RP:A Dance With Duplicity
Part of the Through The Looking-Glass: Return To Wonderland Arc
Summary: Khitti and the rest of the Sound of Sirens have their bi-weekly concert in Vailkrin's cemetery.
Note: This is a solo RP that was used for Khitti's clicky and likely the beginning of many of its kind. The lyrics are Undertaker - Renholder Mix by Puscifer.
Graveyard Gates, Vailkrin
The crowd in Vailkrin was always an unlively sort during The Sound Of Sirens’ concerts--and today was no different. Tonight, the concert was taking place just outside of the Grand Temple of Vakmathras and the fans were eating up every ounce of the concert, just as they always had. Gravestone rattled from the booming music, some of the older ones even breaking apart and crashing to the ground, while the electricity from the instruments and Khitti’s microphone crackled, leaving static in the air.
For the moment, the band was taking a much needed break. Or, rather, their lead singer was. Being the only human in a band full of undead had its downsides, but thankfully, they were much more used to the weird goings-on that Khitti was usually the epicenter of than a band full of humans would. The redhead drank nearly her weight in water backstage (something she’d come to regret later on) in an attempt to hydrate herself and help her throat from getting too sore. There was still a few songs left before the end, and even then, the crowd -always- expected an encore. They contented themselves with shouting “S.O.S”, "Sound of Sirens", and "Save Our Souls" until the band returned; many either stood their, intending on keeping their places, while others made their way to the merchandise tables before the show ended.
When Khitti was ready, the lights went out and the crowd went wild. Vampires tapped into their preternatural speed, while banshees and spectres glided across the ground, and the rotting, near zombified folk shambled their way back to the stage. Khitti’s telltale ‘bamf’ made itself known, the singer shadowstepping into place, much to the delight of her fans. “Are you still alive out there?” Khitti screamed into the microphone, the crowd responding in kind. “Do you want moooore?” Once again, they responded with the affirmative.
A simple chord was struck once on the keyboard Gorey Taelyr stood at. With a rest between each duplicate of the chord, it served as a slow build up to one of the Sound of Sirens’ more popular songs.
♫Thank you for making me feel like I am guilty, making it easier to murder your sweet memory♫
Khitti’s voice filled the area cooly, the fans screaming as the rest of the band joined in with ‘Red’ and Gorey. They knew exactly what the song was: The Undertaker. Jon 3 and Spyder’s guitar and bass, respectively, melded perfectly with the keyboard, while Dayv’s drums filled in the gaps.
♫You were way out of line, went and turned it all around on me again. How can I not smell your lie? Through the smoke and arrogance? But, now I know, so you will not get away with it again. I'm distant in those hollow eyes, for I have reached my end. So, thank you for making me feel like I am guilty, making it easier to murder your sweet memory♫
As Red sang, shadowy enemies made themselves known on the stage. Each brandished a different weapon, whether physical weapon or magic, all intent on striking the band’s singer down. Still, Gorey Taelyr, Jon 3, Spyder, and Dayv Ghoul played on. None helped their fearless leader.
♫Before I go, tell me: were you ever who you claimed yourself to be? Either way I must say goodbye. You're dead to me.♫
Khitti dodged attacks, but it was soon obvious that she needed to fight back. Without a weapon herself, she grabbed up her microphone stand, the electricity gone now as she projected her voice with the small amount of bardic magic that she possessed. Red felled each and every enemy, though it was no small feat. And when they had all been done and dusted? One final enemy made itself known. This one was strange. Unlike the others, the shadow being’s body was much more visible than the rest. Its form flickered from darkness to something more tangible, taking on the form of Amarrah, the woman from the Shadow Plane who’s soul had been bound to Khitti for too many years, the original source of Khitti’s dark magic. Khitti scowled and tossed the stand to the side and summoned up shadowfire balls, both thrown at Amarrah. Amarrah returned her own purple fireballs to Khitti, before the shadow being flickered again, shifting to Amarrah’s father, Facilier. Like his daughter, the gangly umbrawisp went on the attack, until Khitti provoked an attack from him, a darksteel dagger withdrawn as he leapt at the band’s singer.
♫So I thank you for making me feel like I am guilty, making it easier to murder your sweet memory. I'm severin' the heart line. I'm leavin' your corpse behind. Not dead, but soon to be, though. I won't be the, the one who kills you. I'll just leave that up to you♫
Attacks were made and dodged, and the being’s form would shift again. This time it took the form of Dominic. The Original™, Brand’s other half, her child’s predecessor. The dagger shifted to water magic and instead of healing, it shifted to ice, icy spikes thrown at Khitti. The redhead seemingly took damage from the spikes, the ice cutting through cloth and flesh, while the shadow being went unharmed.
♫Cause I'm not gonna be there to revive you. I'm not gonna be there to revive you. I'm not gonna be there to revive you♫
As the song started wrapping up, the being’s shape faded away again, then split, taking the forms of Jessamine, the dryad, and James Juniper, the treant, both strange human hybrids created by Caiburne, the mad alchemist of Catal. Jessamine’s unholy chains lashed out, tethering Khitti to her as James stormed forward, aiming to clobber Khitti into the ground. Seemingly through the sheer force of will, Khitti broke from her chains in a blaze of fiery purple light, a fiery punch of the same magic thrown at James’ face. The being set aflame as Khitti focused her magic on Jessamine now. Jessamine went up in the same fire before the two snuffed themselves out leaving Khitti quite out of sorts for the moment. But, still she sang on, her voice giving no indication that she was harmed or out of breath.
♫I'm gonna be the one to say I told you so. I told you so. I told you so. I told you so. I told you so. I told you so. I told you so. I told you so. I told you. Severin' the heart line. I'm leavin' your corpse behind. Not dead, but soon to be and I'm gonna be the one to say I told you so♫
The lights went out. The illusion magic faded. The stage erupted into purple shadowfire, a line of it flaring in front of Khitti, illuminating the woman who now stood at her place once more with microphone stand in hand. Once the last verse was complete, the fire and the song itself died abruptly, leaving the stage in darkness and silence. This was only for a moment, for the crowd screamed for more. And they would get more, because the show must go on.