Carpathia IV: Episode 89 - In Times of Need
Rotunda, Polaris Deep
Behind the stage, there was a significant amount of sweating and hand-wringing, most of which being produced by one messy-haired nekohuman.
Amenaru: I've never been this nervous before a concert before.
Amenaru received a swat on the back from a hand that was distinctively metallic.
Kaoru: Nothing to worry about! Reuli will take care of you.
Amenaru took notice of Quenya and Tayet, who both seemed perfectly relaxed. This puzzled him greatly.
Amenaru: You two are doing surprisingly well. I didn't even know you played.
Quenya: Duh. Uncle Reuli taught us how to play. This isn't our first rodeo.
Amenaru's eyes widened while Quenya and Tayet watched, both silently swearing they could see the little hamster wheel turning in his head.
Amenaru: Wait... Quenya Vayhama... You're related!
Quenya smacked her forehead and Tayet rolled his eyes.
Tayet: Quick on the uptake, isn't he?
Quenya: To be fair, I did purposefully keep quiet about Reuli. I wanted people to see me for me rather than the niece of a famous person. Only a superfan bordering on stalker would know about that.
Tayet: You hear that, Amenaru? You're not a stalker!
Amenaru: Oh yes, that makes me feel so much better.
To Amenaru's delight, and saving him further embarrassment, Reuli burst into the backstage room.
Reuli: Everything's ready! Let's do it!
Few noticed when Reuli and the impromptu band ascended the stage. Everyone took their places and, when Amenaru was ready, tapped his sticks together twice and started hammering on his drums, repeating the same measure. The audience quickly got the idea and began crowding around the stage. When the crowd was big enough, Reuli took over.
Reuli: Are you ready, Quenya?
Quenya: Uh huh!
Reuli: Tayet?
Tayet: Yeah!
Reuli: Amenaru?
Amenaru: Okay!
Reuli: Alright fellas, let's GOOOOO!
And the music began in earnest. Most of the audience in front were tokki and though they were clearly interested, they didn't know what to make this newfangled way of doing a concert. Halfway through the first song, two people standing near the back changed everything.
Reylen divided his attention between the concert and Ramei next to him with his hand held aloft with two fingers extended and bouncing his head up and down.
Reylen: What is that you're doing?
It wasn't easy to hear over the concert. Ramei knew Reylen was talking to him, but couldn't make out what he was saying. Reylen pointed to Ramei's head and mimicked the same movements.
Ramei: Headbanging! That's what you do for this kind of music!
Reylen then held up his hand with his index and pinky fingers extended.
Reylen: Tokki ears?
Ramei: No, man! Devil horns! Rock concert tradition!
An old expression, "When in Rome..." that Reylen didn't know, but certainly understood the spirit. He stuck his own fingers in the air and moved his head like Ramei.
And then it happened.
Like a virus being passed along from a single carrier, the headbanging and devil horns spread from Ramei and Reylen with the tokki as the most susceptible victims. Finally, it was a sight never before seen in universe and possibly never would be again. 2117 floppy-eared tokki headbanging to classic rock music performed by an elf, an elf-human, a nekodragon, and a nekohuman.
When the second song started, everyone understood that Reuli picked songs that might have a little meaning to their guests.
Reuli: Come on! hop on! let's take a ride
Come and meet the travellers who came to town!
They have a tale from the past to tell
From the great dark between the stars!
And it continued for several songs. The Backstreet Boys cover became Amenaru's favorite, for it allowed him to test the durability of the drums in a way he'd never tried before. Fortunately, Reuli had one last song, a slower one, for Amenaru to cool down from that workout before it was time for him to sing his own.
Reuli: Everyone! Let's hear it for Amenaru Pendergast, who will be taking over vocals for this next song!
The crowd cheered while Amenaru waved and passed his sticks to Tayet, hoping that nobody could see how much he was shaking as he rounded the drum set to the microphone.
Reuli: Taking over bass will be Phobos Leingod!
The crowd cheered again as Phobos stepped on the stage and picked up the bass that Tayet was using.
Amenaru: Reuli taught you too?
Phobos: Well, you could say that.
No time to talk further, as Amenaru had to get himself ready for the song. First, Amenaru had to scan the audience to find Kit. It wasn't hard, for he was near the front, sporting his distinctive ears. Amenaru took a deep breath and glanced at Reuli, who was waiting expectantly for him. Kaoru was right that Reuli would take good care of him, making him feel at ease and to go on his own terms. Amenaru gave him a nod and Reuli passed the signal. The song started.
The song started well and Amenaru still couldn't believe how good is voice sounded. Still as good as it was in the brief practice session only a couple hours before. The audience dug every minute, but Amenaru was only interested in one of them, focused almost exclusively on him.
Amenaru: And I can't recall any love at all
Baby this blows 'em all away
It's got what it takes
So tell me why can't this be love?
Straight from my heart
Oh, tell me why can't this be love?
It was like a dream. Never in his life did he imagine that he could get up on a stage and sing to such a huge crowd with his favorite rock star urging him on at his side. Even better, the tech Reuli employed to enhance his voice worked very well. It was still him, just somehow better. He didn't want it to end and, in fact, when it was over, he quickly turned to Reuli.
Amenaru: Um... sorry, but... Can I do another one?
Amenaru fully expected to be castigated for being so bold, but Reuli grinned heartily.
Reuli: Sure thing! What do you have in mind?
Amenaru: Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon? I'm going to change a couple of lyrics around.
Reuli: Yup, we've done that one before.
Reuli then turned and shouted out the next song to the rest of the band.
Reuli: Walk the Moon, everyone!
Reuli faced the audience again and started the opening riff of the song and the others quickly joined in.
Amenaru: Oh don't you dare look back
Just keep your eyes on me
I said you're holding back
He said shut up and dance with me
This bunny is my destiny
He said oh oh oh
Shut up and dance with me
When the song ended, so did the show, and all the band members saluted the crowd and took a bow. Just before they departed the stage, Reuli gifted Amenaru with a hug and a message.
Reuli: You were great!
It was like a dream, except for one thing. As Amenaru descended the stairs, a single thought took over his entire brain. "I hope someone filmed that!"
What happened next was something akin to a costume change at a theater performance. Any tokki not already wearing a tunic disappeared down the docking arm nearest to the tokki ship where they set up a clothing change area. Little by little, the thousands of tokki filtered back into the rotunda wearing their black tunics and each carrying a staff.
All the tokki crowded around the stage, empty except for the instruments Reuli's band left behind, while the non-tokki in attendance stood behind the others. The one exception was Amenaru, right by the stage, also wearing a tunic and holding a staff. Kit ascended the stage, hunched a bit and fiddling with his fingers around the staff he carried. When he thumped his staff on the stage, it was time for the final part of his ceremony to begin.
Kit: I will defend my people from all threats!
Though Kit spoke in Tokkastran, the universal translators ensured that all the Carpathians in attendance could understand. The assembled tokki, plus Amenaru, thumped their staffs on the floor and chanted back. "We will defend you from all threats!"
Kit: I will comfort my people in times of need!
The tokki thumped back and responded. "We will comfort you in your times of need!"
Listening to Kit through the universal translator was a little jarring. Though it made it sound as though Kit were speaking English, the device could not replicate his particular manner of English speech.
The ceremony continued in this way for nearly fifteen minutes, with Kit making his vows and the tokki, plus Amenaru, vowing to do the same for him. When the tokki thought the chant and response was finished, they thumped their staffs repeatedly on the floor.
But Kit wasn't quite done yet.
He looked up, past the crowd of tokki, to the Carpathians, particularly the Shadowdancer crew, standing behind everything and shouted as loud as he could.
Kit: There's no place I'd rather be and no one else I'd rather be with!
This wasn't the universal translator anymore, at least not for the Carpathians. These were Kit's own words, directed specifically at them, for suddenly, his own, unique accent, his deliberate enunciation of his words, the slight nasal quality to his voice, and the way his vowels were just a bit off the norm, returned.
The surrounding tokki stopped pounding their staffs and looked around at each other. The Shadowdancer crew weren't sure how to respond either until Amenaru jumped onto the stage and exhorted them to reply.
Amenaru: There's no place we'd rather be and no one else we'd rather be with!
Finally, the Shadowdancer crew got the idea and repeated Amenaru's words.
"There's no place we'd rather be and no one else we'd rather be with!"
Reylen joined Kit and Amenaru on the stage to make the final announcement bringing an official end to the sodality ceremony.
Reylen: Welcome Kit Savea, newest member of the Elai Enclave!
Songs:
Ballroom Blitz (Original) | Ballroom Blitz (A cover I like)
Endless Forms Most Beautiful
Larger Than Life (Original) | Larger Than Life (A cover I like with tons of drumming)
Why Can't This Be Love?
Shut Up and Dance (Try to imagine with Amenaru's changes)
Commissioned art in this episode from:
AvareonArt
Zelbunnii
Thatwildmary
Colourbrand
