Off Script
A Billie Bust Up Drabble solely based off this
Summary: Fantoccio is frustrated with a certain goat that keeps ruining his play and his friend Tavi comes in to try and rectify the situation.
Yellow eyes glared down from the theater box where folded hands clutched in a vice grip, almost causing the wood to groan from the pressure. Below was a theater set carefully and meticulously crafted by himself. Each set piece was in just the perfect place and at just the perfect angle for the scene he envisioned. However, there was one problem, one very messy, chaotic and annoying problem.
“Take that dragon! I’m going to rescue myself!” called out one very obnoxious goat as she swung her sword, nearly tripping over her fluffy pink dress that threatened to tear from the sheer force of their clumsy little toes. She was rather jovial, despite the fact she was supposed to be crying out in despair at being trapped by an enormous and frightening dragon!
Fantoccio slammed his fists on the box’s counter as he ground his teeth at the sheer incompetence that this goat displayed; making a mockery of his masterpiece that he had crafted so flawlessly over the course of months in preparation for this very moment. She was ruining everything despite his very clear instructions–
“Tocci?”
“Macbeth’s pantaloons!” He nearly screeched, his body shooting up and whipping around to face the owner of the voice. “Tavi, I told you not to sneak up on me like that! Especially in the middle of a play!”
“Ah, sorry,” the deer apologized, giving him a meek smile. “You just looked really upset, is everything okay?”
“No, nothing is okay!” he declared as his arms shot up before pointing to the disaster of a scene down below. “That goat is getting everything wrong! It’s like she didn’t even read the script! I’ve never seen anyone botch something up so badly, not even you!”
For a split second her smile wavered, not that Fantoccio really noticed as he went back to glaring at the goat girl. She was still hacking at the cardboard cutout of the dragon, causing it to bend and warp from the edge of her wooden sword. The more he watched, the more infuriated he got over the whole situation.
“Hm… that’s actually kind of an interesting prospect though,” Tavi muttered. The young deer had rolled forward in her wheelchair, peering down at the stage below and watching the scene play out with a rather intrigued gaze.
Fantoccio’s eyes flickered back to his friend with a disapproving glare; though she merely ignored it and continued.
“Typically one would expect the princess to just cry and accept her fate, only hoping one day to be rescued. But with the princess taking fate into her own hands, she learns to be more independent and resourceful in times of danger. It would lead to so many experiences she could integrate into her future ruling of her kingdom. Making it better, stronger and–”
“And off script!” Fantoccio cut her off as he waved said play script in his hand. “The princess is supposed to be weeping and calling out in despair for someone to save her, not fighting the dragon! How is the hero going to be able to save her in the next scene if the dragon is already defeated?! It ruins the entire story!” He continued, on the verge of going on a rant.
“Then you just need to improvise,” Tavi replied simply as she looked back at him. “What’s the saying? The show must go on?”
“Yes but—hnnnng!” He grunted in frustration as he pulled down his hat tightly to cover his face. “Not for the entire play! Being such the forgiving puppet that I am, I will let a few mistakes slide, but she’s been doing this for every scene she’s in!”
“Really? Maybe she prefers to do things through improv?” Tavi asked as she picked up the script and started to flip through it.
“This is not the place for something so…so…chaotic! This is my masterpiece in the making, it needs to be followed to a T!” He insisted. “How else is the audience going to marvel at how great my playwright and acting skills are?!”
At this she couldn’t help but give a small, amused laugh. “There are plenty of improv actors and playwrights that gain the awe of their audience, Tocci,” she explained to him. “It’s all about how you can adapt and fit the scene and story as it goes along. The better you can do that, the more impressive you’ll be to your peers and audience!”
Fantoccio gave pause for a moment at her words, though inevitably went back to pouting; making a small ‘harumph’ sound as he continued to glare at the goat girl with one hand on his face. Tavi just gave an amused smile before returning to the script.
When she finally got to the current scene, she paused as she read the specifics. She then looked back at the play still going on, the goat girl using exaggerated and outlandishly ridiculous words while continuing to do what could be considered the utter opposite of what she was supposed to be doing. Tavi then looked back to the script as her brow furrowed. There was a distinctly long pause before she started to speak again.
“Tocci… has it occurred to you she might be doing this on purpose?” She asked as she looked at him. Fantoccio didn't bother to look back at her as he rolled his eyes and did a circular motion with his wrist.
“You mean like that improv stuff you were talking about?”
“No, I mean, like, deliberately trying to ruin your play.”
There was a pause before his head whipped towards her.
“That is utterly ridiculous! Who would want to ruin the greatest play the world has ever seen?!” He asked, giving Tavi a doubtful look.
“Well did you—” she paused for a second before rethinking her word choice. “Did something happen that would cause her to want to ruin your play?”
With that question his eyes went wide and had a hand raised to his chest. “Tavi!” he gasped dramatically, “It sounds like you’re trying to accuse me of something! I am nothing short of being a gracious host to all who come to my theater!”
“Where did that weirdo put it?! It has to be somewhere around here!”
Large ears rose from their neutral position and turned in the direction of the faint, irritated voice of a certain goat. Tavi’s face twisted as she looked at Fantoccio expectantly.
“Nothing happened!” he insisted despite her expression. “All I’ve done is invite our newest guest to participate in my masterpiece! I mean, isn’t that gracious of me? Who wouldn’t want to act alongside moi?” He ‘rhetorically’ asked as he showed a smug smile before continuing with an exaggerated eye roll. “Sure, I may have had to give her some… encouragement, but she said yes of her own volition!”
Yea, that’s what she thought.
"Sorry Tocci, but I’m just not convinced,” she said with crossed arms and a shaking of her head. “She’s obviously looking for something and someone obviously took it.”
Fantoccio huffed. “Well even if I did so happen to procure this…imaginary item, it would take far too long for me to find it. The play can’t go on without its star after all!”
“Really? For someone who knows this place like the back of his hand, I would think you would have no trouble finding any lost items. But I guess I was wrong about that, huh?”
At such an accusation the puppet of small stature huffed “Nonsense! There is nothing that Fantoccio the Great can’t find within his own theater!” He said, his smug grin emerging briefly before fading. His glowing eyes returned to watching the goat from beneath his large green hat. “But say I could find it in time for the next scene and give it back; she’ll just… leave and never come back! What then?”
“Well…why don’t I go talk to her while you go searching? I’ll convince her to stay, at least until your play has finished. And if not… well I can help finish it instead, maybe?”
At her words Fantoccio looked back at Tavi, who was looking away with a nervous smile. She could feel a blush form on her cheeks from her unusual suggestion as she twiddled her hooves together. “I… I know I’m not a very good actress, but even if she does leave, you still have me, right?” she asked him, forcing herself to look at him for a brief moment, as if looking for some sort of confirmation.
Fantoccio floated idly there for a second, looking down at her as he crossed one of his legs. His expression read that of a man deep in thought, pondering his next move while also analyzing the girl before him. He didn’t speak again until there was a resounding CRASH from down below that gained his immediate attention. When he looked, a large set piece had fallen and came apart into several pieces with the goat girl incessantly jumping around the place.
“Ugh, I just fixed that!” he exasperated as he looked below, a low growl hanging from his lips. Perhaps Tavi was right and he should give back that stupid parasol so she could leave and stop destroying everything she touched.
Dramatically flipping his poncho as he turned towards Tavi, Fantoccio lifted his head in a rather condescending manner. “Alright, fine, we’ll do it your way Tavi. Go talk to the goat girl while I go find her––this imaginary item you’re so convinced exists. Make sure she memorizes and follows the script down to the letter by the time I return!”
Hearing him relent finally made her laugh, turning it into a small grin as her ears started to wiggle happily at the news. “I won’t let you down Tocci, I promise.”
“Of course you won’t. Now hurry up, before she breaks more of my stuff!” He ordered before flying off to find that stupid parasol, leaving Tavi to herself for a moment.
She could only chuckled to herself before moving off to do her own near impossible task: convincing a young teenager to listen and do what she’s told.













