The College's gallery is admittedly not that impressive yet. There are a handful of displays and a lot of space for future impressive things. It's a recent addition, alright? And the most recent addition to the recent addition is the large, person-sized and person-shaped object draped in bard blue silk. Either it's an object or someone has been standing very, very still.

Gianna, clad in blue and mirrorsilver - complete with a mirrorsilver and sapphire circlet once given to her by Prince Niklas some time ago - stands with a glass of brandy near the object.

Caspian comes into the bard's college with a broad smile, humming softly to himself. He gives a merry smile and a cheerful wave to the familiar faces he sees, moving over to stand on the side, near the statue. he looks around and grinned, "I can't wait to see what all gets erected in here! something to aspire to i suspect"

Nina believes it's quite important to be on time for Bard event-- in fact, she was a little early, and already is one glass in. Wearing Bardic Blue as suits the college, she walks about looking at the statue and smiling slightly at it... a bit of shyness to her usual bold look as she otherwise looks at the covered statue, contemplating. "It hardly seems fair, to be missing such a gifted, creative soul." She sips. "I do hope it will do him justice, but it can't write a play."

12 Grayson House Guards arrives, following Liara.

Titus steps in, completely out of place for the beauty and exceptional taste of fashion or art that is prevalent within the Bard's College Gallery such as Gianna and Nina making this just a legendary event. He though wasn't on time, he's tardy by a few minutes and wears still his armour. "I'm interested in seeing the statue." says the decayed voice.

Amari strolls into the new gallery and is all eyes, so to speak. No pains are taken to hide her curiosity and intent. She's here to be a looky loo. So aside from pausing a moment to claim a glass of brandy as a platter goes by and smiling in a conspiratorial way across at Gianna as she does, she heads straight for the statue of Prince Niklas. There's serious googling to be done.

Wash told himself it was going to be a sober day, but then he had a drink, a long conversation and an epiphany, not in that order. Now he is drinking and has been for at least two hours. It isn't obvious from his languid posture, but from the carelessness with which he views his surroundings. "He got a statue. Hah! Now that's ironic."

Kaia is also somewhere amidst the crowd of gathered, clad in gold and green; and, modestly sipping on a glass of brandy. Her wintery eyes are on the covered statue and ocassionally shift from it to meet the friendly faces of the others and offer a kind smile.

Gianna turns and inclines her head to Nina, her gaze sweeping over the other's attire. "Bard blue," she says, and there's approval in her tone. She looks at the silk-draped object and exhales. "He hadn't put on a play in years, but I always thought there'd be more." She nods to Titus, and inclines her head to Amari. And to Wash. "I suppose I should get started, shouldn't I," she remarks.

Caprice mills about in the growing crowd, adding to the pleasant din of background conversation. Every now and again she casts a glance towards the pedestal and its draped object, then the hostess; not impatient, simply attempting to gauge when the main attraction is likely to begin.

Gianna clears her throat, pretty much just to draw attention to herself, which isn't really necessary because she can project really, really well. But. There's a speech: "I first met Prince Niklas - then Lord Niklas - at the Murder of Crows, in the Lowers. I don't know what he was doing there. He did what he liked most of the time. He wasn't the only noble there that day. They stuck out, the Murder being the Murder, and I was newly arrived in Arx and I very much fit in. I had the clothes on my back and a gittern.

"I was asked to play, and so I sang a bawdy. Prince Niklas came in on verse two. He insisted he sang better than me, and I loaned him my gittern so he could play and demonstrate. And he was very good, though I of course did not say as much. That was how it went with us: we both had enormous egos and enormous talent.

"Eventually, though, he became my patron and my greatest supporter. Though he teased me from time to time, he also had a gift for being able to say just the right thing to smooth my feathers any time they were ruffled. A joke, or a compliment, or just a statement of truth. Prince Niklas was one of the first to back me when I sought to found the Bard's College. He was my first second, my first Mockingbird.

"We worked well together. He helped me write the Nightingale's Lament. I helped him write the songs for the musical Good Duke of Gemecitta. I was in a number of his plays, was the chorus in the Song of Tala Everfree - a play he'd once been told he couldn't put on, as no one would ever accept a freed Thrall as a hero. Niklas had a way of doing things other people told him were impossible.

"He decided what was possible. To him, life was a story. He wanted to write his own ending. I think being here is a much more decent place to end his tale, or at least a better option. So he is immortalized here, at the heart of the College he helped create. He was the best. He was the Playwright. I miss him terribly."


Liara shows up quietly, promptly helps herself to a small plate of finger food, and then drifts away to one side, her gaze picking over the silk-draped object. She happens along somewhere near Kaia, to whom she offers a quick smile, then Gianna gets to talking and the Grayson's attention turns that way, her expression shifting to something pensive.

Kiera step in quietly to watch the unveiling, giving smiles and nods to those round her

"To the Playwright," comes Caprice's murmured toast, her brandy glass lifting towards Gianna for her speech, then the covered statue for the departed prince.

Wash nods to Gianna. When Lirar arrives he heads in her direction. Nothing to say, just a familial person to drink next to.

Gianna raises her glass of brandy. "To the Playwright," she says. She has a sip of her drink and then turns to take hold of the blue silk over the statue. She whisks it away with a dramatic flourish.

Gianna drops Prince Niklas Grayson, the Playwright.

Caspian listens intently as Gianna speaks, his eyes looking to the statue still covered. he gives a smile, bowing his head at her words. He stands a little bit straighter when she spoke of the song of Tala Everfree, his eyes looking to the statue with new respect. When Gianna finished, he smiled broadly, and started clapping, not having a glass in his hands. "To the playwright!" he echoes the toast

Nina claps at the end of Gianna's speech, as heartfelt as it was. She nods her head down a bit in silent remembrance. Then the toast. "To the Playwright," she echoes.

Amari lifts her glass to Gianna for the heartfelt words and recollections she shares. Her expression, like Liara's takes on a pensive cast as she turns back towards the statue still draped in silk of bardiest blue. She's looking straight at it when the Nightingale grabs and whisks the cover away. Slowly, her head tilts to one side and a faint smirk that mirrors statue Niklas' appears.

Titus gives a few claps to the speech and offers his own praise to the chorus "To the Playwright."

Liara offers up a quiet, somewhat brief smile to Wash. Then she goes on to echo a few others, her voice clear and carrying easily despite her otherwise faintly muted demeanour, "To the Playwright!"

Wash salutes the toast, any excuse to drain his glass and refill it. "To Niklas!"

Kaia's voice also joins the others in that toast. "To the Playwright!"

"The first time I met him," Nina says, though not in the sense of a formal speech, more just a fondness, "I was quite starstruck. To think I, a novice actress, would be allowed to work beside him and read his words, it was really a dream come true. But even though I'm from common birth I was given the same chance to shine on stage. Grateful for that. I hope we can continue to make his legacy work here."

Caspian looks to those speaking fondly of the prince and offers a gentle smile, "i did not know the man, but i know his work. In fact i think you'd be hard pressed to find someone who hasn't enjoyed the fruits of his talent. There will forever be a part of him that remains in all of us. Here in these walls, here in this room, and in the hearts and minds of every person who feels the twinge of emotion while watching his work. he will forever be a part of this city."

Kiera smiles "I have always admired those with artistic skill and those who march to the beat of their own drum and few exemplified both qualities as much as prince niklas"

Wash waits until there is a pause between speaking to lift his glass and clear his throat:
"We live in an age of wonders. The Gods send us visions. Legendary ships guard our skies. Dragons speak with the voice of mortals. Lands we thought lost to history are revisited and peoples we thought extinct rediscovered. An Age of Wonders will give birth to an Age of Heroes. It has already led many to that stage. Some have been thrust into greatness, and some have shrank from greatness."
"Niklas never shrank. He magnified himself and others. He allowed others to be themselves, he'd match manners with a Princess and match wits with an asshole. I fell into the latter category."
Wash pauses a moment.
"He wanted to build a statue for his brother who was martyred for doing the right thing. He wanted his brother to be remembered as a hero. Maybe he will be. Maybe it will be Niklas instead. We cannot say whose praises will be sung a thousand years from now. But his writing will live on. We will find wisdom on scraps of paper and in the margins next to that writing will be the letters: N. Grayson. and N. Kennex. A thousand years from now they will not know that they were one and the same person perhaps. But we had the privilege of knowing him today, in this life. That makes us the lucky ones."

Gianna inclines her head as others speak, though when Wash does, she truly seems to pause. She blinks a few times, raises her glass, and takes a long drink. Looking back to the statue, she murmurs, "I like to think he'd like it. Especially the coronet."

"He would. He very much would. Then he'd find a piece of wire and broken glass and pretend it was exactly as valuable as the real thing." Wash is having trouble keeping his composure, and covers his face. "Excuse me."

Jayne, Burly Sailor leaves, following Wash.

Gianna passes the blue silk off to some young bard, who hastens to fold it over her arm and spirit it away. Gianna looks out at the others and says, "Thank you for coming. Please, linger as long as you like."

Nina walks up toward Gianna, and looks up at the statue a second longer. She reaches out to touch the other Bard's arm, just softly. "Thank you for doing this. I think when he comes back around, he'll appreciate the statue."

Kaia takes a final sip from her brandy, murmurs something to Liara, offers a smile to the host and a few others in passing and slowly and quietly makes her way out.

Bar some words exchanged with Kaia to the side, Liara is largely quiet as she listens to the others. She does give a few nods along with Wash's words in particular, in apparent agreement. Eventually, she speaks up towards Gianna, simply, "Lord Wash said it all. Thank you for this, Nightingale."

Titus is overheard praising Niklas(rip): I never met him in person but the ripples that still move in the dream from his life continue to touch far places.

Gianna inclines her head to Liara. While she's still regal as ever (for a commoner), she may be slightly more subdued than usual. Nina, she nods to a little as well. "I didn't think of it that way. I hope he does. I wonder who he'll be next."

Caspian moved over to stand next to Gianna and Nina, offering both a smile as he did. "it was wonderfully done Nightingale. a more perfect first piece for the Gallery there could not be. And i like the way Miss nina speaks, that we might see him again in another turn."

Caprice seems to be searching the crowd for something. Not finding it, she pauses for a sip from her glass before remarking conversationally, "I didn't have the pleasure of knowing him well, but like others, his body of work was my initial introduction. I was pleased to share passions in common with him; not just the College, but through the Discipleship of Jayus as well."

Kiera turns her head as wash leaves abpruptly and turns to make her way out as the formal ceremony comes to a close

Titus is looking at the marble figure and says a few words in honour of the late Playwright. To Gianna he says "It's easy to let things be forgotten but putting him to marble so we can remember him and keep his memory alive is a very honourable thing. Well done, Nightingale."

Nina is overheard praising Gianna.

2 Ivory Shields, Rodrigo, the Surprisingly Large Flautist leave, following Nina.

"I put a statue of him in here before I ever put one of me," Gianna remarks. "That's something."

Amari doesn't seem to have anything as profound to say as Wash. Maybe feeling it unnecessary to fill the air with lesser sentiments in the wake of those words, she says nothing at all. A sip of her brandy is had to complete her silent toast to the memory of Niklas, then she drifts from the statue. "It's a good likeness." She compliments Gianna's effort in a way as to not disrupt the conversation overly much.

Caspian looks to Gianna and smiles, "It does. I think it speaks a great deal to you, and to what ytou wish this college to stand for Nightingale" he looked to the statue and smiled, "And i think he would like it"

Gianna nods to Amari. "I thought so. I was very picky about it, so it should be." And she inclines her head to Caspian. "You may be giving me too much credit there but thank you."

Amari is drifting slowly around with a small amiable smile on her face, not quite sticking to anyone to anchor herself against the pull of the exit. "True to life." She replies to Gianna, before taking more notice of Liara. She has a passing compliment, "Your Grace, I love your jacket. I just had to say."

Caspian gives a small shrug and a smile, "maybe. but i only speak what i think." he looked to the statue, and walked over to stand before it. he bowed his head. "thank you, for all you gave us." he looked to Gianna and smiled then, "it was a lovely speech you gave." he bowed, preparing to depart.

Gianna pauses to regard Liara's jacket. She blinks twice. "Oh! That's THE jacket, isn't it? It's lovely." Annnnd now she's gone from melancholy to envious.

Liara stirs from her thoughts to offer over a small smile to Amari, and a quiet reply, "Thank you, Baroness." Gianna's commentary, meanwhile, draws a sudden laugh from Liara, and she suggests in reply, "Considering why we are here, perhaps we should all have worn coronets."

Gianna reaches up to touch the circlet on her brow. "He gave me this," she tells Liara. "But perhaps I should have had free coronets at the door."

Caspian stopped, looking to Liara and her jacket. his brow arches, an expression of clear confusion passing over his features as he tries to figure out what is so special about the jacket.

"Was there any particular reason he loved coronets so much?" Amari asks, sincerely ignorant about the why of it, and curious. "Was there a deeper significance than just liking to look fancy?"

"It is an excellent piece," Liara offers in response to Gianna, and just gives a low chuckle at the suggestion about coronets at the door. Her eyebrows arch at Amari's question, and she replies, "I have no idea. I never did ask. It was certainly distinctively /him/. He must have owned as many coronets as everyone else in the city put together."

"I'm not sure," Gianna says after a moment. "But he did very much like to be fancy. Which he was." She looks like she might say something else; her lips part, after all, but then she closes her mouth with a hint of ruefulness. "Exceptionally fancy."