Re: The Vivacious Deadlock: S3G6: Round Two: BJ
10-28-2011, 01:05 AM
Originally posted on MSPA by Akumu.
Harmon slammed an open palm down on the table with a sharp crack. “Is this a game to you? Some battle of wits?” She stared into the so-called Cog’s lantern eyes, but he met her gaze, unblinking and with that condescending smile plastered across his face. “I thought this could be a useful exchange of information, but I guess we’re just waiting to see who drinks the iocaine powder. Well, cheers.” Harmon threw back her drink in one gulp and turned to leave. Klendel rose, in step behind her.
“Don’t worry, Miss Harmon. I’ll make a fine companion until such time as I can come up with the best question to ask you.”
“It’s Doctor Harmon, if you would. I’ve had it up to here with your disrespect. I’m not your tool, I’m not your pawn, I’m not your bird in a cage to be cooed at and doted on.”
As Harmon spoke, her tenor and cadence shifted to a more musical bent. By the time the rhyme had left her lips, it was full on singing, straight from the diaphragm. There was a power behind it, and already there was an electricity in the air that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.
“Since I was a girl there’ve been people like you, trying to get the most out of what I can do. But I will not be harnessed, and I won’t be corralled. I’m not a horse, I’m a woman and I’m strong and I’m proud.”
Klendel took a step back, then another, his grin beginning to falter. Harmon was strutting and twirling now in time to her own music, sharp hand gestures snapping off licks of green flame. Their fear ebbing, the bar’s patrons spun around on their stools and one by one began to add their voices to a back-up chorus.
“Ah!”
“And I’m proud!”
“Ah!
“And I’m proud!”
“AHHHHHHHH”
“AND I’M PROUUUUAAAAAAAA”
Harmon’s lyrics flowed into a primal scream, as an aura of green flame phased in around her. She raised a finger to they sky, and the flame flowed up her arm and gathered in a sphere around her hand. Klendel was backed to the wall, turning his face from the light with a fanged grimace. Still screaming, Harmon brought her finger down, pulling the ball of musical energy down until it pointed straight at —
woooooooon
The chair next to Harmon blew apart in a spray of wood shards and sawdust. Klendel dove behind their table and the doctor threw her hands over her face, her gathered energy wisping away harmlessly. The backup singers-cum-bargoers scattered, and the bartender stood behind them, residual acoustics drifting out of the end of his didgeridoo.
“Get the hell out of my bar, you freaks.”
They got the hell out of his bar.
“You couldn’t do that before.”
Oh. The shadow creature was still there.
“No, I sure as hell couldn’t. I mean, I’ve always liked to karaoke, but that power...” Harmon trailed off, watching her hands tremble like leaves in the autumn wind, about to fall. “I don’t know what came over me. I’m sorry about trying to roast you.”
Klendel nodded sympathetically. After a few moments of silence, Harmon pulled herself upright and smoothed down her shirt. The feel of the remains of her equipment in its pockets calmed her further, reminding her that there was still a chance.
“Well, you wanted to stick with me. Let’s go. Just remember that I could fry you if it came down to it.”
She began to walk, and Klendel fell in step beside her. He decided to keep his objections to himself. For now, it was better to let her think she was in control.
Harmon slammed an open palm down on the table with a sharp crack. “Is this a game to you? Some battle of wits?” She stared into the so-called Cog’s lantern eyes, but he met her gaze, unblinking and with that condescending smile plastered across his face. “I thought this could be a useful exchange of information, but I guess we’re just waiting to see who drinks the iocaine powder. Well, cheers.” Harmon threw back her drink in one gulp and turned to leave. Klendel rose, in step behind her.
“Don’t worry, Miss Harmon. I’ll make a fine companion until such time as I can come up with the best question to ask you.”
“It’s Doctor Harmon, if you would. I’ve had it up to here with your disrespect. I’m not your tool, I’m not your pawn, I’m not your bird in a cage to be cooed at and doted on.”
As Harmon spoke, her tenor and cadence shifted to a more musical bent. By the time the rhyme had left her lips, it was full on singing, straight from the diaphragm. There was a power behind it, and already there was an electricity in the air that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.
“Since I was a girl there’ve been people like you, trying to get the most out of what I can do. But I will not be harnessed, and I won’t be corralled. I’m not a horse, I’m a woman and I’m strong and I’m proud.”
Klendel took a step back, then another, his grin beginning to falter. Harmon was strutting and twirling now in time to her own music, sharp hand gestures snapping off licks of green flame. Their fear ebbing, the bar’s patrons spun around on their stools and one by one began to add their voices to a back-up chorus.
“Ah!”
“And I’m proud!”
“Ah!
“And I’m proud!”
“AHHHHHHHH”
“AND I’M PROUUUUAAAAAAAA”
Harmon’s lyrics flowed into a primal scream, as an aura of green flame phased in around her. She raised a finger to they sky, and the flame flowed up her arm and gathered in a sphere around her hand. Klendel was backed to the wall, turning his face from the light with a fanged grimace. Still screaming, Harmon brought her finger down, pulling the ball of musical energy down until it pointed straight at —
woooooooon
The chair next to Harmon blew apart in a spray of wood shards and sawdust. Klendel dove behind their table and the doctor threw her hands over her face, her gathered energy wisping away harmlessly. The backup singers-cum-bargoers scattered, and the bartender stood behind them, residual acoustics drifting out of the end of his didgeridoo.
“Get the hell out of my bar, you freaks.”
They got the hell out of his bar.
- - - - -
Out on the streets of Santa Nada, Melissa Harmon’s hands were shaking. As the adrenaline metabolized away she was left with a nauseous giddiness and had to suppress the urge to laugh.“You couldn’t do that before.”
Oh. The shadow creature was still there.
“No, I sure as hell couldn’t. I mean, I’ve always liked to karaoke, but that power...” Harmon trailed off, watching her hands tremble like leaves in the autumn wind, about to fall. “I don’t know what came over me. I’m sorry about trying to roast you.”
Klendel nodded sympathetically. After a few moments of silence, Harmon pulled herself upright and smoothed down her shirt. The feel of the remains of her equipment in its pockets calmed her further, reminding her that there was still a chance.
“Well, you wanted to stick with me. Let’s go. Just remember that I could fry you if it came down to it.”
She began to walk, and Klendel fell in step beside her. He decided to keep his objections to himself. For now, it was better to let her think she was in control.