somethingspecial | 26 [Accidental Video]

[Adstringendum, you have a wonderful view of a staircase within Solve et Coagula. The PCD looks like it's on the floor and no one seems to be in sight -- yet.

Soon, a mattress appears at the top of the staircase, wielded by the tiny diva powerhouse that is Rachel Berry. She looks like she's having some difficulty pulling the mattress upright, but one does not master the art of the pique without having supreme body strength. So, on the very tips of her toes, Rachel manages to place the mattress near the top of the stairs --

But unfortunately for Rachel, the mattress is much taller than she is, and when it tips forward, so does she, and with a massive yelp, Rachel lands on the mattress, on her stomach, as the mattress flies down the stairs like the hounds of hell were after it.

She rockets past the camera and there is a resounding crash as the mattress slams into the front door, along with a groan and a shuffle off-screen as Rachel pushes herself up. Soon, she falls back into frame, rubbing her head with an irritated look, wincing as her fingers find the back of her head.]

Building these things is much easier on stage than it is in real life...

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You would know how to move like a zombie --

[And Rachel hunches her shoulders slightly, for effect, though the grin sort of ruins it.]

-- if you had.

[Laughs and picks the mattress up]

Well, you're pretty tiny for a zombie, if you ask me.

That doesn't change how dangerous I am should I bite you.

[SO THERE.]

If you'll even reach me, you'll have to make an impressive jump - though I must say that professionally speaking you being overall petite is a good thing. It'll give all the newspapers the right to say that they can't believe a voice as big as yours comes out of a girl this small.

I could reach.

[But, if she lets it, this conversation about zombie biting will turn into something else, so Rachel waves a hand dismissively with half a grin.]

And people say that already -- it was my main review, you know, after Sectionals and Regionals --

[And Rachel steps forward, to help him with that mattress, before pausing to amend her statement.]

Well, the ones where I had solos, anyway. Rachel Berry, diminutive diva. I still have the newspaper clipping from Don't Rain On My Parade.

[... it was, like, two sentences, buried in the local news section, but damn it all, Rachel kept it.]

Diminutive diva - I like it.

[She laughs.]

I think the reporter was trying to make fun of me because I left in the middle of the previous group's performance, but I thought it had a very nice ring to it.

[That feels like such a long time ago, now, she muses silently to herself.]

Were they the girls with the offensive dance moves?

The deaf choir singing Don't Stop Believing.

[Rachel just -- could not even handle them stealing that song, she had to ragequit completely.]

That was literally so bad I almost wished Journey has never written that song.

I was so --

[fgkhlflhgf]

-- incensed -- and so angry that we were going to lose because they stole all of our songs --

[She huffs lightly to herself. She will never forgive them for butchering their performances -- their performances -- especially Don't Stop Believing.]

That I had to make everyone leave so we had time to -- figure something out.

Well despite my criticism which you already know about - it was impressive that you managed to pull the group into a new number so quickly. Your solo, well, you always have at least three songs up your sleeve in case of emergency, as any respectable soloist.

[It was Finn, really, who managed to save the day, in the end -- he pulled together You Can't Always Get What You Want out of thin air -- and he was the one who trusted Rachel to pull together a solo.

But Rachel pushes that thought aside to grin a little.]

There was no other song for that moment.

[Criticism or not, Rachel wouldn't change a single thing about that performance.]

What kind of show choir is lame enough to steal other group's songs? I mean Vocal Adrenaline was known for intimidation but we never bothered checking out other group's numbers, we were so obsessed about ours.

[Rachel shrugs.]

When you think you're going to lose, you try everything you can in order to win, I suppose. I've never had that mentality -- I would much rather win and succeed on my own merit than by -- dirty tactics or cheating.

--- I've never lost - [Hence him not really even. Getting it ;;]

[Rachel pauses before snorting softly to herself. Of course he hasn't. She supposes that's a good thing, in the end, because -- ]

It's a heartbreaking feeling.

[Rachel frowns to herself as she leans against the wall. It isn't said sadly, or ruefully -- it's just a simple fact, to her.]

Like -- you've reached the very end of a marathon and you can't make it across the finish line because you've been punched in the stomach. It's the worst feeling in the entire world -- getting so close and falling just short of what you've worked so hard for.

[Rachel pauses before she looks over at him with half a smile.]

But it gives you great incentive to be better for next year.

You are going to be better. And I suppose in my absence as well as miss Corcoran's Vocal Adrenaline will never be the same. All the kids there trained to be back singers to me all these years. Doing the same thing to another soloist would be a disaster since said soloist is bound to be less talented than me, they'll probably be a show choir of back singers to a mediocre singer."

[Rachel grins a little, at Jesse's ego -- but it's a little bittersweet.]

-- The new Vocal Adrenaline star is very talented.

[And is there because of Rachel herself, but that -- is a story she is going to keep to herself.]

She has this massive beautiful voice that just -- captivates you. And she's really different and special -- you definitely do not expect that voice to come out of that girl. -- But you're right. Vocal Adrenaline is different now, from what I've heard.

[Rachel is the best spy, okay.]

My -- [erk.] -- Shelby isn't there anymore because of -- Beth, so. [And that -- drives Rachel up a wall in ways she cannot even describe.] As a result, there is less of a focus on the actual artform and more of a focus on -- winning.

[Pause.]

And the new coach is a complete and utter creep.

26 [Accidental Video]

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