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"All About Arvalyn" Acts II & III [Solo]
Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2022 1:53 pm
by Arvælyn
"All About Arvalyn"
Act II
The Golden Peacock, 12 Frost 121
“Well, look at this guy!” Borys exclaimed, “Is that Phaedryn Sol’Aværys himself resurrected from the grave?” The director stepped over to get a closer look at Arry’s wig and makeup experiment as he made his way into the rehearsal room. The elf was on the floor doing stretches as Borys approached and leaned down to appraise his efforts.
“I wish we could do something about the eyes…” The human grimaced, taking Arry’s chin between his thumb and forefinger to move his ashen-painted face to different angles. “But maybe it makes sense for the character, since he was as much Hytori as Siltori, I just… Hm.” He reached up to tug the wig down a bit so the raven coloured bangs would lay over the golden eyes, obscuring them somewhat. “There we go! All right!” He turned back to open himself up to the room, and clapped his hands.
“We’re kicking off today with our first stumble through of all the blocking. We probably won’t get through the whole show today, which is fine, we’ll pick up wherever we leave off tomorrow and work through the remainder. The Zalkyrion puppet is still being constructed in the shop, so we’ll mark through that scene as best we can. This is going to be a stop/start rehearsal, so be prepared to sit around- This would be a great time for those of you struggling with lines to work on getting off book. Remember this is the last week I’ll be allowing scripts in hand. I know it’s fast, but the real work can’t really start until you’re all memorised, so…” He made his way over to the table and claimed his designated middle seat, opening his heavily notated copy of the script to the prologue.
“Let’s all get situated for top-of-show.” The actors promptly got up from lounging, stretching and pacing to head to their places marks. Arry took up his copy of the script and sat on the floor with his back against the wall.
“All right, curtain rises and…” Borys gestured, “Kaz, take it away.”
“O mount of fiery vengeance stand aloof…”
Arry followed along in the script as the play proceeded, and mouthed the lines others spoke. With his face buried in the book, he envisioned himself in the leading role. He tuned out the rich baritone of Wylan Royce, and supplanted it with his own breathier voice. He imagined the play as it would be in performance- Lit and elevated by magic, grandiose and epic… Only in his mind, he was at centre stage bemoaning the death of his firstborn and invoking elder powers to mete out revenge against those who’d oppressed his people… Aværys’ people, and Arry’s. Not Wylan Royce’s.
Naturally, rehearsal was over well before Arry’s entrance, but it felt like it was over in a flash, lost as he was in the text and his fantasy life. Sighing, he gathered up his things.
“Hey, Arvalyn?” He glanced up to find Wylan Royce jogging over. “I was wondering, if you’d um… If you’d want to have dinner? On me? I just… Well, you’re from Hytori nobility, right? I was hoping to pick your brain about a few things for the character.”
“Oh…” Arry pursed his lips, “Um. I’m not sure how helpful I’d be. Re’hyaeans aren’t actually Hytori and they left Sol’Valen millennia ago, so their culture took sort of a divergent path from ours…”
“Right, right. I get that. I do, but still… Even just to get a better sense of what it feels like to be an elf would be super helpful. And you just, I mean… You seem like the elfiest member of the cast, so I thought…”
Arry blinked, uncertain whether he should be offended at the reduction or flattered that his ruse was so effective.
“Sure, Wylan, fine.” At least he was promised a free meal for his troubles. “I’ll meet you at the bistro across the way at, say, seven?” The bistro wasn’t cheap, after all.
“Ahhh sure.” Wylan replied, a bit reluctantly. Arry smirked and made his way out.
Re: "All About Arvalyn" Acts 2 & 3 [Solo]
Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2022 10:30 pm
by Arvælyn
Act III
The Emerald Bistro, Later That Evening
Though he was very much spoken for, Arry arrived at the bistro as if he were going on a first date. Wylan Royce may have made this overture in the interest of learning something from Arry, but Arry likely had more to learn from Wylan Royce. Whilst Wylan sought out information to which Arry likely wasn’t privy, the sort of intel the elf sought was far more practical and certainly within the more seasoned actor’s realm of knowledge. If Arvalyn was to become a leading man at the Golden Peacock, who better to guide him than the current matinee idol.
He entered the front door to the bistro dressed to the nines in black and gold and, since he was meeting another member of the repertory company, he had to wear clothes that actually belonged to him rather than raiding costume storage like usual. He certainly didn’t want to risk Wylan recognising something purloined out of wardrobe.
“Mr. Royce.” Arry inclined his head, wearing a faint smirk and remnant traces of the eyeliner he hadn’t quite succeeded in removing after rehearsal.
“Mr. Val’Cithaeron.” Wylan returned the nod and moved to pull out a chair for the younger man.
“I’m flattered you know my surname…” Arry noted, as he accepted the chair, “But your first lesson in elfiness is diction. It’s a hard C and the accent is on the second syllable- well, the first after the apostrophe. The ae is just a schwa sound, so altogether that’s Val’KITHəron.”
Wylan repeated the name softly to himself as he took the seat across from the boy he knew as Arvalyn.
“So.” The human began, “You seemed to know a lot about the material at rehearsal today. Are you of Re’hyaean descent yourself, or…?”
“Me? Oh…” Arry blinked. That hadn’t really occurred to him and, in truth, he didn’t know the answer. But the background he’d concocted for his alter ego was already canonically set in Sol’Valen, so regardless of the uncertainty he replied in the negative. “No… I just did a lot of research when the play was announced.” That much was true, as was the fact that: “I find Solunarium fascinating.”
“As do I.” Wylan smiled, “The entry I read in the Encyclopedia Ecithica indicates that it’s still around and not terribly different… Albeit with fewer deities and dragons guarding the gates.”
“Some might argue that’s pretty different.” Arry observed, though the arrival of the waiter interrupted that line of conversation before it could germinate.
“Shall we order a bottle of something?” Wylan wondered,
“I’m partial to red. How about the Zaichaeri Zweigelt?”
“A bottle of the Zweigelt, then. You have a dangerous palate, Mr. Val’KITHəron.”
“And you have a good ear, Mr. Royce. So…” The waiter stepped away, allowing their conversation to resume in earnest. “What did you hope to glean from… what did you call me? ‘The elfiest member of the cast’?”
“Ach, that probably wasn’t very tactful, was it? I meant no offence. I’m quite partial to elves, myself, though this is my first time playing one. To be entirely honest, Arvalyn, I figured you were a shoe-in and I’d end up playing Arcas. I wouldn’t have minded that, honestly… Fewer lines to learn, but very prominent with a few really memorable speeches late in the play. Plus with the politics of Kalzasi such as they are, it wouldn’t be the worst association…”
“You thought they’d give it to me?” Arry arched an eyebrow, “Now that does surprise me.”
“Why? Have you seen depictions of Aværys? He might have been your brother, and… Well, I heard a bit of your audition through the door and, I’ll just say, I was impressed.”
“Oh…” Arry blushed, “Well, it’s just one of those texts, I feel, that does most of the work for you. If you just say the words you can’t help but feel their meaning… rather like a possession.”
“I couldn’t agree more. I just have a few… I guess little blocks that are tripping me up. It seems like such a huge part of Aværys’ culture surrounds the arcane. I know elves have a different relationship to magic and, I understand you aren’t Re’hyaean so it isn’t exactly the same for you, but… Well, firstly, are you a mage?”
Arry blinked.
“Well, that’s quite a personal question…” He deflected.
“I… suppose it is. I’m sorry. Once again, I mean no offence, I only thought you might help me understand what some of this feels like. It’s hard to portray magic use without having actually done it. I don’t want the real mages in the audience to clock my inexperience. Special effects can only achieve so much…”
“I’m… sure there are better people to help you with that bit. Was there anything else, Wylan?”
“Well, the memorisation isn’t coming easily, I’ll tell you that…”
“Is that right?”
“Obviously it’s a massive role, and it was never a strong suit of mine but… It’s just feeling like there are a few mental hurdles I need to overcome.”
Arry tilted his head, contemplatively.
“...is that so?”
“Here’s our wine.” Wylan noticed,
“That won’t help.” Arry bade, as the bottle was presented.
“You picked it, you should taste it.”
Arry nodded, and pushed his empty glass forward for the waiter to tip the bottle over it to pour a sampling. It was swirled first in the glass and then upon the tongue.
“Perfect.” As the wine was poured, he consulted the menu. “I’ll have the shellfish special.” He decided.
“And I’ll have the steak. Thank you.” Wylan handed their menus up, and returned his attention promptly to Arry.
“Well, I’d be happy to help you run your lines, if you think that would be of assistance.” The elf offered.
“Yeah… Yeah it might.” Wylan conceded before adding, with a chortle, “Unless you’re just angling to sabotage and replace me.”
“Tsk, Wylan!” Arry adopted a cartoonishly impish sneer, as he added: “The notion never crossed my mind… Shall we start now?” He reached down and produced his script, placing it upon the white clothed table before him.
“Here?” Royce knitted his brow, “Now?”
“You’re right. We should toast first.” He took up his glass and lifted it, “May the favour of Divine Aværys bless our production with massive crowds and frenzied acclaim from both the press and the common man.”
Wylan chuckled, adding: “Aværys Eternal.” Before clinking and drinking.
“All right. How about now?” Arry inquired, rapping his index finger on the cover of the script.
Wylan conceded and much of their meal was spent in Ancient Solunarium, with Arry taking on sundry roles in support of Wylan’s one. Increasingly, he could see the doubt that Royce had kept so well under wraps in rehearsal. He had the same reservations about himself in the role as Arry had first broached when he saw the cast list. He knew he was too old, he knew he was too human, he knew that there were major themes that were outside his capability to understand. Arry didn’t need to invade his symphony to recognise that the memory block was born of these doubts. He’d stated plainly that he might have even preferred the smaller role of Arcas. It wasn’t his fault he’d been thrust athwart Arry’s path to centre stage, but here he was.
“Thank you for dinner, Wylan…” Standing just outside the doorway to the bistro, he pulled his coat closed and fastened it.
“And thanks for your help, Arvalyn.”
“My pleasure.”
“I feel like we’ve a lot to learn from each other.” Wylan smiled guilelessly.
“I couldn’t agree more.” Arry grinned darkly, though the curl of his lips fell away as the human leaned in to claim them. “Nae.” He stepped back, sharply.
“Oh!” Wylan’s eyes went wide, horrified at his own awkwardness. “I am… so, so, so sorry. I didn’t-...”
“Don’t be sorry.” Arry’s smile returned, this time lighter and friendlier, as he dismissed Wylan’s concerns. “I just… have one of those faces. I’m actually spoken for.”
“Ah yes, of course… Doubtless by someone much richer and more comely than I.”
“Well.” The elf straightened his coat collar. “I’ll see you tomorrow. I’ll be free all afternoon if you want to run lines before rehearsal.”
“I might take you up on that. Thank you again and sorry again. See you tomorrow.” Wylan turned on his heel abruptly and started briskly down the street toward his home. Only then did Arry open the channel of his Rune to listen in on Wylan’s symphony. In so brief a moment, he learned more than he had through their entire dinner. And a man who’d once intimidated him became an object of abject pity.
“Fascinating.” He whispered to himself as he lifted his hand to hail the nearest coach.
Re: "All About Arvalyn" Acts 2 & 3 [Solo]
Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2022 5:29 am
by Hikami
All About Arvalyn" Acts 2 & 3
Points awarded:
Lores:
- Spycraft
Assessing someone's insecurities
Learning about a person through small talk
Prompting someone for information
Making himself available
Appraising a soul through its symphony
Keeping a mark on the line
Loot:
Injuries:
Notes:
- Great thread!
If you feel I missed anything contact me and we will make adjustments!
enjoy your rewards!