A Musical Interlude.

[Jaycy Ashleana]

A silent Arena.

A jeans-and-bomber-jacket-clad Jaycy moved down the steps quietly. Curly red and silver hair hung in a single ponytail down to mid-back, exposing pointed ears. A short strap was slung over one shoulder and connected to a large oddly-shaped case, thin at the top and ballooning at the sides down its length. She padded toward the bar, ponytail swinging faintly as she moved.

Her left hand took hold of the side handle on the case as she allowed the strap to slide off her shoulder. She set the bag flat upon the ancient wood. Fingertips passed lightly over the vinyl before undoing the latches that kept the case closed and its contents secure. She lifted the lid and smiled at what lay within, green-gold eyes gleaming a little.

Carefully she curled a hand around the neck of the acoustic guitar and lifted it, her other hand coming to support the body from underneath after it cleared the case. The gloss covering the dark brown spruce caught the light and warmed before her very eyes, echoing the gold in her eyes. Once the instrument was clear of case and bar she allowed the body support to cease, holding the guitar solely by the neck. She shifted a few feet away from the case and eased up onto the bartop. A booted foot rose to rest on a barstool before she nestled the guitar in her lap.

Jaycy brushed her fingers over the six taut strings. Her head tilted as she listened to the sound that emanated and then nodded faintly. It was still in tune. Fingers of her left hand pressed against the strings and neck, just below the nut, as her right hand rested flat against the strings over the sound hole. In the ready position, she paused and looked around. It was interesting that she so often came to such a social place when she wanted solitude to think. It wasn’t her home, necessarily, or where she spent most of her time … but it was a place that had a special place in her heart. It was also where she had found so many friends and loved ones.

Her thumb slid over the strings idly. She plucked a few strings – she didn’t use a pick – then pressed her palm against them again to still the vibrations and sound. After a pause to glance around and make sure she was alone, she began to play. Lightly she plucked at the strings and began to sing, softly at first but then allowing her voice to crescendo naturally with the words. Her voice was a sweet, rich alto, growing from a wisp in the wind to a full-bodied, deep sound.

Seems like I've gone off the side of a mountain
Couldn't be sure I was even alive
Fallen from the icy heights
Landed with a broken cry
In this valley of shadow
and sorrow and sighs
Can you save me, baby?

It was a song she’d heard perhaps about a month ago and had immediately thought of both of them. It was something she had to learn to play. The woman who came to Rhydin a bard had changed much in the intervening years but she remained at her core a lover of music, of melodies and harmonies and the magic of words given in song. She hadn’t played in public in near ten years but she kept in practice in the privacy of those few stolen moments she could manage.

Nobody lives without love
Nobody gets to give up
You can try to lock your heart away
But love will come back for you some day
Nobody lives without love.

Thought I could live my life as a stranger
Hide from the heartbreak that love always brings
Make it to the higher ground
and try to turn the volume down
Couldn't stop the sirens from singing
Sing for me, baby.

She began to strum in earnest, rocking lightly with the music as she sang. The ponytail bobbed up and down in time with the strumming. Chords flew from the instrument as the pace of the song increased, then slowed a bit once more. They both had the same fear when they began – the fear of falling in love and then losing the other either through death or walking away. It had happened to both of them too many times for it to not be a real concern.

Nobody lives without love
Nobody gets to give up
You can try to lock your heart away
But love will come back for you some day
Nobody lives without love

You came along like a flash of your lightning
Crashed into my life like a runaway star
Feels like I'm falling in gravity's action
Now I'm standing here offering a stranger my heart

She’d been the first one to break, even though he didn’t know it at the time. In some ways he wasn’t a stranger. She’d known him for years … she’d even written paychecks for him at some point. But they weren’t much more than acquaintances. They certainly weren’t truly friends. They’d managed to be friendly, at least, without ever being interested for years. There wasn’t a glimmer of attraction – at least not serious attraction on her end – in all that time. It was funny what an offhand comment could do, though. She smiled with the words as she sang to the empty Arena – to the silent banners that served as her only known audience.

Her left hand worked up and down the neck as the strumming grew more intense and animated. Crashing lightning indeed. She didn’t even remember the whole of the comment but she remembered it involved her stating he’d never know what it’d be like to kiss her. It was likely that he retorted that she too wouldn’t know. Jaycy shook her head, sending the ponytail swishing back and forth across the bomber jacket. Whatever he said, it had enflamed a curiosity that she hadn’t been able to contain. Not long after, she’d sent him a note asking for his help in the Arena – in this very place. She’d seduced him, claimed him as a conquest, satisfied her curiosity … and become instantly addicted. She’d known immediately she would continue to seek him out even after marrying Leo … even though she’d promised Leo would be the only one after that august occasion.

He’d crashed into her life and then into her heart just as unexpectedly.

You can even lock your heart away
But love will come back for us some day
Nobody lives without love
(nobody lives without love)
(nobody lives without love)
(nobody lives without love)
Seems like I've gone off the side of a mountain
(nobody lives without love)
Couldn't be sure if I was even alive
(nobody lives without love)
Thought I could live my life as a stranger
Hide from the heartbreak that love always brings
(nobody lives without love)
Nobody lives without love.

The last notes from her voice and the guitar faded into silence, her right hand curling around the side of the instrument. She sighed – a half exasperated and half content exhalation of breath – and shook her head. Nobody lives without love, indeed.

((Song is Nobody Lives Without Love, Eddi Reader, Batman Forever soundtrack.))

[Jaycy Ashleana]

She grinned down at him, jeans tightly pressed against her lower body as she straddled his hips. Her bomber jacket lay crumpled on the floor next to the comfortable couch they were on, guitar case holding up a wall near the door. She leaned in for a kiss, hands pushing into his bare chest to allow some support in the movement. His larger paws slid up her back, underneath the brown t-shirt. Long fingers toyed with the band of cloth that supported Jaycy under her shirt, seeking to find an end and peel it from her body without removing the outer covering.

A frustrated groan flowed from her in their heated kiss and she broke it after a moment, leaning back onto his thighs. Fingertips remained connected with his bare flesh, sliding down to rest barely against his stomach. “I owe you some music.” He chuckled as he looked at her, his own hands moving down her sides until they stopped at her hips, just above the waistband of her jeans. “That you do, love.” She lifted her left leg and turned on her right knee, extending the other leg to touch ground once she’d cleared his body. His hands fell limp to his thighs as she slid out of range. His hands lifted, fingers twining, and were pulled up behind his head to form a makeshift pillow.

She grinned at him before turning and padding the few steps to the guitar case. “We have all weekend, Psly. You’re not acting very patient right now. Even I can wait a few minutes longer.” He smirked at her backside as she bent over, swiftly freeing the instrument from its protective case. “If I were being impatient you would already be naked.” To follow his words he shared an image over the link, a memory of another time they were on the couch – an echo of a time when they were both undressed and she was writhing and moaning loudly beneath him. She shuddered visibly, eyes fluttering shut as the memory washed over her.

“You know, Psly, screw you.” He did that often, the sharing of memories and ideas that usually involved her in some state of arousal. He seemed particularly fond of that little game when they were in one of the dueling venues surrounded by their friends. Most of the time it left her amused… sometimes sated, once in a while frustrated, but usually amused. This wasn’t to be one of those times, though. She had something she considered important to do – she was playing for him for his Yule present. She swiftly glanced over the guitar and strummed once to check the tone. His quipped response of “yes, please” didn’t register as she prepared.

Jaycy returned to the couch and perched on an arm, settling the guitar into position on her lap. His gaze dropped to the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed in and out, readying for this “performance.” She made a face at him. “Behave.” He chuckled, answering with an amused “alright, alright.” She stuck out her tongue briefly and glanced down at the guitar in her hands. She launched right into an upbeat tune, plucking the first several notes in quick succession. She began the first verse in a hushed voice, slowly building to the exuberance the refrain required.

Revvin' up your engine
Listen to her howlin' roar
Metal under tension
Beggin' you to touch and go

Highway to the Danger Zone
Ride into the Danger Zone

The song had amused her and the laughter at the lyrics could be heard in her voice as she sang. This particular song reminded her so much of him. The first verse brought to mind first Thunderbucket and then her own replica of that infamous bike. Her mind’s eye was filled with the vision of them riding side by side on those bikes. Her body thrummed with the feel of the vibrations under her as the bikes ran. It was all so exhilarating. It was dangerous, somewhat, and so incredible to experience.

Headin' into twilight
Spreadin' out her wings tonight
She got you jumpin' off the track
And shovin' into overdrive

Highway to the Danger Zone
I'll take you
Right into the Danger Zone

She didn’t realize the lyrics were meant to describe airplanes – she didn’t even know what an airplane was. However, she knew about flying. They both did, in fact. That was an experience almost unlike any other… flying, that is. Psly had a sense of adventure that was quickly catching with the gypsy – play hard and play fast. The song embodied that and when she’d decided to play for him as his gift she felt it had to be included on the list.

She finished the short piece, cheeks flushed a little with both the effort and the self-consciousness of playing for someone else after all this time. Her voice, of course, was strong and melodious; pleasing to the ear, but the content was untested with her audience. She didn’t know, truly, how he’d receive the gift of a “concert.” It was, however, something heartfelt and personal to share.

For his part, he simply remained quiet, taking in this impromptu concert. He couldn't recall any time in his life where he'd been treated to such a thing, and all his joking ceased as he watched, listened, and felt through the link.

((Song is Kenny Loggins' Danger Zone from the Top Gun soundtrack.))

[Jaycy Ashleana]

After a pause to catch her breath she launched into the next song, self-conscious or not. The strumming was much slower and her voice stayed quiet throughout. While she didn’t want to be too saccharine, the song struck a chord with her when she first heard it.

Is it okay if I call you mine?
Just for a time
And I will be just fine
If I know that you know that I'm
Wanting , needing your love
Oh

If I ask of you is it all right
If I ask you to hold me tight
Through a cold, dark night
'Cause there may be a cloudy day in sight
And I need to let you know that I might
Be needing your love
Oh

The soft, quiet love song echoed exactly how she felt about him. He was such a strong, independent soul – a match for her stubbornness, too – and she felt in ways submissive and sheltered in his care. He had saved her. In so many ways; in fact, ways neither of them may ever realize. Even though they acknowledged each other as equal partners in public, she could admit to herself and to him that while she belonged to him she would never lay a true claim to him without asking for that right. She would always ask him if she wanted him, rather than expecting it as a matter of course. And it felt right and normal.

And what I'm trying to say isn't really new
It's just the things that happen to me
When I'm reminded of you

Like when I hear your name,
Or see a place that you've been
Or see a picture of your grin,
Or pass a house that you've been in
At one time or another.

It sets off something in me I can't explain.
And I can't wait to see you again.
Oh, babe, I love your love
Oh
And what I'm trying to say isn't really new
It's just the things that happen to me
When I'm reminded of you

Her eyes closed mid-song, strumming almost idly. Her shields faded away, for him, so he could feel the emotion behind the words as she sang them. She repeated the last few lines of the song one more time then allowed the lyrics and music to drift into the air. Her cheeks flushed again as she sat before him on that arm of the couch. “I think I know how you feel about marriage and rings, but … if you would ever consider it, I’d be honored if you’d wear the Baronial ring as long as I have it. Either on a necklace or on your hand.”

It was another acknowledgment of her feelings and commitment for him, one that could be understood in public … at least among older duelers, when the wearing of rings by the partners of barons was more in fashion. She’d indulged in that particular practice in the past but not in any recent time. To her, it showed how much she trusted and cared for him, and expected him to be there. The duels were such an important part of her life, her story, and the sharing of the ring was a way to show she knew he wouldn’t leave her – he wouldn’t disappear with something that meant so much to her.

She ducked her head after the statement, for a moment paying particular attention to the strings of her guitar. She wasn’t expecting an answer but rather just wanted a moment to collect herself.

He pondered silently for that moment, before daring to speak. "You'd like me to wear a Baronial ring." Another quiet moment, then he chuckled softly. "Things have changed. The man I was would've laughed outright at the notion. But the man I am. . .I'll wear it, Jaycy. Just, not on my hand. I tend to lose things there too easily."

She looked up from her study of the guitar, chuckling. “Good gods, don’t you dare lose it. I’d have to beat you if that happened.” The words were joking but held a hint of seriousness. She was the steward of the ring but it didn’t truly belong to her. She reached up to tug the long chain that held the ring and her special coin from under her shirt then reached back, behind her neck, to unhook the clasp. Carefully (almost too carefully but her hands were shaking faintly) she slid the coin off the long thin strand. The coin was then pocketed and she leaned over the guitar, passing the band and chain to him.

He sat up for a moment to accept the items and put the chain around his neck, hooking the clasp. The ring settled with a light bounce on his bare chest. "You want to sit with me, now?" he offered solemnly, a quirked eyebrow adding a hint of levity to belie the tone of the words. She offered a sheepish, embarrassed grin, but made no move to slide off the arm and join him. "I still owe you more music, love." He chuckled and leaned back once more. "Alright then." She took a moment to admire the view then began to strum again.

((Song is Paul McCrane's Is it Okay if I Call You Mine? from the Fame soundtrack.))

[Jaycy Ashleana]

The third song was the one she was most nervous to present to him. Her strengths had always lain in adapting scores to various instruments and styles and in making the listener feel the heart of the song. Composition from whole cloth, however, was a skill she had never quite mastered. She’d wanted to try for him, though. Jaycy stalled for a moment by playing a little ditty… something just to fill the time as she went through the tune in her mind. Her foot began to tap lightly on the floor as she plucked the strings slowly. The song called for more intricate note-work rather than chords. She bowed her head over the guitar, voice soft.

There are things in life
That you can hear about
But never really know
Until you’ve been there
And bring
A new perspective on the world around you

I’d known people could fly
Of course
I’ve known so many kin in this time
But never thought
Never imagined what it could be like

She’d wondered what it was like, being able to leave the ground at will. So many friends and acquaintances could fly; how could she help but be curious? Flying, and the insights that came with it, was probably taken for granted among the kin and others who could lift above the clouds whenever they wanted. There wasn’t jealousy in the song, though, at their ability. She allowed a hint of wistfulness into the soft, low voice. She’d never ask those not bound to land to take her up; they weren’t beasts of burden to indulge in her whim just because she’d never experienced it.

When you took me flying
It brought a new dimension
To the life I’ve known
When you took me flying
It showed me how much is possible

The rush of air past me
The whistle of wind in my ear
The loss of my breath as
We took to the sky
To the pure cold quiet above the clouds
To where only the sun can touch us

That first flight was teasingly brief and when she could pull her face from his chest to look at the view from his arms, she was enchanted. It may have had something to do with the company but that wasn’t the sole reason; to be honest, it wasn’t even the main reason. Rooftops scattered over the landscape in so many shades of red, brown and black were tantalizingly close but safely out of range. A carpet of earthy, rustic color blanketed the world, broken by lines of pale dusty street. The denizens of the city weren’t (quite) ant-like at the height they cruised at as they scuttled between the buildings. The tops of trees passed by their noses as he sped toward Seaside’s Manor. The short flight had brought both a sense of peace and exhilaration – moments untouched by time where anything could come true.

She’d originally written the song to repeat the chorus but rather she allowed her fingers to trail over the strings, hand moving up and down the neck slowly as she improvised an interlude between verses. Notes danced from the guitar as she played of the hope and excitement of new possibilities. Her fingers hinted at the freedom she’d experienced that brief time in the sky – a feeling echoed each time either of them took flight.

That first flight both
Narrowed my focus on you
And broadened my gaze to the
Possibilities of the world around us
Scared though I was
I can’t imagine life now
Without being able to fly

He had been the one to take her flying first. He’d been the one to offer without prompting. In the end, she was grateful that it was him she could share that first flight with. She didn’t love him, not then, but the conditions foreshadowed the whole of their relationship. She was focused on him, submissive and trusting in his encircling hold but able to look out and enjoy the view from within his arms. It also served as a metaphor for her feelings – terrified of him at first but now free on her own.

She could fly now by herself, of course. Through some random freakish accident of genetic mutation and mind magic that had happened when they saved Kel, she had her own wings. Great leathery things that shone silver and black in the light. There wasn’t yet conscious control over their appearance, though. She was only able to manifest her wings when she was truly angry or upset … and there had been little reason to be either, lately. Now that she’d gotten control of her emotions it was time to learn how to intentionally take these other forms she’d been granted. She so missed flying and yearned to go again. The notes drifted up, as longing to be free as their mistress.

When you took me flying
It brought a new dimension
To the life I’ve known
When you took me flying
It showed me how much is possible

Jaycy couldn’t forget, too, the effect Kel had on her since they had become a trio. Every time the three of them flew (usually the women on his fully-draconic back), she saw the world anew and bright. Between the three of them, anything was possible. Even on the ground, she felt the support beneath her own figurative wings. It was a support she hoped she returned in kind for both of them. It had been a rocky beginning but now a true partnership was forming between them all.

Her head bobbed as she repeated the chorus one last time, the end of the ponytail dipping and flipping sharply with the movement. She didn’t look up at the end of the third song but rather launched immediately into her last choice for the evening.

Elsewhere, Kelathe laid awake, safely enfolded, warm, sated in the arms of her lover. Her mind and heart had drifted elsewhere, soaring on wings of song as she "listened" to Jaycy play.

Tears streamed slowly down her cheeks, a sense of longing filled her. She nestled closer to Neo, hearing him murmur her name in his sleep. Jaycy's words lifted her, took her fears away. Feeling the other woman, Kel could hope. Could feel wanted and loved.

In her heart, Kelathe soared. She longed for the music.

[Jaycy Ashleana]

The final song was a match for the third, at least in a way. The tempo sped up drastically and her head resumed its light up and down motion. Two chords were quickly strummed and then she launched into the first verse. The grin resurfaced quickly. She felt the song was especially appropriate, given the daydream he’d accidentally let her see that night – them on a mountaintop, far from everything.

It's just a ball of dust
Underneath my feet
It rolls around the sun
Doesn't mean that much to me

I take a chance on the edge of life
Just like all the rest
I look inside and dig it out
Cause there's no points for second best

There's a raging fire in my heart tonight
Growing higher and higher in my soul
There's a raging fire in the sky tonight
I want to ride on your azure back
Far into the night

Her voice spoke of the exultation when she rode him, both in the air on his back and during those times when they came together all heat and sex and fire. The very blood in her veins flared hotly each time they touched. While it was simply an echo of what she endured the night they first joined minds – the night he saved her – it still pulled her into a world where there was nothing but him. She was so pliable in his hands – both literal and figurative – and he took total advantage of that. Of course, she didn’t mind a bit… usually.

Till I make you take me
On your mighty wings
Make you take me
On your mighty wings across the sky
Take me on your mighty wings
Take me on your mighty wings tonight

With just a little luck
A little cold blue steel
I cut the night like a razor blade
Till I feel the way I want to feel

She felt the delicious heat flood through her from the crown of her head to the tips of her toes as her voice lifted and dipped in the chorus, much like a dive from almost impossible heights before wings snapped out sharply and lifted them once more. Her eyes closed in the upbeat song as she imagined clinging tight to the long, scaly neck in that dive, eyes closed and hair wild and whipping free all around the two of them.

There's a raging fire in my heart tonight
Growing higher and higher in my soul
There's a raging fire in the sky tonight
I want to ride on your azure back
Far into the night

Till I make you take me
On your mighty wings
Make you take me
On your mighty wings across the sky
Take me on your mighty wings
Take me on your mighty wings tonight

Take me on your mighty wings
Take me on your mighty wings

She’d called to mind the times they’d flown, melded together, and the flames that ignited in her with each impressive beat of his wings. They even dove once, together like that, and it had so it affected her she dug claws into his arms and forged long bloody tracks through the flesh, unable to keep herself from shifting parts of her body with the intensity of it all. Flying with him, making love or no, was truly one of her favorite activities and that bled through in her voice and mind.

She allowed the last notes to die away before opening her eyes and turning a glittering green-gold gaze toward his darker green for a moment, the grin crossing her face mirroring the excitement she felt from that last song – from the memory of flight within her. Jaycy lifted the guitar from her lap and leaned down to set it very carefully on the floor next to the couch. Her breath was a little shallow, both from the exertion and the feelings within her.

“Merry Yule, love.”

((Song is Cheap Trick’s Mighty Wings, from the Top Gun soundtrack, adapted slightly.))