Cheer as the Sky is Set Alight (open)

[Ter-Thok]

It was quiet in the earling evening of Concordia. Well, on a grand scale; in the grasses, a million tiny battles were fought by carapaced combatants, ant vs. ant in a million-on-million brawl. The peaceful birdsongs were, in actuality, variations on the theme of "GO AWAY! GO AWAY! MY NEST! HAVE SEX WITH ME! GO AWAY!" to the trained ear. This peaceful, everyday bloodshed and shouting filled the sizzling air of a summer evening in the forest. A pair of rabbits, fighting for the amorous attentions of a lady rabbit, rolled across the ground in a ball of flying fur, kicking up dust as it rolled across the parched grass of a small clearing. They collided with some sort of wall, eliciting a dull metallic thud.

The dazed creatures sat for a moment, eyes rolling, when an enormous, red-tinted shadow cast itself over them. Hans, the animate seven-foot gumdrop of crimson ooze, smiled (despite lacking any visible mouth), extruded a psuedopod from his central mass and slammed it down on the two terrified rabbits. There was a slight "pop" as they were absorbed into it. Struggling, the creatures began to suffocate in the red slime. Hans laughed happily, cheering himself that he had found a nice dinner. As the rabbits fur began to dissolve, Hans joyfully ascended the entrance ramp to the starship belonging to his employer.

Ter-Thok, the three-foot demon, was clad in nothing more than a rather ratty t-shirt and boxer shorts, emblazoned with a grinning demon's head pattern. His ass was planted firmly in a fine, manatee-leather chair, a small plastic device gripped tightly in his hands. It clicked repeatedly as Ter-Thok tapped the buttons rapidly. The music emanating from the machine suddenly changed tone, and the demon groaned loudly, dropping the device on his desk. "Freaking turtles and their non-stomped-ness. Got-damnit."

"BOSS! HOW MANY TIMES HANS TELL YOU, GET CLEAN UP!" The ooze, having placed his reasonably dead rabbits on the counter next to the stovetop, shuffled over to Ter-Thok with a scowl on his face (which, it must be noted, consisted entirely of two massive, black eyes). The demon stared quizzically at his underling.

"Hans, what the hell are you talking about?"

The ooze clucked disapprovingly. "IF HANS SAY IT ONCE, HANS SAY IT TOUSAND TIME. HANS HABBIN' CUMP'NEE TONIGHT! BOSS IN COMPLETELY INPROPRIATE STATE OF DRESSIN'!"

"Company? What?"

"HANS TELL BOSS MILLION TIME!"

"Hans, you've literally not said a word about this before. Who said you could have company?"

"HANS NOT TAKE YOUR SASS! HANS HAVE FAM'LY AN' FRIENDS COMIN' OVER. GET DRESS!"

Ter-Thok, bemused, stood up and tugged on a pair of pants. He tossed his tattered shirt into the laundering device and pulled on a fresh one, clipping his ID tag to it professionally. "There," he retorted, "Are you happy now, Hans?"

"YES, DAT MUSH BEDDER." The ooze turned to the stove and opened one of the cabinets. Frustrated, he moved to the refrigerator; it was nearly bare. "SWEET SHIT!" he shouted, "BOSS, DERE NO FOOD IN WHOLE SHIP!"

"Hm? Oh, right. Yeah, I was gonna go to the new Maft-Fast Fly-Thru Grocery tomorrow. They just put one in outside the asteroid belt."

"BOSS, DIS UN'CEPT-BULL! BOSS GO TO BAAZUR RIGHT TODAY AN' GET DINNER. HANS' UNCLE DOLF AN' AUNT GRETA AN' CUZZIN SVEN AN' LOT OF HANS' FRIENDS FROM DOWN AT RESTAURANT HANS VISIT ON WAY RIGHT NOW! IF DERE NO DINNER, DERE NO DINNER PARTY."

"Hans, I am not going to the bazaar to buy you food. This is ridiculous."

-------

"I can't believe I'm going to the bazaar to buy Hans food," Ter-Thok muttered as his hooves clopped grudgingly down the busy cobbles, "This is ridiculous." Even as the sun was setting, the Bazaar was busy. Partly, this was due to the proximity of a number of pubs, bars, and boozeries; partly, it was because the merchants tended to offer greater bargains as the night wore on. But mostly, it was because the indomitable spirit of commerce is always helped by summer evenings, a time for cool drinks, overpriced lawnchairs, and the one product that seemed to be selling fastest: fireworks.

A few were already going off overhead; even though he'd rather be back at the ship, crushing turtles and mushroom-creatures beneath his boots in an endeavor to rescue some royal bimbo, Ter-Thok had to admit that the balls of fire going off in the sky were rather impressive. He always liked to get in the festive spirit of things, and figured that Hans wouldn't notice if, perhaps, he stayed out a little longer than he should to watch the display. Even if he did, well, who was the one in charge here? Obviously.

Ter-Thok grinned, and found himself standing next to a bar; it had a very slightly inclined roof, and the bartender was offering blankets and a spot up there to any onlookers for five gold a head. The demon, never one to pay fees, slinked into the neighboring alley and began clambering up the side of the building, alternating betwixt levitating and digging his hands into the rotting mortar of the brickwork. At last his hooves touched shingles, and he sat down, quietly, between a pair of people too busy watching the explosions overhead to notice him. "So," the demon said conversationally, "What are we celebrating, exactly?"

Okay, so, despite appearances, this is gonna be a battle. It's open to one bright young chap or chappette who feels like brawling in the city under the fireworks. PM me before posting, if you would be so kind.

[The Observer]

The observer watched as the fireworks sounded overhead. To loud and bright if you asked him, but even though he could find the source and stop the annoyances, it was not up to him. His senses told him there was a lawbreaker here. He can only do things to find and stop him. He knew only race and name.

Ter-Thok, demon. You are guilty. Sentence, death. His almost telepathic cry echoed through the crowded bazaar street. No one had seen him yet, and if he had his way, no one would.

He flew to the nearest lamppost, fire burning brightly. He held his had up to avoid the light hitting his shadowed face. The light didn't hurt him, but after being so effective in the darkness before, don't want to ruin it now. After all, this was a hunt. As he got closer to the lamp post, he reached out and grabbed a small bucket of water, and doused the flame with a few drops of it. On to the next one. The Observer walked into the shadow of the wall just as another boom sounded, and a firework lit the area too late to stop his entry. If it was timed wrong, he would be stuck in the wall for a moment. Most unpleasant.

Around the corner from another lamp post. He would find his prey soon. He had looked over the crowd but could not see the demon. Why wouldn't people scream at the otherworldly creature? His echoing cry had scared some and the streets were beginning to empty, but most had not heard him. It's not in good form to do it again. He cared nothing about these people. If they get in his way, they must be aiding the creature.

The flame was doused, and more people left the dark area, just across the street from the other post that went dark. He didn't even need to shadow walk for the next one. Just stroll across the street. Then he saw it.

There was a strange, short creature standing about 100 feet from him. It didn't look demon, but who knows. If the Observer attacked and killed the wrong creature, he would be found guilty of a crime of the cosmos and hunted. The plan must not change. The next flame must be doused, along with the others on the street.

[Ter-Thok]

Ter-Thok's neighbor, a young woman who could be called attractive if Ter-Thok had either the inclination or knowledge of such things, looked down at him quizzically. "Well, uh," she began, "The fireworks are celebrating the anniversary of the city's liberation from a corrupt monarchy. I think..."

"You aren't sure?" Ter-Thok responded, amiably, "Well, who am I to judge. I've been to planets with more confusing celebrations than that. At least this one doesn't involve disembowelings."

"Ha," the girl said, off-handedly, "Unless you get to close to the fireworks."

Ter-Thok raised a hairless eyebrow as he reclined. "Was that actually a joke?"

"Um, yes. Was that wrong?"

"No, just...unexpected. The name's Ter-Thok."

"Laurelle."

"Did I ask?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Oh, good. Thought I'd forgotten for a second there." The girl laughed. Ter-Thok scrutinized her for a moment, then looked back up at the sky. A rather large firework had gone off, in the shape of a...some kind of echinoderm. Or maybe a backscratcher. It was impressive, nonetheless. The demon ran his bright blue tongue over his sharp teeth; a drink would go good about now.

"Hey, chica," Ter-Thok said, "Any idea where I could get a beverage about now?"

"Well, uh...Ter-Thok...we are on top of a bar."

"Blegh. Yeah. If I want a frosty glass of paint thinner with a little umbrella in it, I'll be sure to take a trip downstairs."

Once again, against all expectation, this elicited a laugh. The demon was positively perplexed at this; mostly, the human denizens of this planet tended to view his smartassery with condescension, derision, or even pitchforks. Actually appreciating his witticisms was definitely a new one.

"Y'know, you're funny," the girl said.

"Never would have guessed. Hey, what's with the road?"

"Huh?"

"It's going all dark."

"Well, they did turn the street-lamps down to half-burn for the festivities. But it looks like someone is putting them out."

"That's stupid," Ter-Thok cupped his hands around his mouth and leaned forward over the lip of the roof. "Hey! Douchalux! Some of us have to walk home to spaceship and an angry blob tonight, ass!"

"A what?" Laurelle inquired, puzzled.

"Nevermind, it's complicated."

[Letho]

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