Solo The Mime and the Illusion

[Sayana]

Summer 16, 515 AV – Rearing Stallion

Sayana arrived early at the Rearing Stallion that day. Or at least early for her. It was a couple bells before the evening rush and as she stepped into the tavern, she noticed there was a small crowd. However, as she sat down at one of the tables and set down her various percussion instruments and her silken veil, she sensed there was something different about the tavern. The furniture hadn’t moved, the barmaids were mostly the same, there was a new storyteller on the dais but that was to be expected… Then it hit her. There were all sorts of new customers who she didn’t recognize. Did she just not get out to see the afternoon crowd very much? As a dancer who performed practically every night at the tavern, Sayana was used to seeing her regulars but today there were all sorts of brightly coloured individuals clustered at various tables.

In one corner sat a man all on his own, also dressed brightly. He had a mug of ale in front of him yet he seemed to be staring blankly in the same direction for the past couple chimes. Sayana frowned and looked on at him. Every so often his face would contort as if trying to hide some emotion and he’d take another long drink from his mug. Curious, and a little sorry for the poor guy, Sayana took her things and approached the man.

“Get dumped by a pretty lady?” She asked as she sat down next to him. “No, but I wish I had,” came his blunt reply. His answer did little to satisfy or diminish her curiosity. Glancing at his drink, Sayana looked around and waved down one of the barmaids. “Another one for him, and the same for me,” she requested. The man looked at her suspiciously. Sayana returned the glance with a pointed look.

“So what’s got you down in the dumps?” She asked with an expectant tone. Even if he refused to answer, perhaps the alcohol would eventually loosen him up. But he decided to speak. “I’m the lead acrobat and dancer of a troop, and I was going to perform tonight but I’m not.” “You’re an acrobat and dancer?” Sayana asked with surprise. He certainly didn’t look it. “I’m Sayana and I dance here at the Rearing Stallion.” She held out her mid right hand as if to shake his. However, he simply looked at it with a wry grin and eventually offered up his left hand. “See that’s where the problem lies. I broke my wrist in my right hand and only just got it treated today. That’s why I’m not performing.” The man said with an ironic lilt to his voice despite its sullenness.

“Oh.” There was a silence that stretched between them and when the barmaid arrived with the drinks they both used to the opportunity to take a long sip.

“Perhaps I could fill in? There are still a few bells before evening.” Sayana suggested tentatively. He was clearly in a dismal mood. “I am quite good at dancing and I can improvise on the spot if I forget anything. I don’t think I can do any flips though.”

He looked up at her curiously, his face not quite as sullen and dark as before. “Do you act?” “A little.” “Let’s see what you can do.” He got up quickly and down the last of his ale. His right arm hung limp at his side but otherwise his body was animated with new determination as he led the way outside.

Receipt2 sm for the two mugs of ale

[Sayana]

Once the pair of them were outside he started off sounding like a drill sergeant. “Do a cartwheel for me.” Sayana hesitated as she tried to think of what he meant by it. “Like going like a wheel on your hands?” She asked and then promptly began one. Her high hands hit the ground and her legs came up and landed back down on the other side. She hadn’t done one since she was a child and it was sloppy with her legs hardly going up straight. “Again. Legs right up over your head. And straight.” He said gruffly as he wondered whether she’d be good enough.

Sayana readied herself with more power this time and launched into the cartwheel, her high hands hitting the ground firmly and her other hands nearby to brace her should she wobble. This time she got her legs up much higher and straighter but as a result her skirt slipped down momentarily while she was upside down.

“Better,” he said as he scrutinized her. “You’re going to need to borrow my pants. Don’t worry, I have an extra pair for performances. Are you pregnant or do you just eat a lot?” Sayana made a face at his comment but then replied, “Pregnant. But I can still dance.” “Alright. Spin ten times in a row, in a straight line. Then do a jump so you land facing me.”

Clearly he was testing her dance ability now and also her balance. With a smile she started with the turns. One, two, three… Her arms moved gracefully in and out with each turn as she reoriented herself and kept in a straight line. It was somewhat slow but her balance never wavered and she did the small little jump at the end landing on firm feet. “Slow and too many flourishes,” he commented. “Do it again and faster.”

The Eypharian’s mouth twitched in annoyance. Why hadn’t he just said to spin as fast as she could? With new determination she kept her arms poised in a rough ball shape in front of her as she did the ten quick spins. They stayed mostly in line but after the jump at the end, her head was spinning. Yet it passed his test and he nodded in approval.

[Sayana]

“Alright, I have to get you some clothes. We can’t continue practicing when you’re dressed like that.” The acrobat stated as he dashed back into the tavern. In less than a chime he returned with some brightly coloured pants, a top, some crazy shoes and an equally ridiculous hat. “You want me to wear that?” Sayana said incredulously as she looked at the ludicrous outfit. “This dance is about a jester, a trickster who runs around ruining all the big parties. In Alvadas we quite enjoy a good trickster, so yes I do want you to wear this.”

For a moment Sayana pursed her lips. What had she signed up for? But despite the ridiculousness of it all, it was clear he thought she could help and it would be a good experience to branch out from the dances she was used to. “Alright,” she answered as she took the costume from him and started putting it on. She was quick and reasonably discrete with the pants but when it came to the top, she knew it wasn’t going to fit. “I can’t wear this unless it has bigger armholes,” she stated. The acrobat’s face fell as he realized the dilemma of her being an Eypharian. “Rip them off,” he said firmly but with a sigh. “Sarah will hate me for it but this was – is going to be a big performance and she can fix it up later.” With a shrug, Sayana took out one of her daggers and carefully tore at the cloth to make a big enough hole for all her arms. She didn’t bother with the sleeves at all and simply handed them to the acrobat once she was done.

“Is the trickster male or female?” “Nobody knows…” he answered mysteriously. Sayana rolled her eyes. “I take it you want me to look male. Can you help me bind my chest with this silk?” The Eypharian took out the silk she usually used for performances and folded it lengthwise till it was a skinny band. Then with the help of the acrobat she was able to tie it firmly about her to help minimize her chest. It was far from perfect, and she certainly didn’t look like a man, but it helped. For the moment she left the crazy shoes and hat, and simply put on the Eypharian-adjusted top.

“Your daggers,” he reminded and reluctantly she undid her belt and passed them to him. “I promise I’ll keep them safe for you,” the acrobat added and then got back to business. “Now, show me a handstand.”

Even though she loved her usual red outfit, the simple and tight clothes made it easier to do the things he requested. First the handstand, which she used her high hands and mid hands to steady herself while her legs went straight up. Her arms weren’t of perfect length in this position but by bending one set, it gave her a lot of stability. He might have noticed this because his next request was for her to walk on her hands. When she tried it, she did it with much hesitation and only inched forwards while squeezing inwards with her stomach to keep her balanced upside down.

Next was a running leap with her legs stretched as long as possible in a split. Sayana dusted off her hands and tried to ignore the small cuts from the cobblestone before breaking into a run. After several strides she kicked off in a leap and stretched out her legs as far as she could. Adequate. Hmmff.

Then the performer taught her this cute little jig. Or at least he thought it was cute. She repeated his movements by kicking left, kicking right, step step hop. She practiced it a couple more times till he was satisfied and then he sang the part of the music that went with this. “Now do it again and really convince me that you’re a trickster. This is his theme.” She tried to actually care about the movement this time and really put some intention behind her steps. As she did it once more, she added a grin and a mischievous smile. All the while she was moving closer to him so that her low hand was just within reach of his clothing. Immediately he brightened at her portrayal of the trickster, and that’s when she yanked up his pants with substantial force that he yelped at the prank.

He leapt out the way to avoid her from doing it again and readjusted his clothing. “That’s the spirit! A trickster, a tease! Though if you do that to one of the other performers you might not like their response.”

“Other performers?” She asked with a look of horror.

[Sayana]

“Of course,” he replied. “There are six others plus me. And then the musicians to top it off. You didn’t think you’d be performing alone did you?” In all her time dancing at the Rearing Stallion, Sayana had performed alone and often improvised as she went. Well, that’s not strictly true. Twice she had managed to drag someone up onto the stage with her, but she was still calling the shots. To think that he had a routine in mind that involved other dancers peaked her anxiety to say the least.

“So when do I get to meet these other dancers?” Sayana asked and her nervousness was suddenly apparent. “Right now actually,” he replied nonchalantly. “We’ll do a run through without music and a second one with music. We’ll cover all the important things and you’ll be good to go on stage. You’re good at memorizing right?”

Half a bell later they were ready. Or ready in their eyes. Sayana hardly felt ready. She had focused mostly on learning the general themes of each section of the music. The trickier acrobatics they had practiced a few times until she got it right. And most importantly Sayana tried to remember the various cues in the music that signalled a change in the dance or something to emphasize. Fortunately, the acrobat had been the lead dancer and therefore no other person would be doing the moves that Sayana did. Had it been one of the others she was filling in for, the audience would know immediately that she didn’t know the routine as soon as she started doing something different from her fellow performers.

“Don’t forget the shoes and the hat,” the acrobat said brightly as they prepared to go on stage. Right. Them. Sayana put on the brightly coloured shoes that were extended excessively and curled upwards to a point. Then she placed the jester’s hat firmly on her head. That’s when she remember that the trickster was supposed to be male and her long hair was clearly visible. Taking a moment, she coiled her hair up into a bun and carefully hid it within the hat. That’s better. She also wiped hard at her lips in case the red lip pomade still showed and figured that would have to do.

The dancers took their places on the dais and Sayana stood a little off to the side in her own place. There were two musicians for the troop. One violinist and another who played the flute. And then there were two others. She hadn’t quite figured out their role in the performance but maybe they had been in charge of directing it or creating the choreography. All four were seated near the front with the musicians more in view. The show was about to begin and Sayana’s heart thumped in anticipation.

[Sayana]

The moment the violin began with a long sustained note, Sayana’s eyes widened at the sight of the stage. It was no longer the dark and sometimes dingy corner she usually performed in. Instead there were rich stone walls, torches and candles lit upon them, and royal rugs and tapestries adorning the performance space. The Eypharian blinked several times and even pinched herself as she wondered if she had been dreaming all of this, but no, it was real. Or it looked like it was real.

The flute joined the violin and together they began to play more regal sounding music for dancing. A waltz, or something that made them pair up and dance around the stage in a way that matched the music. And then came the eerie tremor. Her cue. Plastering a mischievous glint to her eyes and smile, Sayana got into character and stealthily stepped onto the dais. Each step matched the beat of the music and once she neared the door she did a sharp look left and right with two distinct notes from the violin.

Of course, the door. During the practice the dancers had made reference to ‘opening the illusion of the door’. At the time, Sayana had simply thought that she’d be miming the action so that the audience might think there was an invisible door based on how she moved. The last thing she had considered was that she’d actually see a door in front of her.

Still, she didn’t hesitate as she reached out to ‘grip’ the door handle. This was the moment of truth because she did not feel any resistance from the door knob, and if she squeezed her hand she was sure to clutch empty air. As it was, she didn’t want to ruin the illusion for the audience so she carefully gripped it while slowly pulling open the door. Remarkably, the door swung open at her gesture though it seemed to move just a fraction of a tick slower than the speed at which she pulled it.

Relieved that she was understanding this illusion business better, she carried on with more confidence. As Sayana entered the ‘room’ she dropped low as the mysterious melody continued along. With a crouch and a summersault, she narrowly avoided the feet of the waltzing dancers. As she came up she almost lost the hat since she hadn’t been practicing with it earlier in the run throughs. Instead she made a comical clutch of her head and made sure it was well secured to stay on. Then it was time for her little jig. She stood up quickly in anticipation and after a moment’s pause, the flute played the cute little melody that accompanied it. She missed the first step but managed to nail the rest of it with the hop at the end. For good measure she gave a jump and a spin on the spot and landed dramatically with all her arms out.

[Sayana]

Next were the cartwheels, and two of them to get to the table. Sayana glanced over at the other side of the stage and slowly a table with an array of tea cups was forming. She was about to start the cartwheels with her right leg but then realized it wouldn’t do to face the back wall. So instead she used her less dominant left to make serviceable but not as polished cartwheels. Once back on her feet she pretended to pick up one of the cups and the illusion followed her hand as she took a sip. There was nothing to taste but she licked her lips with a smile.

Sayana almost missed the next little jig but the moment she heard the first note her feet started moving. It was simple enough and she embellished it at the end with a flourished bow that got a laugh or two. Now was the hard part. As the dancers continued their waltz blissfully ‘unaware’, Sayana had to watch for one of the ladies to be spun outwards in a twirl. After a couple ticks, the Eypharian heard the musical cue and one of the partnerships opened up. Immediately, Sayana leapt forwards to catch the twirling lady and swept her up in her arms to continue the waltz. The partner, now without a partner for himself, sought out another dancer to steal. Amidst the chaos that ensued on stage, Sayana kept up her one, two, three, one, two, three pattern with her feet as she waltzed about. Promptly her partner was stolen away from her and she once again assumed the guise of the trickster and dashed behind the table to remain out of sight.

Once the chaos of the dancing diminished, the regal guests of this party retired to a set of chairs that had appeared. Each took a tea cup and saucer and one of them mimed pouring tea from a stylized teapot for the rest of them. While hiding behind the table, Sayana was able to listen to the music closely and was fully prepared when her cue came with the short little theme. She leapt up and did the little jig of the trickster, and then carefully crept behind the dancers who were seated in the elegant chairs. At one end, a man was pouring himself another cup of tea. The moment he looked away, she snatched the cup and danced quickly over to the other side where a woman had just emptied her cup. Sayana swapped the cups and returned the empty cup to the man.

There was a moment where the two dancers looked at their cups in surprise but then they shrugged and resumed. Once the man had poured a new cup for himself, and the woman had promptly drank her own, Sayana performed the feat again. This time there was a look of outrage from the man who had now poured his tea twice to no avail, and a look of greater surprise from the woman when her tea cup seemed to keep refilling itself.

The man stood up in furry and by the time he was ready to sit back down, Sayana had skipped over with the light playful music and pulled back his chair. He landed in a tumble since the chair was no longer where it had been moments before. There was some laughter from the audience and Sayana skipped over to where the woman was about to set her tea cup on the side table. However, that too was pulled quickly out of the way and the tea cup landed on the floor with a mighty crash.

Sayana leapt back in surprise at the sudden sound and there was an accompanying gasp from the audience. It had seemed so real, and yet… Just barely above the music she managed to hear the voice of one of the two Alvads watching. “Gets them every time…”

[Sayana]

It was at that point that Sayana suspected that one or both of them were somehow responsible for the illusions. And it was surely no small feat to changing and adjusting the illusions as the dance progressed. But despite realizing this fact, she had the finale, the climax to do and she wasted no time beginning the chaotic scene.

As the music rolled into a crazy ditty, the Eypharian danced about the stage bopping people on the head, tapping shoulders, ducking arms, and tripping dancers. It was only partly choreographed and many of the pranks she pulled were improvised and assisted with her multiple arms. High arm here, low hand there, it was a flurry of activity. In fact, it was probably the most enjoyable part of the whole dance since she was free to spin about and make up moves as she saw fit.

The violin and flute became more frantic and Sayana took long running leaps across the dais as she had practiced outside. The other dancers mimed trying to catch her and after each successful leap she spun twice on the spot with a dramatic flare. At last she stood at center stage and turned her back on the audience. She lifted up one knee in prep and then launched herself into a handstand. Balancing herself on her mid and high hands she held the position while grinning at the audience upside down.

The other dancers then closed in on her and carefully Sayana took small steps with her hands to turn herself a full one-eighty degrees around. It was hard keeping her balance and a couple times she got help from one of the other dancers to steady her feet. As the music thundered into its conclusion, the dancers broke away once more. Sayana went from her handstand into a roll as she tucked her head and landed facing the audience on one knee with her hands spread out in a flourish.

As the music ended, there was applause from the audience led by the lead acrobat himself. He got up on stage and did a bow. “That was one of the traditional Alvadas dances in the style of ‘The Mime and the Illusion’.” The moment he was done, the illusions vanished and Sayana found herself once more on the plain dais of the tavern. Her heart was still thumping as she joined the other dancers in a bow and it was clear that they had been well enjoyed.

[Plume]

Sayana

Dancing	+5 XP
Acrobatics	+5 XP
Disguise	+1 XP
Acting	+3 XP
Intelligence	+2 XP
Interrogation	+2 XP
Persuasion	+1 XP

Lores :

• Acrobatics: Performing a Cartwheel
• Filling In for a Jester Dance
• Working With Door Illusions
• Playing the Part of a Jester
• Traditional Alvadas Dance: The Mime and the Illusion

Notes :

What an interesting scenario, well done on combining acrobatics, illusion, and dance