Songs of the Dragon

[Tiamat]

She pinched her fingers together as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. The computer screen glowed at her, mocking her as it sat there. She resumed typing as she input each bit of data from the stacks of paper on the desk. She sighed in frustration at the computer, the work she let pile up, at her life. Tiamat had taken a lot of work off, between being attacked some time ago and Ivy being killed again. With Ivy gone again, she had to focus on something. This particular something brought in some much needed income to fund her side projects. A sudden knock on the door shot her gaze away from the screen.

“Tia, Tia, Tia. We got problems out here. We got the dinner rush and the kitchen is backed up and people are starting to get up and leave!”

Sasha, a petit brunette young girl, stood in the doorway out of breath. She was pretty, but prone to panic attacks. Tia raised an eyebrow at the girl before speaking. “Okay? Breathe and think about this for a moment. Where’s everyone else right now?”

“I, um, I don’t know,” Sasha stammered out. “I just, panicked and I knew you were here and, and well you’re smart. What do we do? What would you do?”

“I just do the paperwork here. Wait, are you telling me you didn’t even bother looking for anyone else?” Tiamat sighed again. “Sasha dear, what am I ever going to do with you? Tiamat laced her fingers together in thought. “Okay, here’s what we’re going to do,” She started to say as she reached into her purse and pulled out a stack of money, “Run to the music shop at the other end of the mall, get a karaoke machine, a microphone headset for it, and Billy Joel among other artists of that style of music . You’ve got 3 minutes to get back and have it set. Got it?”

“Oh! Are you going to sing? Sometimes when we’re a little slow, I listen against the door when I hear you singing. Can you sing for them?” The girl smiled brightly and looked like she was going to jump right out of her skin. She quickly took the money from Tia’s hand and rushed out of the restaurant before the raven haired woman could protest. Tiamat got up from her Chair shaking her head slowly. Smoothing her dress and adjusting herself, Tiamat looked down at her hands. The engagement ring on her left hand sparkled fiercely under the light and threatened to over shadow the rest of her jewelry assortment. (http://leticiacastro.webs.com/photos/Le ... 20082x.jpg)

She opened the door and slowly stepped out into the restaurant just in time for the machine be up and running. Sasha came bounding up with the microphone set and held it out for the other woman. “You owe me big time for this Sasha,” Tia muttered as she took the microphone and stepped further out into the room. She carefully placed the headset on and motioned for the coworker by the set up to start it up.

“Please tell me she got the music I wanted. This thing got ‘Downeaster Alexis’?” Her coworker nodded quietly and started the music. The drums began their slow beat and Tiamat closed her eyes as her body swayed to the music. She opened her mouth and began singing. Her voice added a beautifully sad quality to the lyrics as she moved through the restaurant, dancing slowly around the staff and patrons. She was so drawn into the song that she didn’t notice that all eyes were focused on her. When the song was over she set the headset down and picked up the wired mic.

“Thank you all for coming to the Dragon’s Lair for dinner tonight. We apologize for the inconvenience and we’re proud to announce that we’re having karaoke night, so please come up and sing your hearts out.”


(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVlDSzbrH5M)

[Mortll]

Mortll slipped into the mall it was crowded due to the approaching holidays, time for her to check in on Dragons Lair and see how it was doing and go over a few books.
She opened the doors to find the place packed customers were waiting for seats . She was quite surprised they were not more belligerent and walking out of the doors.

The sound of the woman’s voice carried over the crowd Mortll made her way through to catch a glance of Tia singing … “Wow that girl was a smash but since when did they do Karaoke? The customers seemed glued to her performance but the song would soon end and Tia couldn’t perform all night. Mortll smiled Karaoke went better with booze and lots of it . She ordered the bar tender to send out a few trays of free drinks and she went over to the neon specials sign and wrote Drinks ½ price until the next hour.

That should get some of them singing or at least drunk enough to try. This was a good turn of events. She wanted to see who else was brave enough to get up and sing.

[Lyana]

Lyana was walking the mall as she tried to shop for her sire for the holidays. Christmas was around the corner, and she had yet to pick her anything out. She went from shop to shop looking at assorted gift ideas. Lingerie, pajamas, cookware, electronics, music, and more. Nothing called out to her. She sighed and continued walking around. She stopped into a bookstore, and smiled as one of her favorite authors had a new book out. She picked it up, and looked at the price. They wanted fifty dollars for the book. She frowned, and looked around. This city's inflation rate was ridiculous. Normally in the states, the book would only cost thirty, or maybe even thirty five dollars. She set the book down, and went to a bookstore online... in her head. She loved her powers sometimes. This was one of them. She ordered the book for twenty eight ninety nine. Plus tax and shipping and handling. Much cheaper that buying from the store. Moving back out into the mall, she saw a crowd gathering around a particular shop. When she looked, she noticed it wasn't a shop at all. It was a restaurant. She wandered over to see what was going on, and smiled as she heard someone singing. Pushing herself through the crowd, she moved until she was able to see better. The woman was dancing! Lyana loved to dance... and sing. Out of the corner of her eye, a woman wrote on the neon board. Drinks were now half price. God how she missed drinking... and smoking. When the woman's son ended, Lyana looked around and didn't see anyone stepping up. She shrugged and wandered over to the karaoke machine. She browsed through the selections and picked out a song. It was fairly new, but one she enjoyed. She handed the person running the machine the CD The song started and the drums beat and fingers snapped. She moved quickly over to the mic and picked it up. She put it on, and grinned. "I've never seen a diamond in the flesh." She continued singing the song, and slowly swayed to the music. She got to the chorus and moved with the beat more and more. "You can call me Queen Bee! And baby I'll rule! Let me live that fantasy!" She smiled as she got tingles. She reached out and took a woman's hand and pulled her up to dance as she continued to sing. They swayed together, and the woman laughed as she had fun and sat back down. Lyana moved back up to the stage as she got closer to the end of the song. "Let me live that fantasy!" Lyana bowed and took off the headset. She moved towards the bar, and tried not to blush as the embarrassment filled her up.

[Jana (DELETED 5000)]

Harper Rock. Her grandmother had always told her about this place, a world within itself. She said strange things had always happened in the city, but Deborah had never believed them. Everything the woman told her was too extreme.

But upon the plane's landing in the city, she'd been shocked to find that they were anything but flights of fancy. Gambondale was under complete quarantine, the old Mausoleum was locked down. The internet forums for locals claimed there were vampires in the city. Deborah didn't know what to believe. Her grandmother had always claimed that the city was strange.

She couldn't deny that there was a draw to the river through the city, either.

"Relax, girl," she told herself, ensuring that her red hair hid most of the stick-on jewels she wore. She was hoping that there might be a performance opportunity, so she was to the nines with her entire wardrobe. A vinyl corset patterned with metallic red flames, black jeans with red sequins in fire shapes on the ends of the legs, and the stick-on jewels made her look a little too dressed up for just a trip to the mall.

But then she heard it.

The singing.

"Finally," she muttered, pushing lightly through the crowd to step up to the karaoke machine, cycling through the music before she found the perfect song. She queued the music, stepped onto the stage, and lifted the microphone.

"Hello, everyone. My name's Jana Walker. I hope you like what you hear from me," she said, just as the music began. It wasn't her usual song, but it was perfect for right now.

song

[Tiamat]

Tiamat wandered up to the bar and motioned to the bar tender for a drink. With her glass in hand she went and stood next to Mortll. She took a sip of her drink and ran her fingers through her hair. "Evening Mortll, I've almost gotten all of the paper work done. Sasha started having a panic attack about people leaving. Don't worry about the machine though, I paid for it." She took some more sips of her drink before motioning to the room. "Me singing, was not my plan at all. At least it's starting to gather people willing to sing though. They've been sober too it seems."

She noticed one of the singers approaching the bar with an embarrassed look on her face. She smiled and nodded at her as she finished off her drink. "You should get out there and do a song, Mortll."

[Lyana]

Lyana raised her hand for a drink, but hesitated. When the lady that sang before her nodded, she ordered a cheap drink, and slid the man some money. She sniffed the tip and tried to take a small sip, but it instantly made her nauseous. She slipped down the bar towards the lady, and smiled. "Names Lyana." She said as she tilted the beer up, but used her tongue to quark the bottle's opening. No beer filled her mouth, but it looked like she was drinking. "You have an amazing voice...* Lyana drawled out her sentence as she tried to get the woman's name.

[Mortll]

"Me sing ?" Mortll chuckled "You really do want the crowd to leave No no take the Machine out of tonights profits . Its a fantastic idea . You sing quite beautfuly I wouldnt mind hearing another ." Mortll looked at the woman appreciativly "Its a good thing you dont stay cooped up in that office all the time "

[Tiamat]

"That's okay Mortll, I used my personal funds for it." She brushed some stray hair strands from her eyes. Before she could comment on the other woman's comments about her singing when another young woman. Tiamat turned her eyes from her boss to the blonde who had just come up to them. She was pretty and Tia kind of liked her eyes. "Tiamat, you may call me Tiamat. Thanks for the compliment Lyana. Mortll maybe you should hire her to sing. Her also," Tia said as she nodded to Jana who was singing.

She looked back at Mortll, and sighed to herself. "I'll go perform another song."

She waited until Jana had finished her song before she stepped up to the machine. Once her song was chosen, instead of the headset, Tia picked up the microphone. Her hips began swaying back and forth to the beat of the drums. Her eyes drifted shut for just a moment before she singing her song.

( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSq4B_zHqPM )

[Jana (DELETED 5000)]

As Jana reached the bar, she smiled at her audience, rapping a knuckle against the counter. "Can I get a root beer? No alcohol, please. Just got to town. Trying to keep my head." She settled into a seat, crossing her ankles and watching Tiamat perform. She felt a challenge to out-perform the other girl rising in her. Why, she didn't know, but it was natural for her. She was always challenged by the presence of another singer. It was entirely part of her being, and one that had been there since she'd begun singing.

Perform again, the voice, the one that had been with her since her grandmother's passing, whispered seductively. They were enthralled by the first. Pick another song. Perform again for them. They'll enjoy it.

"But," she murmured, speaking to the voice, unaware that others inside the establishment might hear her, "if I do that, I might end up stuck here."

That's not such a bad thing, little one, the voice whispered. Do you not feel it? You belong here. Accept it. Embrace it.

[Tiamat]

The microphone had been placed back on the stand and Tiamat had walked back to the bar. She flipped her long black hair behind her ears. Her delicate hands smoothed over her dress before she took over an empty seat. The bartender slid another glass wine to her, and Tiamat sipped on it slowly. The woman who had just been singing had found her way up to the bar. She had muttered something that had made Tia’s eyes narrow slightly. Had she heard what was said to Mortll about hiring her?

“You make it sound like this restaurant is a bad place to work,” she said to the woman. “This is a very classy restaurant and it’d benefit having a singer of your caliber singing here. That’s why I suggested it in the first place.” She was unhappy at the thought that this woman had just insulted the restaurant.