Replay: Love is a Battlefield

KTDARPG has had some great game-moments. And yeah, I'll confess, there are a few characters I'm partial to when I look back. Jade is a special one. The scene that follows, this is when she really started coming into her own as a singer, which was a lifelong dream that the Virus didn't steal.

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Shari took Jade to a concert hall. On a stage that looked like the inside of rotten fruit after it had been cut, a rock band tried to perform between ducking things being thrown at them and people coming up on the stage attacking them - all of this through the metal grating that protects the stage from bigger objects like chairs being thrown.

Shari: If you want to be Tom-F's singer-- You sure you want to? You can always work in other jobs for him. It is possible. I did it. You're sure?

Jade swallowed with a throat suddenly desert-dry: Yeah, sure. Umm...Shari, where's the restroom?

Shari pointed the way and then followed Jade, standing outside the door to the Ladies' while the other girl went inside. After a minute, Shari shook her head, leaning against the wall to wait as she heard the sounds of Jade losing her lunch.

Shari: (So much for the cool professional singer...)

When Jade finally walked out, she was back in control of herself. She took a deep breath, nodded to Shari and began walking the aisle toward the stage. Off to the side was an announcer with a microphone, sheltering behind some tall amplifiers to avoid being hit by flying objects. Jade leaned close and whispered in his ear. He nodded and handed her the microphone. Jade checked to make sure it was on. She closed her eyes to gather her courage, then stod at the top of the steps leading to the performance cage. She held the microphone to her lips.

Jade: WE ARE YOUNG!

Her voice and the amp-reverb thundered out over the hall, causing people to hold their ears and scream at the unexpected sound. The band on stage quickly ducked out the back. Suddenly all eyes, and a wicked yellow spotlight, are focused on Jade's slight figure on the stairs. The audience was silent (probably in shock) as Jade tossed the mic back to the announcer and walked slowly down the steps. The spotlight followed her. On the high notes, her rich voice carried loudly. When her voice went low and sexy, the acoustics carried her words to the farthest seats. If she was scared to death as she walked up the aisle singing to the faces around her...well, she put on a good front.

"WE ARE STRONG!
No one can tell us WE'RE WRONG!
Searching our hearts for so lo-o-o-ng,
both of us knowing
Love is a Battlefield.

Do I stand in your way? It would help me to know.
But if you get much closer I could lose control.
And if your heart surrenders, you'll need me to hold.

WE ARE YOUNG!
Heartache to heartache we stand!
Both of us knowing
Love is a Battlefield.

Shari: *watching from the back of the hall* (Oh, shit...)

The crowd got over the shock of her first vocal attack on them. Some of them began to take out thier vengence on the amplifiers for being so loud. Others tried to act out her words by grabbing the girls off others' laps. Some of the crowd turned on the gaurds to create a battlefield. In return the guards turn on water canons.

Through all of this Jade walked, singing over the chaos. When she finished, an amplified voice blared out above the noise.

"Enough! Stop!"

The crowd paused as they recognized Tom-F's voice. As a body they turned to the platform above the stage where Tom was standing.

Tom: "May I introduce our new house singer, Jade. She'll be performing every night at 23:00 at the Flying Pig Bar."

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Jade was just beginning. In her future was music and love and laughter and riches - all the way to the top ... and then crashing all the way back down. Those are other stories, some of the many our game is known for. Give us a try some time.

-Chyna

Photo source: copyright Cloud 9 "The Tribe"
The song is from the very great Pat Benatar.