[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

dance floor.

[wiedzminka]

[ Oh, really. Is this happening? Ciri raises a brow, looking Sam up and down critically. ]

I'm not sure you can dance to this.

[ She means he probably doesn't know the proper dance. Having visited Julie's club frequently enough, Ciri is aware what dancing is like in their worlds, as she's also quite aware by now of the commonalities between them.

Gesturing for him to go ahead, Ciri only smirks. She herself has actually put on a dress for the occasion, albeit not nearly as tight or revealing of one as Julie had tried to encourage her into. It's nothing lavish, but it has a bit of color. Something to better match Jaskier's flowers. ]

Go on, then. Impress me.

[falcony]

[ listen - sam has managed to get himself to a place where the why not sounded more exciting than the nah, and that had been his headspace when he'd gotten her attention. and now that she looks at him, brow raises, sam just grins back at her, hands out. ]

Oh, definitely not. [ but then sam just sorta shrugs. ] But there's a difference between knowing the dance and being able to dance to it.

[ part of him almost expects ciri to turn him away, not necessarily rude or mean, just in the way that she's not interested in it. he'd take it if she did, because he's not going to stop trying at this point (he's too stubborn for that), but then ciri just gestures for him to go ahead and smirks and sam realizes he is not being turned away. not at all actually.

he laughs and nods, following ciri's gesturing, heads out onto the dance floor. thankfully (for him) he'd been watching enough of the crowd to potentially (maybe) know a little about what he's just gotten himself into.

maybe.

he starts in on a couple of the beginning steps. ]

How easily swayed are you by enthusiasm alone?

[ he is not going to get this dance right off the bat, sorry ciri. ]

[wiedzminka]

[ Ciri watches him, lips quirking, but she follows. To watch him make a fool of himself, of course. Or something like that.

The question makes her outright bark a laugh. That's funny. ]

Oh, Sam. You know the answer to that.

[ She raises a hand, palm flat and facing him. An offer, and a generous one too. For Jaskier's sake, naturally.

Unlike Sam, she's well versed enough in dances with complicated steps. Even if it's been a while, she can pick up on it easily enough. ]

Like this. Hand out. Not touching, just close.

[ Looking around, she catches onto the steps and relays them to him, until at some point they have to switch partners, and then he'll be more or less on his own for a few minutes. That should be fun. ]

[falcony]

[ he'll take it, his shrug a bit more animated, given the mood. ]

Had to ask. [ but he's in a good mood, and ciri appears to be too, so as she raises her hand - an offer that he will gladly take, thank you - sam follows the instructions. ]

I feel like I'm at a middle school dance... [ he mutters at her mention of no touching, but he's a quick study all the same, listening as she relays the steps and keeping an eye out on everyone around them too.

the switching partners bit does not go as smoothly, but sam is charming and tries hard enough that he doesn't seem too tripped up. is he making the right steps? not really. but he is trying, and he is laughing, and the crowd itself is good natured so it's working out well enough.

when he makes it back over to ciri, he manages to do it the right way. ]

That? Was terrifying. [ but he's back on beat now, at least? ]

[wiedzminka]

[ Ciri, for her part, is perhaps surprisingly good at this. She picks up the steps easily, moves elegantly, and winds up back with Sam with a big, smug grin across her face. Definitely snickering at his fumbles. ]

Very. But you handled it bravely. Only looked about to cry two or three times.

[falcony]

[ WOW. WOW!!!!! laughing at his attempts. she's so rude. but sam takes it in stride all the same, laughing as he's able to keep up with the steps with her. ]

Only three? Okay good, I hid the others.

[ the worst part of this is that her smug look is honestly, entirely valid. she is good at this, and while sam looks like he's actually starting to catch on, it all changes again. ]

Okay- wait, what was that? How do you remember all of this?