[Mingler] The Death of Agrippina: Casting Results

[cyranosavignien]

It took Cyrano a few weeks to finish up his play, to make up his mind on the casting. The results of the readings are finally posted one morning on the Mansion's billboard, in his clean, cold, intellectual yet flamboyant penmanship.

The Death of Agrippina
A tragedy in 5 acts
CAST:
TIBERIUS, emperor of Rome. - Locke Lamora
SEJANUS, Tiberius' favorite

Comments

[scalpedsociety]

Our composer with the messy hair looked at the results and smiled. However the smiling did not last too long, as she is now holed up in the ballroom with sheet paper, quill, ink, and the piano.

Songs are played, but only fragments of them. And every once in a while she bangs on the piano in frustation and a sheet is tossed away.

Hopefully someone can come a break her out of this. (We didn't say it was going to be easy...)

[ourraisondetre]

There aren't many things within the mansion that remind him of home. The piano is, however, one of few things that does. He stops automatically when he hears it being played, mere steps from the ballroom, listening to the sporadic patches of tune. It automatically reminds him of Eugénie: she always had her hands glued to the piano keys, and her music is one of the things Franz misses the most.

He knows it's not her playing, of course-this music doesn't bear the elegant style that makes each composition uniquely hers-though there have been times that Franz has almost been able to hope that it was, despite his mind knowing distinctly otherwise.

Wincing at the sound of the piano keys being assaulted, Franz finally allows his curiosity to take over and enters the ballroom. He doesn't know the woman seated at the piano, though perhaps he's seen her a few times in passing.

He watches her toss a sheet of paper away and raises an eyebrow, his pace slow and casual. "Having trouble?"

[scalpedsociety]

Aramat looks down at the piano, clearly irritated.

"Yes. I'm doing a score for a play for the first time and I'm stuck on a certain scene... it just doesn't sound right..." She bites her (visibly scarred) fingers out of frustration.

She looks up at Franz and gets a sudden look of guilt. "I'm sorry..."

[ourraisondetre]

"For?" he asks, arching an eyebrow as he bends down to pick up one of the discarded pieces of paper. He tries to read the notes, imagine the snatches of abandoned melody. He's not an expert at reading music by any means, but he knows enough to get a vague idea. "How do you want it to sound?"

[scalpedsociety]

"For sounding so angry... whats your name sir?"

"The play I'm scoring is a tragedy, a death of a woman..." She closes her eyes for a brief moment. "I want it to sound bittersweet, Agrippina's death was tragic... but necessary. It's getting to be rather difficult to summon up right now."

[ourraisondetre]

"Franz," he replied with a slight, almost automatic bow before straightening back again. "Though I did like what you were playing before, what little I heard of it." He gave her a small smile. "You certainly seem to have a gift in scoring music, miss...?"

[scalpedsociety]

"...Aramat. Aramat Drawdes."

She pauses for a moment. "Franz... where have I heard that name..." She gasps.

"Are you a friend of a boy named Albert?"

[ourraisondetre]

There's a short pause before he laughs. "So you know Albert, do you?" It makes sense, of course. Albert had always been far more social than had ever been. He nods once. "We grew up together."

[scalpedsociety]

"Well, he is a very sweet boy... you have a wonderful friend Franz..."

[ourraisondetre]

Franz can only smile softly at that. "He is." And perhaps too much for his own good. It bothers him, sometimes, but ultimately he wouldn't have it any other way. "How do you know him?"

[scalpedsociety]

"We met some time ago in the kitchen. He was hungry and I fixed him a meal."

[chromaggia_diva]

It might be a little while later, but she may hear an excited voice in the hallway. "Aramat? Have you heard the news?" Mag's voice calls, as she bustles into the ballroom, her red skirts tucked up.

[scalpedsociety]

By now, Aramat has gotten out of her funk and is writing out the music for another scene when she spies her dear friend bounding into the ballroom.

"Yes I have...Cornelia dear." She says with a smile.

[chromaggia_diva]

She giggles. "You saw the list? I'm a bit giddy at the results. It's like the day when I got my first record deal, only this tine, I got the part all on my own." And this time, she doesn't have to wonder what kind of leverage her patron used to get her that deal.

[scalpedsociety]

Aramat smiles at her friend and jokes a little. "Well I try to keep in touch..."

"Are you setting yourself up to be a Renaissance Woman, Miss Mag? Whoever has you is a lucky,lucky, person." It's nothing but good natured teasing.

[chromaggia_diva]

She smiles, blushing. "I took some acting classes while I was training for the opera, but I did not get the chance to act in a regular stage play until now," she says. "This place truly is a world of second chances!

"And I see that you have a part in this production: you will be supplying the music!"