02-03-2023, 11:08 AM
Nox pulled the jacket and shirt off for his costume and laid it aside as he grabbed the yellow and blue feathered robe that hung on the nearby rack. It wouldn’t fit him, but that was sorta the point. He pulled the oversized arms over his mechanical one first and gently pulled it around. If he moved too quickly he might take out the back seams and he didn’t want that.
”No shurgging.” he told himself in the mirror and tied the robe closed around his waist. The feathers tickled the skin at his chest which was mostly visible.
Nox set the hat on top of the coat just as Juls walked into the wardrobe wearing her first costume for the show. ”What the fuck, Nox?”
”Have to make an annoucement and don’t want to give away the details. So it’s a Diva I do.”
”Someone else can do it.”
”Actually it has to be me. And tell the other girls there is no powers tonight. Not one. There is at least one Atharim in the crowd. I’ll do it. They know about me. So they need to leave a list if they need an element in their show. I got yours.”
”Nox that will drain you.”
”I’ll be fine. My job. Let me do it.”
Juls sighed, but nodded her head. She grabbed a pair of large goofy sunglasses — yellow and glitter covered with sequins and just plain horrid to look at, and from the look on my Juls face as she laughed at him. ”Suck it up.” She knew exactly how Nox felt about the gaudy piece of costume wear. It was like going on as Elton John going on his final fair well tour.
Nox growled. ”I hate you.”
But he made his way out onto the smaller stage in the lounge just as the last show finished. He hugged the last performer and the one waiting in the wings smiled and gave him the go ahead as he stepped on to the stage barefooted, wearing only the robe and goofy sunglasses. He tossed the feathered boa around his neck on stage and swept out on to stage like he owned it. Giving his best diva performance as he walked to the mic that was casually placed on the opposite side of the stage.
There were a few hoots and hollers and Nox looked out into the bar hoping to see a familiar face, but Nox knew Raffe wasn’t out there. He missed him. His faked smile almost slipped, but he corrected his thinking and took a deep breath as he started his announcement.
”All this for my show? I’m in awe. Thank you, Ducklings, for coming to our little home to watch this performance. I see a few friends out there, and a lot of people I’ve never seen before. But there are a few unfriendly folks out amongst you. I won’t name names, and I won’t kick you out as long as you play by my rules. Cause while I don’t own the joint, this is my home.” All the men around the room stepped forward in one as Nox raised his hand. ”These lovely gentlemen, see they all work for me. My house. My rules. And on that note, I want to warn all our lovely patrons and staff. There are Atharim in the house. For those of you who think I’m full of shit, I won’t deny that. But I was one of them. I know what I’m talking about.”
Nox held out his hands and two fireballs appeared just above them and he took a step back from the mic and wove a second weave to carry his voice throughout the club and out the doors. ”I was one of them before they turned on me when I could do this. Let them keep their focus on me. You keep your hands and feet and your wonderful beautiful gifts to yourself. I mean, you all came here to see me. Let’s keep it that way.”
Nox tossed the fireballs into the rafters with a few yelps before they shattered into thousands of tiny little harmless sparks that floated down from the ceiling and faded away into nothing. ”My Atharim friends. The lovely people here are under my protection. Touch a hair on their heads in this building and on Kallisti property and you’ll have a lot more than a little show to worry about.”
And with a wave of his hand and tug on the robe Nox was off the stage rushing to get back into costume. Threats made. Atharim weren’t going to hurt anyone on his watch. Juls handed Nox a box of protein bars. ”You might need more than this.”
Nox unwrapped a bar and bound up the stairs to change, but more importantly to grab his tiny little vials, he took hunting and a lighter. If it turned into a fight, he had to be able to keep going longer than his opponent and after a hard show, he was going to need all the help he could muster.
”No shurgging.” he told himself in the mirror and tied the robe closed around his waist. The feathers tickled the skin at his chest which was mostly visible.
Nox set the hat on top of the coat just as Juls walked into the wardrobe wearing her first costume for the show. ”What the fuck, Nox?”
”Have to make an annoucement and don’t want to give away the details. So it’s a Diva I do.”
”Someone else can do it.”
”Actually it has to be me. And tell the other girls there is no powers tonight. Not one. There is at least one Atharim in the crowd. I’ll do it. They know about me. So they need to leave a list if they need an element in their show. I got yours.”
”Nox that will drain you.”
”I’ll be fine. My job. Let me do it.”
Juls sighed, but nodded her head. She grabbed a pair of large goofy sunglasses — yellow and glitter covered with sequins and just plain horrid to look at, and from the look on my Juls face as she laughed at him. ”Suck it up.” She knew exactly how Nox felt about the gaudy piece of costume wear. It was like going on as Elton John going on his final fair well tour.
Nox growled. ”I hate you.”
But he made his way out onto the smaller stage in the lounge just as the last show finished. He hugged the last performer and the one waiting in the wings smiled and gave him the go ahead as he stepped on to the stage barefooted, wearing only the robe and goofy sunglasses. He tossed the feathered boa around his neck on stage and swept out on to stage like he owned it. Giving his best diva performance as he walked to the mic that was casually placed on the opposite side of the stage.
There were a few hoots and hollers and Nox looked out into the bar hoping to see a familiar face, but Nox knew Raffe wasn’t out there. He missed him. His faked smile almost slipped, but he corrected his thinking and took a deep breath as he started his announcement.
”All this for my show? I’m in awe. Thank you, Ducklings, for coming to our little home to watch this performance. I see a few friends out there, and a lot of people I’ve never seen before. But there are a few unfriendly folks out amongst you. I won’t name names, and I won’t kick you out as long as you play by my rules. Cause while I don’t own the joint, this is my home.” All the men around the room stepped forward in one as Nox raised his hand. ”These lovely gentlemen, see they all work for me. My house. My rules. And on that note, I want to warn all our lovely patrons and staff. There are Atharim in the house. For those of you who think I’m full of shit, I won’t deny that. But I was one of them. I know what I’m talking about.”
Nox held out his hands and two fireballs appeared just above them and he took a step back from the mic and wove a second weave to carry his voice throughout the club and out the doors. ”I was one of them before they turned on me when I could do this. Let them keep their focus on me. You keep your hands and feet and your wonderful beautiful gifts to yourself. I mean, you all came here to see me. Let’s keep it that way.”
Nox tossed the fireballs into the rafters with a few yelps before they shattered into thousands of tiny little harmless sparks that floated down from the ceiling and faded away into nothing. ”My Atharim friends. The lovely people here are under my protection. Touch a hair on their heads in this building and on Kallisti property and you’ll have a lot more than a little show to worry about.”
And with a wave of his hand and tug on the robe Nox was off the stage rushing to get back into costume. Threats made. Atharim weren’t going to hurt anyone on his watch. Juls handed Nox a box of protein bars. ”You might need more than this.”
Nox unwrapped a bar and bound up the stairs to change, but more importantly to grab his tiny little vials, he took hunting and a lighter. If it turned into a fight, he had to be able to keep going longer than his opponent and after a hard show, he was going to need all the help he could muster.
![[Image: nox_sig.gif]](http://thefirstage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/nox_sig.gif)