act 2 Scene 1. Puck's first scene, he was eager to see who would portray him. The stage lights came down as Act 2 began.
Suddenly they focused in the middle aisle. Two people came running down the aisle. One a fairy and the other Owen could only assume was the portrayal of himself. He stared as they moved about the theater. Laughing and playing like the fey folk were thought to. The fairy ran for the stage and sat down, blushing and flirtatious. Puck came running at her, Owen's eyes widened as he took in a familiar tattoo pattern on the arms of the actor. His mouth opened. He, Puck was being portrayed by a woman! Well that was one way to burst someone bubble.
The actress laughed and pulled a flip over the fairy. Giving her peck on the nose, landing with grace on the stage she turned and adopted a self centered attitude. "How now spirit? Whither wander you?"
Her voice had deepened, powerful. But it had an undertone that the real trickster instantly grew fond of. The Fairy stood and walked over acting dismissive, as if she were talking of the weather. The two bantered back and forth, gossiping. Owen was enchanted by the young actress. She was amazing; throughout her entire role she showed her skills in both her acting and her movement. She was performing back flips. Every single move looked like it was dancing to a beat that she could only hear. With every laugh that passed her lips, her golden eyes sparkled.
All too soon the performance had reached its end. Alva remained on stage and Oberon and Titania left. Chuckling she looked at the audience. With a commanding voice she took over the stage and delivered the final speech. "If these shadows have offended, think but this, and all is mended, that you have but slumber'd here while these visions did appear. And this weak and idle theme, no more yielding but a dream."
She took a seat on the stage, crossing her legs. "Gentles do not reprehend: For I am an honest Puck. And if we have unearned luck, now to ' scape the serpent's tongue, we will make amends ere long. Else the Puck a liar call."
Alva stood and bowed to the audience "So good night unto you all. Give me your hands, if we be friends. And Robin shall restore amends."
The actress pulled something from her pockets; it looked like dark green dust. She threw it onto the ground, and in a cloud of ivy leave, Alva vanished from the stage. The audience roared with applause. Owen could only stare; there was something very non human about that little magic trick at the end. There was something very, very familiar about that Alva woman, something too familiar.