Scenario Entitled: There Will Be No Performance This EveningCharacters:
Rooke, arts organizer around whom Faeries often get smoked.
Rockhound, helpful geologist who needs to brush up on his electrical technique.
Xenos (NPC), mage attempting to exert a calming influence... and failing.
Merle, a chipper member of the Faerie folk. This is called premonition.
Ky, psi-stalker turned by-stander.
Alejandra, mage friend of Rooke's.
Location: Freedom Plaza North
Date: It is Tiew's Day, Ninevus 29th, 109 P.A.
The Plaza is breathtaking today after dawn, the early morning sun flashing brilliant gold across the changing foliage in the park and gleaming the Tower purest white. The open-air marketplace is bustling as vendors set up stalls, with amazing harvest colors in their village produce. At a time just before traffic really starts to get going on the circumference of the huge diamond plaza, the world is a peaceful, friendly place.
A soft whine of microphone feedback hums on the air, as a group of technicians in the bandshell on the northern corner of the Plaza work on what looks like a concert set-up. Rooke is among them, testing the freestanding mikes.
Rockhound's stroll down Freedom way is halted, as his attention turns to the bandshell. His black trenchcoat billowing about his legs, he turns and walks toward the source of the microphone feedback, wondering if he can help. He says "Good morning! Quite a setup you have going. Bit of feedback to it, though, eh?"
A dimensional being lugs a couple of large amplifiers past Rockhound, cutting the man a quizzical look from its thick-necked, earthworm-like head. Its undulating proboscis stretching down to investigate the tops of his boots, before their trajectories puts too much space between them. Rooke looks up (or down, as the case may be), from her position atop the stage, one hand holding the central mike, the other running through her short hair slowly. "..Morning," she returns, studying him a bit blankly. "Are you here about the lighting problems?"
The small, trench-coated man studies the earthworm-like dbee intently as it passes, a look on his face as if he were cataloging information for future reference. He steps aside slightly, allowing the dbee to pass, and answers the woman somewhat shyly: "Err... no, I'm just out for a bit of a walk, and I couldn't help but notice the setup. But I might be able to help with the lighting anyway, if you require assistance."
Rooke's brows raise, still a bit perplexed by the stranger's offer, but she nods slowly, lips parted as she considers what to say. "Sure.. if you've got experience with electrical work. It's those coloured bars on either side.. they're programmed to flash a certain sequence, but it's screwy.. the bulbs are overlapping." She jerks a thumb towards the large setups amid a jungle of cables. "I'm.. sorry," she adds, abandoning the mike for now, and crouching at the edge of the stage. "Your name is..?"
Rockhound extends his right hand in greeting, looking up at the woman with strange look of relief. "Daniel Kelley," he says in a soft tenor, "but most people call me Rockhound."
Rooke reaches down, and grasps his hand in a firm grip, pumping it twice before releasing. "Rooke Del Reyhart.. I manage the Random Acts arts'n'entertainment center down west off Lazlo," she informs briskly, her own voice a scratchy alto. "Rockhound, hey? Sounds like a DogBoy name," she comments, before thinking of the possible offense. She pauses, looking around to see the staircase up about three dozen feet off to the left, against the protruding side of the stage. "Want a hand up? Or there's the stairs."
Xenos arrives from the west along Drake Avenue.
A swift look of intense anger flashes across Rockhound's face at the mention of DogBoys, and his hands clench tightly into fists. "It is NOT a DogBoy name, ma'am." He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and visibly attempts to relax. Rockhound looks back up at Rooke, an embarassed expression on his face. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to be rude. Just a bit of history there..." His voice trails off, and he momentarily stares off into space, before shaking his head. A heavy sigh and a forced chuckle: "So sorry. I WOULD appreciate a hand up." He extends his right arm again toward Rooke.
A soft whine of microphone feedback hums on the air, as a group of technicians in the bandshell on the northern corner of the Plaza work on what looks like a concert set-up. Rooke is among them, though at the moment crouched by the edge of the stage and talking to a short man in a billowing black trenchcoat (Rockhound). She reaches down readily to his extended arm, grasps it above the elbow and waits for him to be ready to vault, before leaning back in a strong pull. "Don't like DogBoy's, huh," she grunts as she draws back.
Rockhound leaps and somewhat less-than-gracefully makes his way onto the stage. "No, ma'am. Not any more." He wipes at his clothing, dusting himself off, and looks around the wire-strewn stage. "So, where are the problem lights?" His face is again smiling.
Xenos enters the park area from the west, travelling along the interior outskirts of the sidewalk as he lets his head twist to admire his surroundings. His right hand lingers carefully in his front pants pocket, while his left appears to jostle several small items meticulously. His demeanor is a peacful one as he scans out the set-up of the concert, a natural curiousity causing him to make its location his new destination.
Rooke drops the subject easily, straightens up to dust her own hands off on her skirt, and moves to usher Rockhound towards a tall, standing bar against one side of the bandshell. It looks like a rather long traffic light, but what the blue, purple, or silver lights could mean to drivers, is anyone's guess. "I'm thinking that they've been hooked up wrong to produce such a pronounced overlap. Maybe the quality of the wiring isn't so sharp," she suggests. "Frederic! Could you bring the toolbox over here?" she turns to call. A young man calls back impudently, "Yeah, but you wanna get back on those mikes, Rooke? They're all still adjusted to R.A. acoustics!"
Rockhound grins at Frederic's reply, raising an eyebrow at Rooke. "I'll see what I can do, ma'am. Never worked on.. umm... mood lighting before, but if it's a standard wiring job, I can probably fix it for you." He glances over Rooke's shoulder and nods his head toward the area in front of the bandshell. "Looks like you're going to have a good turnout today, ma'am."
Xenos slows down a little as he approaches the stage area, letting his previous bout of curiousity resume as he looks along the front area with a careful eye. His hand slips from its pocket, rising to rub the tip of his chin as he lets his gaze drift further along to the edge of the stage.
Rooke looks annoyed, but in an unfocused way. "Awright, awright," she responds to the stage worker, as he approaches with a large metal multi-tiered toolbox. "And it's Rooke, Mister Rockhound," she persists to her newfound electrician. "Ma'am makes me feel like telling people to tuck in their shirts." After the box is set down before Rockhound and opened, resplendent with its confusing glut of pliers, size 5 wrenches, flathead screwdrivers, and whatchamacallits, she's back to her small, efficient smile. "I appreciate this.. give Frederic, or Baccis," she gestures over to a youngish dwarf poring over the technical control station off to the side of the bandshell, "a yell if you need to do any testing." With that, she turns to deal with her other duties.
Ooooooh, a stage in the plaza. Bright lights! Shiny! It all is attractive to those fascinated by such things, and in this case Merle is no exception. It's the stage lights of silver and blue and other colors that bring her creeping closer for a looksee. Her tiny tiny figure might well go unnoticed, as she uses the tall light system as a watch tower. What does she see with her little eyes? Something shiny, something sweet? Something really really good to eat?
Rockhound's eyes fall to the toolbox cornucopia laid out before him, then back to Rooke. "Yes, ma'am," he says, grinning at her back. After stooping to pick up the toolbox, he begins walking over to the malfunctioning stage lights.
The same earthworm entity is dragging a thick loop of cable along the front of the stage, its awkwardly tailored clothing rippling and bunching about its long torso as it plods past Xenos. As with Rockhound, it lolls its eyeless, thick head towards the snazzy-dressed dude, and extendes a rubbery proboscis from the end of its face to examine the man's shoes briefly.
Xenos monitors what appears to be the beginning of a technical work ethic along the side of the stage for a moment, collecting as much information as he sees fit to have before letting his gaze drift upwards. He seems to lock into a point near the top of the light system, a pondering purse of his lips being interrupted as he notices some...thing on the ground near him. He shakes his head in a mildly bemused manner as he comments quietly to the groundward entity, "I am sorry, but I do not require a shine at the moment."
Rockhound reaches the lights and begins disassembling the back panel.
Rooke turns back on her heel swiftly, and shoots back at Rockhound, with a finger and thumb cocked gunlike in his direction, presumably in a playful gesture. "..and tuck in that shirt, young man!" After that mock-imperious command, she grabs an electric guitar by the stalk from where it leans against a large amp set-up, and approaches one of the mikes. "Test. Testing." Her voice sounds a bit too muffly as it bounds out of each speaker in short huffs. Noting this, the sound technician begins fiddling with the controls at his station. The workers don't seem to notice the faerie's presence... or else they'd surely be running off to put their drinks thermoses in a safe place.
The dumb entity doesn't seem particularly crestfallen by Xenos' humorous reply. But it does touch its horrible nose/mouth appendage down to the side of the man's position, and the bit of dirty pebbles that were clustered there disappear. The proboscis retracts and the creature goes its merry way with the gradually unravelling coil of cables.
Merle peeks to one side of the lighting system before skittering to the other side and looking at the toolbox. Wires and whatchamacallits galore! The sound test almost startles her clear off her perch! Luckily she can fly and thus hovers a moment before spinning around to look toward Rooke. Ooooh. Muuusic! She flit flits over, seeking to land perhaps, on top of the tuning box of the instrument which the woman holds. "Play play!" she calls out in her tiny, musical voice - this one doesn't seem at all fearful of the Big Folk.
As a warm summer breeze begins to blow, Rockhound peers out from around the lighting, and watches the faerie flit about and lite upon Rooke's guitar. Taking note of the mild confrontation going on in front of the stage, he shrugs and returns to his work. "Aha! Well, I think that I've found your problem!" he shouts over to Rooke, trying to be heard over the sound test.
Xenos watches the worm's actions for a moment. Once convinced that he isn't in any immediate peril from the creature, he returns his gaze to the light post, frowning a little as he notes something and then letting his gaze drift in a short path that takes it over towards Merle's new location. He closes his eyes halfway as his head tilts shortly to one side in a curious fashion.
<<DICE>> Rockhound rolls 1d100 and gets 67.
The stage lights begin flashing in a strobe-like fashion. Rockhound sheepishly looks out from behind the electrical panel. "Oops... just a second, let me try this again..."
The small voice of the fairy is picked up by the mike nearby, and blurts out of the speakers with a slight, jingly resonance. Rooke turns her head, eyes drawn past Merle for a second to Rockhound as he makes his discovery. Then her gaze jerks back in utter startlement to see the diminuitive humanoid so close to her. "Wh-..hhhaaah!" she blurts, her voice reverberating through the sound system. The technician continues to work the dials, and meanwhile, young Frederic has a good laugh near the back curtain.
Merle eeeks in a voice which is amplified by the system, her feet on the guitar in perfect balance as her hands clap over her ears. "No no no no no! Play, not sing! I sing! You play!" Apparently, she's taken Rooke's exclamation as an attempt to voice herself musically. Her hands drop again and she places one delicate hand to her hip, the other holding a spear waggles the tip of it in true disciplinary fashion at the human lady.
<<DICE>> Rockhound rolls 1d100 and gets 92.
A shower of sparks blows out from behind the stage lights, as they flare brightly and then blink out. Rockhound, his hat blown sideways on his head, black-smudges on his face, emerges from behind the panel. He looks over to Rooke. "Um... well, they're not strobing anymore... really, I can fix this.."
Xenos stares at the stage, seemingly ignoring the lights until they finally go out with the minor spark display. That at least garners a bit of his attention as he notes the man who appears to be attempting to correct the problem with a disapproving look. He directs his attention groundward for a moment as he closes his eyes, then opens them again and looks towards the stage. After a brief moment, his feet leave the ground as he levitates up and towards the stage. As he makes footfall on the front end of the stage, his voice calmly notes, "This is an... interesting display that you are making here." He leaves it open whether he is referring to the actual stage setup, or the current set of misforutnes that have befallen the area.
Rooke stares like she's never seen one of the Wee People before, though something in her expression belies that assumption. She's hardly cowed by the spear waggling, but she does seem slightly subdued in the presence of Merle.. almost like she just might oblige the rather impudently-made demand. Her gaze flicks off to the lighting system at the electrical disturbance, and widen further. A small groan escapes her lips, as if lamenting her awful luck of encountering both Merle /and/ Rockhound this morning. Her gaze drops to the approaching Xenos, following his course as he rises and sets down on the stage. Her lips tighten together a moment, but she doesn't reply. Surely Xenos is here to tip over a few speakers. That would be quite fitting.
Rockhound, ignoring the flagrantly self-indulgent display of magical prowess, and hearing no shouts from Rooke or the other stage hands, he sets his hat back on straight and returns to his work. This wiring, though now slightly charred, still appears salvagable. Muttering to himself, Rockhound reaches into the electrical box, his arm disappearing up to his shoulder as he searches around.
Merle lifts one foot and then the other in a step by step dance as the speaker blows. "Ooooooooooh!" Forgetting the chastisment of Rook, she flits quick as a whip to hide behind the poor woman. "Scary! Make it stop! Save him save him!" she attempts to grab hold of a curl of Rooke's hair, intending to pull and tug it in her excitement as she waggles her spear once again, this time toward Rockhound. "He's gonna get /EATEN/ by the fire! Hurry hurry!"
Xenos twists his lips into a thin smile, the expression increasing slightly as he notes Merle's reaction to the explosion. His voice lifts into a lighter tone as he notes to her, "There is no need for much concern. I assure you, the gentleman is fine for the time being. Although if he continues his current activities, one cannot be certain." Of course, he really looks to be addressing Rooke, since Merle has chosen her to hide behind. He makes an additional nod towards the tandemed pair as he adds, "My apologies for intruding in such a fashion, Miss... Rooke, is it? I was concerned that there might be some type of trouble."
The mike continues to pick up Merle's squealing, and while it might not be the sort of testing the technician needs to fix the sound feed, it is starting to draw a small gathering of onlookers. Rooke's guitar sags in her hands as she moves her head back instinctively when Merle buzzes by. She takes a moment to look at Xenos in growing puzzlement, then glances back to see Rockhound working in the guts of the electrical box, visions of an electrocuted stranger with a DogBoy's name on her hands, dancing in her head. Merle's subsequent shrieking isn't helping things. She turns back to Xenos quickly. "Kay.. wait.. are /you/ the guy I called about the li- ow. Ow. Hey!" Taking a couple of steps to the side, she tries to lean her head away from the hair-pulling faerie.
Muffled curses sneak out of the electrical box as Rockhound sticks his head inside. A startlingly loud *twang* of metal upon metal bursts forth, as he shouts, "Okay, let me try this!"
<<DICE>> Rockhound rolls 1d100 and gets 87.
The lights flicker for a moment, then flash out again, accompanied by another shower of sparks.
Merle is shaken free - that's not hard to do. Her wings allow her to take to the air though, wafting irritably around Rooke's head, "Gotta do something, gotta do...." it doesn't seem she heard Xenos speaking. "Chaaaaaaarge!" thus her battlecry, she makes a spearhead beeline for the speaker and its open back. She doesn't even swerve as the noise ensues, as she seeks to get into the wiring area and strike with all her might at the wires themselves! "I'LL SAVE YOU HUMAN!" This... might make the situation worse. Then again, wouldn't it be ironic if it didn't?
Cursing softly, Rockhound emerges from the electrical box with mild electrical burns on his face. After waving his smouldering hat a few times, he yanks forth a bundle of snapped wire. He hears a high-pitched whirring noise, but dismisses it, figuring that the minor explosion effected his hearing.
Xenos makes a singular shake of his head at Rooke and begins, "I do not believe that I am..." he pauses as the lights flicker and Merle decides to go to the rescue, an eyebrow arcing upwards as he notes her path. His head remains locked on the effort at the electrical box as he resumes his speech, "That is, I am not the person that you may have sought to relieve your dillema. I am not entirely positive that I am sure exactly what your dilemma is..." Perhaps the goal is to actually destroy the stage? It certainly seems a likely possibility at this point.
Rooke reels in a full circle, but somehow manages to keep from toppling right off the edge of the stage. Something's gotta go right. Frederic is killing himself with boyish yells of laughter, clutching the back curtain for support, which threatens to bring the whole thing down on his head... and not undeservedly so. As Merle's voice recedes into the 'distance', Rooke attempts to hear Xenos out, while glancing preoccupiedly about... which was another mistake. "Oh my GODS," she exclaims as she sees what is presumably Rockhound getting devoured by the lightbox, and Merle heading in to become Faerie Flambe. She pivots a bit, and lunges into (or past, should he prove to be the agile sort) Xenos, the guitar knocking about between them, as she waves frantically to the young dwarf Baccis. "Cut the power! Cut the power!!" Of course, her voice carries through out of the sound system, echoing out into the plaza grounds.
Ky arrives from the south along Freedom Way.
Rockhound's attention is pulled away from the wiring, as he sees Rooke's frantic waving out of the corner of his eye. Wondering who is supposed to cut the power - and why - he looks around for instructions. Only then does he spot the speeding silver bullet that is Merle. Dropping the wires, he attempts to duck his head, placing his arms above his body for protection.
BZZZZT! "EEEEEEEEK!" Merle comes flying out of the box, blasted back by an electrical shock. Whump! Her impact is softened by the curtain material, and she becomes lost in the folds. "Help! Help!" are her muffled cries when she can't find her way out.
A soft whine of microphone feedback hums on the air, as a group of technicians in the bandshell on the northern corner of the Plaza work on what looks like a concert set-up... that, or a comedy routine. Sparks fly from a coloured lighting set-up and a distinct charred smell is carried on the autumn air. The man Rockhound is burrowing his way into a half-gutted electrical box. Rooke's yells to cut the power, boom out from the sound system from the stage where she and Xenos are maneuvering to avoid a collision. A small glowing creature flitting near the electrical box may just be the cause of these problems. But no one ever thinks to apply for insurance against Acts of Fae.
With little pomp and no circumstance, the pale mutant enters the plaza from the south. In the heart of the foul-smelling city, it is pleasing to find green shade and dark earth. His head turns towards the commotion, as the sounds of eletrocuted, flying..Merles(?) are not a usual noise amongst the cacophony here.
Xenos, while agile to a degree, is distracted enough that he can't quite manage to avoid all of the potential collision. He wheels to the side in a half step, eding up getting knocked back an additional half step as the guitar smacks into his side. His eyes close in a soft wince as he attempts to right his positioning, checking to make sure Rooke hasn't somehow manage to plummet to her death... or merely to the floor of the stage. His attention drifts back towards the curtains where Merle has ended up, a frown forming on his face as he comments directly, "I do hope that she was not severely injured."
Ky raises a hairless browridge, though he alters his steps slightly, towards the stage. Bodily collisions, flashes, fireworks... Aren't those things supposed to occur /during/ a performance? As he closes, his attention shifts towards the struggling curtains.
Peeking out from beneath his arms Rockhound looks over at the burned out mess of wires that had been his quick-fix project. The tangy smell of electrical fire invades his nostrils, and he turns to the writhing mass of smoking curtain that is Merle. Regaining his composure, he runs over to the curtains, attempting to find the smoking faere mass at its center.
Baccis the dwarf drops his thermos and rushes down off the side staircase to reach the master power box located on the left wall of the large, sunken pit-style, open-air auditorium. Meanwhile, Rooke turns back to apologetically help steady the stranger beside her, while she gazes around for the smoking bodies. "Mister Rockhound! Are you all right? Where's the-..." She blinks, spying the struggling bit of curtain. Releasing Xenos, she trots forward a few steps, then gazes up at the gathering of bemused, curious watchers. She almost turns to grab the microphone in front of her, to tell them all to buzz off, but somehow manages to salvage that much of her dignity.
Merle still struggles in the curtains indeed, hollering at the top of her tiny lungs, going up only a few more decibles as Rockhound's hands close about her person. Within, her hair is fritzing like someone the victim of static electricity, but her skin seems for the most part unblemished, as is her dress. "Ow ow ow ow! Oh, help! It's got me!" her spear which she still holds on to, automatically is sent into the cloth in an attempt to stab Rockhound's hand. Watch out for that sleep spell.
Xenos manages to utter a brief, "Thank you..." in Rooke's direction as she attempts to assist him, then turns his attention towards the curtain, walking towards it as he informs Rockhound in a slightly raised voice, "You may wish to exercise caution. In her current state, she may be dangerous, if only indirectly so." Xenos can't be too concerned of the potential risk, though, as his pace is a rather casual walk.
Then again, perhaps the show has already started. The pale hunter moves down through the rows, finally taking a seat in the front to better view the ...entertainment that has apparently caught his interest.
With a start, Rockhound spots a tiny needle-like point sticking out from between his spread fingers. Jumping back from the toothpick of a spear, he spots the brightly dressed man approaching him. With a waggle of his still-smoking hat, he asks, "Okay, how do you get a faerie out of a curtain?" He then wonders where he heard that joke...
Taking their cue from Ky, about a dozen other strangers from around the Plaza start to make their way down for good seating. This just won't do. Rooke leaves the rescue to Xenos and Rockhound's capable (maybe!) hands, and turns back to the microphone in the front center of the stage, guitar still bumping her abdomen as it hangs forgotten from her shoulders. "Wait a moment, people! There is /nothing/ to-" And at that moment, the power is cut by Baccis. The bandshell lights die, as does the sound, as does Rooke's voice projection. Only those on or close to the stage can clearly make out the rest of her words: "-see here! The concert will start at seven this evening! People! We're just.. setting up oh hell, I need something to drink.." she growls, while someone hollers down from one of the top rows of seats, "Can't heeeeaar you!!"
Merle finally falls loose from the curtain after one last wild swing of her spear. This time, her wings don't catch her in flight, and thus, she lands with a thump to the ground. "Heeeey!" she shakes her head, mood suddenly shifting as the cobwebs are cleared, "Issit dead? Didja get it?" She looks wildly around herself for the imposing 'Fire Monster'.
Ky looks up at the announcing Rooke with a curious look and lifted brow. It appeared there was much to see. In testament, his gaze shifts back towards the gravityically-challenged diminutive damsel and her rescuers.
Looking first to the approaching Xenos, then back to the tiny bundle of Merle, Rockhound bends down to comfort her - carefully keeping his hands away from the spear. "Whoa, hey there... it's okay! It's okay! Calm down..." Unfortunately, one of the dangling, burnt out wires decided to choose this moment to emit a final burst of sparks, as the power shuts down.
Xenos lifts his head to regard Rockhound as he asks his question, replying in a simple fashion, "You wait." It's hardly the most humorous punchline ever. There must be a funnier one somewhere. He notes Merle's fall from the curtain with short blink, then glances down at her frantic motions with a thin smile. "There is... no further danger to be fought, brave one. The threat to all concerned has ended." Would there really be much point in trying to explain how big of a misunderstanding it was now? He glances down with a questioning glance at Merle as he asks, "Are you injured?"
Rooke's gaze falls on Ky and the others as a collective audience, not really taking the time to examine the familiar-looking mutant. One hand is busy nursing the side of her head, fingers threaded into her short hair while her thumb massages her temple. She turns away to check on the two men and that crazy faerie, and misses the entrance of that same earthworm creature from the right, directly in front of the stage platform. Startled by the power outage, it lurches in a rubbery kind of shuffle through the empty orchestra pit, proboscis on the end of its featureless, thick head flailing wildly.
Merle is suddenly on her feet and *zip* flying over to Rooke, a soft greeny glow indicating her movements on the darkened stage. The sparks got to her again and... well, Rooke was the first person she met today and is thus considered the safest. "Kill it, kill it, kill it!" Well it does seem at least that Xenos' question is answered. She seems fairly up and able. Even if her hair's seen better days.
Ky's eyes follow the little zipping, glowing light back to the open stage. Perhaps she is the first he has seen... well, inside the walls, at least.
Xenos waits patiently for an answer, a bit of surprise registering as he gets a response in a form that he was not quite expecting. His head turns in a quick arc to note Merle's path, his voice raising a little again as he speaks in a discouraging tone. "There is nothing more to kill, madam..." He turns his attention to the slightly more distant Rooke, his forehead tensing for a moment as he wonders whether any more comments would be helpful. He decides that it would be best to simply follow the little bundle of energy back to the front of the stage. Of course, he retains that casual walking pace of his. Perhaps he isn't as agile as he would appear.
"Damn." Rockhound smothers the still smouldering wires with a portion of his trench-coat. Well, wasn't THAT a dramatic failure. How typical. Offering a few more curses to the blown fuses and burned wires, he begins walking over to Rooke, and only then does he notice the gathered crowd. Setting his hat back firmly upon his head, he looks quizically over to Rooke for assistance.
With it being morning and all, the stage isn't all -that- dark.. but perhaps that large cloud passing overhead /is/ creating a bit of an added damper on the bandshell. Rooke's gaze drops down from Xenos's inquiring face, zeroes in quickly on the barreling bit of supernatural energy, and she ducks down reflexively. If something about Merle is making her uncomfortable, Rooke is not freaked-out enough to actually make a physical attempt to bat her away, or even ward off her approach. "Would you calm down, please!" she tries, in a half-pleading voice, completely unsure of exactly what Merle wants so dead. She considers Xenos again... probably that guy. Merle does seem to be consistently running away from him.. it all fits. "Sir... do you know this Lady?" she asks, still in a half-crouch. Rockhound, her erstwhile electrician, will have to deal with making a public spectacle of himself for a while longer.
Oops! Yup, a cloud and it passes again to let the sunlight shine down. Merle skids to a halt midair it seems, as Rooke ducks. That causes her to turn around and. "Hey! Where did it go!?" so saying, she looks suspiciously about her, before attempting to land on the nearest surface. Which seems to be in this case, Rooke's shoulder.
The D-Bee in the orchestral pit blunders back out, still trailing the power cables it'd been unravelling from one side of the stage to the other. It looks like a barely restrained jello tuber in its badly-altered human clothing. Continuing to undulate along, it only stops when the cable runs out, then slumps down like a badly-dressed speedbump, at the feet of the dwarf Baccis.
Xenos shakes his head in a brief motion at Rooke's question, his voice impassively dictating his response. "I do not, so far as I am aware. I believe that she is confused on some matter or other, hence her sporadic behavior..." He pauses as Merle reacts in a way that might just confirm his supposition, then tilts his head forward gently as he speaks to Merle, "Good ma'am, if you qouls be so kind as to calm yourself. There is no need for such exertions as you have displayed."
Rockhound offers the gathered crowd a shrug. Clearly, he should have just kept on walking. A smug magician... a frazzled guitar player... a semi-crazed faerie... "There are days when you should just stay in bed," he says, to nobody in particular. Seeing that some new crisis appears to be rising, he walks over to Xenos, Merle and Rooke, calling down to Baccis to make sure that the dbee is okay.
Ky gives the frazzled gelatinous speedbump a brief glance, due to its proximity, then back to the stage. This is much more dramatic than the adolescent spurned love triangle tangled story the guitar player was apparently directing the other day. Even with the canine cameraman present.
Rooke flinches her head to the side, away from Merle as the faerie lands on her right shoulder, one grey eye squinting against the bright aura she emits. "Right.. maybe one of Aoede's friends.." she suggests stiffly, dropping another fairy name that Merle may or may not be familiar with. "Well, we can't start the power back up until those lights are removed," she sigh-mutters for Rockhound's benefit as much as anyone's here, then tries to look at the delicate creature on her shoulder, nodding very slightly in agreement with Xenos' assurances. If she gets a spear in the ear, she is going to be a very unhappy guitar player indeed. "Who.. what's your name?"
Alejandra arrives from the west along Drake Avenue.
The worm D-Bee shudders where it lies, but doesn't look wounded. Its rubbery nose-mouth extends to slowly pick up bits of soil and debris from the ground, while Baccis twiddles with his own moustache and gives Rockhound a thumbs-up signal, grinning. He appreciated the excitement today, even if nobody else did.
Merle paces along Rooke's shoulder, as narrow as it may be. Aoede, Aoede. Nice name. Xenos is considered briefly, and as he addresses the faerie, is the recipient of a cheerful wave, now that she's ascertained that there is no further danger. "Oh!" she breathes as Rooke then turns to speak to her, and the spear is kept dutifully out of the way. "I'm Merle. Who are you? Are you gonna play now? I wanna sing." She beams brightly, her little expression quite childlike with anticipation. Mess? What mess? What trouble? She did nothing!
Xenos offers a gentle smile to Merle as she seems to settle down, giving a formal nod to Rooke's direction. "I see that the situtation has managed to resolve itself peacefully enough. I will leave you all to your preparations. Or reparations, as the case may be." He turns to head towards the stairs or whatever manner of departure there is for the stage, deciding to opt against his previos method of travel.
The sunken-concept bandshell on the northern corner of the Plaza seems to be set up for a concert.. somewhat. A charred scent is carried on the autumn breeze, and trails of smoke rise off of a lighting set-up on one side of the stage. Rockhound, Xenos, and Rooke are clustered at the front of the stage, and there's a small, glowing creature standing on the latter's shoulder. Ky sits at one of the front rows, watching as if the confusion onstage were really some craftily spontaneous production. More than a dozen other spectators in the seats seem to be thinking the same thing.
One of the many that thread through the plaza at all hours, Alejandra is taking her own sweet time today about getting to wherever it is she's heading. She pauses every now and then at the various stalls, considering the wares idly before moving along - what luck, that her path is tending towards that stage over yonder where everyone else is gathered.
Rockhound lets out a sigh and nods as he walks past Xenos. Reaching Rooke's location, and keeping an eye on the tiny spear-wielder, he addresses Rooke: "Sorry, ma'am.. ah.. Rookie, was it? Anyway, I can repair the damage over there, and you can still have your concert." Turning his attention to Merle: "And then you can sing... but I could actually use your help, uh... small ma'am." Rockhound runs his fingers through his hair and shuffles about, uncomfortable with the turn of events.
Rooke guardedly considers Merle's chirpy queries, then turns to regard Xenos as he takes his leave, brows knitting with returning confusion as she realizes she'd never actually caught the guy's name. If he was -not- the guy she'd called about the lighting problem (before Rockhound had walked into her life and trashed her set of course), then who the hell...? "..well.. I'm Rooke.. and.. I'm afraid that you /can't/.." Did Rockhound just tell the faerie she'd be singing? It's rather too much to absorb now, and Rooke simply rests her hands along the guitar hanging across her stomach, and closes her eyes. "Yes.. please do fix it. Do something. Do anything. I'm going to go sit down," she says slowly, as her temper gently simmers within.
Merle perks to attention, focusing on Rockhound. "Really? But, I'm hungry now." she looks down and rubs her tiny belly in overdramatic form with her free hand. Awww, the poor widdle faerie.
Rockhound's keen sense of emotion tells him that Rooke should be left alone for now. Rising to the moment, he summons as much strength into his voice as possible, calling Baccis and Frederic to reset the curtain and get ready to throw the power. Giving Rooke some space, he offers his arm to Merle, as if calling a bird to lite upon it. "Here, little one, give me a hand, and then we'll find something to eat." An eyebrow goes up in hope... will anyone actually listen?
Hungry. An interesting choice of adjective, as the chromatically challenged mutant watches. The display seems to be over for now, though he has yet to leave his seat. Perhaps he's still breaking in his leg easily.
Xenos steps down off of the stage, lifting his right hand and running it through the side of his hair as he looks back to note the calming carnage that has ensued. A bemused expression crosses his features as he turns back, heading back towards the stage's front and walking across it just ahead of the front row of seats.
Merle titters lightly and steps with a light hop to Rockhound's oustretched arm, "Okay." she says in a singsong voice. "What should I do?"
"Rooke?" Someone obviously isn't seeing how much Rooke needs to be left alone right now. Alejandra calls her name curiously, "Rooke, what's wrong?" She's drawn up near the edge of the stage, watching the woman with a faint furrowed brow.
Ky's attentions shifts towards the slightly familiar voice, regarding Alej a moment before turning towards the stranger with the expansive vocabulary as he crosses before the stage.
Xenos appears to obtain a singular focus as he passes, not openly recognizing any possibly familiar faces or voices as he makes his way past. He moves with a deliberate pace towards the west, his eyes refocusing on the small items that have resurfaced in his left hand. Odd, how he never actually removed them from his pocket. But then, did he ever place them into his pocket. A strange man, indeed.
Rooke manages a subdued smile, possibly at Rockhound's newfound authority, or possibly Merle's antics. When the faerie departs her shoulder, Rooke also loses the squinty One-Eyed Pirate Pete look, and is once again able to face the microphone with some of her old self-assurance. Her gaze tracks around slowly, pinpointing Xenos again.. ohh, she's got to find out who the hell he is, or she's going to spend the rest of her day wondering. She steps past the mike stand to the edge of the stage, puts out a hand, then looks up and around with a faintly cocked head. Someone is calling her name. This can't be good.. they might want to do something with her, and she might just spontaneously combust. It's not even lunch time.
Young Frederic obligingly works on the mussed curtains, then moves to sort through the frazzled cables onstage.
Rockhound and Merle head back to the blown electrical box. Though discussion cannot be heard, there is much gesturing going on. Merle flits into the depths of the electrical box... rummages around... and reappears with two thick wires, which Rockhound promptly cuts. Holding one wire in each hand, he prepares to splice them... Merle flits away after retrieving the wires. Looking about himself with palpable anticipation, he calls to Baccis: "Okay, throw the power!"
Down here. Alejandra peers upwards at Rooke, "Rooke?" The called tone is just a bit gentler now that she's seen the woman up close. "Rooke, come down here for a second?"
Rooke does look down and to the side, once she's got her head on a bit straighter. She knew Alejandra was down there.. of course she did. "Hey... ah.. Alej?" She trails along a few feet to the right, and steps off the edge, dropping several feet to land easily beside Alejandra, and beyond the orchestral pit. "What's up?" She eases the previous stress out of her face with an expectant blink.
Ky seems distracted by the passing man, eyes following him quite singularly as he passes and departs. Interesting. Once he is past, the recently arrived Alejandra seems to become the new topic of interest.
Baccis steps over the slumped stagehand, back to the master powerbox, and turns a dial within before hefting up the sturdy red switch. He looks over his shoulder towards the part of the stage that Rockhound occupies, eyes gleaming with the anticipation of seeing the strange man lit up like a Saturnalia festive light.
Rockhound sets himself as the power comes on and the stage lights up. Microphone feedback screeches through the air, and he jams the two ends of the cut wires together...
<<DICE>> Rockhound rolls 1d100 and gets 91.
...and is promptly knocked on his back as a surge of electricity courses through his body, fries circuit breakers, and blows out the lights for good. "I could have sworn those were the wires..."
Alejandra brings a hand up to Rooke, fingers hovering along the other woman's forehead near the temple. "You look like you're going to blow up," she informs with a wrinkle to her nose. "Let me help?" The fun with power-lines happening on the stage above isn't noticed. Yet. Then slamming bodies and electricity have her glancing thataway.
Ky casts a look towards the Power Box of Doom as well. Hmm. It seems to work on those weighing more than 4 ounces, too. Though the larger man doesn't fly nearly as far...
Baccis claps his hands with ill-mannered amusement, then moves to shut down the power again. Unfortunately the fritz-out has adversely affected the slug-like D-Bee laying nearby, who promptly gives a great boneless flop, and knocks the dwarf to the ground. There may not be a concert tonight, but it looks like Slapstick is alive and well.
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