Chapter 68: Hitting It Hard
A string of subtle, slightly spooky, melancholy techno music trickles along the air of the nightclub, before intensifying to a sound that sends cold noise into one's senses. The stage lights up with background set in large, illuminated curtains, with backlights of dusk yellow.
Adam stands there, with his arms crossed over his chest as his head is tilted down, his eyes closed, wearing black, finely feathered garments that thicken around his wrists and ankles. His face is decorated in gold glitter make-up, along with the topside of his fingers.
Two shirtless men are right behind his back, both of them have heavily costumed arms -- for the left and right respectively, the men have extended, claw-like arms, while their other arms are draped and tied with glittering silver, grey, and black wings, both stationed on either side of Adam as his right and left.
When the drums start to rage on, Adam slowly opens his eyes.
"~Ever since I could remember~" He puts his hands onto his chest area, "~Everything inside of me ~Just wanted to fit in~" He expresses longing and desperation as the music pronounces the (Ohh, ohh ohhhoh).
"~I was never one for pretenders~" He shakes his head as the men's long, sinister arms and hands reach up as the wings spread, "~Everything I tried to be ~Just wouldn't settle in~" The bird-like wings droop sadly. (Ohh, ohh ohhhoh)
"~If I told you what I was~" The right claw points out to the audience, as Adam's own arm reaches out to point, "~Would you turn your back on me?~" Adam places his hand onto his chest, and so the left claw gracefully holds onto Adam's torso, before they move back to normal "~And if I seem dangerous ~Would you be scaaarred?~" The wings quiver, "~I get the feeling just because~" Adam crouches a little, and reaches forward, and so both arms reach lengthily forward, "~Everything I touch isn't dark enough~" He stands back up, and holds both hands together as he pleads to the ceiling, as the clawed arms strain and hold in an upper acute angle "~That this problem lies in meeeeee~!"
Adam takes a dramatic swoop down, and whips out a lighter that gives a free-burning fireball, "~I'm only a man with a candle to guide me~" The claws circulate the flame, as if a beast is holding a will-o-the-wisp in a cage-like grasp as the wings flap; both dancers keeping up with Adam perfectly.
"~I'm taking a stand to escape what's inside meeee~" The wings flap dramatically as Adam waltz around in one spot, "~A monster, a monster~" The claws' long fingers grab Adam around his legs and upper body as he holds both shoulders while the wings flap frantically, "~I've turned into a monster ~A monster, a monster~" Adam squirms in the thin branches of the claws, "~And it keeps getting stronger~"
The claws release him and hold outward, still, while the wings calm down, "~Can I clear my conscience ~If I'm different from the rest~?" He asks in song as he takes a few steps away from the dancers, "~Do I have to run and hide?~" The large claws reach out, and cover over his forearms. (Ohh, ohh, ohhhoh)
Adam switched the flaming lighter on again, allowing the sizeable fireball to whip and billow about "~I never said that I want this ~This burden came to me~" He turns it off and presses it to his chest, "~And it's made it's home insiiide~ (Ohh, ohh, ohhhoh)
"~If I told you what I was ~Would you turn your back on me?~" Adam strolls around the stage, with the long arms and wings following him, and moving accordingly, "~And if I seem dangerous ~Would you be scared?~" Adam turns his back to the audience, with the wings switching places to show the dark side of them, "~I get the feeling just because ~Everything I touch isn't dark enough~" Adam reaches up with his hands open and stretched, "~That this problem lies in meeee~"
Adam moves swift and strongly, with the fire blazing from the lighter "~I'm only a man with a candle to guide me~" He tries to run, but the claws take both arms, and he holds them back as he holds his head back, "~I'm taking a stand to escape what's inside me~" The wings flap and envelop him, while the dancers that they're attached to dance in circles around him, "~A monster, a monster ~I've turned into a monster~" His head writhes as he thrashes, "~A monster, a monster ~And it keeps getting stronger~!"
The claws slam down onto the stage, while the wings flap harder than before, while Adam stands free between them, "~I'm only a man with a candle to guide me ~I'm taking a stand to escape what's inside me~" The dancers switch places, and show the wings' other side -- white with silver glitter,
"~A monster, a monster, I am not a monster~" Adam sings out, "~A monster, a monster ~And I will keep getting stronger!~"
The club explodes in cheers and applause. Adam holds his hands up and takes a bow. The two dancers bow too, holding the white-side wings up as they stand beside Adam, smiling as the curtains close in front of them.
~~~
Adam rolls his head and clears his throat after turning off the microphone on his ear. He huffs as he takes off the hot feather costume jacket, "That was awesome, guys, nice work."
"Yeah," Comes a haunting, female voice, "Probably because they're the only ones actually doing any work."
"Well well well," Adam turns to his mortal frienemy: Chloe. Dressed for the next act, as a warrior-princess with a fancy buckler and a dazzling sword that matches her stylish tiara, in a tasteful top and skirt, with her natural hair color a mixture of dark brown and yellow at over two-feet long "If it isn't the White Bitch, here to bring an eternal winter upon Narnia. What's wrong, honey, flying monkeys go on strike or something?"
"Yeah, look, I don't have time to pretend that you actually matter," She commented, "But might I say that is a nice outfit," Chloe said, "I guess it helps to recycle your garbage, doesn't it? You could almost think that that's actual fabric. Let alone how you can fit your fatass into anything other than a mumu."
"Ooohhh! Ouch," Adam clutches the left side of his chest, "That burns, sweetie. It really does. Almost as much as your little condition you have between your thighs." Chloe gives a growing look of mock-shock.
"Are you suggesting that I have gonorrhea, ya damn, dirty ape?"
"I'm suggesting you release Rajani from the fiery clutches of your snatch. Please, while the girl still has some soul left."
"Oh fuck you, asswipe!" Chloe viciously spits as Adam walks nearer to her, about to go down the hall.
"Bite me, demon." Adam retorts as he started to stride away.
"Oh waitwaitwaitwait!" Chloe turns around, and gets something out of her pocket, "Almost forgot, here," She tosses a small object over to Adam, who catches it perfectly, "Got the chapstick. Strawberry."
"Ooh, yummy, thank you," Adam replies in a light, bemused tone that is in direct contrast to the scathing conversation they had just exchanged while he opens the pack as he walks off.
Another one of the performers stares at the door, and then at Chloe. She gives him a rather acid glare while putting her hands on her hips, "So what the hell are YOU looking at?" She hisses like an evil cat.
"So what is the deal with you two?" The dancer asked. Chloe didn't answer, but just narrows her eyes VERY subtly, "You guys just... Uh..." Little by little, the wicked leer of Chloe penetrates his Train of Thought, "You fight all the time, it's uh..." Chloe starts to walk very slowly towards him, "Kinda... You know, not very... I-I mean, you guys work with each other, I-I'm just not sure you should be... U-U-Unprofessional?"
Chloe just keeps carving his mentality with her sharp eyes, chipping away at what little courage the poor guy had before he even dared to pry into her business. The more she stared, the fiercer she seems, not once even blinking.
