middaeg | quest log: aurora musicalis

quest log: aurora musicalis

Who: Anyone performing in or attending Aurora Musicalis
When: Throughout July
Where: The Little Melody music hall and associated areas
What: Quest log for Aurora Musicalis!
Warnings: None at present; please mark individual threads!

♫　aurora musicalis　♪

The Little Melody, a music hall, has recruited those skilled in music, illusion, and/or enchantment to play at its annual Aurora Musicalis — a series of symphonies, recitals, and band performances whose tender notes activate the magic imbued in the stage to create a fantastic storytelling experience. Whether or not you have a story in mind, your music will speak for itself in a series of abstract and beautiful colors, shapes, and lights.

If you've signed up — congratulations! You're now part of a motley coterie of local musicians and mirrorbound performers who are agreed to meet once or twice a week (with flexibility for any personal situations that may arise). That, or you've joined the set crew, a group of stagehands and skilled illusionists who will be responsible for the lighting and visual effects of the show. All of you are under the watchful and loving care of Anastasia Birkenwood, musical director for the show, but do be careful: as diminutive and unassuming as her bespectacled, youthful exterior may be, Miss Birkenwood can actually be quite the terror, and while she won't fire any of the performers, as short-staffed as they are, she can be a thorn in your side if you've managed to displease her...

If you haven't signed up — the Little Melody is really going all out in its promotion, and behind the scenes, Miss Birkenwood has authorized a rather unusual advertising campaign. Around town, you might hear various whispers about Aurora Musicalis, none of them entirely true, but which can't conclusively be proven false, either. Some say that the illusionists plan to make the entire city appear as if it is underwater! Word on the street is that the Little Melody might collapse if they don't sell enough tickets! Rumor has it that one of the performers is extraordinarily beautiful! ...So on and so forth. Ticket prices for the event range from "not too expensive" for the best seats in the house to "absolutely free" for back-row seats! How does that work out economically? Well, Aurora Musicalis is really a community event — one which doesn't pay the Little Melody very much in cunes, but leaves it much-beloved in the eyes of the people. There's not much else happening in late Juril, so why not drop by?

(Feel free to ignore the suggested toplevels if you would prefer to have a catch-all toplevel for your character, or you've thought of something a little outside the box! Miss Birkenwood is an NPC I just made up for the purposes of this log, so do feel free to use her as a catalyst or convenient villain for your character's threads if you need to.)

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Threads regarding the rehearsal period — musical practice, setting the stage, casting illusions, and so on and so forth — all go here!

Link your character's musical performance (or an approximation thereof) here! This isn't strictly necessary — I just thought it would be cute for us to be able to throw together a community playlist of sorts for the event...

Want to bask in your glorious applause? Cry because a bout of jittery nerves ruined your carefully curated show? Maybe you're an audience member who wants to congratulate a particular performer? Whatever the case, put your post-performance threads over here.

[set to a haunting backdrop of falling snow and deep blue lights, francel performs a piano piece both lonely and sad, with flashes of fleeting hope, like a broken dream.

it sounds lovely, and he has a quiet, rolling performance style that seems to slow the pulse, lulling the listener towards a kind of somber relaxation. those more musically trained, however, may realize that his piece is actually an accompaniment without a melodic voice. perhaps he planned to sing over it and took the coward's route out... or perhaps he never met the right vocalist, didn't trust it in anyone else's hands.

whatever the case, it's well enough received by the masses. francel bows, and leaves the stage.]

[(playlist).

As modest as Elliot likes to be, there's no such thing as him holding back with a music performance. Not familiar with the stories of Aefenglom or other worlds yet, he decides to go with something from Erebonian history - heavily altered and simplified for the audience and artistic liberty.

The tale is told through illusions and instrumental music (and illusionary sounds whenever it was for an instrument piece not available) . It starts with a prelude. A lecherous king has 4 sons with 4 different women. The one with the queen is chosen as crowned prince, 2 are to noble women - with one seeming more villainous than the other. The last is a son of a commoner, ignored by his father and sent away to distant lands. His portray is much more focused and sympathetic - the hero of our story. In this distant land, he befriends a warrior, who helps guide our hero.

The music changes when the king dies. The crowned prince is murdered and the kingdom falls into a civil war as the three noble brothers fight to become king. Chaos and darkness spreads across the land. The villainous brother invades the capital and crowns himself king, proving himself to be a cruel leader. He wields the legendary Vermilion blade that cuts down anyone who opposes him.

Eventually, an old friend seeks out the protagonist to convince him to help their home. Heroically, he agrees and he, his old friend, and the warrior travel back to the kingdom. Along the way, they encounter a powerful lance maiden who joins once our hero proves his worth, and a witch that bestows the hero the legendary Ashen Blade. Finally, one of the noble brothers faces off with our hero and eventually yields, deciding to join his brother.

The group makes their way across the kingdom, doing heroic deeds. Finally they reach the capital, where the hero faces off with his villainous brother in a decisive collision. It's revealed the villain brother was the one to kill the crowned prince, and he's made a pact with demons that he sics on the heroes. Through their teamwork, they are able to prevail and the hero uses the Ashen Blade to defeat his brother. The hero becomes King and peace is restored to the kingdom.

When it's all over, Elliot is polite in his bow. He gestures at any accompaniment, both musically and with illusions to make sure they get credit as well. For anyone who had watched him through the performance, it was clear he put a lot of passion into this, and took a lot of joy from it. ]

[Elliot is in great spirits after the show. His own performance went really well and he got to watch so many other amazing works. Honestly, this is as close as he can get to a happy place. So if you were a performer, he'll be approaching you with a good amount of cheer]

Great job out there!

[Otherwise if you aren't a performer, he'll probably be easy to find in the backstage- putting away his instruments or helping others with their clean-up. ]

[ The piano has always, always been Ritsu's respite - an oasis in a sea of mixed emotions. Everything quiets to the feel of the keys beneath his fingers; he can forget his troubles, focus only on the gentle singing of the strings as the hammers strike them in notes, in chords.

This is a much needed reprieve from the tumultuous month he's had in adjusting not only to his new features, but his new Bonds, and... Ritsu relaxes the moment he settles himself, the dress he's chosen to wear (they are becoming so much more comfortable, so much easier) unsurprisingly formal for the recital. His expression falls into one more peaceful than it's been since he arrived here two (two?) months ago, something seen only by fellow performers at rehearsals.

Some of the songs he plays are typical of someone who's studied piano in an ordinary world's Earth - Mozart, Schubert, Liszt, Chopin (and special attention brought to Chopin, in particular; Ritsu's fond of his pieces). The stories they bring aren't anything particularly special to him, though their colors and shapes brought to life by the Witches assisting those who aren't able to produce any magic of their own are like something out of Disney's Fantasia.

The final piece isn't something that can be found in any piano class though: it's a shorter version, but it's a song about someone quite dear to him. Graciously, Aefenglom's magical translation will provide help when he starts to sing - even if the images conjured by its lyrics and sound didn't in the first place. A dark and sleepy forest, gloomy until the sunlight begins to peek through the trees; a smile as warm and welcoming as a spring day, the outstretched hand of someone wrapped in golden light.

He lets it trail off and- he doesn't want to leave the piano, hesitating before he stands from it and bows. The applause is nice, but it's the furthest thing from his mind as he hops away - he feels more at ease, but he wishes he could hurry up and have a piano of his own now, too. The one nice thing about home (on a mountain of nice things) was unlimited access to one. ]

[ Ritsu's ears twitch at the praise, and he smiles slightly as he sips a glass of water - gratefully provided by one of the staff on-hand. ]

Mm, you too~. It was a nice story... Kinda reminds of me old fairy tales, but with less princesses than need rescuing. [ Sort of preferable, honestly. ] Think my favorite character was the villain though.

Haha, thanks. And really? How come the villain?

[Not that there's anything wrong with liking the villain, he's just curious]

But really, yours was great. Especially that last piece, I could feel it's importance to you.

[ Music is incidental to Aymeric — but it means something to Francel, so he comes early for the performance, despite that it's frivolous, despite that it has no bearing on whether they ever leave here, and he watches from the front row. The coat Francel commissioned for him is ostentatious by Aefenglom's standards. Aymeric looks absurdly grand, as well as too tall, with his heavy fur collar and brocade between the native men and their closer-fitting conservative jackets.

He abandons his seat to go backstage when Francel finishes, and when he finds him, he taps his shoulder with a rose. ]

Edited 2019-07-11 18:42 (UTC)

[there's a new rumor swirling around aurora musicalis — not in the city, but in the little melody music hall itself. some of the musicians have begun saying that the music hall is haunted... or, more benignly, just that one of the pianos has begun to play itself, deep in the night when no one else is around. an enchantment gone awry, perhaps? but all the enchanters have looked and found nothing thus ensorcelled. what a mystery!

the real situation is, of course, much more mundane. no whimsical ghost or mysterious spell lurks in the pianos of the little melody. instead, late one evening in the music hall, you might stumble across francel at a practice bench, quietly playing his chosen piece for the recital... in the dark.

right, in the dark — for whatever reason, he hasn't bothered with any of the lamps, magical, oil, or otherwise. he's just. sitting there, playing in the dark. plainly, he's not going off any sheet music, so perhaps it doesn't matter either way, but with the hall so empty and his practice room so dark, you might be forgiven for thinking you've come across a ghost.

it might be a little creepy. but it could be relaxing, if the darkness is your preference, too.]

[francel takes the rose first, then looks up at its giver — it is aymeric, who is perhaps making a gesture of appreciation, perhaps indicating that francel ought to be thinking of ishgard, of his home. it is difficult for francel to tell. he should be happy, having finally delivered a brilliant performance before an audience of many, as he has always dreamt of doing, but instead he feels hollow, and strangely spent.

he saw aymeric, out in the front row during his performance, but he'd tried to pay it no mind. it made him feel anxious to think of it, butterflies dancing in the pit of his stomach and the joints of his knuckles; it made his wrists tremble, and it was a wonder that his performance turned out well at all.

he tries his best to smile, awkwardly so.]

...I did not think you would come.

Edited 2019-07-11 19:41 (UTC)

Why not?

[ He's either oblivious or pretending to be, and he doesn't wait for an equally awkward answer. ]

You did well! You ought to play like this in Ishgard; you'd be well-received, I'm certain. Or perhaps you have, unbeknownst to me? Are evenings in Skyfire Locks more enchanting than the anyone might have guessed?

[still smiling, francel shakes his head. aymeric is teasing again. he wonders if this means anything, if perhaps aymeric only teases people he likes, but it doesn't seem worth pondering, save for the way it makes francel feel.

he feels adrift, lost at sea; he has an inexplicable, burning desire for comfort. he knows he should not, that he should hold aymeric at a distance for the betterment of the both of them, and yet — all the same, he wants to be away from the music hall. he wants to go home, to crawl into aymeric's bed, to be held and stroked like a pet cat.

he can admit to none of this, as a grown man, and a grown ishgardian man at that.]

Unfortunately, no harpsichords stand in any of the Locks. Perhaps someday...

[without explanation, he reaches out to aymeric, palm up, with the hand that is not cradling his house haillenarte rose.]

Your words do me much honor, Aymeric. I am thankful that you enjoyed my performance, and... I would happily play for you any time you wished.

[ Aymeric peers at him, head tilted, visibly trying to work something out for himself — but he takes Francel's hand, running a callused thumb over his palm. ]

You are...more solemn than I thought to find you, my friend. What troubles you? Shall we go?

[ Already, he doesn't add. He assumed Francel might want to stay, either to bask in the triumph or the company of other musicians, but Francel's shifting moods are still a mystery, and the Bond hasn't helped as much as he might have guessed. ]

No... no — yes, actually. We should go home.

[francel seems undecided, to say the least. he squeezes aymeric's hand lightly, not quite meeting his eyes, and then rises to his feet, apparently determined to leave the hall without saying his farewells to the rest of his company.]

I've just... realized something, I suppose. Something I ought to have learned... and which I should have already known.

[he bolsters a dying strength in his voice, and murmurs more firmly:]

It is nothing of import. I will be fine.

I thought he was pretty cool He didn't like that he got passed over for being crown prince, right? There's nothin' wrong with not wanting to be in someone else's shadow.

[ ... ]

Not that I'd ever kill for it or anything, but stuff's fine in fiction. [ Stories and the like. ] But, mmm, thanks. It's about a friend of mine... Someone I love more than anything else, anyone else, in the whole entire world.

[ It's A Lot. ]

He's not here though, so it's kind of a waste I guess~. Ahh, not that he'd get it even if he heard it though, I bet. He's [ leaning a little closer, ears twitching conspiratorily ] kinda dumb.

Aha, I guess I can understand that feeling, but I do feel he went too far... [like. a lot] And, actually, it's history. I took some liberties here and there for the sake of performance time, but he really did exist.

[And he was terrible. Luckily, it was over 200 years before Elliot's time, so it's not like he knew the guy personally

But awww, a love story]

I don't think it's a waste of time. Even if he's not here, your and your feelings are.

[Oh, that sounds familiar]

Ahaha...lemme guess. He's very oblivious to all things romantic.

[ Oh, history... That works too; Japanese history has its fair share of... conflicts... He pays attention and studies the stuff he needs to - there's no need to waste too much effort on anything else.

Ritsu snorts softly, leaning away and turning his head; his ears twitch again, but back, the only hint towards his irritation. Not at Elliot, mind, but- ]

Or he's just ignorin' it because it's easier to pretend to not get it... But he cares a lot about me, [ he amends a little softer, ] so I wanna believe he's just oblivious, yeah. He says some pretty cute stuff too, like how I used to just be his Ricchan - that's his nickname for me - but I've got other people who like me for me now, and all... But, mmm, if anyone asked, he'd probably just say that it's normal to feel or say 'cause we've been friends since childhood.

[ A beat, and he glances back at his new companion, propping his chin in his hand. ]

Well, s'not like it matters here anyway... It's alright. [ hm m m m. ] You dealt with somethin' similar or got a friend in the same position?

[That...is really cute to hear.]

Haha, sounds pretty cute... [He ships it] And I like to think he is oblivious too. If he's known you for that long, he's probably hasn't caught on that the feelings have changed. Good luck getting him to notice.

[And he means that, do your best!! And he considers. It's not something he normally readily shares- but it's not like he's here. Or that this guy would know what he's talking about, so what's the harm?]

Um...both? There's someone back home a few of us like and, well...he's oblivious to all of it.

[ Thanks Elliot, he'll come complain to you should his bestie ever arrive in Aefenglom. For now, he's content with the people he knows here. ]

Ohhh, mm... like the protagonist of a harem manga, or something, huh.

[ ? ]

Er...sorry, I don't know what that means.

[ godiwishthatwereme.jpg ]

It's a manga - mmm, comic - where a guy has a bunch of girls... Or other people, but it's usually girls? And they allll love him, no matter how one-note or boring he is. There's usually some squabble over him or whatever, but there's always a "true end" kind of girl that he'll definitely end up with. Aaahh, girls have a similar thing, but with a bunch of guys instead... It's pretty common, but it's usually mixed with other genres to make a stronger story than just "some plain-faced guy who has a bunch of pretty girls around him who all want him" kinda thing.

[ ... ]

I mean, sometimes Protagonist-kun has good reason for everyone liking him so much - like, he's helpful or something - but there's a buncha people that think it's overplayed. It's still popular though, 'specially with shut-ins, since they can kinda self-insert into such a boring protagonist and pretend they're the ones getting wanted.

[ not that ritsu can say anything because he loves local plain-faced helper joe mao isara and doesn't see the irony in him commenting about harem manga when mao could BE the protagonist of one with how otoge he gets ]

[It's okay not all of us can be as aware of their own genre like Monika.

He listens to the explanation. So basically it's a story with a bunch of girls throwing themselves at a guy dudes can imagine themselves as? Or girls in reverse]

Oh, okay. That sounds very... ["heterosexual" goes unvoiced, but he sure is thinking it] Aha, doesn't sound like my type of story.

[He sighs]

I guess it's kinda like that in a loose sense, though no one's fought over him. And people have good reasons to like him, really... [He's sure Ritsu isn't accusing Rean of being like that, but man does he feel called out]

Edited 2019-07-29 12:42 (UTC)

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quest log: aurora musicalis

REHEARSALS

PERFORMANCES

AFTER THE SHOW

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@francel

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im sorry this is so late yuff feel free to disregard it if you want

it's all good!!

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