[tmw] 11.7 - cinema bizzare (escape to the stars)
NOTE: Dance routine is based on this (it's AFTER DanceCenter :P). Stephanie is effiecat and is used with love and adoration. Tommy is magic_fratboy and mine to do with as I please...*insert evil cackle here* ;p
Escape to the stars
Feeling so free
Just you and me
Escape to the stars
Chasing a dream
All that we need is to believe
Escape to the stars
==========
“One star…one wish.” She paused, looking out into an audience that consisted of staff members and security guards scattered through the theater to observe the dress rehearsal.
“For all our sakes, make it a good one.”
With the amulet she’d been wearing, a single silver star, cradled in her hands, she ran to the center of the stage, almost lost in shadow as a fading spotlight focused on her and the amulet, she set it on the ground. Reaching up, she unknotted the white scarf around her neck and covered the amulet. Rising to her feet, she turned and walked back to the footlights.
Behind her, she could hear the footsteps. She knew he was beyond her, beyond the amulet: Tommy as The Avatar, wild and dark. Unbidden, one of Bess Houdini’s memories touched her thoughts: Houdini fresh from a bridge jump, a wildman from the deep come to claim her.
“Very touching. You’ve lost your men, you’ve lost your power…you’re putting your survival and theirs in the hands of Fate? You’re putting your faith in a useless piece of *tin?*”
“No…I’m putting my faith in them.”
On cue, she lifted her arms as the music track begun. Head thrown back, eyes shut, she listened to the soft staccato of strings and piano together as behind her, the white scarf was being pulled from both sides, growing and expanding. It stretched to cover the stage floor, then began to rise with a puff of unseen air. When it was big as a house and flooded with some unseen wind, it turned on its side and was abruptly whisked offstage.
In its place stood a wireframe star that consumed the stage floor and rose nearly thirteen feet above them. Standing at the center was Stephanie, posed at the center in a simple white leotard and looking every bit the radiant star of hope she was supposed to be.
Turning, Channing’s breath caught at the sight of Tommy, gawking at the star with rage in his face, vibrating with the fury of a man defeated. Again, she thought of Houdini and felt her heart ache as Bess’s must have when she had incited her husband to fury.
“You can’t do this…”
Channing smiled as he stalked towards her, stepping back and out to the footlights as she spread her arms to the crowd and roared at the top of her lungs.
“Yes, WE CAN!!!”
Even with the small gathering in that large room, she felt the swell of energy as a dozen or so humans surrendered to her will and were lost to the power of faith. It swept through her like a cool breeze, one she knew that Tommy could feel…one she was sure Stephanie could feel, as did the dancer she conjured from the ether.
Turning to watch, she smiled as Stephanie spun from one side to another, showing the stage and star were empty behind her. Then, with a slow movement, she bowed into a handstand, revealing miraculously that a male dancer stood behind her.
She would watch the routine later on the video being taken by her stage manager, but as involved as she had been in the illusions her dancers executed, conjuring one body after another from nothing until twelve filled the stage, the hardest part for her was keeping time with the steps as she and Tommy began their own dance, a final battle that The Avatar had no chance of winning. It was more complicated than any routine she’d ever choreographed for herself, and she found herself regretting that she didn’t pay more attention to dance class in college.
The battle of wills ended with Channing shoving Tommy back into a throng of dancers that formed a human cage around him with Stephanie overseeing from the top of the star. Forcing The Avatar to his knees, they huddled over and around him as a wild howl rang out. At the same time, a blinding light shone from within the mass, peeking out of cracks between entwined limbs and bodies.
When the cage broke, Charleston sat in Tommy’s place, baring his teeth with a roar. Dashing across the stage, Channing knelt beside the panther and discreetly reached into the pocket of her costume for a piece of cheese to feed him as he rested one large paw on her bent knee.
Above them, a heartbeat later Tommy repelled from the ceiling on a handheld cord, dropping to the stage floor with a brighter expression. His black leather pants had been traded for white, hair tied back from his face. Releasing the cord, he joined Channing and Charleston to wrap the black panther in a hug before rising to his feet.
When Channing, Tommy, and the dancers came to the footlights to take their bown, the question was on her lips…but the reaction answered her ahead of time as a scattered burst of applause greeted them.
“Was it perfect? Tell me it was perfect or I’ll cry, Chan, I’m not kidding oh my God!!”
Giggling, Channing reached for Stephanie and hugged the smaller girl fiercely. “Darling, your choreography is brilliant, and you did the trick flawlessly. I’m so proud of you!”
Stephanie squealed, hugging her back before releasing her to hop off the stage and run to Kyle in the audience. As Fillmore called out for a break, Channing moved over to Tommy and spread her hands with an expectant smile.
“Well?”
“Honestly? Bess’d be proud of you.”
“Are you?” she asked quietly. “Proud of us? Her and me both?”
Something in his eyes shifted, and Channing knew in her heart that it wasn’t just Tommy she was speaking to anymore as he leaned down and kissed her cheek.
“Silly kid…I’ve always been proud of you.”
Swept away by a wave of emotion that wasn’t hers and a pang of affection that was only hers, Channing reached up and hugged him fiercely, shutting her eyes and thanking the gods for the chance to hear those words…for herself, for Bess, and for everyone.
Muse: Channing Vale
Fandom: Original Character
Words: 1,010
{tell me your hopes and dreams...}
Escape to the stars
Feeling so free
Just you and me
Escape to the stars
Chasing a dream
All that we need is to believe
Escape to the stars
==========
“One star…one wish.” She paused, looking out into an audience that consisted of staff members and security guards scattered through the theater to observe the dress rehearsal.
“For all our sakes, make it a good one.”
With the amulet she’d been wearing, a single silver star, cradled in her hands, she ran to the center of the stage, almost lost in shadow as a fading spotlight focused on her and the amulet, she set it on the ground. Reaching up, she unknotted the white scarf around her neck and covered the amulet. Rising to her feet, she turned and walked back to the footlights.
Behind her, she could hear the footsteps. She knew he was beyond her, beyond the amulet: Tommy as The Avatar, wild and dark. Unbidden, one of Bess Houdini’s memories touched her thoughts: Houdini fresh from a bridge jump, a wildman from the deep come to claim her.
“Very touching. You’ve lost your men, you’ve lost your power…you’re putting your survival and theirs in the hands of Fate? You’re putting your faith in a useless piece of *tin?*”
“No…I’m putting my faith in them.”
On cue, she lifted her arms as the music track begun. Head thrown back, eyes shut, she listened to the soft staccato of strings and piano together as behind her, the white scarf was being pulled from both sides, growing and expanding. It stretched to cover the stage floor, then began to rise with a puff of unseen air. When it was big as a house and flooded with some unseen wind, it turned on its side and was abruptly whisked offstage.
In its place stood a wireframe star that consumed the stage floor and rose nearly thirteen feet above them. Standing at the center was Stephanie, posed at the center in a simple white leotard and looking every bit the radiant star of hope she was supposed to be.
Turning, Channing’s breath caught at the sight of Tommy, gawking at the star with rage in his face, vibrating with the fury of a man defeated. Again, she thought of Houdini and felt her heart ache as Bess’s must have when she had incited her husband to fury.
“You can’t do this…”
Channing smiled as he stalked towards her, stepping back and out to the footlights as she spread her arms to the crowd and roared at the top of her lungs.
“Yes, WE CAN!!!”
Even with the small gathering in that large room, she felt the swell of energy as a dozen or so humans surrendered to her will and were lost to the power of faith. It swept through her like a cool breeze, one she knew that Tommy could feel…one she was sure Stephanie could feel, as did the dancer she conjured from the ether.
Turning to watch, she smiled as Stephanie spun from one side to another, showing the stage and star were empty behind her. Then, with a slow movement, she bowed into a handstand, revealing miraculously that a male dancer stood behind her.
She would watch the routine later on the video being taken by her stage manager, but as involved as she had been in the illusions her dancers executed, conjuring one body after another from nothing until twelve filled the stage, the hardest part for her was keeping time with the steps as she and Tommy began their own dance, a final battle that The Avatar had no chance of winning. It was more complicated than any routine she’d ever choreographed for herself, and she found herself regretting that she didn’t pay more attention to dance class in college.
The battle of wills ended with Channing shoving Tommy back into a throng of dancers that formed a human cage around him with Stephanie overseeing from the top of the star. Forcing The Avatar to his knees, they huddled over and around him as a wild howl rang out. At the same time, a blinding light shone from within the mass, peeking out of cracks between entwined limbs and bodies.
When the cage broke, Charleston sat in Tommy’s place, baring his teeth with a roar. Dashing across the stage, Channing knelt beside the panther and discreetly reached into the pocket of her costume for a piece of cheese to feed him as he rested one large paw on her bent knee.
Above them, a heartbeat later Tommy repelled from the ceiling on a handheld cord, dropping to the stage floor with a brighter expression. His black leather pants had been traded for white, hair tied back from his face. Releasing the cord, he joined Channing and Charleston to wrap the black panther in a hug before rising to his feet.
When Channing, Tommy, and the dancers came to the footlights to take their bown, the question was on her lips…but the reaction answered her ahead of time as a scattered burst of applause greeted them.
“Was it perfect? Tell me it was perfect or I’ll cry, Chan, I’m not kidding oh my God!!”
Giggling, Channing reached for Stephanie and hugged the smaller girl fiercely. “Darling, your choreography is brilliant, and you did the trick flawlessly. I’m so proud of you!”
Stephanie squealed, hugging her back before releasing her to hop off the stage and run to Kyle in the audience. As Fillmore called out for a break, Channing moved over to Tommy and spread her hands with an expectant smile.
“Well?”
“Honestly? Bess’d be proud of you.”
“Are you?” she asked quietly. “Proud of us? Her and me both?”
Something in his eyes shifted, and Channing knew in her heart that it wasn’t just Tommy she was speaking to anymore as he leaned down and kissed her cheek.
“Silly kid…I’ve always been proud of you.”
Swept away by a wave of emotion that wasn’t hers and a pang of affection that was only hers, Channing reached up and hugged him fiercely, shutting her eyes and thanking the gods for the chance to hear those words…for herself, for Bess, and for everyone.
Muse: Channing Vale
Fandom: Original Character
Words: 1,010
{tell me your hopes and dreams...}