Work Text:
“Hypno, my dude!” Considering the state he’s currently found himself in - that being, his leg is embedded in stage left - he probably shouldn’t be this happy to see the theatre caretaker.
In the corner of his eye, he can vaguely see False looking extremely exasperated. All is normal, then.
“Ren,” Hypno stretches out the single syllable, crossing his arms, “Care to explain what’s happening here?”
“Certainly! The sturdy ground beneath my foot was solid…until it wasn’t,” He narrates, dramatising every word. He’s always been a bit of a method actor.
Hypno sighs. False sighs. At least five more people sigh from varying locations around the stage. The house lights fade, and a spotlight falls upon him.
“Dude!” He directs at their lighting guy, raising his hands in the air.
Impulse yells back, “Sorry, Ren, it was too funny not to! Consider it revenge for earlier!”
To be fair, Ren had accidentally sent the guy into an anxiety spiral that ended in him yelling at the director. Man, today really isn’t his day, huh?
“I’m glad someone finds the massive hole in our stage funny,” Hypno says with an intent of sarcasm, though the yawn that follows his statement just makes Ren feel bad for the guy. Impulse awkwardly shuts down the spotlight and switches the house lights back on.
“Look, my dudes, I appreciate that this is very stressful for everyone involved, especially you Hypno, but right now there’s a plank of wood digging into my calf and it really hurts! I’m up to my hip here, can someone please help me out?” He sounds like an abandoned dog pleading for someone to pay attention to it.
Sturdy arms loop under his and gradually ease his leg out of the hole. False places him sitting down on the stage and turns her attention to the wood sticking into him. He can’t quite see the injury from how he’s positioned, but from the throbbing pain it’s causing and the way that False of all people winces a little when she looks at it tells him it’s pretty bad.
Hypno marches away to tend to one of the many other ongoing issues and Xisuma takes his place, biting his fingernails.
“Is he going to be alright to do the show?” Xisuma asks, jaw locked up.
“Well, he’s not screaming in pain, and he’s conscious, which is a good sign,” False shrugs, pausing, “But I imagine that’ll change the minute he puts any weight on it. Ignoring the wood stuck in it, it’s almost definitely broken. Either way, It’s a hospital visit for sure. I can take him, it’s no bother.”
He pats her shoulder, “Thanks for offering, False, but I’ll take him. You seem distressed, you should go home and get some sleep.”
Ren suddenly picks up on the way she’s silently trembling, “Falsie, I’ll be alright.”
“I know,” She doesn't look at him, repeating, “I know.”
It seems like she’s mostly trying to convince herself.