Musical Duel
Tori sighed, eyes lazily running over the words of her latest book. Forefinger tapping the corner she rocked on the back legs of her chair, the sound of her sister rummaging through some of Eda's 'human collectables' acting as background noise.
The day was beyond quiet today. Barely anyone was roaming the streets of the Day Market and the neighboring vendors felt the weight of boredom weigh heavy on them as did the Noceda sisters.
Peering over the top of her book Victoria scanned the nearby stands. Everyone was either playing Hexsholdem, sleeping, chatting amongst themselves or like Tori, we half reading a book while wallowing in their boredom.
Sighing a second time the older Noceda relaxed in her chair, rocking it gently as she fell into the familiar rhythm of being sucked into a new world as she returned to her book.
"Tori look!"
The older girl huffed and shook her head amusedly. Adoring a smile she lulled her head back against her chair to peer at Luz from an upside down angel.
Luz waved a black top hat in one hand and held an old ringmasters cane in the other. She wore a dusty black suit jacket with a similar red one tied around her waist.
"Is that...?" Tori sat up, turning in her seat she dropped her book on the counter.
"Oh, yeah," replied Luz with a smirk. Her older sister shot up. Excitement bubbled in her chest as she snatched the suit jacket from Luz's waist and tugged it on.
It was a snug yet perfect fit.
Luz stood on her toes to snatch the beanie from her sisters head and placed the top hat in its place. Stepping back she took a moment to study the outfit on her sister.
"How do I look?"
The younger teen hummed. Chin resting in her palm Luz tilted her head to the side, contemplating. She gave a hearty thumbs up. "Lookin' good, Ringmaster."
Tori shot finger guns followed by a wink. The sisters laughed at the action and Tori tipped the top hat slightly forward. Dramatically she kneeled before Luz, hands held out before her as she bowed her head. Luz, with an all too serious face, took the ringmasters cane and tapped either side of her sisters shoulders as though she were the queen knighting someone.
"I dub thee, The Greastest Showman!" The younger Latina said proudly, "Now rise good sir for I challenge you to a Musical Duel!"
The announcement caught the attention of nearly every vendor. Curious and desperate to find some way to cure their boredom they began forming a crowd around the duo.
Tori happily took the cane from Luz and raised it above her head. "I accept your challenge!" Tori laughed boisterously, the crowd collectively gasping, "And I honor you with the weapon of choice but choose wisely dear sister for if you don't heed my warning you may find yourself obliterated in the field of battle!"
Luz tucked her chin to her chest, a smug smile on her face, eyes closed. Hands on her hips she chuckled darkly before looking back at her sister. "Foolish! Utterly foolish!" She cackled. With as much dramatic flair as possible Luz whipped out her phone and quickly connected it to the old speaker resting on the counter. She did a speedy search through her music gallery and selected a song, the sound of a steady beat following.
The song was something both sisters were greatly familiar with and often sang whenever they watched or reenacted The Greatest Showman.
Tori nodded. "A good choice, sister," she complimented, grabbed her from eariler and sat on it backwards just as the last beat passed.
"Right here, right now
I put the offer out
I don't want to chase you down
I know you see it."
Tori looked off into the distance, arm gesturing to something no one but the duo could see. Smoothly standing up from her seat, Tori used the cane to point at Luz who leaned casually against a table.
"You run with me
And I can cut you free
Out of the drudgery and walls you keep in."
Stepping onto the chair she slid on her knees on the counter alongside the beat to the track. She effortlessly slide to the otherside and jumped back up again, arms opened wide.
"So trade that typical for something colorful
And if it's crazy, live a little crazy.
You can play it sensible, a king of conventional
Or you can risk it all and see."
Holding her staff out Luz took the end and pulled her up onto the table with her.
"Don't you wanna get away from the same old part you gotta play
'Cause I got what you need, so come with me and take the ride
It'll take you to the other side."
She took hold of one of the sign stands and twirled around it as if it were a pole and leapt for another vendors table, Luz following.
"HEY MY STAND!" A man cried but they ignored him.
"'Cause you can do like you do
Or you can do like me!
Stay in the cage, or you'll finally take the key!"
Tori whipped off her top hat and flicked it to roll the length of her arm and onto the other, and tossing it to Luz who caught it with a grin.
"Oh, damn! Suddenly you're free to fly
It'll take you to the other side!"
Luz placed the hat on her head, tipping the front slightly over her eyes.
"Okay, my friend, you want to cut me in
Well I hate to tell you, but it just won't happen."
She tugged at the folds of her jacket and rolled her shoulders. Luz shook her head.
"So thanks, but no
I think I'm good to go
'Cause I quite enjoy the life you say I'm trapped in."
Luz lightly pushed her sister back by the chest and grabbed the cain as Tori fumbled to not fall off.
"Now I admire you, and that whole show you do
You're onto something, really it's something."
The younger girl rolled her eyes, her smile and tone displaying fake admiration.
"But I live among the swells, and we don't pick up peanut shells
I'll have to leave that up to you!"
Luz jumped to the next stand and flicked her hat up with her finger.
"Don't you know that I'm okay with this uptown part I get to play
'Cause I got what I need and I don't want to take the ride."
Crossing her feet she spun in place and twirled the cane between her fingers. Pointing at her older sister she threw the stick into the air, and the crowd watched breathlessly.
"So go and do like you do
I'm good to do like me."
As the staff plummeted back down Luz stuck her arm out and hit the end of it so it would spin one last time before she grasped it with her hand.
"Ain't in a cage, so I don't need to take the key!
Oh, damn! Can't you see I'm doing fine
I don't need to see the other side!"
Tori leapted on the table Luz occupied. Her feet stomped hard on the wood causing the items on the table to tremble.
"Now is this really how you like to spend your days?
Whiskey and misery, and parties and plays."
She stepped into her sisters space which Luz glared and tried to take a step back.
"If I were mixed up with you, I'd be the talk of the town
Disgraced and disowned, another one of the clowns."
Luz faked disgust and tossed the staff back at her sister who caught it. Tori glanced at the cane than back at Luz with a small smile as her little sister turned her back.
"But you would finally live a little, finally laugh a little
Just let me give you the freedom to dream."
Tori continued even as her little sister walked away and stepped off the table.
"Just let me give you the freedom to dream
And it'll wake you up and cure your aching
Take your walls and start 'em breaking
Now that's a deal that seems worth taking
But I guess I'll leave that up to you."
A steady silence filled the air. Luz stopped in her tracks and when the beat picked up again. She whirled around with a twist of her heels.
"Well it's intriguing, but to go would cost me greatly
So what percentage of the show would I be taking?"
Victoria nodded and jumped from the table, holding her chin between her thumb and forefinger.
"Fair enough, you'd want a piece of all the action
I'd give you seven, we could shake and make it happen."
Luz laughed at the offer. Taking another step forward.
"I wasn't born this morning, eighteen would be just fine!"
"Why not just go ahead and ask for nickels on the dime!"
With every offer the duo took a step forward to emphasize their point.
"Fifteen."
"I'd do eight."
"Twelve."
"Maybe nine."
"Ten."
They were face to face. Breathing laboured they prepared themselves for the final verse of the song and shook hands. With that done they jumped on another table and then another.
"Don't you wanna get away to a whole new part you're gonna play
'Cause I got what you need, so come with me and take the ride!"
Luz twisted mid air and Tori, using the next stand, did a front flip and landed perfectly on her feet.
"To the other side
So if you do like I do
So if you do like me!"
When her little sister came up beside her Tori took her hand and spun her. Then their feet moved in tandem as they danced.
"Forget the cage, 'cause we know how to make the key
Oh, damn! Suddenly we're free to fly
We're going to the other side.
So if you do like I do
(To the other side)
So if you do like me
(We're going to the other side)
'Cause if we do we're going to the other side
We're going to the other side!"
The pair ended their song. Panting and out of breath they laughed as the crowd bursted into sudden applause. The older Noceda pulled Luz into a side hug and gave her a peck on the forehead.
*_*_*_*
Amity was scrolling through Penstagram when she saw it. Almost dropping her scroll she sprinted out her room, her bedroom door slamming open as she did so.
It's a good thing her parents were out on a business trip.
Sprinting down the hall she banged the door to her oldest sister's room.
"Jade! Jade you need to see this!"
"Yea-" before Jade could even get a word out Amity shoved the scroll in her face, a infinity of pictures and videos of a familiar pair of humans. "W-what?" Taking the scroll the eldest Blight clicked on a video and the sound of Tori's booming yet beautiful voice slammed into her ears.
The sisters watched the video in complete, bewildered silence. With every verse or dance move the girls turned more red and their hearts felt as though they might explode.
When the video ended both girl's stood with their jaws slacked. Edrick decided then to walk past them, brow quirked and lips pulled down in a confused frown.
"I don't wanna know."