[open] a fantastic public charity event!

[cointosser]

Who: Jaskier, open to all of the Free Cities!
What: The bard is holding a concert at Cadens's Old Public Hall in order to raise money for its renovation!
Where: Cadens
When: The end of March, a bit after the eclipse/Singularity event shenanigans
Warnings: None. This is a family-friendly event. :)

The Event

[Flyers hand-written and posted around the city of Cadens promise many a thing: a lovely night of community and belonging, beautiful decorations, a precious place to bring your bonnie sweet (the most important.) Jaskier fully intends on this being the perfect date night; the more lovers who become closer thanks to him, the better. The hall will see a larger audience than it ever has before! And hopefully more money will be thrown at it than ever before.

Of course, that’s what this is: a charity concert being held to raise funds for the old Cadens speaking hall, a large hall that has long fallen into disrepair. Through the efforts of Jaskier (and mostly) Alucard, restoration of the hall has begun. However, it has far more renovations ahead of it, and coin will be needed.

The concert is meant to be a grand time, but, it is about the money. This is a charity event, technically. But there's no reason he can't have fun with it.

And since Jaskier does nothing by halves, he has gone fully all-out. At the concert, any goers will be free to partake in:

+ free food (courtesy of himself, Alucard, and Sam's cooking, generally fresh bread, rolls, sweets, cheeses, and various finger foods and slices of roasts)
+ free wine and local juices (mostly paid out of Jaskier's pocket)
+ flowers will be given out, though it is STRONGLY IMPLIED a donation is expected (bouquets can be purchased for your honey, as well)
+ Nadine will be going around the crowd and providing small samples of tonics and potions

There will also be a small raffle that Jaskier will be running. Tickets can be bought for a small fee, and ticket holders can win small prizes of bouquets (courtesy of yours truly), a box of fresh pastries from the local bakery, an array of prized feathers from his pet toy gryphon, or a slightly fancier bottle of wine. The ultimate prize will be a free song written personally for you by Jaskier, all topics and requests accepted. Yes, it is a grand prize. For the small prizes, you can decide whether your ticket is a winner or a loser!

Please, remember to keep your behaviors amenable, fair citizens of Cadens. This concert is for charity, and no roughhousing, fighting, or generally ill tempers will be suffered. And as an event on city property, it is meant to remain completely neutral. No politics or you'll be kindly escorted outside the event!]

The Old Public Hall



[The Cadens Public Hall is an old, large speaking hall hosting distinctive architectural features that are strongly Thornean in influence. Like the old days, the concert is mostly meant to be standing-room only; the second floor mezzanine has been blocked off due to unsafe conditions (mostly old, rotting floorboards.) There's a slight musty smell that lingers despite Jaskier's best efforts to hide it.

His attempts to hide it are vast in number: every where one looks are richly colorful groupings of flowers, tied to pillars, hanging from strings of semi-magical lights that have been criss-crossed over the main concert area to mimic the sight of stars, and growing from pots meant to hide dusty corners. Illusionary birds fly and flutter about, adding spots of color and life to the old hall.

Small tables and chairs have been set out the entrance for folks to eat and relax at while music fills the hall and spills out.

Jaskier himself headlines the music, accompanied by a flautist, a drummer and a cellist. Songs that he performed at the Summit are part of his set: a song that venerates the magical accomplishments of Thorne (which may earn some grumbles from local Cadenites, but that same magic flows through the hall itself, amplifying the music and preventing echoing and regulating temperature.) His ballad about Lyfbringr, one of the gods of Solvunn, features, with a slightly baudy edge to it. But most prominent are several songs about the Free Cities themselves: bastions of hope for those who have lost their home, rich mixing pots of culture and people, with fantastic advances in technology.

Peppered among the songs are general fun, upbeat songs. As the night draws to a close, the songs become slower and softer, meant for dances between lovers.

Between sets of songs, Jaskier can be see moving through the crowd, shaking hands, dancing, and showing off his precious new pet toy gryphon named Mog, with black fur and feathers and an owlish face. (Yes, you can pet him.) Mog accompanies him on stage as well, flicking his tail and sleeping inside his lute case.]

Speech, Speech, Speech

[Like all good events, it must begin with a speech.

At the beginning of the concert, while his band behind him plays quiet music, Jaskier takes the head of the dais that is acting at the stage, giving the concert-goers a hearty bow with a sweep of his large, feathered hat.]

Hello and greetings, my fellow citizens of Cadens! While you may not know me -- though I highly doubt that, if you've ever stepped foot into a local tavern -- I have been dwelling in your city in some time now as the conveniently-dubbed Summoned. I am the Master Bard Jaskier, and tonight we have gathered for a few hours of good will and merriment.

I have been welcomed into your city ever since I came here by chance, and have long wanted to give back in what ways I can. This concert is being held for the good of the very hall we stand in, long having fallen to disrepair in lieu of other pursuits -- important ones, I'm sure! -- by the city. However, as a musician, I have high respect for any such beautiful place, and I have recently began working tirelessly with an anonymous patron and friend to restore this grand old beauty for the use of all Cadens citizens.

Please, peruse the first floor of the hall to see our recent work in restoring and preserving historical Cadens architecture. There is free food and drink for all -- though, if you're a known glutton, learn a bit of restraint for the sake of the children. [Laugh track.] There are small gifts available in return for donations at the stands just ousdie. There will be collection plates placed around the tables, and by the door -- you'll see that lovely young man there, yes? He'll be glad to take your coin off your hands! [Another laugh track. He's hilarious, he knows.] All donations will go straight to the restoration of this historic hall.

By your leave, lovely gents and beautiful dames, I bid you a wonderful night. May your hearts be light, and your coin purses even lighter!

For ideas about the general mood of the music:

Youtube Bardcore Playlist

Comments

[speak_n_spell]

[The confusion is mutual, though Sypha's is edged with wary concern. He's not--he isn't flinching, or wrenching away. Not that he'd get very far in this crush, but he hadn't locked up when she'd been touching him a second ago. That's...good? Progress?

She can hardly hear him, but the way he tilts his head and darts his eyes towards the wall is a pretty clear question.] Yes, we should--let's.

[cryptsleeper]

[Alucard doesn't duck and weave through the crowd. He doesn't have to. All he need do is to start walking and others bounce off of him. A moving wall that Sypha can follow before the crowd closes in the wake of him, until they reach a far back section of the hall, hidden by some of the supports for the next two levels.

It's at that point Alucard's actual reaction is plain and obvious on his face. He's cycling through uncertainty and discomfort and genuine delight in perhaps too rapid a succession, unable to settle upon something more precise. There's that faintest panic on his face though, suggesting that he is not as comfortable as he first seemed.

But he can meet Sypha's eyes, even as he leans against one of the arch supports that make up the alcove.]

What just--?

[He knows what happened. But.] What prompted that?

[speak_n_spell]

[The bare struts and some distance from the stage do a lot to dampen the noise. Sypha can actually hear herself speak now, though not even she knows what's about to pop out of her mouth.]

Nothing! I mean, not that it was nothing, but it was an accident-- [Her reasons for not throwing herself at Alucard are many and varied, starting with: she strives not to be a predatory piece of shit. But looking at Alucard now, he isn't furious or lapsing into a panic attack. He doesn't look thrilled, but there's something about him that's more open than she's seen since arriving in Abraxas.]

I hope you don't think I would ambush you like that. [The 'unlike some people' is furious and unspoken. Sypha has to twist her mouth up to keep it that way, brows knitting with effort. Alucard continues to look at her, actually engage in a way she hasn't seen much of lately, with an almost-ease that's been beyond him, and that gives her the strength to set the anger aside for a moment. She offers him a tentative smile instead.] I like to believe people can tell when I kiss them on purpose.

[cryptsleeper]

I gathered it was an accident, I know you can control your intent, I just--

[They're teetering on the edge of a discussion they really ought to have, aren't they? Alucard knows it. He doesn't know if that's why his heart is pounding or if it happens to be a belated panic attack.

Overwhelmed. The word he wants is overwhelmed.]

Before everything, I wouldn't have even thought it was an ambush, I would have just--

[We'd still be making out is what he means to say. Because that was always the throughline. The other two were sad attempts at replacement for Sypha and Trevor. Logistically Sypha must have figured this out by now.]

I don't know what to do here.

[speak_n_spell]

[He would have just thought...that she wanted to kiss him? And it wouldn't be an ambush, because it would have been welcome?

Ah. It would seem she's been, well, willfully blind to a few things.

Luckily, Sypha's got past experience at rearranging her worldview on the fly. Peering into Actual Hell will do that to you.]

I don't either, [she admits, but the tentative smile is spreading into something wide and warm.] Mostly because I think I always assumed it was Trevor, if anyone. With the way the two of you were always hateflirting.

[cryptsleeper]

I'm sorry, we were what?

[Alucard can at least look extremely annoyed about it. Not that Sypha's wrong, nor is the bluntness uncalled for, but he can still be taken aback by it. There's an aching familiarity there, and oh, how tempting it is to just latch on.

He doesn't. Too much happened in the aftermath of their departure to feel truly comfortable easing into it all again.]

Never mind. It's..I don't know know what it is at this point. Not something I trust.

[speak_n_spell]

Hate flirting. You know, pulling each others' pigtails. [She'd been so sure of it at the time, she hadn't bothered inserting any flirtations of her own until after Alucard had chosen to stay at the Castle-Hold. In fact...] You were, after all, weren't you? But there's this, too.

[The 'this' in question being their proximity. Which seems to cause Alucard to grimace in mistrust.] What is it about it you don't trust? The feeling, or me, or something else?

[cryptsleeper]

[Alucard knows it is easier to sidestep the talk of the Belmont. Better, in many ways. But he has to at least give some acknowledgement to Sypha's point, so the most she's getting is:] It was not conscious or purposeful at the time.

[Only realized in retrospect, which, same with her.

This conversation is too heavy for the night. Too fraught, when Alucard is supposed to be making sure everything goes perfectly for Jaskier. For this project.]

Sypha, the last time I had feelings for the two of you, you were gone and never bothered to contact me. That hurt. That still hurts. The last time I had romantic feelings for anyone at all, I was nearly murdered.

I trust none of it.