Necrokitty Tales: Trouble in Inkwell Isle (Chapter 27)
Authorsâ note: Necridaâs writing will be in italics and SPKCâs writing with be regular font. If you have no idea what this roleplaying thing is, you can start from the beginning here.
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The sun was starting to set when the kids sold their last cookie. They celebrated their sales with a cheer and counted their winnings: you could buy two days worth of groceries! That was very good indeed. Pleased with their earnings, they ran to Hildaâs to give her the money.
Once at the observatory, they knocked at the door and Hilda opened seconds later.
âOh! Hey kids! How did the baking go?â She smiled, leaning on the frame of the door, making sure not to be loud enough to attract the clownâs attention upstairs. She was surprised to see Spike and she frowned a little. She knew the kid and not for a good reason. Every time the school came to visit the observatory, the pup always tried to break something and get into trouble.
Harvey beamed proudly. âWe did really well! Everyone really liked our cookies! Mina and I were able to sell them all with Spikeâs help!â
Spike grunted. âI made sure nobody tried to nab a free cookie,â he grinned with his crooked smile.
Mina shook the metallic lock box holding their coins, making a clinking sound. âLook how much we made!â She gave the box to Hilda, who took it with a raised eyebrow.
Hilda opened the box and whistled. âWow! You guys! This is a great help! Thank you so much!â She gave a hug to all of them, including Spike. Well, she had to force him a little, the pup did not take to physical attention as easily other the other two children. âIâm glad to see youâre putting your destructive energy to good use,â she whispered to the pup.
âAll this work deserves to be rewarded!â She picked a few coins from the box and split it amongst the kids. âThanks a lotâŠseriously.â She didnât wanted to show it, but she was really touched by the gesture. She had a knot in her throat and she could feel her eyes getting glassy.
âWoah! Thank you! But we didnât do this for the reward! We did this for the good of humanityâŠ. and, you know⊠to help you,â little Mina said, referring to the possible arrival of violent extraterrestrials. âRight, guys?â
Harvey nodded. âI really like the observatory and I would be sad if we canât get it rebuilt!â
Spike sighed. âPlus, where will the teacher take us on field trips? No field trips means more school and that sucks!â He whined.
Hilda smiled sincerely at them. âAww, thank you! I didnât realise you liked this place so much.â
âOne more reason to stay,â Sagittarius pointed out in the womanâs head, making her smile even more.
âIâll try to hurry up and fix this as soon as possible. And youâre welcome here anytime! Youâre now my tiny VIPs.â
âThank you, Miss Berg,â Harvey thanked, making sure he got the correct title this time. He tapped Mina. âHey are you coming to sleep over tonight?â
Spike butted his head in. âWhat? You guys are having a sleepover?â
âOh! Yeah! That would be so much fun! I just have to ask my mum real quick, but Iâm sure sheâll say yes.â The kids said goodbye to the sky witch and headed to Minaâs. âYou should come too, Spike. His dad makes fruit come out of ears!â The little bat explained mimicking the gesture of the magician.
âYour dad sounds like a quack!â
Harvey just silently prayed his sister wouldnât make Spike a quilt.
____
Beppi shooed Hilda away. âI got this, I got this! Just go organize your stars!â
Beppi had not awaken when the children had come to visit earlier that evening, much to Hildaâs relief. Unfortunately, he was still here even after she snuck in to check on him in the hopes that he would have taken off. So she was stuck with him until his obnoxious alarm went off, sending the clown tumbling over himself in a perfect pratfall.
Hilda rolled her eyes but finally obliged, casting her cloud and soaring into the night sky to enjoy the moonlight and the quiet away from the clown. He was pleased with this and set up his equipment. It was his first shift and he was a little groggy after a nap, but otherwise happy to start his shift of being a lookout.
If he had to be completely honest, however, he didnât expect the dragon to REALLY come back to Hildaâs tower. That was like a criminal coming back to the scene of the crime. And he didnât know any nostalgic criminals. Still, it was something to do and bugging Hilda had been an absolute delight! Not as good as the Baroness, but she was a close second for sure.
He really hoped Djimmi wasnât too mad at him. The genie had been under a lot of stress as of late but he didnât really share unless the clown managed to get him to smoke some of his special pipe. He should do that when he got home. Provided Hilda and he werenât married by that point and running a bumper car business. These thoughts soon filled his dreams as he promptly fell back asleep.
____
The skies were fully covered in dark clouds, hiding the moonlight, as night finally set upon the Isles.
Grim was not bothered by the darkness. Instead, he was trying to make himself less nervous, but he was not having much luck. He had spent hours thinking of the horrible, embarrassing thing he did earlier that day in Bon Bonâs castle, and tried to gather the courage to go out again. He wanted to recover his letter to Bon Bon that was sent to Hilda by 'fortunateâ mistake.
He kept playing in his head the awkward conversation Hilda and he would inevitably have, over and over again, until finally one of his heads got sick of it and forced him to get out and start flying towards the observatory, ignoring the rumbling of an approaching storm.
As he drew closer to Hildaâs home on top of the hill, he could feel his heart beat even faster. He so hoped the meteorologist hadnât opened the letter yet. The storm that had been slow to approach was much closer now. A crash of thunder nearby, startled the dragon into a surprised roar, destabilizing his flight somewhat before he realized it was just thunder. He was really just too tense! He needed to hurry and get to her home so he could put this whole mess behind him. ____
Beppi was startled awake by the thunder. He looked at the tea next to him suspiciously. âHmmmm, I wondered if Hilda drugged meâŠwouldnât be the first.â The sound of a loud roar perked him up immensely and he stuck himself out of the window.
Coming toward the tower all shadowy and spooky like was a large dragon. Beppi gaped. âWow, this IS really lucky!â He gleefully giggled and started to load his glitter cannon.
Grim was flew around the observatory, feeling sorry to see it in such a state. He looked for some lights or indication that the woman was home.
Beppi finished loading his sparkle cannon and took aim. He was still a bit too low so he reinflated his legs and he gave a happy grunt as he was able to aim more effectively. He spotted the dragon and paused.
âHuh, that kinda looks like Grim,â he mused. Then again, the dragon was supposed to look like him a bit. He shrugged and fired.
Grim heard what he thought was a very small thunder, before something painful struck his thigh. He released another, and more terrifying, growl, thankfully managing to keep himself stable in the air as a soft rain started to fall around him.
____
The time away from the observatory was a pleasant change for Hilda. It allowed her to calm down, diminishing, although not destroying, the urge to strangle Beppi. She spread the stars out across the night sky, unfortunately missing a few constellations she had forgotten in her hurry to escape the clown.
When she was done, she took the chance to fully clear her head. Taking a deep breath, she settled comfortably on her cloud and admired her work. The view of the stars on the blackness of the infinite universe helped her put thing in perspective. It wasnât too bad that her observatory was partially destroyed, she realized. It could have been much worse. Like what had destroyed her house when she was on the bed with-.
'Oh! We should definitely do that again!â Gemini interrupted all too cheerfully in their recognisable unison. Hilda rolled her eyes. She did agree with them that as much fun as she had with Cagney, it was most certainly a one time thing.
'What are you afraid of?â Sagittarius tried to figure out.
âIâm not afraid of nothing!â The stubborn woman yelled, âI justâŠdonât feel the same way.â
'Again, you DO realize we are inside your head right?â Tauros pointed out, rolling his eyes. 'Of course you have feelings for him. We want to kill him, remember?â Now it was Hildaâs turn to roll her eyes as the rain started to pitter patter around her.
âLeave me alone for a moment, please! I just want to enjoy-!â She heard some kind of growl in the distance. For a second, the sound confused until her thoughts jumped on the possibility that it could be Cagney, who might have turned into his monstrous form for some reason. Though for the life of her, she couldnât figure out why at this point.
'Well, seeing the clown in your place in the evening might be a good reason. IF heâs the jealous type,â Tauros suggested with an invisible smile, delighting himself with the idea of a possible scuffle with the carnation.
'Donât be silly!â Sagittarius said, âItâs probably the mirror dragon! We better head home fast! Beppi might be in danger! He is still injured, right?!â Hilda opened her eyes widely at the thought before turning into a blimp and rocketing through the clouds towards her home. ____
Beppi reloaded another canister of glitter, noting that the first case he shot did a really good job of making the dragon really shimmer.
He was a bit surprised the mirror dragon wasnât already glittery like it was in the circus. He started to chuckle. "Knowing how things go, itâs probably Grim!â He fired again, now smiling even wider at the thought of dousing Grim in glitter and sequins
Grim roared again at the second impact. He spiraled slightly out of control but this time he was able to see where the projectile came from. âMiss B-b-berg! Why are you shooting me!?â He managed to shout, flying closer to the window, not knowing Beppi was the shooter. âItâs m-me! Grim!â
There was a heavy rain now. Lighting and thunder filed the skies, illuminating the shadowy silhouette of the dragon.
____
Beppi scratched his head. He has about 75% sure this was not the dragon they were looking for. Then again, it WAS glittery now - granted it was probably due to him shooting it with glitter but that was beside the point.
He loaded up on canisters and shot it just above the dragon so it would explode, completely drenching it with the glitter. It was even brighter than a disco ball!
Grim growled angrily as the explosion of the glitter and sequins got into his eyes, blinding him. As he struggled to paw the material away from his eyes, Hilda advanced upon him from the skies. She spotted the flailing, shiny dragon near her home and saw red.
âThe crystal dragon!â She furiously hollered. The dragon seemed like it was going to crash into her house, so she immediately gathered a small tornado and threw the spiraling wind towards it. âGET THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY HOUSE, YOU BASTARD!â
The tornado reached its target, tossing him away from the house. Grim had to do a great effort to stay in the air, and growled again, confused.
Beppi stopped firing at this point as Hilda swooped in from the sky. He cracked his knuckles. âWhelp! Iâve done my part! Time to grab a snack!â
Grim stabilized his flight, managing to clean his eyes. He looked around, trying to find where the voice came from and what it actually said, for the thunder and heavy rain prevented him from hearing and seeing clearly. He was starting to get really scared. Another thunder boomed near him, making him think it was another of the glitter bombs. He quickly spat a huge flame and turned around frantically, giving him the appearance of whirling fireball in the night sky.
Hilda was too close and didnât have enough time to doge the attack, forcing her to quickly transform into Gemini. The twin constellation split just in time for the fire to pass between them.
âYouâre gonna get it now!â Gemini yelled, creating their golden sphere and shooting projectiles towards the dragon.
Grim felt the hits and growled in pain. He decided it was probably best to flee than to confront whatever was attacking him.
Gemini saw him trying to escape and grinned. âOh, no you donât!â Clouds covered their bodies and Tauros thrusted with a snarl towards the scared creature and crashed him against the wall of the cliff, where Hildaâs house stood. Grim released a painful roar and sunk his claws into the rocky surface to prevent him from falling down.
Taurus took the opportunity to strike the dragon a few more times before the dragon could finish scrambling up the wall back up to the house. Grim retaliated with whip-like attacks of his tail and a few fireballs. The heavy water of the rain started to wash the dragonâs scales making him less shiny, but Tauros was too focused in his anger to realize it. ____
Another thundering shake of the observatory finally cajoled Beppi to look outside as he ate his snack. âLooks like Hildaâs taking on the dragon. Neato!â He searched through his bags until he found the long, blonde wig and fluffy pom poms he had packed in anticipation of something like this.
He climbed through the hole, put the wig on and started cheering enthusiastically. âGo, Hilda, go! Go, Hilda, go!â
Tauros was about to thrust again when he heard Beppiâs cheers. He looked up and his eyes shined with anger. âYou can walk!?â
Grim saw his chance and hit the bull with his tail, giving him the opportunity to get a better look at what he was dealing with. The hit made Taurus lose his focus and transform back into Hilda, who had to immediately summon her cloud to avoid falling.
âOk! Thatâs it! NOW IâM PISSED!â She yelled as the clouds started to cover her body to turn into her final form.
Grim finally recognized the woman. âNo! No! Wait! Itâs me, Grim!â He shouted to the sky witch. At the sound of his voice, she halted mid transformation.
âGrim!?â She exclaimed, emerging from the clouds, still in her human form. âWhat the fuck!? You scared the shit out of me!â
âI scared y-you!?â The dragon replied with teary eyes. It was obvious he was terrified.
âWell, yeah! I thought you were that shiny dragon who destroyed my observatory!â The woman flew closer to the dragon and pet him gently. âIâm sorry.â She looked back, frowning at the clown, her eyes still shining with anger. âCome, Grim, letâs get dry before we catch a cold.â
____
Grim and Hilda stared angrily at the clown as all three sat at the kitchen table, a tea set spread out for them. Well as best as Grim could sit considering he didnât quite fit into the home. Hilda had to rig up a series of tents and sheets to provide a makeshift protection for the rest of Grimâs body that could not fit within the confines of the home. Grim had the suspicion Beppi knew all along it was him. And Hilda was angry to see him walking and cheering like he never got hurt, which meant all the hugging and caring he had asked from her was absolutely unnecessary.
Beppi continued to smile at both of them. âSoooooâŠ..how are things going?â
The two bosses were still glaring at him and he couldnât figure out why. âI feel like youâre both upset with me somehow.â He snapped his fingers. âOh right! One second!â He reached up and pulled off the wig. âThere, you know my secret. Iâm not a natural blonde,â he sighed, pouting
âYou made me hug youâŠ.â Hilda said softly but in a very angry tone. âAnd you were just FAKING IT?!â Grim rolled his eyes and drank a bit of his tea, his body still sore from the glitter cannons and the fight with Hilda.
Beppiâs smile got a bit smaller. "Would you rather I had been seriously injured?â
Hilda felt a bit guilty, maybe she was overreacting. Again. But she didnât like being played for a fool neither. âNo! Of course not! But, c'mon! You emotionally manipulated me. Thatâs not cool.â She sipped her tea, trying to gulp the guilt building up in her throat.
Grim had no idea what they were talking about, and he thought it would be wise to stay out of it and wait the proper moment to state his business here. He took the chance to discreetly look around for the letter.
âAm I?â
Beppi pulled up one of his legs up to show a hastily patched long hole. It was already starting to open up again. âComedic timing makes things hurt less,â he explained with a grimace.
The woman swallowed loudly. âI-I-Iâll help you patch that properly. L-later,â she said, lowering her voice until it was almost a whisper. She avoided the clownâs eyes and tried to hide behind her mug.
âWow! What happened?â Grim asked, worried. âYou need to go to the hospital?â
Beppi stretched and slowly got up with a limp. âNo, just back to the circus is all! Give me a day or so and Iâll be right as rain. Just like this rain!â He opened the door and gestured to the rain.
They both looked looked at each other, worriedly.
âIf youâre leaving, let me at least give you a lift!â she offered, standing up.
âOh, or, I can take you. Itâs on my way, anyhow. I just need to recover something first.â Grim said shyly.
Beppi shook his head. âOh no thanks! Iâll just float home! Iâm sure Iâll see you both later!â The clown inflated his head and slowly floated back toward the second isle.
Hilda couldnât help but feel a bit relieved. Having the clown around was really starting to get to her nerves, not to mention the guilt! She truly hoped he would recover soon. After watching Beppi float away, the meteorologist turned to the dragon. âSo whatâs that something you want to recover? I donât remember you lending me anything lately.â
âOh⊠yeah.. uh⊠itâs⊠itâs aboutâŠa m-misdirected letterâŠ.â The dragon blushed.
âA let~oh! Right!â She smirked. âYou meanâŠ.â She walked to the counter near the door and opened a drawer, pulling out the letter. .â..this very honest letter you wrote to Bon Bon?â
Grim turned a more intense shade of red. âY-yeahâŠthat oneâŠI see you have read itâŠd-did you showed it to Bon Bon?â He asked, afraid of the answer.
âNot yet.â She sat back at the table. âWhere did you get the courage to write and send this letter? I mean, no offense, but you donât really strike me as the 'direct approachâ type.â She let the letter settle on the table between them.
âUh, yeah. I had a little encouragement from a friendâŠand Cagney.â Grim replied, embarrassed.
âI knew I recognized this handwriting.â She pointed to the envelope. âBut I donât understand the mix up. This was obviously for Bon Bon, so how come Cagney wrote my address?â
âWell⊠uh⊠we were v-very drunk, I guess he must have wrote it b-by reflex.â The dragon decided to keep the existence of Cagneyâs letter a secret until Bon Bon decided to give the letter to her. âI should g-go now. Itâs getting late and Iâm still sore from the f-fight.â
âOh, yeah, Iâm really sorry about that,â Hilda apologized nervously.
âItâs alright⊠uh.. just⊠one last t-thing.â
âYeah?â
âP-p-please donât tell Bon Bon! I d-donât want her t-to know that I⊠IâŠ.â
âThat you want to see how she looks without her dress?â She giggled, making the dragon very uncomfortable and red with embarrassment. âDonât worry! I wonât say anything. But you should tell her how you feel before itâs too late.â
Grim nodded shyly and thanked the woman for the tea before taking the letter and flying back to his tower. Hilda found herself alone once more. She took a deep breath, trying to take in the peace.
'How come you never take your own advice?â. Sagittarius asked, making the woman cringe.
____
Finally, Grim got back home with the cursed letter and opened it to read its content one last time before turning it into ashes. His eyes opened wide and his jaw fell, his two other heads popped out to the surprise of the content of this envelope.
âOh⊠that fucking clownâŠ.â They all said in unison. ____
Isabella agreed to let Mina go have a sleepover at Harveyâs. After helping her gather her things together, she kissed her goodnight and sent her off before finally turning on herself. She started to get ready herself, for tonight might be the night King Dice would show up.
It didnât take long for Isabella to reach the Night Owl Club. She walked in, filled with a confidence that cleverly disguised the fact that was indeed blind. âGood evening, Isabella.â The bartender and the rest of the staff greeted the woman as she walked by.
âThere has been some changes for tonight.â Oliver, the rooster who worked as a host, said, a bit worried to the bat. âOur lead singer Patricia Parakeet is back, so you will be her back-up singer for tonight.â
Isabella felt awful about this new information. She didnât mind being a back-up singer but she was expecting King Dice to show up and get a chance to impress him with her musical talents. She would a harder time doing this if she was in the back.
âOh! Well, that is great! Iâm glad she recovered so quickly,â she lied. âAre you going to introduce us?â
âOf course, of course! Sheâs in her changing room now. Weâll have to wait 'till she comes out. She, ah, doesnât like to be disturbed.â
Isabella greeted the band and sat at the bar to wait for the lead singer, drinking water with lemon. ____
Patricia sat in her dressing room, fuming. She had to share the stage. She NEVER had to share the stage before. But all of her squawking and shrieking did nothing to change Marvinâs mind. Apparently the other girl had signed a contract. Which was a bunch of bird seed in her opinion. Who just signed some girl from nowhere up for a gig? Marvin was as dense as he was short sighted.
She applied the blush heavily to her puffed up yellow feathery cheeks. "Iâm should be the one who travels the world, recording records and singing for royalty!â She scowled, adjusting the boa around her neck. She practiced a few bars, applied some throat spray before smirking. âWeâll see what Daddy has to say after he gets back from his business trip!â
She finished up dressing and stepped out, her beady eyes immediately scanning the bar for any new faces. Particularly any dumb floozies that were stupid enough to try to steal her gig. There was a peahen that tried one time and, well, one of her feathers made for a wonderful decoration for Patriciaâs hat. And letâs just say the beautiful feathery boar around her neck had been a delightful gift from her father after she had him remove that trio of flamingos that tried to force her to be a back-up singer.
Her eyes fell on a mature bat and she paused. This wasnât the competition she was expecting. But bats werenât know to be powerful singers so she confidently swayed toward the woman. âAre you the back up singer?â She asked when she got close enough, ruffling her feathers.
Isabellaâs ears wiggled at the sound of approaching steps and her nose twitched at the smell of strong perfume. âHi! Yes I am. And you are Miss Parakeet?â She guessed, judging for the expensive scent she was wearing.
Patricia smiled at the introduction. âYes, Iâm Patricia Parakeet. But you will continue to refer to me as Miss Parakeet. Not Patricia and NEVER Patty. Do you understand?â
âOf course, Miss Parakeet.â Isabella smiled. She wasnât the first star wannabe she encountered. And she was sure it wouldnât be the last. It was best to let her think she was in charge. âYour voice is very familiar! Where have you performed before here?â Better gather some intel, she thought.
Patricia smirked. âHa! I truly doubt you have heard me before. I only sing at places where the patrons are real class acts. Cream of the crop, the like you wish you had a chance to even glimpse at. But you will have the opportunity to hear me tonight.â She leaned in a bit closer. âThereâs a chance of a promoter coming tonight and if you screw this up for me or try to upstage me in some way, I will make life in the isles very, VERY uncomfortable for you. Do we understand each other?â
âOh my! Coming on a bit strong, are we? You feel threatened by my voice, dear?â Isabella used her enticing tone to show how charming she could get.
Patricia snorted at the batâs attempt. She recognized the change in tone. She couldnât copy it, but she could recognize it well enough. âHardly! I canât have an amateur mucking things up for me! And if you hadnât signed on with Marvin, you would already be gone.â
The bird started to walk away only to pause. âDonât think youâre the only one who can win a crowd, sister. Iâm not just a pretty parrot.â
âWell, I wouldnât know about your looks, but you certainly are a smelly one if you need that amount of perfume.â She finished her drink. âShould we practice, Miss Parakeet?â she asked innocently.
Patricia had picked up a very thin champagne flute but at Isabellaâs words, she snapped the stem in half. âSmelly? Figures you bats only have a refined sense of hearing, not smell!â She hissed. She patted her feathers down at the sight of patrons starting to walk in.
âIâve already practiced, but Iâm sure you could use a warm up. Perhaps in the alley attached to the kitchen? Where they throw out the dish water.â
The bat stood up and walked towards the band. "You know what? Iâll wing it,â she said, waving her delicate wings, âThat way youâll have a better chance to get noticed by the promoter.â She smirked, but got distracted and stumbled into a table with a thud. âLa naiba!â the woman cursed, embarrassed, and walked slowly towards the stage.
The Lounge Lizards had just finished tuning their instrument when Patricia stepped on stage. She started to croon, not putting too much effort in as the night had barely got started. Still it earned a whistle or two from the small amount of patrons and she couldnât help but shoot the blind bat a dirty look.
Isabella started the evening as a pretty good back singer, adapting her tone to the birdâs voice as the song required it. She didnât overstep into Patriciaâs spotlight and let her continue on, letting her become overconfident. The night just started, and the bat knew she would get her chance to wipe her shoes with Patriciaâs feathers.
During the short intermissions between songs, Oliver would stop by to critique them, to say how good they looked out there and how well they complimented each other. And more importantly, if any promoters had arrived. Isabella acted humble in front of the rooster, but whenever the singers were alone, they would get right back to the fighting.
It was during one of those spat breaks where Patricia really found herself getting riled up by the nonchalance of the bat. âWhat do you hope to get out of this? A free ride to some of the most elite clubs? Money? You wouldnât know what to do with class if it came and bit you in the ass.â
Marvin tried his best to ignore the womenâs squabbling. At least the two could sing well even if they were at each otherâs throats. He started to walk toward the bar to reorganize the stash only to freeze as the atmosphere changed.
There was no mistaking the new visitor and he turned quickly toward him, rubbing his hands together. âAw, King Dice! What an absolute pleasure for you to visit my little club!â
The large casino house boss stepped toward the mole. âLittle might be stretching it, Marvin.â
Marvin nodded, glad no debt collection was happening. âCan I get you a whiskey neat, or sour patch on the rocks?â
King Dice shook his head. âPerhaps later, Iâm here for business reasons.â
âBusiness?â He gulped hesitantly. The last time someone from the Casino was here for âbusinessâ, a couple of arms were broken and the wall paper had to be replaced. However, none of those things had happened yet so Marvin was cautiously optimistic. King Dice chuckled.
âWell I hear youâve got two singers that are a choice bit of calico.â
The mole brightened up. âOh! You mean Isabella and Patricia! Yes, yes. Had you wanted to meet them?â
âI would be most obliged.â The mole lead King Dice to the stage at the sign of a break and winced as he overheard the two women bickering. âLadies,â he interrupted, âI would like you to meet a friend of the club, King Dice.â
Isabellaâs ears perked up, but she kept her cool. Finally, there was his opportunity to meet King Dice. âPleasure to meet you, Mr Dice,â she said, charmly, taking a lovely pose, with one hand on her hips, that innocently showed her soft curves.
King Dice very subtly took in her figure. âWell hi de ho, ma'am. You must be Isabella?â
âAnd Iâm Patricia!â Patricia interrupted, pushing her way in front of Isabella and batting her eyelashes.
King Dice smirked. âYou certainly are. How long have you both been singing?â
The bat smiled at Patriciaâs childish way to interrupt, for that proved she was nervous and more prompt to make a mistake.
âWellâŠâ. She played shyly. âMy origins are humble, but my hardwork has taken me far. Started singing in the lower districts in Paris when I was eight, and somehow I made my way to Germany, England, ItalyâŠand now here.â She added a subtle sensual inflection into that last sentence, hoping that King Dice would pick up on that, and hopefully, fall for his charms.
King Dice smiled appreciatively at Isabellaâs summary. âI like a woman whoâs traveled. A gal who knows her onions.â He turned to Patricia. âAnd how about you?â
Patricia fluffed up her feathers. âWell, Iâm a born natural! But daddy made sure I had the best lessons anyway even though he says that you canât improve perfection,â She tweeted happily.
The casino employee raised an eyebrow and grinned. âWell, you ainât certainly no canceled stamp, thatâs for sure. Do you have family around here?â
Isabella shrugged. She didnât like to talk about her Mina in the club. You never knew who could be listening, and years of hiding had made the bat paranoid. Still, she was planning on staying here for while, so he would eventually find out regardless.
She cleared her throat and recovered her confidence. âI like to travel lightâ. She kept smiling. â I only bring my daughter with me.â
King Dice grinned even wider at that. âWell, thatâs just sweet. So you and Miss Parakeet here? How long have you worked together?â
Patricia waved a feather, flopping Isabella in the face. âOh she hasnât been here very long at all! Sheâs a temp is all. Just one of my background singers until my career really takes flight if ya know what I mean,â she winked at the older dice.
Isabellaâs nose got tickled by the feather, and the woman decided to not hold it back and sneezed on Patricia. âOh! Dear! Iâm SO sorry!â She fakely apologized. âMy nose is very sensitive, you know?â She had to make an effort not to laugh.
âWell hopefully your nose isnât too sensitive for all the cigar smoke around here. Iâm from a place that caters to a certain type of clientele that values their vices, including have a drag or two.â Patricia shrieked and made a motion to strike the bat with her wing.
King Dice took Ms. Parakeetâs wing. âIâm sure you could find it possible in your incredible large heart to allow Isabella here a chance to sing as well. Iâd hate to have to leave if I didnât think things wereâŠfair.â
Patricia was irritated but didnât want to wreck her chances. âI suppose she could have a turn. But only ONE song. She IS back up, afterall.â
He grinned. âIâm sure that will be enough for me to determine who has the greater stage presence.â The King waved them both off as he turned around. âI look forward to hearing what you girls sing.â
âI will not disappoint you,â Isabella said sweetly as King Dice walked away. Once she was certain he was out of hearing range, she turned to Patricia. "Well, Iâll let you go first dear. I wouldnât want to put you in the position of following my act.â she said, full of confidence.
Patricia smiled. âYes, I can only see how appropriate that is. After all, itâs beauty before age.â
âIsnât the saying 'age before beautyâ?â Marvin asked as he walked by the two women.
âNobody asked you, Marvin!â Patricia tweeted angrily. She strutted back up to the stage and quickly chatted with the band before approaching the microphone with a sensual smile to her lips.
âHow many of you boys here want to feel special tonight?â She asked before she started to croon.
____
'She has a strong stage presence, Iâll give her thatâŠâ Isabella thought to herself hearing how the audience cheered and whistled to the bird. 'If she wasnât such a diva wannabe, I could learn a thing or two from herâŠâ
The sing ended and everybody broke in a applause, including herself.
Patricia blew a couple of sweet birdie kisses to the crowd, already spotting a pile of telephone numbers waiting for her on one of the watierâs trays. She flipped her tail feathers at Isabella. âHope you fly well because thereâs no way youâre reaching the bar that I just set with thatâ
The bat smiled at the bird, trying to show confidence. Truth was, she was starting to doubt herself.
She talked to the band and Oliver accompanied her to the microphone.
âEvening, ladies and gentlemen. Letâs hear it again for Miss Parakeet!â Isabella spoke into the microphone. Everybody started cheering again. âSheâs a wonderful inspiration to us singers all around the world,â she continued talking as the applause started to fade. âAnd I have to thank her for giving me the chance to prove my worth here tonight. Thank you, Miss Parakeet, for trusting in meâ. She sounded sincere and elicited some admiration applause from the crowd.
The music started and Isabella waited for her cue. âTrussst in meeeeâŠâ The song began and she accompanied every phrase with subtle sensual movements of her body.
The audience grew mesmerized by her enticing tone and the snake like movements she did with her body.
It was as if a spell has been placed over the crowd - a fact that did not go unnoticed by King Dice. Even he found the bat very mesmerizing indeed. It appeared Chips and Mangosteen had been on to something after all. It would almost make up for the fact that he was going to be assigning them extra shifts for having dragged him out of an important meeting for this.
Yes, a singer like this could do very well at the Casino and he started drafting up the contract in his head already
The song ended and the public broke into an applause and cheered at the new talent. Isabella thanked them and Oliver helped her back down the stage. She hoped King Dice was as pleased as the audience.
Patricia shook her head as if she was waking up from a dream and confusedly looked around. Everyone was cheering enthusiastically and she furrowed her feathered brow in confusion. How did this happen? Was she a witch?! Not a missed note nor an accidental warble. There was no way this could have been happened.
The evening continued as normal, with both singers on stage this time. The public was very pleased and the evening got very animated.
It was time for the singers to take a break and Isabella headed to the bar and ordered a glass of water with lemon. She was starting to get worried. Patricia had a talent to change tones very quickly and it was a bit hard for her to follow sometimes. She wondered if that would hurt her chances to get picked by the casino owner.
She took a sip of her drink and tried to relax. Her thoughts shifted to her deceased lover and sadness rushed in her heart like a wave. If she played her cards right, she might get him back again.
âTonic water and lemon?â King Dice observed as he took a seat next to her, âI respect that. Itâs not professional to get zozzled on the clock.â
They could hear Patricia guffaw as she sat on a table surrounded by some of the males. âOh youâre so funny, Charlie!â She laughed, gently hitting a bloke and taking another dip of her martini.
Her ears perked at the voice of the man and she quickly recover her charming facade, showing a sweet smile. âSome people need a bit of liquid confidence.â She chuckled. âEnjoying the show so far?â
King Dice motioned for the bartender to bring him a drink. âQuite. Any chance I could borrow some of your time for a private conversation?â
She hid her enthusiasm. âOf course. If you like, we can go to the changing room backstage. To talk. In privateâ. She felt like she needed to clarify. Although, he did sound like a gentleman, and it had been a while since she was handle by a gentleman. Her cheeks blushed slightly, and her heat rate started to become dormant, as it has been for years.
King Dice smiled. âYou sweet bunny, I ainât no skirt chaser.â He followed her into the dressing room and took a seat. âMiss Isabella, I am the house manager for a little place at the edge of the isles called the Devilâs Casino. Iâm responsible for a lot day to day tasks, special events and tournaments, as well as the entertainment. And from what Iâve seen tonight, I think you would make a good addition to our staff. Is something that would tickle your interests?â
The bat widened her smile. âIndeed it does, Mr Dice! When can I start?â She said sweetly, feeling closer to her goals.
The dice smiled and retrieved a piece of paper. âYou could start this week if it so pleases you.â
He laid the paper flat on the table in front of the bat, the raised dots on the parchment indicating the braille text. âThe casino doesnât just employ anyone off the street, mind you. That Patricia bird is a very lovely doll, but she doesnât have the right lifestyle for a position like this. We like to employ those that have more experience, maturity,â King Dice started to explain.
He pulled out a pen and held it out to the eager woman. âAn employee who knows to follow the rules because they have somethingâŠor someone to lose if they donât,â he added, still keeping a smile on his face.
Isabella heard the warnings of the casino owner, and she didnât like what he was implying. Still, she caressed the paper sheet with the tip of her fingers and started reading the dots on it. It seemed like a standard contract.
She held the pen nervously. She was so close to get what she wanted. Not only would she work at the Devilâs Casino, but she would have easier access to the Big Boss himself. It was just a matter of time.
She signed the contract with a lovely, well calligraphed signature, and extended her arm to shake his. âThank you very much for giving me the chance, Mr Dice. I wonât disappointâ She said sweetly.
King Dice plucked the paper away and stuck it into his breast pocket. âWe look forward to having you on board. Swing by this week when youâre ready to start.â
He excused himself and left the room, leaving Isabella alone. He made eye contact with Patricia as he walked through the bar and smiled and nodded at her.
Patricia froze, not needing words to understand what had happened. But that didnât mean she wasnât going to use some of her own words to express HER displeasure what happened.
âAre you freakin serious?!â She shrieked, nearly making KD laugh.
Marvin went to assuage her. âPatricia, calm down.â
âShe wasnât even here for a week!â
âTrust me, Iâm just as disappointed as you are. I would have loved nothing more than for you to leave as well,â Marvin admitted.
Patricia really fluffed up her feathers and pushed away some of the guys she had attracted. She went to the bar and ordered something heavy. She would make that bat if it was the last thing she did.
âââââââââââââââââââââââââââ
CHAPTER 01,  CHAPTER 02,  CHAPTER 03,  CHAPTER 04,  CHAPTER 05, CHAPTER 06,  CHAPTER 07,  CHAPTER 08,  CHAPTER 09,  CHAPTER 10; CHAPTER 11; CHAPTER 12 ; CHAPTER 13 ; CHAPTER 14  ; CHAPTER 15; CHAPTER 16 ; (nsfw) CHAPTER 17 ; CHAPTER 18 ; CHAPTER 19 (nsfw) ; CHAPTER 20 ; CHAPTER 21 ; CHAPTER 22 ; CHAPTER 23 ; CHAPTER 24 ; CHAPTER 25 (nsfw) ; CHAPTER 26 (nsfw) ; CHAPTER 27 (youâre here now!)











