From: hutch@ibeam.intel.com (Steve Hutchison) Date: 9 Jul 93 22:25:22 GMT Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Subject: [MG] You Can Still Rock in Generica [ADMIN] WARNING -- This contains spoilers for the BBD thread, so if you're following that thread, you might want to save this to read in a few days. Also, it's another of those joint productions, this time me writing with Mike Sander. Spoiler-protection page break follows: 'Raf kept a casual scan of the crowd, looking out for signs of Reaver twisting. The battle was happening right now, and he was the focus for the emotional charge of Power that the band was evoking. If Mar had set up any kind of backup plan, he'd be attacking here. The satyrlion stepped down from the stage at the end of the song, pleading a need to visit the euphemism. Not exactly, he was full, but with the energies he had to focus back to the Anchor: 'Raelf, the main timeline, who helped keep paradox from dissolving them all into random elemental noise, and right now he was collecting the flow off the Ley Lines, the magical heartbeat of all of Nexus, and the flow from the World Gate, the network of wormholes and paths to alien infinities that was powered by the unravelling of a thousand thousand black holes, which was sending him a miniscule amount of the power the Gateways managed. And then 'Raf himself, channeling the pure emotional charge from the crowd and the deeper power that it drew on, the will and belief and spirit of sentient beings from all over Nexus. 'Raelf was going to be one sore kitten the next few weeks. So far, there wasn't a trace of Mar's interweaving anywhere nearby. Just then, 'Raf spotted a familiar face, in a green forester's habit: Lancos Erredan. For a moment, he was glad to see his old friend again. But then caution woke -- Mar had chosen an innocent bystander once, why not strike through a friend? So, he watched the ranger, and the woman with him, using not just his own elemental perceptions, but the physical empathy that came with his satyrlion body: 'Nothing there that shouldn't be. He's still got that amulet... Hm. Good thing he wasn't around yesterday -- who knows what we would have done to him, he's animalistic enough as it is. Ooh -- what's this? Kiss and tell time! Romance in the works? Oh, oh... she did it for the money. Eww. Best leave it alone then, Lancos could have ended up with a lot worse -- like ... well, let's not pursue that possibility... Hmm -- he's ditching her and heading my way solo; he must know something's up. Hope he takes this well.' The warrior walked up to the satyrlion and repeared the question he had asked himself earlier. "'Raelf?" "Hey ho, Lancos. Yeah, it's me, but call me 'Raf while I'm in this form." "All right. I'm not sure what's in a name anyways. Speaking of which, I'm glad I saw you, since I want to visit Little Rat, assuming she's still called that. What's with the change in name and look for yourself, though? Being around a detective make you want to be in disguise?" "Little Rat's name is up to her. And as for the form, I've probably just been hanging out with rangers too long," he smiled, showing extra teeth in the grin and lashing his tail. "Funny. So what are you, the manager of this group?" "Something like that. Karl, the redhaired satyr, he's the manager, but I've been helping them out with a few things. Their name's Rhythm Song. And they're pretty good, in my never humble opinion." Lancos nodded. "Must be. After all, I saw them last night too." 'Raf's blinked in shock for a second, then turned deadly serious. "You _what_?". Before Lancos could barely move, he was hit with a light he could barely stand to look into. As he slowly adjusted to it, he saw 'Raf was the cause of it, and surmised that it was being used to magically inspect him, although he was not sure _why_. The procedure lasted about a minute before the light stopped, and 'Raf let out a long breath. "No significant changes. Either you came in at the right time, or didn't visit long." For his part, Lancos was confused. "I don't know what you're talking about. But you're right about me not staying. I was sort of busy, spending time with Arienne and all..." "Arienne? Was that the girl you were sucking face with? You dog!" the mage grinned, the satyr part of his mind running wild. "Huh? 'Sucking face' is basically understandable, but I'm still unsure about what you mean." "Oh, sorry, wrong animal." The satyrlion grinned. "I hope I did not offend Lady Bast." He gave a small bow to the cat, who seemed to be more interested in an itch in her ear. "Whatever you say. Arienne and I have what might verge on a relationship. After all, look around -- do you even see her anymore?" The 'kan looked around. She had left, there was a trace moving out of the edge of his awareness. He shrugged. "Anyway, what's the situation with you? C'mon, tell me the truth, I deserve at least that much." Lancos looked him directly in the eyes. "All right, but remember you asked for it." 'Raf blinked, channelling a surge of power as a set ended and another song began. "I'm at war, and I'm under attack. Right now." "Attack?" Lancos looked around, suspicion outlining his features. "Well, I suppose it can't be anything you can't handle, or you think I'd be useful for. Because otherwise, you _know_ I'm always willing to help." "Dude, it's not like winning a prize; it's not something I should share. Besides, you're helping. You're catching the music. I'm mostly worried about fallout, stuff that might be coming from left field. Flank attacks, dude." Lancos' baffled look suddenly vanished at the familiar military term. "I was even worried for a while it might be coming from you, eh? My enemy is a sneaky bastard, y'know. How could I tell you from a perfect duplicate?" Lancos' visage tightened. "Maybe because I haven't already attacked. Because I'm not wearing the medallion, but I have it, and it's not something you can exactly duplicate. Because I asked for the truth, not something evil's known for. Because -- particularly after the Dragon Quest -- I've made sure my loyalties are straight. And because, after all I've learned and been through, I feel I'm a better person than one who would do that, and would hope people agreed." 'Raf whistled low. "Good to hear you say that, mi amigo. Really good to see a little confidence... a bit of ego. But don't be fooled, the fellow I'm fighting uses truth just as much as he uses lies. If he was using you, there's a good chance you wouldn't even know it. But hey, I trust you not to be my enemy." Lancos smiled wryly. "Glad you feel that way." Then the smile soured. "Because I was just about to add that I could understand why, after what happened in Ak'Irneg." The satyrlion returned the look. "Yeah, I think I know how you feel about that. Better than you think." Now it was the warrior's turn to look deadly serious. "I hope not, dude. That would mean losing total control over yourself, with limited hope of ever regaining it. It would mean watching yourself kill another person for no good reason, and not be able to do anything about it, not even regretting it, basically. It would mean word 'friend' lost all meaning, as far as I'm concerned. And the worst part for me, knowing that it's happened before, and very well could again." 'Raf smiled to himself -- Lancos actually called him "dude" -- seems like he might be picking up more than he thought. He turned serious, then, thinking about what Lancos had said. "Hmm. Except for the killing part, that sounds about right." 'Raf extended a claw and scritched Bast at the base of where her tail used to be, where an especially annoying itch had been bugging him. There was a small pause of total silence, as the band rested a moment in between songs. "Wow. I would ask what happened, but I wouldn't want to intrude." "I'll tell you more when it's safe. Suffice it to say I owe Kadrys big time for the way I mistreated him." Lancos couldn't help but chuckle. "We both do. Ironic, then, isn't it, that of the three of us, people would in general trust _him_ the least, when he's proved the most reliable?" 'Raf said nothing for a second, then shook his head swiftly back and forth, his long mane flying about with a mind of its own. "Enough of that, dude, you're starting to sound like Lucas, and I need to be in a party mood." Lancos smiled, somewhat despite himself. "Sorry. I guess I _should_ just enjoy the music. Especially with it likely being from your realm and all." "Huh?" The mage cocked his ears, and was slightly puzzled when he heard only a local favorite was been played. "Why would you say that?" "Well, you said you managed. Since this group is just starting out -- which I assume they are, doing this for free and all -- I figured you'd put in stuff from your realm, as well as maybe some well-known local songs, and of course a few original pieces." "Oh, really?" "Yeah, why not? I'm not familiar with almost anything from Generica or... whatever the current name of your home is, and I'd bet it's true in reverse. Well, maybe not for people like Listener, but I'd bet in general. Cultural diversity seems to be what Generica is all about, so what harm could it do?" The satyrlion grinned. "Cool attitude. But two things. Rhythm Song has been around for a while, but they weren't a satyr band before last night." He grinned at Lancos puzzled expression, then continued, "And we _are_ getting paid for this, if I have to take it out of Melwiss' own pocket. Good idea about the multicultural side though. They've been taking stuff at random from my own musical background, but a more deliberate selection process might tighten things up a little." He looked over the band, wondering if he should get back in and crank up the illusion field again; they'd stopped while he took his break. "Well, if you're taking suggestions," Lancos said, " let me make another. The music by itself is certainly... motivating... capturing, but you should add more visual effects. If you do it right, people will be entranced by both the sights and sounds, producing even more than double the experience. Hmm -- it may be easier to show than explain it, if you don't mind." "Well, it _sounds_ like you know what you're talking about..." 'Raf let his grin grow into a wider smile. Finally Lancos was letting some of his mysterious past be seen? "Hey, you can't spend half you life around entertainers and learn nothing. Even when it's the first half, and you mainly lugged equipment, like I did. Anyway, what's the next song?" "Good question." He pulled up the amulet he'd used to scan Lancos earlier. <> <<6 minutes, 28.34 seconds>> <> <>. "I think `Changes' would be appropriate... Not sure if I want to use Bowie's or Ozzy's or Tesla's ... <> Especially since things are about to heat up... Oh man... Joy ... R, pick a name, man, pick a name!" "Changes? Name?" The warrior paused, shaking off a question about what 'Raf meant, realizing there were some thing he just _shouldn't_ know. However, he didn't want to just drop the subject. "What's up? I wish I could help." "Thanks for the sentiment, but this goes beyond what I can ask you." Lancos' resolve remained obvious in the set of his face. "I really mean it. I must owe you at least one favor." 'Raf looked at the ranger for a second, the wheels of his mind swiftly turning. "I may take you up on that. It's dangerous though." "What would I have to do?" "Hmm. I'm not sure how to say this. How much do you know about satyrs?" "Not much -- they're supposed to be a secretive but life-loving group in general. I guess that doesn't fit well with the warrior mindset I've generally carried, since I've seen maybe a half dozen of them lifetime, including the band but not you." "That'll have to do for a basis. The main thing you need to know is they like to be happy, and they have the power to share emotions, physical and otherwise. Sometimes they'll make people happy, no matter what it takes. One part of this is that they're _very_ good musicians, to the point of taking over people's emotions when they think it's needed." "Yeah, I've rather noticed that. I suppose it's luck plus being behind the band that's let me keep full control." "Hey, you should join the party, then. The more the merrier, and it's good to loosen up every once in a while." "Maybe later," Lancos said, with a hint of a smile. "But first, go on." "Oh, right. Well, you see, another way satyrs pleasure people -- and thus themselves -- is giving people things they want. Since you asked for the truth, this is it: for me, that includes granting someone's hearts' desire. Not some whim or even something they think they've wanted for a long time, but what would satisfy them the most, both emotionally and physically. It's beyond that -- if you ask me for your heart's desire, I must and can and _will_ grant it to you." Lancos stood dumbstruck for a moment, taking in the deeper meaning of what he had just heard. "Oh. So you want me to... no, I better not say it. Give me a second to focus, and then please try it on me." 'Raf shrugged, both physically and mentally. He reached his hands to the ranger's face, touching gently. Since Lancos had asked, after being warned, then whatever might pop up, he really had no choice. But then, he trusted his friend. There was a flicker in the air as he moved them slightly in time and space, stealing the seconds he needed for this task. First to come to him was the physical sensorium -- what it felt like to be Lancos. The essence of being alive: blood running through the veins; adrenaline pumping slowly, but ready to increase in less than a moment's notice; sweat forming all over the body, and saliva in the mouth. The shape of him, a strong yet fairly agile man, beyond young adulthood but still far from middle age, near the height of his physical prowess. The more intricate details: scars here and there; an old wound left from a sword stick when he was younger; a slightly crushed left big toe where he'd dropped a crate on it; the bruise on his head that he'd gotten in the DragonQuest. Then the emotions came in, a whirl of patterns leading in a well worn dance. A picture formed in 'Raf's mind, the visual object of his mental quest. The image was of Lancos with a young woman, sitting and talking lovingly in a glen, occassionally looking at a pairs of children. The woman was Felria, the mage remembered from his brief peek at Alita's interpretation of her in Ak'Irneg, and the children were no doubt their own. 'Raf frowned, first in slight disappointment, and second in realizing that if he asked Lancos if he _really_ wanted this, the ranger would say no. Then, a surprising thing happened -- the image dimmed, another one mixing with it, then dominating and eventually replacing it. This resembled more of a memory, showing Lancos in Ak'Irneg, watching 'Raelf be torn apart, and inwardly wishing he could reform the mage body and soul, that he could break from the medallion's control long enough to save his friend, if he couldn't save himself. An instant of desire that had been locked so deep inside him by the medallion that he hadn't even known it was in there. Impulsively, 'Raf shared back his own memory: Mar's sneak attack via the avatar, how he had exchanged the Gift with R that gave free will to the fragmentary Reaverschild, and how the rules of their exchange required that he keep the gift of tainted power that had been anchored into the elemental Earth of his own being, tied through the half-animal archetypes of the Satyr he had helped to die many years past. There was a pause, as Lancos absorbed the memory. Then the images flowed around each other, and, for a fraction of a second, joined. 'Raf's eyes grew wide, and he reached with the power provided by the Gift... A day in the past and minutes in the future, a set of bindings was cut, a Gift was cut loose from one of the moorings holding it in place. For the moment, 'Raf disappeared, replaced by the truly human form. But the memories parted, and the satyrlion form returned. 'Raf grinned, and they fell back into time as his hands came away from Lancos' face. "Thanks, man. I appreciate the gift. So you were the one who gave me back my shapeshift. You'll probably never know how much this helps me." 'Raf bounced up and down a little, "Far Out!" and Lancos blushed. "Call it repayment for my betrayal. I still owe Kadrys." "Merde, we're beyond that, and I'm sure Kadrys feels the same, trust me. Could you at least tell me how you did that? You changed your heart's desire, on a very deep level, that's not something people usually do." "Maybe later, when we're at the house." There was another moment of silence between the two, before Lancos broke it. "Anyway, about the song and the lights?" "That's easy enough. Light board is that big black box over there, and since these goobers don't know what they're gonna play until it's half started, I'll loan you a three-second look ahead. It'll be good enough to plan your actions, but it won't let make you feel too uncomfortable." <> he muttered, and touched Lancos' shoulder. Lancos felt a sudden sense of warmth, he felt somehow larger, like his legs were mounted on springs. Time skewed slightly, and he knew what was going to happen, a slight blurriness around the edges of Now. The warrior rushed off to where the lighting was controlled, hearing the audience cheer a bit, and knowing the next song was about to start. Anna, the blonde satyr, moved the bell-rack forward, the tuned bars of metal that she used in lieu of keyboards. The twin drummers did a quick set of scissors-paper-stone, and one of them stayed with the big drum while the other one picked up a strange string-and-gourd arrangement, that made a basso thrum similar to a bass guitar. Karl picked up one of Anna's larger lutes, and adjusted the tuning a little. The bells started -- the sound was uncannily like a keyboard, and she did a solo for a half a minute or so, then was joined in background by the thrumming bass. Then for a second, there was nothing but a hum from the instruments. The lute started off, sounding more full-bodied than it should, almost like a guitar but with a metallic electric edge to it, and the bass merged with it after a few bars, still staying in background. After a few bars together Karl began to sing: "Changes Time's making changes in my life Rearranging Can't seem to stop the hands of time" The drums joined in at the beginning of the next stanza: "I remember I was so young I was much too young to see Now I'm older Growing older And I see things differently" The bells kicked in at this point, before and through the next lines: "Oh, oh, can't you see It's changing you and me?" The instruments grew louder and faster to match the voice, for the chorus. "Time's making changes Time's making changes in my life Time's rearranging Changing you and me." There was a slight pause, before the instruments softened, only the lute and drums still playing: "Faces Strange faces cloud my mind Heavy traces Make it hard for me to find" The bass strummed in at the beginning of the next line, continuing to play: "Somewhere in the distance Is that someone who awaits For that moment I am taken Over by the hands of fate" The bells reappeared for the next bit: "Can't you see The world is changing me?" The chorus repeated, but this time, the intensity was kept afterwards, the drums profoundly beating. "Nothing ever stays the same It's always gonna change I'm on my way." The voice softened on the last line, to the point of disappearing. Lute and drums went into a partnership, working together on a fast rhythmic beat. Another small pause followed, before the lute and bass restarted like they had near the beginning of the song; this time the drums were also present. "Changes Time's making changes in my life Rearranging -- always changing Cant seem to... stop the hands of time" On cue, the bells again made themselves felt in the music. "Can't you see It's changing everything?" The chorus played one final time, the singer adding "Oh, all these changes" at the end. Lute, guitar, and drums came lout bug complimentary again, until the end of the song. The music stopped for a second, and the audience applauded and yelled in pleasure. The mage smiled as he watched Lancos perform his duties, shifting the degree of light to meet the mood of the song, or the location, according to whomever was being "featured", with occasional forays to capture the audience's reactions. He really could have done the same things himself; Dave had been in Hollywood long enough to pick up an array of showmanship knowledge. But Lancos was enjoying himself, clearly had more than enough experience and talent to do the job, and if he was doing it, then 'Raf could go into the band and focus energy from a more comfortable place. Bast brushed against the fur of his leg, a rasping purr squeaking out of her. He reached down and picked her up. <> <> <> There was a quick flurry of colors and lights that went unnoticed as Lancos played the lightboard. When they passed, Bast had her tail back, missing since it had been caught under a door when she was just a kit. And her vocal chords had been repaired too. 'Raf frowned, wondering what kind of a jerk would cut the vocal chords of a cat. Bast rubbed against his furry chest again then jumped down to the ground and went over to pester Lancos. 'Raf watched for a few seconds, grinning, then walked to the edge of the stage. He jumped into the middle of the set at the next opening, grinning at Karl and letting Anna take a much-needed break. The band played well into the night, pumping out music. And to show their appreciation, the crowd openly expressed their enjoyment, being led into hope and faith and trust and love, their emotions fueling the war against Mar. But none of them were tireless, and eventually Rhythm Song gave their regards for the night. They waved as they walked off the stage, then bowed to Melwiss and his entourage. Lancos followed them with the lights, then, shutting the board off, followed them bodily. Bast leaped down from her perch atop Melwiss' tent onto Lancos' shoulder, flaunting her restored tail. Lancos noticed the tail and the loud "mew" and started to say something to 'Raf, but decided to keep it for later. 'Raf was hugging Karl and Anna, grinning broadly, lion's teeth sparkling in the moonlight. "Hey guys, great show." He broke free, bumped heads with the twins (which should have hurt, they had horns and he didn't) and then backflipped over to where Lancos was standing. He reached over and scritched Bast on the head again, then touched Lancos on the non-cat-perched shoulder, and the ranger's head spun for a moment as everything suddenly snapped back into NOW - he felt a strange sense of something missing, no more warm furry presence in the back of his mind. Rather than ask 'Raf about it right now, he echoed the satyrlion's words, "Yeah, great show, you guys were amazing." "Thanks," Karl answered, his voice a bit soft after all the singing he'd had to do tonight. "And thanks for the assist. 'Raf, who's this?" he said, pointing to the warrior, "Another of your brothers, or one of ar'Elya's crew?" "Neither, this time -- introductions... Folks, this is Bast, a cat of great personal presence, and Lancos Erredan, a ranger and her companion. I used to travel with the man, but not the cat. Lancos, this is Karl, Anna, and the twins Dack and Dirk, whom I less formally introduced to you as Rhythm Song." "Nice to meet you," Karl grinned. "Good work with the lights. If 'Raf does decide not to go with us on tour, we might try to recruit you as a roadie, if we decide we want a human in the group." Anna giggled at that, though the ranger only raised his eyebrow in question. "It's a private joke," she said, reaching over and tousling his hair in a flirtatious manner. The twins nudged each other behind Lancos' back and grinned. Or leered. "Oh." Lancos muttered, before giving a sly smile. "If you're going to be that way, I'll have to reply in kind, and tell you that I _could_ be less human, but you wouldn't like me that way." They looked at him speculatively, and 'Raf winced. Oh well, he'd tried to deal with this back when they were DragonQuesting. No success then. No reason to expect it to be better now. Finally, Lancos spoke again. "I'm sorry if I sounded weird. Chalk it up to lack of sleep, I suppose." Karl yawned. "Yeah, I'm fairly tired myself. Why don't you crash with us back at the lighthouse? We could talk some more, maybe pay back for the help with the lights." "Thanks. The memories that brought back were probably payment enough, it's been a long time since I did anything like that. But I'll happily accept your invitation to the Lighthouse. I was already headed there anyway..." "Well then, let's be on our way..." 'Raf finished loading his part of the gear into the pushcart and they went off to the west.