Lights, Camera, Action! [Lyssoryl, Fish Stick please]

[Lyssoryl]

"I think we are well on our way to fame and glory! I would like to work on the monolog I give while you are reaching Clara to create the fairy for the first time, but you needn't be present for that. I can do it in my room. It might be nice to have one more run through once we have our actual props, but otherwise I think we are good to go."

oocSo...the seasons have switched, right? Can we still do the actual talent show if we append it to this thread? I was hoping for a chance at XP

[Fish Stick]

As they continued to run around, the ball of light finally faded, and their act was done for the moment.

OOC: Sure thing, just keep this thread going, and then we can do the talent show directly through this thread. XP will be rewarded once the thread is completed.

[Lyssoryl]

Lyssoryl arrived early for the talent show. She wanted to make sure that all the props were present and ready to go, and of course the excitement of performing made her eager to arrive.

But first, she checked in at the sign in booth to see what order they would be performing in. She was not especially particular. Going last allowed you to be the freshest in the judges minds, but on the other hand going first meant you could relax and watch the rest of the show afterwards.

[Xyltha Thanole]

The brightening of the talent show dawned, and as the clouds gathered, children a-playing and adults a-drinking merrily, Xyltha walked to the stage of the Talent Show, his shaking gait betraying his nervous temperament that morning. As he stared at the crowd of people, dressed gaily for the events and parades, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of fear.

"Oh, why did I go through with this...", he moaned to himself.

Then he spied his Cether companion. The sight of the slight lady became the target of his destination and as he approached her, he found himself feeling strangely braver, as if her mere presence was bolstering his courage.

"Serale! Lyssoryl! How are you? You ready for the Show?" He greeted her enthusiastically. Finally, here was someone to share in the pre-show jitters and take away memories of fear and embarrassment.

[Lyssoryl]

Lyssoryl was all smiles, and showed little to no pre-show nerves. She was after all a bard, and did this sort of thing because she enjoyed it. "I am quite ready for the show! I believe that we will be quite competitive with out skit. It is not easy to work magic into entertainment, and I think we have done an admirable job of it. Are you nervous? If so, let me tell you something to make you feel better. During the show we shall have lights upon us, and the audience will sit in the dark so they will be difficult if not impossible to see. Just pretend they aren't there and all will be well. And remember that I have the vast majority of the spoken lines which is where one is most likely to flub."

[Xyltha Thanole]

Her carefree and vivacious attitude put him at ease. At the cether's encouraging words, Xyltha felt somewhat relieved. Well, he wasn't sure how well he'd manage with the lights still on full blast on them, but at least he would be able to blot out the presence of the audience all that much easier.

"Oh good... I guess. Well, how long before we have to get on the stage? Do they have the props organised yet?"

He glanced nervously towards the stage, though his jittery knees had already achieved some semblance of calm. As he stared at the stage, a realisation dawned on him. Why was he being so nervous? Hadn't he practised all brightening and more with hhis Cether companion. Hadn't they put all their concentration and efforts into this little skit? Besides, with that little light show and the music, he was sure the audience would be won over. After all, his partner did have past experience on stage, being a bard and all.

For the first time that brightening, a flicker of a smile curved his lips. What remained of his previous pre-show jitters were being swept away in the euphoria of self-realisation and hope...

[Lyssoryl]

oocOK, let's kick this puppy into gear

"There are three acts before us. I believe that stage hands will set up for us, and that it won't require too much fussing since the previous act is a juggling routine without a set, so there will be nothing to clear away."

She watched the first two acts with a critical eye. "Well, and I mean this in the kindest possible spirit, we shall be better than these fellows at least. It is nice to have that sort of cushion."

When the juggler had left the stage, stagehands appeared and began arranging their set as they had been directed. Lyssoryl stood quietly near a wall where she would not be disturbed, entering clara. At last the curtain parted, and Lyssoryl led the way out into the light, carrying her oversized butterfly net and clasping a book under her arm, and singing the Anthem of Aelyria.

Finishing her song, she stopped and rested the end of the net on the ground and propped the shaft on her shoulder. . "I do believe we're here!" she said to Xyltha with excitement. "This idol matches the one in the illustration. I believe this is the place that the Trelorian fae collect to perform their strange rites."

She had spent some time working on her comical description of their journey. The description of the horrible night spent in a tree just out of reach of the hoppings of the rabbit sized fleas of the Thunderhead pass, what quite a bit the same as before, but when she described the run in with the pants-eatting gazelles of the irongrass plains she turned casually to Xyltha, revealing that the entire seat of her trousers was closed with a large and improvised patch.

She watched Xyltha carefully to see when he had reached Clara. She had worked out some additional material to add to her monolog in case he took longer to go into clara than last time, but by his movements she could see that he was ready to cast his spell. She continued talking, waiting for the appearance of the fairy to interrupt her.


Having hopefully given Xyltha enough time to gather mana, she turned to him, hoping a light would soon appear.

[Xyltha Thanole]

Xyltha followed Lyssoryl as they traipsed onto the stage. The spotlight was hot on them, bathing the duo in a curtain of blinding brilliance; though it had the good grace to shadow the audience into obliviousness. As the elf dumbly followed the cether around the stage while she narrated her descriptive narrative, he eventually settled against the statue, pretending as if intensely scrutinising the runic markings that elaborated the surface.

Meanwhile, he gently closed his eyes in preparation of entering Clara. Then he would attempt to descend into the depths of meditative trance, grasping at the elusive state marking the boundaries of the Planes. Thence, he would commence arcalysis, to produce enough Essence-wrought mana to fashion a Sphere of Light; the light that he would manifest on stage, as they had practised brightenings recently.

[Trinity]

ooc*hijacks!* Lets finish this up, dears. :) Sorry for the short post, takes me a second to jump into threads like this hehe.

As the two appeared on stage and began their act, the small crowd that had gathered to watch the talent show sat with rapt attention, watching as Lyssoryl and Xyltha began their theatrics up on the stage. Lyssoryl's song was beautiful, and caused much of the crowd to break out in a bit of applause before growing silent again to listen to her tale. It entranced them as any good act should, and they remained respectfully silent as she exclaimed to her fellow performer and recounted a story of pants-eating gazelles and showed her bottom to the crowd. Laughter erupted at the sight of Lyssoryl's disheveled pants.

Shortly after she had finished expounding the tale of the run in with pants-eating gazelles within the iron-grass forest, Xyltha reached Clara in a state that had gone unnoticed by the crowd. Not having any eyes on him, the sphere of light that was to mock a faerie appeared behind him, though completely under his control. It was in plain sight for the audience and for Lyssoryl to see and to react to. A few members of the audience gasped, some broke into mild, surprised whispers. What was that ball of light bouncing around on stage?! A few of the children who were more enthralled in the story than their adult companions pointed at it with excitement, being naive of the use of magic and how it could be manipulated to entertain. One child whispered loudly to another in the front row that it obviously must be one of the ritual-preforming fae that the duo was looking for, sounding like a know-it-all on the subject. Others giggled, and were quickly hushed by the surrounding adults. The crowd was in silent suspense, waiting to see what would happen next.

[Lyssoryl]

oocThank you! I won't complain about post length, mine are rarely long

Lyssoryl reacted with exaggerated excitement. Seizing her butterfly net, she began to chase the "fairy" back and forth across the stage, stumbling over things and occasionally whacking Xyltha by mistake. The obvious reaction from the crowd put her in good spirits, and she felt that she was acting her best. After a short stint, she ran into a stage tree, and dropped to the ground, faining unconsciousness. Now was Xyltha's turn to take command, while she slipped into clara, perparing to sing her second song.

[Trinity]

oocTaking control of your friend since he's not posted here. :\ Sorry for the length of time between replies; I was expecting him to post! Lets finish this up for ya.

Xyltha continued to bounce the ball of light around the stage while Lyssoryl chased it around. It feigned a bit of playful teasing as most fae would have, and seemed to always just be out of reach. As Lyssoryl ran into the tree and fell over, her companion turned around while continuing to focus on the ball of light and exclaimed, "Quick! Catch that thing!" He scurried over to where Lyssoryl was pretending to be unconscious on the ground and nearly stepped on her as he reached into the air to try and grab the sphere of light. Since controlling it and acting were both strenuous on the sorcerer's mind, the light disappeared just as Xyltha pretended to grasp it in his hand.

The crowd believed it and the children near the front began to cheer excitedly. Xyltha bent over Lyssoryl with a clenched fist and pretended to hold the faerie out to her. "Into the tome with it!" He chirped, motioning to the large book the sorcerer had been carrying, as if asking Lyssoryl for assistance for show purposes. The crowd continued to wait with bated breath, knowing that little magical faerie rarely tended to be subdued so easily.

[Lyssoryl]

Lyssoryl restrained her facial expressions. Xyltha had gotten a bit off plot, but it was nothing they couldn't recover from. She was supposed to sing the fairy to sleep before it got put in the book, with her song giving Xyltha a chance to go into clara and recast the fairy.

"Jerk your hand around, as if it's about to break free" she whispered. When he did so, she said "Hold tight! Hold tight! I know, I shall sing a lullaby to it and make it peaceful."

She began to sing Leland's Lullaby with great feeling and emotion. As she sang, she watched the crowd carefully. The song, she believed, would make the audience relaxed, but shouldn't actually put them to sleep. Or at least that was her hope.

[Trinity]

Realizing his mistake, Xyltha quickly and silently acknowledged Lyssoryl with his eyes. He jerked his hand around him dramatically, feigning shock and irritation in an attempt to hold it still. His free fist grasped above the clenched one, and that one above the new fist, as if trying to hold on to the magical fairy desperately. Lyssoryl began her song just at the right moment when Xyltha lost concentration and the sphere of light depleted within his hand - though the audience was unable to tell.

As Lyssoryl peered out into the audience, she could see that a lot of the patrons' expressions had relaxed and they were smiling jovially back up at her. The children in the front were swaying and almost closing their eyes. She was not able to put them to sleep - as intended - but merely relaxed them. Xyltha, too, fell under the melodious spell that escaped his partner's lips and in his relaxation almost let the clenched fist slip - which was supposedly holding the imaginary fairy. Lyssoryl's peaceful lullaby helped the young Sorcerer achieve clara quickly because his mind was cleared and relaxed by the song. Silently he recast the sphere in his hand and reached for the book.
"Excellent!" He exclaimed, though his voice exercised a bit of calm reserve, "I think it's working - yes! Yes it is!" It was more of a hushed whisper than anything else. He peered at his hand as if looking for the fairy's movement. His hand did not move or jerk about as he motioned for the book again. "Quick, let's hold it in something else. If it wakes up in my hand, It's going to try and break free again!"

Comically, Lyssoryl's elf companion reached for the tome they had been carrying, feigned wrestling with his hand with a little, less obvious restraint than the first time, and thrust his clenched fist inside the book, snapping it shut when Lyssoryl's entrancing lullaby concluded. "Yes! We have caught the Faery, even while it was enthralled in the majestic song of the lady songstress!" The elf proclaimed, thrusting the tome into the air for added applause. The audience struck up excitedly, just as he had envisioned in his head during their rehearsals. Xyltha couldn't help but smile.

Passing the tome to Lyssoryl, he turned so that only half of his body faced the audience and began to enter Clara once more. This time he would make the fairy chase them, as they had practiced. The sphere of light was cast with little obstruction and was currently sitting between the tome and Lyssoryl. Considering it didn't have any mass, Xyltha moved it through the book and, when Lyssoryl was ready, would have it dart out after them. She would need to cue him by mimicking the fairy's struggle on her own part though, it seemed.

[Lyssoryl]

Lyssoryl took the tome from Xyltha, and held it open for him to place the fairy within. She did not open it all the way though, she used the cover to block the audience from having a clear shot at seeing the supposed fairy.

She looked down at it with beaming countance. "Isn't it lovely?" she asked. "One of the gods finest creations!" Suddenly she banged the book shut on it with a snap.

"Well, there's that one collected. Shall we be off to the Salt Marshes of Fenn?" She began to collect her gear, bending over so the revived fairy could have a free shot at stinging her rear before she could react. Out of the corner of her eye she watched for Xyltha's light, and when it attacked, she let out a squeal. The light chased the two of them back and forth across the stage, until finally they exited stage left.

[Trinity]

Xyltha nodded animatedly and held a fist up in the air in success after the ball of light had once more been cast. He kept it hidden from the audience for long enough, so that Lyssoryl could finish her lines and so that he could also respond. "Yes! To Fenn's Salt Marshes!" He proclaimed, and began to trod off exaggeratedly. The children in the front giggled at his charade, but their giggles soon broke into laughter as the "faerie" emerged from the tome once more and motioned to hit Lyssoryl's backside. Xyltha turned just in time after passing Lyssoryl's rump to feign shock at what had happened.
"I don't think it's too happy about us putting it in that book..." He yelped over Lyssoryl's squeal that had indicated the "faerie's" assault on her bottom.

As if it had heard him, Xyltha forced the sphere of light to swivel in the air and come back after him. Clutching his props and putting his free hand over his head as if it would provide protection from the onslaught of the faerie's fury, Xyltha ran around with Lyssoryl on the stage in an attempt to dodge the faerie until they had finally made it off stage. The crowd was cheering and full of happy laughter. Xyltha looked at his companion, slightly out of breath after listening to the reaction of the crowd. With a big grin on his face, he patted Lyssoryl on the shoulder. "Wonderfully done. I think you could have a career in this! I was no good. So jittery. I don't know what I would've done without you out there with me. Probably folded and forgot all my lines!" The initiate Sorcerer finally let out a nervous sigh, allowing all the jitters from the stage performance to escape him as the announcer and overseer of the talent show announced the last act of the evening.

When the last act had finished, the announcer tallied the audience's votes for their favorite performance. While Vers' intent was to get the Empire interested in their city again, and to raise funds for the Imaden School of Higher Learning, they could not go without awarding small prizes to various exceptional individuals. Because the audience was so pleased with Lyssoryl and Xyltha's performances, they were both called back to the stage at the end of the event for that darkening and presented with a scholarship voucher that was good for 50% of the tuition at the Imaden School of Higher Learning, and would be valid through the next level of training in their respective fields if they wished to use it for such purposes. It was the least the Versian Council could do for the pleasant entertainment, and hopefully by awarding prizes related to their city, they could retain some individuals for involvement in the town once more.

Secrets : GM Trinity awards Lyssoryl +1 XP in Song, and a Scholarship voucher good at the Imaden School of Higher Learning in Vers, which will reduce the cost of tuition by 50% for the next rank of Song training. I really enjoyed your performance. Made me giggle! Feel free to post any closing posts and let me know if you need me to respond again. I hope this was what you were expecting from the conclusion of this thread!