Let’s make this day the best in the world | Valentine's Day Concert

[saxsongs]

🧙 WHO: Anyone and everyone
⚔️️ WHAT: Valentine's Day Concert
🕒 WHEN: February 14th
🗺️ WHERE: At the theater in Camelot
⚠️ WARNINGS: None that I can think of, will edit if needed.


Backstage

Backstage was a busy place during the whole concert. There were people getting ready, people helping people get ready and even just friends visiting them to wish them good luck (or to break a leg) or just help relieve some of the stage fright. Each artist or group had access to a room of their own if they needed some alone time. All they had to do was put up a sign that the room was in use.

On the stage

The theater stage was decorated with appropriate Valentine's Day decorations - roses, hearts and other simple, but meaningful things. The curtain would come down whenever someone needed time to prepare the stage to look different and there were several talented musicians helping out to bring live music to the stage.

As they say, they stage is for the performers to take as their own, one or several at a time.

In the audience

The audience has seatings for those who desire it, but there is also a space for anyone to stand and dance. There's plenty of space even if there is a section of the audience sectioned off for a... pool? Why was there a pool in the theater? Well, it certainly wasn't for just anyone to casually swim in but instead it was reserved for a special guest making an appearance at the concert.

The Lady of the Lake had been invited by Ren to watch the concert. To be fair, he had also invited King Arthur, Merlin and the Lady Morganna, but only the Lady of the Lake had accepted the invitation (although looking at Merlin's instagram afterwards may prove different, as he was there but just under a disguise).

Snacks and beverages are also being served at the theater lobby. Of course, since it was Valentine's Day, there was plenty of chocolate to go around.


After-party

While the after-party was mostly aimed at performers to celebrate a successful concert, no one was turned away from it. Anyone wanting to visit the party to congratulate on the success or to just chat with the performers was definitely welcome to.

The party was hosted at the theater too, since why not use the space you needed to clean up the next day anyway. Anyone was also welcome to join the clean up process the next day as well, but Ren certainly wouldn't force anyone to help out.

Comments

[avalonmods]

I'm good. Thanks.

[ She probably could flag someone down to help her, but so far, she's just been having other attendees do it. He offered though, so she's not going to insist he do. A little gratitude is all she asks, and offering to get her stuff shows it well enough. ]

Have you ever been to a concert like this?

[mayoninofukucho]

Not really! I've been to an idol concert, a boyband concert, and a rap battle. But the first two kind of turned into terrorist attacks. This one is really nice!

[He means it! He's a Valentine's Day hater who wanted to just work the day away, but when there was no crime happening and the still outstanding quests were either too sketchy or too mundane for his liking he thought he'd come and make sure this event wouldn't turn sideways like those other ones. And lo and behold, he actually really enjoyed the music up until now.]

Which was your favourite act so far? They sure all put a lot of effort in.

[avalonmods]

Sounds like you're the one who needs a drink, not me.

[ Okay, Arthurian legends are wild too and she's been around for thousands of years since, but still. He's about 50-50 for nightmare concerts. ]

Oh no, I'm not picking a favorite while I'm still here. The last thing I want is a bunch of people trying to get me to endorse them. It'll be Merlin trying to get me to plug his favorite pool inflatables all over again. [ She shakes her head. There's obviously a story with that, but she doesn't elaborate. ] Everything's different genres and just reminding me how single I am anyway. It's hard to compare.

[mayoninofukucho]

[Okay, he has questions. But first of all he wants to vindicate her as a fellow single.]

Well, it's hard to make space for romance when you've got a busy life. I know you work hard to help us make it to the shore alive every month, and I'm sure you have plenty more stuff going on.

[The lake is bigger than the island, and they already have their hands full with things happening all over the place!]

Or is it just a matter of not meeting the right person? In that case it's definitely better to wait than to lower your standards.

[What does he even know about this?!]

What happened with the pool toys, though?

[If she doesn't want to talk about it: understandable. He also has a few dozens incidents he'd rather just pretend didn't happen. But he has to ask.]

[isleofnpcs]

Most people can't breathe under water. I live in a lake, it puts a damper on the romance at a certain point since I'm not into freshwater dolphins.

[ Don't tell them that, they'll be heartbroken.

She rolls her eyes. ]

A grown man wearing arm floaties gets old quickly. [ Yes, she means Merlin. ] Even faster when the people of Camelot start wearing floaties all over your lake trying to find you for selfies. I had to spend a whole month underwater before they started giving up.

[mayoninofukucho]

Ah. Yeah, that would get old fast.

[No one back home wants to get a photo with the "dogs of the shogunate", but if he could count the times he's been accosted by reporters to comment on some crimes or other disruptive events...]

I thought there were probably other people or part-time-people around, like mer-- I mean, lakemaids, or more selkies.

[Apart from the one with the shitty husband. However if there are more they may well stick to themselves.]

But with humans I see the problem. How come you live in the lake, anyway?

[She probably gets that question a lot, but... well, what exactly is she? She looks so perfectly human, nothing like what he'd imagine a nayad or a personification - he's seen those country people, he knows it happens - to look like.]

[isleofnpcs]

The male selkies are sort of... [ How to explain this. ] They have this cultural weird thing where they're really into married women. Like seduce brides from your husband for a hot night of passion on their anniversary and then give them a wink and a wave as they disappear into the water, and they are not fans of contraception. The women kept getting kidnapped by men any time they'd go off on their own, so it's hard to get near them nowadays unless you're part of their pack. And "Lakemaids" eat human souls.

[ She leans out of the pool to tap his nose with the tip of her finger. ] What can I say? I'm kind of fond of you guys. I'd never make it through dinner with the parents.

[ She laughs and dips back down into the water, swimming toward the middle a little to avoid any potential retaliation. ]

I'm what you would call a water spirit, but a little more complicated. I have a solid form so I can mess around with you guys but-- [ She holds her hand up and it starts to drip away into the water, before reforming. ] In a sense, I am part of the waters of Avalon. I can travel anywhere there is water, but can't exist outside of it.

[mayoninofukucho]

[Okay. What the hell?! Why are selkie men so maladjusted?! They'd fit right in with the depraved bunch back home who can't shut up about their kinks! And the lakemaids, whatever they're properly called, eat souls?! He opens his mouth to make some rather opinionated remarks when the Lady boops his nose, which gives him a short blank-out moment. He sheepishly rubs it as she resurfaces, and then she does that... damn. Nothing is what it seems here, huh?]

Wow. So you're sort of a guardian of the waters here?

[This seems really unique! Sure, back in Japan there are tales of specific mystical beings guarding certain places, such as shrines or mountains, but if the Lady is the only one of her kind around Avalon it's no wonder she has trouble finding a partner. She's probably immortal or near-immortal, too, so even if she mimicked the selkie men and went after mortals that'd be a short-timed happiness (not that Hijikata would encourage that to begin with).]

I'm really starting to feel like the inhabitants of the lake and those of the island are better off steering clear of each other. I mean, apart from you.

[isleofnpcs]

[ Hijikata's realization that a lot of faeries are really messed up by human standards is probably just getting started. ]

In a manner of speaking, so don't piss me off.

[ She says it as a joking threat, but it's not really joking. She lives by the laws of nature, which means she's not against causing serious harm should she feel it necessary. ]

I hate to tell you, but it doesn't matter where you go. There are always going to be those who are peaceful and love humans and those who find them natural prey. It's an adjustment not being the top of the food chain... and having to understand things outside of it.

[mayoninofukucho]

[It seriously is a big adjustment. As a high-ranking cop back home he's used to being able to do what he wants (within certain boundaries; the Amanto overlords are off-limits). This clearly doesn't apply anymore, and he's struggling with it. And here he thought Avalon was less dangerous than Prismatica...]

Well, thanks for the warning. I've got to say, being told that you're not at the top of the food chain feels a bit crappy.

[Isn't he just the most classic human, so sure of his supremacy? Granted, the Amanto already showed their superiority by making his Earth their colony, but being told the same from yet another group of powerful beings stings! He sighs in acceptance, though, and gives the Lady a proper bow as he gets up from the poolside, having noticed that the next act is about to begin.]

I'll try to remember my place, if you will.

[Spoiler: he'll forget, probably more than once. But if nothing else he respects her on a personal level; she objectively does a lot for the off-worlders for the minimal gain of their thankfulness.]

[isleofnpcs]

I sure hope so. I'm not saying you have to accept it, but you sure better remember that somethings do want to eat you.

[ It's just friendly advice. ]

Don't worry, there's plenty of creatures that'll want a different kind of bite of someone like you. You look more kidnappable than killable.

[ He's cute, okay. She's laughing playfully too, then makes a shoo gesture as the next act is about to start. She'll just leave him with that thought since the music is swelling again. ]

[mayoninofukucho]

They're going to kidnap me over my dead body.

[It's death before dishonour, Lady! Never mind that he has already racked up a long list of dishonourable things in his life, nobody needs to know about that.]

And I bite back.

[He pats the sword hilt at his hip. This steel can keep up with most teeth, claws and daggers... or so he hopes. If the would-be kidnappers use magic, though - and why the hell wouldn't they; this is Avalon - he'll kind of be at the end of his rope. Maybe he should look into getting some wards or talismans one of these days. He's not sure whether the Lady still heard his affirmations as the new songs kicks in, but she better believe that he's resourceful!]