WHO: Raphael Amante [ITALY] & Open WHAT: An illustrated telling of Italian folk tales (invitation here) WHEN: Tuesday afternoon, before the concert WHERE: First floor lounge STATUS: Open to IC/OOC comments
Raphael took some time to socialize with those who chose to attend beforehand, making plenty of small talk and being sure to puts faces to the names from the journal. He was a theatrical host, making many flourishing bows, clasping hands and kissing cheeks. When he had enough of an audience he took the stage and conjured an ornate book from thin air, and a pedestal on which to rest it.
He continued to casually summon up various props, animals, and even people to illustrate his tale, going so far as to turn the lounge into an enchanted wood or a witch's hovel when needed. The particularly attentive would notice nothing he summoned was kept around for more than a few minutes, but he moved at a quick pace to cover this. He spoke like a seasoned stage actor, and though his accent was thick he never stumbled for words.
Furthermore to set himself apart from Aleksei's illusions, all of his illustrations could be ~touched~. Puss in Boots wound himself through people's legs and invited many scritches, while Pinocchio's nose would poke one surprised listener. He may have stole a French tale or two, but he'd insist vehemently to any objectors that they had Italian origins.
At one point he took Eun Joo from the audience to play the princess for a tale, decking her out in a glimmering gown with a snap of his fingers and donning a suit of shining armour himself to save her from a marauding dragon. This would have been his climax, and afterwards he was sure to insist any applause went to Eun Joo for her assistance.