"And, um... you're even welcome to leave some clothes in the guest room if you just want some place you can go to when you need a place to escape."That caught her a bit off guard, but not in a bad way. She stared for a moment. "you mean it?" she'd be lying if she said she wasn't experieincing a little cabin fever at the mansion. Being 23 and living with teens 24/7 in a dorm wasn't always glamerous. Her only relief from the occasional stress of it all was going to work. Her voice hadn't given away her excitement- yet, as she pondered over what to say.
"I must have really put a spell on you Luke." she grinned relieving the tension but not really giving a full responce. She felt it was best to be vauge at this point instead of shouting at the top of her lungs that she'd love to stay over whenever he wanted her to or she felt like she should! Somehow that didn't seem all that appropriate in the jazz club.
Raina was so transfixed by Luke that she didn't feel Benny pulling on her arm and it took a few seconds for his words to register "mm what? huh?" she shook her thoughts away and turned her attention to Benny.
"I said the next act isn't ready and you owe me an act." said Benny crossing his arms and giving Luke a nod to say hello.
"um sorry, come again?" asked Raina still a litte dazed.
"Geesh girl." Grinned Benny. "There's a 6 string out back waiting for you, I'm sure Mr. Jacobs here wouldn't mind us stealing you for a moment if it meant he got to hear you. Trust me bub, you ain't heard nothing till you heard Raina."
Raina looked up confused. "You want me to play?" she asked with a doubtful voice. "You were serious earlier?"
"Damn girl. Your head is all up in them clouds, come on." he extended a hand. Raina looked to Luke and shrugged
"Guess you'd experieince this one way or another." she grinned leaning over and quickly kissing his cheek. Was that pushing it? She didn't care. "See you in a minute!" she turned to Benny. "Ill play the guitar...." she grinned. "but you'll get on the paino too if you don't mind, oh and I'd need the loop machine please"
"Sure thing, just one song is all we need miss." replied Benny leading her away.
Though he was gently taking her by the arm Raina was backing away watching Luke with a smile on her face. Once away from him she felt an imiedite relief from the tension but it wasn't all togeather that welcomed.
She got on the stage gracefully though the lights were not up yet. She adjusted a few things here and there and pulled a small box that she hooked up to the mic cable. Then she stood up with acoustic electric guitar wrapped around herself. You'd think seeing a woman in an evening gown wearing a red guitar would seem a little weird... but with Raina it just seemed to work. She waved to Luke.
A few people in the audience recognized Raina and cheered.
Benny took the mic. "welcome ladies and gentlemen. We hope you've been enjoying this evenings entertainment. Tonight we have a special treat, the lovely frigid tones of Miss Raina." he motioned for her to step forward and the crowd lightly clapped. "Raina's been a regular here and is helping us out tonight while we wait for the next act despite being on a date!" Raina turned as red as her hair and the guitar. "But for those of you not aquainted with Raina's... style... we'll ask you to please zip up your coats and cuddle with that special person, it's about to get a little chilly in here - with good reason."
Benny's voice was deep and husky but the audience didn't seem the least bit phased as they reached around for jackets, sweaters, and shawls. Raina took a deep breath in as Benny sat down to play. He waited for her que.
Raina stepped toward the mic and a
blast of sound unravelled from her mouth. She started quietly with a toned note that she worked and worked. Then she hit the box onthe floor with her feet and it became obvious that she'd just recorded that note she was singing and now as it replayed she sang over top of the note she'd just created. In seconds Raina had created a chorus of her own layers sound and the temperature in the room had dropped considerably.
She continued layering as Benny came in on the paino using an affect that made it sound eerie and bell like. Everything about this was haunting and capitvating. Raina's breath came out in little gasps of white and the water in the air began to form into icy droplets. She wondered what that would make things look like for Luke.
As her song was layered as much as she wanted she began to sing actual words over top of the flowing melody.
"Honey honey, up in the trees
Fill the flowers deep in his dreams
Lead them out to sea by the east
Honey honey, food for the bees"
Thought the audience was very enchanted by the music it was the little ice particles in the air that started to form into a flowing ice circle that seemed almost liquid that started to get her attention.
Raina and Benny had always found that if he worked at keeping everyone's body temperature stable Raina could focus her powers on the condensed ice and will it to move and take shape. It wouldn't hurt anyone so it was a great outlet for this ability- and as she continued to use it it was easy to see that this was her primary mutation that she had nearly mastered.
The ice stayed in a hovering ball infront of everyone then started to flare out in gentle waves like solar flares on the sun. The flares started to sprout and climb along invisable walls in the air looking vine like. Ice flowers sprouted from spidery ice vines and she continued her haunting song.
"Honey honey, out on the sea
In the Doldrums thinking of me
Me on dry land thinking of he
Honey honey, not next to me"
As the flowers sprouted little sparks of ice flared up around all of the tables. At first they seemed like floating ice cubes but then they started to take the shape of small people... with wings.. fairies. The ice fairies hovered in front of the viewers and began to dance and fly about gracefully in time with the music.
Then they collectively left the table and joined the ice flowers- walking inside them as they dissapeared into the combined ice.
"Even if he wanted to
Even if he wanted to
Even if he wanted to
Do you think he'll come back
Would he come back"
Raina looked otherworldly and as she became totally entranced in the song like a mediation for a few moments the world was lost to her. Her skin showed traces of frost but this never bothered Raina. She continued singing the alluring sound as the flowers moved to full bloom and a 'rain shower' of ice 'poured' down on the 'flower' collecting on it's pedals and leaves. They glistened as if in the real sun.
She picked away on the guitar like every movement was natural and Benny played away concentrating on the body temperatures of the guests. He loved giving Raina a venue in which to use her ability and having heard of her new job was quite thrilled for her.
"Honey honey out on the sea
In the Doldrums waiting for me
Me in my boat searching for he
Honey honey, food for the bees"
Raina's eyes had been closed for the duration of the song but as she began to end it her eyes opened and were completley clouded over - Like Lukes. They were icey and almost looked like glass. As the song came to it's end Benny concentrated his heat onthe ice. Raina caused the flowers to look like they were shrivling up as they evaporated.
The song ended and Raina stood a moment letting Benny heat her body back up again as the audience cheered. She gave a little shake and a stretch. "And that's all you're getting tonight folks!" she laughed sounding like Raina once again.
If there really were mutants in Raina's tribe like her it was easy to see while in the long ago past when no one knew what a mutant was- how they'd assume they were Gods. Raina's tribe believed their singing created the ice caps and kept the world in constant balance.
She quietly returned to her seat with Luke rubbing her hands togeather. "I'm used to the cold but whoooo!" she exclaimed "my hands are freezing!" she brought them to her mouth and blew into them.
ooc: haha picked another Feist I couldn't resists because I cover this song, forgive me! lol