A surprise performance

[smilingarmor]

Who: Elliot and Emberto
When: Wedesday afternoon
Where: Prospect Park
What: Elliot comes to see the show put on by Emberto's theater troupe and both of them end up getting a surprise
Warnings: Probably none? Will alter if needed.

Once Elliot arrived at Prospect Park it wouldn't be difficult to locate where the performance he'd come to see was taking place. It was apparently just one among many that were happening as part of an ongoing arts festival; there were banners along the park's walkways and signs directing visitors either to the Prospect Park Bandshell for performances or to another location for a display of visual art. The former was where Elliot would want to go, and upon arriving there, he would see a schedule of events posted near the entrance. Among the various plays, concerts, and dance performances was the show he'd come to see: a production of The Pirates of Penzance, performed by the Brava Theater's 'Soldiers of Smile'.

Elliot would be handed a program booklet by a young man at the entrance. Much of it was ads for the event's various corporate sponsors, but it also gave a list of songs for both acts of the play, as well as a cast list giving a brief description of each significant character and listing who was playing them, which would let him know that Emberto himself was playing The Pirate King, so he'd get to see him perform along with his troupe.

It wasn't to long until the opening music began playing, a signal to any stragglers to take their seats, and once it was finished, the show began. And since the Pirate King came in early in the play, it wouldn't be too long until he caught his first glimpse of the man he'd come to meet.

Comments

[bearshermark]

Elliott hadn't attended much theater in his life, so the experience was a welcome one. He flipped through the booklet, skimming over the performer's names and delighted to find his fellow Different listed as the starring role. Maybe Emberto was actually famous in these kinds of circles?

He found his seat and clapped along with everyone else, wishing that maybe he would have thought to bring someone like Clarence or Lisa along with him. The crowd seemed pretty enthusiastic, and the music energizing. They definitely would have enjoyed it, and a recording just wouldn't be the same.

There was a lot more singing than he expected, and Elliott laughed with the audience, but before long, he started to find it difficult to follow. He couldn't take his eyes off Emberto. There was something about him- his voice, the way he moved- that he couldn't look away from. If only he were closer. Still, he was sure that if he watched long enough, he could place him.

But by the end of the performance he still hadn't, and while dogged by the guilt of having only half paid attention, the burning need to know drove him to the nearest available crew member to ask.

"Emberto, yes, I- I was told to ask for him. I'm Elliott. Could you..?"

[smilingarmor]

The crew member, a young man still in half of his old-timey police uniform from the second act, smiled and directed Elliot around to the side of the bandshell to where a group of people were loading props and bits of set dressing onto a trailer. Among them was Emberto, who- while still in his Pirate King costume- was holding a clipboard and pen, marking items off on a checklist as they were loaded. Concentrating on what he was doing, Emberto didn't immediately notice Elliot's approach, though this close there would really be no mistaking where Elliot knew him from...

[bearshermark]

Elliott's heart raced, pounding through his ears.

He did know him.

Another time, another life, overlapping memory until the name he knew faded into another.

"S-Sylv.."

[smilingarmor]

Not many knew Emberto's middle name, and fewer still used it for anything. Yet, the sound of it- or the beginning of it- still caught his attention, since there was really no one else around it could be referring to. He glanced Elliott's way... and almost immediately dropped his pen, his expression just as shocked as Elliott's. Clearly he recognized Elliot too.

His reaction didn't go unnoticed however, as a muscular man turned from loading a barrel onto the trailer to ask, "You alright there, boss?"

Emberto quickly shook his head to bring himself back to the present and gave the man a reassuring smile. "I'm fine, darling," he said, retrieving the pen and offering both it and the clipboard to the other man. "Do you think you could take over for me for a bit? I believe the guest I was expecting is here."

"Sure no problem," the muscular man said, taking the pen and clipboard. He gave Elliott a quick smile and wave before taking over directing the loading of the trailer.

That left Emberto free to close the distance between himself and Elliott, to the point where they were near enough to each other to have a mostly private conversation. "Well," he said, "if I had any doubts about whether this whole business was real or not, they're certainly gone now. You're... Elliott, I'm guessing?"

[bearshermark]

Elliott nodded, staring into grey eyes and unable to look away. Memorizing the angles of his face to compared to what he could remember in search of anything out of place. But the recognition staring back at him left little doubt.

"Yeah." It felt like the wrong name coming from Sylvan- no, Emberto.

"You were one of my- my friends."

[smilingarmor]

Emberto nodded, not quite able to take his eyes off Elliot either. Except for the clothes, he was identical to the young man in his memory who'd been standing there in a purple tunic and sword-belt. It was astonishing. It should probably also be unnerving, but there was just something about the young man before him that put him at ease.

He smiled a bit. "I suppose I know how the conversation tuned out, then," he said. "My memory was a bit of a conversation. I was asking to come along on a heroic quest that you and your friends were on, and one of those with you- a somewhat rough-looking young fellow with spiky, blue hair- objected. I started to reply to him, but the memory ended before the conversation did."

"There were two other people there with you as well: a young woman with blonde hair and a little blonde girl with pigtails. And the place we were in was like something out of Arabian Nights. I could even smell the spices being sold at the market stall across the way. It was... amazing, really. I just never expected to meet anyone from that memory here and now."

[bearshermark]

"Erik," he smiled, delighted by the accurate description. "Serena and Veronica, too."

His companions. He didn't remember precisely when Sylvando joined them, but knew for a certainty that he did.

"Just a few weeks ago, I had a memory where I saw you perform as the star in a circus. And you're a performer here, too? I guess some things don't change, after all."

[smilingarmor]

Emberto's smile broadened. "Apparently not," he said. "Though I do wonder... When I decided to pursue a career in the theater, I'd never been more certain of any decision in my life. I wonder if my experiences as this other self might have been showing themselves there without my knowing?" If so, he wasn't entirely sure how he felt about it, but either way, there was nothing to be done about it now.

"So... Erik, Serena, and Veronica. Now I can put names to the faces of come of the people in my memory, but what about you? What was your name in that life? And for that matter, what was mine?" He paused, considering. "When you first approached, you said 'Sylv'; is that my name in your memory?"

[bearshermark]

"I- my name was 'Eleven'. An odd name, but I guess it probably didn't mean what it means here?"

He pondered that a moment, then refocused. "But er- when I saw your show, you were introduced as 'The Great Sylvando'. It sounds right to me."

Elliott fidgeted. "And I think our memories do play some part in our current lives- at least for some of us with strong callings in life."

[smilingarmor]

"'The Great Sylvando', eh?", Emberto said, trying the name out. "Oddly enough, darling, 'Sylvando' is my middle name; it was based on my mother's name, Sylvia. I just don't often have a reason to use it."

"And yes that seems likely. Unless you had ten older brothers and sisters and some very unimaginative parents." Because really, who would name their child after a number?

His smile softened at Elliott's seeming discomfort. "You sound like you're speaking from personal experience," he said. "What is it that you've felt called to, hmm?"

[bearshermark]

He flashed a smile.

"I'm passionate about nature conservation. It took me awhile, but I think my interest in forestry might have been influenced by Yggdrasil."

He wasn't completely certain, but there was definitely something about seeing Her in his memories that always brought out a well of.. something like appreciation.

"You said your middle name is Sylvando. We really must be reincarnations of our past selves, after all."

[smilingarmor]

"It certainly seems that way," Emberto said. "Truthfully, I'd never put a great deal of stock in the idea of past lives until all this happened, but I don't know of anything else that could explain it. Though I do wonder how far into the past these other-lives go? And if each of us will only recall one?"

He nodded, smiling at Elliot's passion. "A good passion to have these days. Though what's this about Yggdrasil? I'm somewhat familiar with the myth, but I'm not certain how it's relevant here."

[bearshermark]

"Oh," Elliott faltered, blinking.

It seemed strange, though he knew it shouldn't. Just because She featured prominently in his first memory didn't mean She had in Sylvando's. Still, being so integral to the world itself, the odd feeling lingered.

"Yggdrasil is said to be the source of all life in our world. She floats on an island in the sky. It's quite a bit different than the Norse myth from what I read, but.. I do wonder if it might just connect realms somehow."

[smilingarmor]

Emberto smiled. "Ooh, it sounds lovely!", he said. "I do hope I'll get to see it myself before too long. But yes, given the situation we're all in, it wouldn't surprise me if there was some connection there. Though until we have a more complete picture of things in both worlds, speculating can only get us so far."

"I do look forward to finding out though. The little glimpse I got has me very interested to see what happened next. Or before, as the case may be. It's a bit like a teaser for a movie, in that it gave me just enough to get me excited and leave me wanting more."