"And now we're taking a fifteen-minute break!"
The audience all let out a disappointed sigh, they hadn't even realised that they were holding their breaths, that's how captivating the play had been.
"Man, your father is so scary when he glares like that!" Peter's friend whispered to him. "I'm so glad I've never had to be scolded by him!"
Peter Kirkland grinned. "Y'know, pappa's not half as scary as Tino gets when he's real mad. Him you'd wanna stay clear of!"
The friend didn't look terribly convinced, but the man announcing the break started talking again, and their classmates hushed the two friends.
"Snacks and beverages are served in the bar outside, and the children's troupe are performing a small extra-story about how Berwald and Matthew fought the German siblings. We're also holding a tombola with some rather interesting prices, the tickets are being sold next to the bar..."
"Ah, that Latvian guy is in the children's troupe, right?"
Peter's ears went red. He hoped no one noticed. It should be too dark in the hall to see. "Yeah, Raivis, that's right."
"Let's go see him perform, then!"
Peter nodded. That wouldn't seem weird, since everyone else was going, right? He found himself be ushered in the direction of the exit, pushed by all his classmates and the other visitors.
When they got outside the sunlight almost blinded them. It was early autumn; only a few trees were sporting brightly red-coloured leaves, most were still a tired kind of green.
Several of the actors were standing by the bar; they had the privilege to be served first. They were all laughing and talking, even Peter's pappa was smiling.
"Well, he looks a lot nicer when he smiles," the classmate said, obviously relieved that it wasn't the fictional character standing there, but a normal, smiling man.
The actor for Eduard said something, and the 'duke' and the 'servant' went off a bit to the side to discuss.
At the same time, 'Tiina' came around the corner with 'Ivan'.
Another classmate spoke up. "Who is she anyway? She's really pretty..."
Peter snorted, and his friend started laughing.
"What? She is-"
'She' pulled off a wig, and when 'she' spoke her voice was lower than the fictional character's had been. The other classmate turned incredibly red and started sputtering something incomprehensible.
"...seriously, though," Tino said to Ivan's actor, "I think it would have been much nicer if the children could've performed on stage."
"Da," the actor said, proving to be just as Russian as his character (Peter idly wondered if the actors had been chosen based on their nationality), "But there just isn't time. And anyway, Raivis really didn't want to be on the big stage, he didn't feel properly prepared."
"Really? I didn't know that! I wish he'd talk a bit more with me, I can't really read him very well..."
Worry twisted Peter's stomach into a knot. It was true. Raivis had almost been a nervous wreck when he told Peter that he was supposed to be on the big stage, and almost blissfully serene when he'd informed Peter that that was no longer the case. But yesterday he'd been nervous again. What if I forget my lines? and What if I can't play young, cool noble like I'm supposed to? Peter had reassured the Latvian boy that he'd be fine and that Peter had never seen an actor of their age that was as good as Raivis was, but maybe Raivis was fretting still...
The Russian actor smiled. "He likes you well enough, he just doesn't want you to worry about him too, on top of everything else." The actor almost managed to keep a smile from showing. "Raivis is more concerned that you're not spending enough time with Peter."
Tino didn't seem to notice, and his face was covered in guilt. "I know," he sighed, "I guess it wouldn't be too bad if at least one of us were home all the time," meaning him or pappa, "but since we both had major roles in this one..."
"I don't think you have to worry, Peter is a great kid, da? I'm sure he understands, especially since he's been busy helping Raivis and-"
"Isä!" Peter interrupted, pointedly not looking at the Russian as he flung his arms around Tino. "You were great!"
Tino laughed, the worry gone from his face.
"Kiitos, Peter! Shall we go to the little stage? The extra-story will start soon."
Peter grinned and pulled Tino along into the group of students, several of them still giggling, and the aforementioned classmate still red in the face. The Russian followed a bit after the rest, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as Peter turned to glare at him.
Short, but on the other hand, you'll soon get an exciting encounter between Berwald and Mathias versus Gilbert and Ludwig. :
Btw, the only time I've seen anyone with the name 'Berwald' was in an Austrian film, I think it was called "Der Schüler Gerbert", and it was the person's family name.