First there was pain. Not physical pain, exactly, but the kind of pain that exists behind the eyes and between the ears and sends one scrambling for the Tylenol. After waking up, that is. When the first thing you realize is that you have a monster headache first thing in the morning, getting out of bed tends to be the last thing you want to do. So Kyle didn't even bother opening his eyes as he pressed the palm of his right hand to his forehead and groaned.
"Priestess Whisperwind, she's waking up!" Someone overhead called.
Kyle couldn't help but frown at that. He'd been placed in a bed, was he in a hospital now? Or some sort of clinic? Pain was shunted aside as worry forced its way to the fore of his thoughts. Had there been a Horde raid?
Feeling something brushing his brow, he tried to wipe whatever it was away, only to freeze as it slid almost naturally back into place. Grabbing a handful of it, he pulled, then gasped in shock as he felt fire along his hairline.
"What the...?"
That... was not his voice. Surprise, disbelieve, and worse, a vague understanding warring with fear forced his eyes open, and, ignoring the pain, he sat up, feeling an unfamiliar shifting on his chest, and the soft brush of hair along his brow and the back of his neck.
"She didn't..." Kyle muttered, glancing down.
"Oh, she did," someone replied, stepping into the room.
Looking down in shock at his blue-ish, slender hands, before reaching up and poking his... no, her chest tentatively, Kyle shifted his shocked gaze to Serenity, the look dissolving into the most intense glare he could muster upon waking up, and waited for an explanation.
"Please, allow Matt to awaken before I explain things," Serenity asked, motioning to a bed across the way.
Kyle sighed, reaching back to hold her hair off her neck. "Ugh, I need a scrunchie." She froze, went crossed-eyed for a second, then turned to Serenity, eyes wide. "WHAT DID I JUST SAY?"
"You said you needed a scrunchie," Matt mumbled helpfully, as he was awakened by the shouting.
"BUT WHY!?"
"For your luxuriously long hair. Duh." Matt stated this as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He blinked himself awake as he realized something. "Wait, what am I doing? What am I saying?" He winced at the pounding pain that pervaded his entire body, but that mostly originated from his cranium. "This is too early in the morning and my head hurts," he complained.
"They're awake, I see," Tyrande Whisperwind stated as she entered the room. Glancing over both forms, she frowned slightly as she looked at Kyle, before openly scowling at Matt. "I don't know why the goddess did such a thing, but a High-Elf, here, in the Temple of Elune..." she shuddered. "And then this... a human, turned into a Night Elf... if only this were some joke of the Goddess..." She shook her head, before turning to Serenity. "And yet, you remain as you were. I suppose one of you has an explanation?" She paused, as if waiting for a response, before frowning again. "And which one of you had the black hair, and which one had the brown?"
"He did," both people spoke at once as they pointed at the other.
It was with this sudden movement that drew Matt's attention to his arm, and he finally got a good look at himself; or at least, as good a look as he could without a mirror. Creamy white, alabaster skin, much lighter than he was used to seeing, covered both his arms and he assumed the rest of his body. In shock he reached up to discover he himself had a fairly sizable mane of hair. He tugged a strand down to get a better look, and what was previously mud-brown now shone with an almost inner light, the blondest blond he had ever seen outside of someone from Sweden.
"..."
"I'm Jae- what the HELL?" The (new) female night elf cried, before covering her mouth with a hand in shock. Blinking a couple times, Kyle tried again. "I'm... Kyle. The one with black hair. And holy crap, I almost said blue. By the goddess, what happened... to... SERENITY!" Spinning to pin the leader of the Silver Millennium with a far more frigid glare than earlier, Kyle demanded: "what, exactly, did Elune do?"
"I've slept with how many women?!" Matt whispered in fascinated horror to himself. "But that was Tannim! Not... wow. Some of them were really limber..."
Serenity, despite flinching at the vehemence in Kyle's voice when she yelled at him, nodded thoughtfully. "You were given the bodies, skills, and, as you've probably begun to realize, memories of two warriors, much like you had played. Since battles can be a matter of life and death in a single moment, we elected to leave the abilities and memories of the abilities as close to the surface as possible without overwriting... well... who you are. So habits, expletives, common behavior... most of what they would do in their day to day life might have a bit of an effect on you."
"By the light of Elune, I'll say they will!" Matt nodded in agreement.
"But..." Kyle paused, searching for the words, while absently reaching over to the bedside table and grabbing the earlier-mentioned scrunchie and quickly (and expertly) tying her hair up in a high ponytail, "... I don't think I like this." Then her eyes widened again at what she'd done, and she scowled, crossing her arms before squirming slightly and lowering the arms so they didn't crush two objects that hadn't been there the night before.
Glancing over at Matt, Kyle smirked. "At least it's not just me."
It took a second for Matt to realize Kyle was referring to him, but when he did his face broke out in a nasty grin. "Are you kidding? I've just been turned into a sexy bishonen. You've been turned into a girl. I fail to see the downside on my end."
"..." With nothing particularly scathing to say in response to that, Kyle's eyes narrowed. "Damn you."
In the tradition of his belief in returning curses with blessing, Matt made the Vulcan sign for peace, realizing he had the ears for it. "Live long and prosper."
Kyle returned it with a much less peaceful hand sign. "Go F*#k yourself."
"Anyway," Serenity said, trying to draw their attention back to the current going-ons, "if you have any complaints, I'm sure you'll get a chance to take it up with Elune soon enough. Now that we're all... capable, again, I think we should prepare to disembark."
Kyle groaned and crawled out of the bed, frowning at the way her clothes were stretching in the hips, and loose in shoulders and waist. And there was a wad of cloth between her legs. "I have no clue how Ranma did it, because boxers bunch up something fierce," She mumbled, reaching inside her waistline and pulling the cloth straight.
"Where is my father's sword?" Matt asked with a puzzled expression, then smacked his forehead. "I mean, Tannim's dad's sword. I need it to kill the undead." That was something both memories agreed upon; the undead were an abomination that were to be wiped out at all costs. Not only did he have his previous life's aversion to them, but Tannim's father had been a paladin in the plaguelands when he died fighting the scourge. Apparently the person Elune based him on had been a playboy up until then, but then decided to dedicate the rest of his life to seeing the undead menace destroyed utterly. It was something Matt admired and agreed to.
With a bit more grumbling from Kyle, and the occasional enthusiastic discovery by Matt, the intrepid band of newly-minted adventurers set off on their quest for the Silver Crystal.
Having been rushed through it before, Matt and Kyle had missed some of the more interesting sights in Darnassus, but once leaving the temple, all three got to experience it in all its splendor under the diffuse light of the afternoon sun through the towering limbs and broad leaves of Teldrassil.
"This is great! Look at this sword!" Matt cried with glee. He gave the blade a few practice swipes, marveling at the strength of his arms and ease in which he controlled the direction of the swings.
"This sucks." Kyle replied, looking down at his- now her- chest.
"Be careful what you say. My sister's gift is a blessing in more ways than one," Serenity intoned, though the way she snuck smirk-laden glances at Kyle somewhat undermined her words.
"Just think, with Serenity healing, you doing damage, and me tanking, we'll be able to overcome just about anything!"
"Matt... I've got boobs. And big ears. Very long, sensitive ears. Ears that are hearing people over thataway talking about how cute I am, and Serenity too. If you don't want to find a dagger in your armor, I'd suggest you shut up."
Matt snickered, but refrained from commenting.
"Your ears are twitching," Kyle muttered.
"So... where are we going?" Serenity asked, as Kyle lead them towards a series of buildings off to the side of the city.
"Well, Matt seems to have gotten a sword, but all I found in that small backpack the Priestesses gave me were some... err... rough-looking underwear," Kyle's cheeks colored as he said this, and he quickly pressed on, "and some sort of traveling cloak. As annoying as it is to have my boxers bunching up, I'd prefer machined cotton to hand-woven linen." Kyle replied.
"And when those get dirty?" Serenity asked.
Kyle winced. "I'm trying not to think about it. I'm also trying to avoid bouncing with each step... and the implied needs said bouncing keeps leading my wandering thoughts to."
Serenity, smelling blood in the water, grinned ferally before asking nonchalantly, "and what does Jae think?"
"Why am I not wearing a bra? And what the hell happened to my panties!?" Kyle said, slightly louder than intended, before clamping a hand over her runaway mouth.
"You may not agree, but your body knows better. And I do too. We're going to have to buy you some support. And possibly a set of spares," Serenity decreed.
With a sigh, Kyle just pointed. "Apparently, that's a clothing shop with some... acceptable?" she frowned, before continuing, "choices. Also does moderate tailoring services; for a light fee... Wow, when it's not annoying, it's actually somewhat helpful."
"And you thought we did it to spite you," Serenity mumbled, heading for the shop.
Matt, with earnest prompting from Tannim's memories, realized the danger he was in and, in his best impression of a rogue, tried to stealthily make his way in the opposite direction. "I wonder where I can get a drink around here? Or some armor?" His eyes lit up. "A full suit of plate would be nice. And a shield! I'd like to see those undead squished beneath my armored booties!" He chuckled darkly at the thought as he made is way down the street.
"Matt! Get back here! Don't abandon me to this!" Kyle shouted, turning to catch the fleeing Paladin. Unfortunately, a surprisingly strong hand landed on her shoulder, preventing her from getting away. "Let him go. Where we're going is not for him," Serenity intoned solemnly. Then her eyes sparkled, and she clapper her hands together with a look of pure glee on her face. "Oh, I haven't had a chance to go shopping since the last Venus was chosen! We're going to have so much fun!"
Needless to say, despite her protests, complaints, and generally unpleasant attitude, Serenity and Kyle left the store changed women, Serenity having traded in her silver dress for a much less extravagant robe, while Kyle wore a set dyed-leather armor, under which rested a surprisingly comfortable set of undergarments. Not that he'd ever admit it.
"You didn't do too badly in there," Serenity stated, as they looked around for Matt. "A couple times, I think I might have actually caught you having fun."
Kyle nodded. "Yeah, there are a couple times where the shock, horror, humiliation, and embarrassment got to be too much for me and Jae kinda took over."
Serenity's grin fell. "I see. I suppose it was too much to assume a man would be able to simply enjoy the experience."
Kyle shrugged. "Don't get me wrong. I don't really watch sports on Sunday, either. I'm just not keen on social outings. You should see me powerwalk through the mall. If anyone steps in front of me, they tend to fly a couple feet before sliding across the tile."
Serenity gaped at her. "How could you turn something so... free... into something to rush through as quickly as possible!?"
As they walked through the town, Kyle considered her answer, before replying. "It's a matter of personality. I'm an introvert by nature. I prefer being alone. Crowds... bother me. They're oppressive and encompassing, it's disconcerting and sort of... anxiety-inducing. And there's the anger."
"Anger?" Serenity asked, as they approached a somewhat-crowded building, the sound of silverware on glass plates and heavy glasses on wooden counters emanating from within.
"I dunno about the moon, but on Earth, there are a lot of people who go with the crowd. They... they're sheep. Sure, they're individuals, with dreams and fears, and all that comes with being your own person... but they don't try to break the mold... instead of challenging stereotypes, and doing what they want, you can see them doing what's expected, and that look in their eyes.. it's like.. they hate it, and they know they hate it, but they do it anyway, because it's all they know." Kyle stopped talking, realizing they Serenity had paused on the path behind her.
"That's... horrible." Serenity finally said.
Kyle shrugged. "It's not as bad as I think I've made it out to be. There's colors and sounds and laughter and all that. They're not all miserable or anything. It's just... a product of the past, heading towards an unknown future."
Serenity nodded, smiling slightly. "You might just be able to get along with Pluto with an outlook like that."
"Setsuna was always a favorite of mine, along with Hotaru and Makoto," Kyle replied, earning a puzzled look from Serenity. "Oh.. I assume their names are different in the Silver Millennium? I meant Pluto, Saturn, and Jupiter."
"I see... so Saturn is called once again, and Jupiter falls... I'm almost afraid to ask... but can you maybe tell me more about what's in store?"
Kyle mulled it over, idly reaching up to play with her bangs, before nodding. "I suppose after what I did for Elune, I should probably not be so... secretive. But wait until Matt's here. He knows about as much as I do."
Serenity took a deep breath, before nodding. "I understand. And I believe that's him dancing on the table inside."
Pulling her index finger out of the twirl of hair wrapped around it, Kyle buried her face in her palm with a barely-suppressed groan.
"This one's called the Macarena!"
"Don't you dare spread that here of all places, Matt!" Kyle snapped at the dancing elf.
"Jae! I mean Kyle! You're back!" Matt leapt down from the table, much to the obvious dismay of the patrons. "How'd your little shopping... thing ...go?"
Kyle's vague amusement died at that. "Don't ask," she spat, before smiling. "It was actually sort of a blur. But! Did you know Serenity kind of forgot I was a guy and tried to change with me? She wears this little... err..." Turning to glance at the suddenly-glaring Queen of the Moon, Kyle's mouth snapped shut with a little click. "On second thought, that's private... err... info. Only to be shared between... um... us girls? I'm going to buy a drink. I think I've earned it."
"Karla! A flagon of your finest ale!" Matt shouted towards a barmaid who looked entirely too happy to fill his order. He turned to his two companions. "They're really friendly around here." He paused. "Then again, I have been dropping gold pieces for tips. That probably helps."
"Indeed," Kyle muttered, as she took the mug and stared at the head of foam on top of the beverage. With a shrug, she blew some of the foam off, before taking a sip, and hoping it was better than she expected.
Surprisingly, it wasn't too bad! "Hey!" Kyle said with genuine surprise, "this is pretty good!"
Actually, it wasn't that it was good, so much as that it didn't have the rubbery bite of beer he was used to. Or maybe her new taste buds weren't the hyper-sensitive little pain-in-the-butts his usual ones were.
Matt nodded as he sat down next to her, and motioned Serenity to take a seat. "I've been asking around, and a couple of adventurers here said they've heard tales about the... 'Blue Dragonflight,' they called it, in Northrend."
Kyle nodded. "Good. It's nice to have some confirmation, there."
Serenity looked around at the patrons of the tavern with a slight smile, before returning her gaze to her traveling companions. "So we're to go to Northrend?"
With another nod, Kyle waved at the entrance, and the city beyond. "Darnassus is nice and all, but unless we want to become permanent residents, we're going to have to head there, yes."
Serenity paused. "So... why are we here? Lets get moving."
"Hold up there, princess." At Serenity's look, Matt hastily amended, "I mean queencess.. whoa... nice mental picture there... There are procedures for this sort of thing. We have to get better equipment than this vendor gear," he pointed at his current set of plate mail armor, "and that usually involves questing or somesuch. Along the way we'll probably pick up an ally or two, discover new things about ourselves, and likely end up saving a few lives as well. Then we'll be interrupted on our quest, of course, by some catastrophe that'll have to be solved by all of us working together, and we'll grow closer together as a unit."
Serenity looked uncertain. "Does any of what you are saying have any basis in reality?"
"No. Not really. Just guessing." He took a drink out of the flagon of ale that had been placed beside him unasked. "But hey, it'd be pretty boring if something like that didn't happen, and everything went smoothly, right?"
"I for one wouldn't mind avoiding sidequests," Kyle muttered. "I want out of this body as soon as possible."
After a moment Serenity had an epiphany and realized that this was their way of dealing with problems; Matt tended to go off on wild tangents, and Kyle focused straight ahead to fix whatever problem was currently plaguing him. They almost complimented one another... if they weren't being so annoying, that is.
Serenity grasped the flagon set before her and, with a determined look, drank the whole thing in one go. Kyle and Matt stared in amazement as she slammed the empty stein down on the table. "Is it not also customary to become drunk before such an excursion?"
"'Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die?' Yeah, I'd say so," Matt smirked.
"Not if they die first," Kyle replied with a viscous grin, pulling a dagger out of her belt.
Serenity sighed, but didn't bother to call Kyle on it. Elune had explained, somewhat unwillingly, that death on Azeroth was something all mortals seemed to take part in, and while she'd never approve of it, far better for those who've preyed upon others to meet their end than the innocents of the world.
"Karla! Another round! And bring somma that boar meat; we're having a party!"
As the room seemed a bit fuzzier than before, Kyle sighed. "I'd prefer something avian. Pigs tend to taste... not good."
"You would dare impinge the honor of bacon? I take affront at that!" Matt said jokingly. "But, have it your way. KARLA! Scratch the boar, bring some bird!"
"We need to get to Stormwind harbor," Kyle said, as a new set of drinks were set before them. "The boat to Northrend leaves from the dock furthest to the right, and the sooner we learn its schedule, the better."
"So, when do we depart?" Serenity asked around her flagon. As anxious as she was to get the Silver Crystal back, she was enjoying the atmosphere in here, and even Kyle, who'd seemed tense earlier, appeared to be relaxing. It was good that, despite the obvious differences, night elves seemed to have the same facial expressions and body language as humans.
"After we eat?" Kyle asked, looking at the roast bird placed on the table before them with a mixture of hunger, and annoyance. "What I'd give for some chicken fingers," she mumbled, before tearing off a leg.
"You have birds with fingers?" Serenity asked, surprised. That sounded somewhat... ridiculous.
Kyle's groan was the only response she gave, and the rogue turned to Matt after his laughing died down. "Care to explain this one?"
"Strips of chicken, wrapped in breaded batter and fried in grease. Delicious."
Serenity blinked in surprise, before nodding. "That does sound good."
Matt continued, "If there's one thing I'm proud of my place of birth, it's that they have lots of good food."
"California?" Kyle asked with a frown. She was pretty sure fried chicken wasn't something California stumbled upon. "What did they invent?"
"It's not what they invented, it's what they perfected: mass marketing. If it wasn't for Hollywood, or television, I wouldn't know of half of the confectionery delights that await us if only we'd shop at Mac Donald's place, or at Carl's Junior diner."
"..." Kyle stared at Matt, then looked at her empty glass, before returning her gaze to him once more. Her open mouth snapped shut again, and she shook her head dismissively, before grabbing it in alarm. "Oh, wow... taller body, lower tolerance."
"This is quite strong," Serenity offered, motioning towards her glass.
"Yeah, but this body doesn't have the slight tolerance mine had, I bet," Kyle said, before thinking on it. "Yeah," she finally said, "Jae's never been much of a drinker. The few times she... oh, damn."
"What?" Serenity asked, wondering why Kyle looked so worried suddenly.
"How many glasses have I had?"
"Three, and that's your fourth... why?" Matt supplied.
Kyle winced. "Don't hold it against me if I end up doing something stupid. Apparently Jae goes from tipsy to wasted pretty fast."
Serenity gave an exasperated sighed. "Lightweights."
Matt nearly fell out of his chair with laughter.
"Oh, looks like they're setting up a band!" Serenity said, drawing their attention to a small stage where a dwarf, two humans, and a gnome were indeed setting up a bizarre series of instruments.
"Dude, if they start playing that tavern theme from WoW, I'm going to break something," Kyle groused.
"Wouldn't they need a full orchestra to pull that off?" Matt wondered.
Kyle snorted in derision. "A string, a woodwind, some percussion, and maybe a second string... which it looks like they've got up there."
"I take it the song isn't that good?" Serenity asked.
"It's not bad. Just too ambient. This is a tavern. We need something more rousing. Rowdy. Fun. You know?" Kyle muttered.
Searching his memories, Matt commented, "Apparently Tannim was a bit of a lute player. I could probably play something." He tactfully did not mention the only reason Tannim learned how to play was to get laid. He eventually became very skilled, in fact.
Serenity, not wanting to be left out, pointed. "If that's anything like the Crystal Reed I learned back... when I was younger, I should be able to follow along."
Kyle, feeling very left out suddenly, groaned and rested her forehead on the table. "Both Jae and I never managed to learn an instrument. Unless you want me to be a backup dancer, you two are on your own."
Serenity smirked. "On the contrary, I'm unsure about Kyle, but I believe your current voice would be wonderful at vocals."
Kyle, unsure what to make of that, picked her head off the table to look at Serenity. "You think so?"
"I'm almost sure of it. Elune struck me as prideful, I doubt she'd make you a... disguise like that, and neglect to give you something like perfect pitch. Gods are somewhat vain like that." The Queen replied.
"You would know, I suppose," Kyle muttered, to which the silver-haired ruler only smiled.
By then, the band had started playing, and while it wasn't the stock tavern music, it was just as ambient and forgettable, earning another groan from Kyle.
"'My Heart Will Go On' by Celine Dion?" Matt suggested with a grin.
Kyle couldn't help it, she snarled. "Anything but that!"
"Hmm... The Sailor Moon Theme? Fighting evil by moonlight?" Matt asked, glancing at Serenity.
"The English lyrics are lame, and I don't know the Japanese well enough to fake it," Kyle replied.
"Hey, I like the English lyrics," Matt defended. "But what about... something by Britney Spears?"
Kyle shuddered. "I'm actually familiar with a few of those... but do you really want to hear me sing 'Hit Me Baby One More Time' to a flute, a lute, and some overturned pots and pans?"
"Well what do you think we should do?" Serenity asked, flatly.
Kyle shrugged, picking her chin up off the table, only to collapse back into her seat and staring up at the ceiling behind her. "I'm kind of having trouble just concentrating, really. All I know is, 90s music is mostly too... instrument heavy. Need something either simple, or fake-able. 80s, or folk songs. I know Old MacDonald."
Serenity, not recognizing the song or the references, turned to Matt, watching him shudder at the song name. "What are 80s?"
"Lots of things," Kyle mumbled, before Matt could answer. "Tiffany, and Tears for Fears, and Culture Club and... lots." She trailed off in thought. Or so Serenity assumed.
"Do you recognize any of those?" She asked, quietly.
Matt nodded. "Yeah, but doubt 'The Crying Game' would be a good opener. Maybe 'Everybody Wants to Rule the World?' But then again, there's got to be something for the adventures, peasants, and wanna-be heroes around here!"
"... I'm holding out for a hero..." Kyle sang quietly as she slouched, head back, and eyes closed, and trying to avoid the numb oblivion the alcohol was inexorably pushing her towards.
"Was that 80s?" Serenity asked.
"It was a ten-year stretch of time dominated by that type of music, yes."
"So is that agreeable?" Serenity asked, poking Kyle to get her attention.
"What?" the inebriated night elf asked, before looking down. "Those are so weird," she muttered.
"'I'm Holding Out for a Hero,'" Matt reiterated.
"I love that song!" Kyle gushed, not caring who heard. The tiny voice that tried to remind him that it wasn't exactly the most brilliant thing to announce was ignored.
"So it's agreed then?" Serenity asked, standing up.
"What?" Kyle asked, confusedly looking away from the candle on the table.
"C'mon Kyle... you said you're going to sing your favorite song," Matt winked at Serenity as he pulled the night elf up and over to the stage by the arm.
"I... did?" She asked, stumbling once as they approached the stage.
"Indeed," Serenity stated, following them with an amused grin. As Matt helped Kyle get steady on her feet, Serenity quickly explained things to the band, who seemed a little wary, but with the help of a few gold to persuade them, they came to see the that it was a good idea to allow them some stage time.
Taking a few minutes to get a feel for the odd, wooden instrument, Serenity asked Matt to strum a few bars so she knew where to start. After quickly getting an understanding for the song, Serenity turned to the crowd, some of whom were watching them and wondering where the music had gone.
"Ladies and gentlemen, my friend here has asked to try out a new song she heard recently... apparently, it's very popular in... other cities. And she'd like to try her luck with it here. So if you would please give the shy Miss Jaessica a chance, I hope not to disappoint!"
There was a smattering of applause, that nicely drowned out Kyle's hiss at Serenity when she called her Jaessica, before Matt strummed the first few notes.
"Where have all the good men gone, and where are all the gods?"
Despite a rocky beginning, Kyle quickly gave in to the music, the booze, and the memories of all the times driving home and singing at the top of his lungs in his car where nobody could hear.
Serenity, for her part, was impressed at Kyle's enthusiasm, and Matt's apparent mastery of the stringed instrument. She was hard pressed to keep up with him, and the only saving grace was the lack of sudden shifts to throw her off. The one flourish he did during the bridge was easy enough to backup, and by that time, the Drummer and second lute player had joined in as well, with the human who's flute she'd taken stood behind Kyle and did her best to harmonize with the human-turned night elf.
As the song wound down (more abruptly than she'd expected) Serenity was surprised by the cheering that the crowd gave them. Hastily bowing to them, she looked over at Matt, before turning her attention to Kyle, who was both rocking in place somewhat drunkenly, but smiling as if pleased with himself.
"Want to try another?" Serenity asked.
Matt looked thoughtful. "Do you think Kyle will last another song?"
Serenity glanced at the wavering night elf, before smiling. "I think we're good for one or two more."
"Got any preferences?"
"How about that other one you mentioned? Tiffany, I think it was?" Serenity supplied.
Matt nodded, before turning to the other lute player and quickly coaching him on the bass' part. A quick example to the drummer, and another for Serenity, and Matt nodded. "I think we're good."
Before the crowd had finished clapping for them, he started strumming, the quick opening to the song painfully obvious to anyone who knew the song. Kyle, upon hearing it, straightened up, smile growing brighter as the drums and second lute joined in.
"Children behave, that's what they say when we're together," Kyle started, much less nervous on the first line, and going with the music much more naturally than the last song.
Not that the patrons could tell. Live performances like this were rare, and an unheard song as upbeat as this was a definite treat. That a rather lovely night elf was up there singing it, and dancing rather seductively as she strutted back and forth across the small stage definitely helped to cement the memory in the minds of the males in the audience. The flute player was quite pretty in an almost regal way, as well. The women in the audience weren't blind either, and the rapid, non-stop, almost magical way the fingers of the high elf strummed his lute lead to some rather enjoyable thoughts for them, as well.
Finally, the song came to a close, to even more cheering, and behind the crowd, which was almost all on their feet, Serenity spotted a number of heads standing outside.
"Seems we've drawn quite a crowd," Serenity said.
"Pity we can't think of an appropriate way to end this," Tannim said, solemnly.
"There's got to be something. Are the 80s only good for two songs?" Serenity asked.
Matt grimaced. "They're good for a lot of songs, but not exactly the best to end a spontaneous concert."
Serenity was unwilling to give up. "And the 90s? The crowd wants to hear something, and I don't want to disappoint them before the night is over!"
The Dwarf on the drums blinked, looking at the still darkening sky outside. "It's.. not really night yet, lass."
The crowd was begging for more, and Serenity felt that there had to be some way... "There has to be some way to save tonight!" Serenity blanched. That was not how she intended to ask Matt to try harder.
As if struck, Matt straightened up. "That's it!"
"What's it?" The lute-less lute player asked, one hand steadying the wobbly night elf singer.
"Simple song, try to keep up," Matt muttered, before coaching the band. Luckily, they'd already seemed to have grown used to the odd music from Earth, and all had enough skill to join a new song with little prompting.
Matt took his place once more, nodded at the backup singer, and began. "Ready? A one, a two, a one two three!" Strumming the lute and enjoying the way it actually managed to sound somewhat like an acoustic guitar, he watched Kyle straighten up once more, take a deep breath, and begin.
"Go on and close, the curtains; cuz all we need, is candlelight..."
Unlike the previous two songs, which were upbeat, and somewhat raucous, this one seemed more mellow, and the crowd visibly relaxed as it played on.
Finally, with a steady fade, the song ended and Kyle opened her eyes and grinned, before collapsing to the stage, much to the shock of the crowd, who'd just begun to cheer.
"Rushing to her side, Serenity was about to call for help when Kyle twitched before letting out a snore that seemed all too voluminous to have come from such a dainty mouth.
"She passed out," someone mumbled.
"Guess the show's over then," another patron muttered.
"But what a show it was, eh?" Someone else said.
Serenity grinned down at the sleeping figure, wondering whether or not she had the strength to lift carry her to a bed, before suddenly looking worried. Where would they take her? Back to the temple?
"Make way, Make way, Get out of my way before I up the price of your meals twofold!" Someone called, before the crowd parted and a night elf approached in a rather flamboyant suit. "The little lady can sleep here, on the house, I've yet to have the place this crowded. Is she for hire? Are all of you?" he asked, excitedly.
Serenity frowned. She was about to turn him down, before thinking it over. "Any decisions we make are between the three of us. It would be an ill deal, indeed, if we were to make such a decision with one third of our troupe left out of the discussion."
The tavern owner nodded. "I see."
"Yes, I'm afraid you'll have to talk to our manager if you'll want to book Queen for any future events," Matt interjected.
"I thought you said her name was Jaessica?" The owner asked, puzzled.
"That is her name, Queen is the name of the band."
"Oh. I see. Interesting name... Well, I suppose you'll want to see that room? I'll cover the meal and drinks as well, you more than earned it with that performance! By Elune! To think that such songs could be sung!" The Tavern owner took off towards a staircase in the back, and Matt and Serenity shared a look before grabbing one of Kyle's arms each and supporting the passed out elf between them.
As they followed the proprietor through the still-cheering crowd, Matt muttered under his breath "God, Kyle needs to go on a diet. Anyway..." he grinned at Serenity. "Still think we're so bad?"
Serenity looked down at the passed-out elf in her care, and over at the second elf she'd spent an hour performing before a crowd with. "Hmm... When one of you is drunk, and the other trying to please a crowd, you might just be agreeable." She smiled at his look of shock, before turning to watch where they were going. "Still... Elune explained some things to me after you returned here... and I think my initial assessment of you both was more accurate than I had come to believe."
Matt, realizing the conversation had turned serious, quietly asked, "and what was that initial assessment?"
Looking down at Kyle again, Serenity let a small smile grace her lips. "You two have potential to be a lot of things; the most important... and most selfish... being my friends."