Something odd was going on. Ann Ritona, guitarist and backup vocalist of the Replicants, was looking between the lead singer and their bassist with the confused expression of a woman that knew she was missing out on an interesting story. Priss Asagiri, the lead singer in question, looked entirely too amused, while Mack Smith appeared to be considering the benefits of throwing his guitar at her. “Okay... I get the feeling I’m going to regret this... but what’d I miss?” she asked.
Priss snickered. “It’s a long story involving an interesting weekend of fighting evil... I got to find out just how... worldly his sisters aren’t.” It took a moment for that concept to filter through Anns mind, but she’d had the chance to meet both Jackie and Blossom, both of whom were shining examples of sweet and innocent farm girls from the countryside. Some brief mental math placed them in the same location as Priss, and then Ann could only groan in sudden understanding of the horror that must have been inflicted. The singers smirk didn’t help matters any either.
“Priss...”
“There are times,” added the blue-white haired magician curled up on the couch with a notebook, “that the Great and Powerful Tricksy can only assume you enjoy raising the blood pressure of those around you.”
“Eeyup,” agreed Mack, maintaining a steady glare. “Ya went well over the line boss,” he added.
Priss grinned, entirely unapologetic. “What got you going the most? Making Blossom hear of the concept of lesbians? Jack too, I suppose, although how she hasn’t caught on about Flash yet amazes me...” Ann made a noise somewhere between a groan and a snort of laughter, and Macks glare intensified. “The description of what I’d like to do to that clone bitch?” She considered Macks darkening expression and nodded. “Not going to apologize for the first, although I’ll admit I might have gone too far with the teasing. So, sort of a conditional apology I suppose. The second one... yeah, shouldn’t have done that in front of someone her age, even if she’ll hear worse from the goons she beats up.”
“Why does Tricksy suspect that Priss displayed the sort of language that wold make Tricksy cast ‘summon soap?’”
“Shuddup you, I’m apologizing here.”
“Tricksy shall fetch a camera ow!” Tricksy rubbed at her leg and glared at Ann, who merely smiled in return.
Mack considered Priss for a moment, then shrugged. “Reckon you’re right ‘bout that,” he said. “Very annoying though. It’s been said before that you need to learn when to back off. Always charging in, making noise even when you shouldn’t. Not that smart.”
Eyes narrowing, the last of her amusement fading, Priss nodded slightly. “Yeah... you’re probably right. Sorry about that Mack. She’s a good kid, and I was only meaning to have a little fun. Didn’t mean to go and cause you some real anger. Messing with Jackie got the better of me. I’m sorry. Really.”
“Eeyup. I know you are. Just wish it didn’t up with my little sister on one of those dang rocketboards,” Mack replied, leaning back in his chair. “And you lot all butting in with opinions didn’t help.” Priss winced, reconsidering that little incident in a different light.
“Not exactly my best move,” she admitted. “Sorry. I should try to stop being a bitch, huh?” Tricksy nearly snorted, but stopped when Ann gave her another warning look.
Shrugging again, Mack leaned back in his chair and picked his guitar back up. “You wouldn’t be you if you weren’t steppin’ on toes. It’s why we love you.”
“... Thanks. I think,” Priss replied, not really sure of the proper way to reply to that. Ann shook her head, not quite suppressing her smile. Tricksy merely rolled her eyes, amused. “Anyway, back to business. They’re asking for two songs, so I was wondering if we should go with out older hits, or maybe some of our newer content...”
***
“You know,” Priss admitted, “I’d be all for you taking the lead in a few songs Tricks, except for the fact I’m not entirely sure you can consistently say ‘I’.”
Rolling her eyes, the magician ignored Anns snickering. “The Talented and Vocally Flexible Tricksy can speak in such a manner, thank you very much. She just chooses not to most of the time. Image is very important for a stage magician-”
“You can?” Ann interrupted. “I always assumed it was a magic spell or something. You don’t even drop the act in private.”
“Well, yes. The Dedicated and Focused Tricksy has been using this as part of her style for quite a long time. It is a hard habit to break, and Tricksy does not want to risk a slip up in public...” she paused, considering. “And there is a magical spell on her hat,” she admitted at last.
“Cheating,” Mack said dryly.
“Creative use of resources,” Priss disagreed, chuckling. “So, wear the hat, and you have to talk in the third person?”
“The Slightly Embarrased, yet Honest Tricksy has to admit that Priss is correct - ANN!” she protested as the other girl snatched the hat off her head. “Do you mind?”
“Oh calm down, I just want to try it out,” she replied, looking at the hat curiously, before putting it on. “The Amused yet Curious Ann is looking forward to seeing how it works. Oh wow. Tricksy has certainly impressed the Admiring and Playful Ann with this.”
Aborting her lunge to recover her property, Tricksy snickered. “Tricksy is glad you like it. While it is not something she advertises, it is one of her better creations.”
“So that’s how you always come up with an ‘X and Y Tricksy’ comments,” Priss laughed. “You’ve got a shortcut.”
That comment earned her a disgusted look from the magician. “Priss should know by now that the Creative and Imaginative Tricksy has a title for any situation,” she sniffed.
“The Giggling and Suddenly-Titled Ann would argue she presents support for Priss’s theory.”
“... Fine. I added that to the spell, just in case. Are you happy?”
“Very,” Priss smiled, reaching over and messed up Tricksys hair, enjoying the protesting noise that caused. “I always like it when you let your hair down. You’re too uptight. Need to loosen up more.”
“The Calm and Mature Tricksy is just fine the way she is, thank you very much.”
“Oh!” Ann said, jumping up and pulling the hat off her head. “Mack!” she declared, dropping it on the bassist. “Does it work on you?” she asked, leaning forward eagerly.
Tilting his head back to get the hats rim out of the way, Mack considered his fellow band member for several long moments. “... Nope,” he drawled at last, the disappointed expression on Anns face sending both Priss and Tricksy over the edge into cackling laughter.
“Awww,” she declared, before glancing at the other two women. “Thanks.”
“Your face!” Tricksy responded, covering her mouth with a hand, but utterly failing to contain her giggles. “You just...” She gave up on trying to control herself, leaning against Priss.
Sighing, Ann took the hat off Mack and waited for the women to calm down. It took a few minutes, but eventually, the pair began to look somewhat more composed. “Feeling better?” she asked, before dropping the hat onto Priss’s head.
“The Amused and Satisfied Priss is feeling very good indeed,” she smirked, glancing over at Mack, who had an amused smile on his own face. Priss suspected that if he’d gone past his usual speech gag, Ann would have found he was affected... but no need to spoil his fun. “So, Tricksy... if you practised, and kept this well away from, your head, the generous and supportive Priss would be more then willing to let you try a few songs as lead singer.”
Laughing, Tricksy reached over and recovered her hat. “You don’t want an accident on stage?”
“Besides the fact you’re keeping a relatively low profile until that asshole agent is dealt with, and a slip up like that might ruin that? The Paranoid and Professional Priss would prefer to keep any snafus out... of...” She paused, then reached up to check her head. Sure enough, the hat was gone, back on Tricksys head where it belongs. “The Worried and Concerned Priss... The Actually Rather Worried Priss... Tricksy!”
Eyes widening, Tricksy considered her friend carefully. “Ohhh dear...”
“Oh no,” Ann sighed, facepalming.
“Tricksy can fix this!” she exclaimed as Priss rose to her feet, glaring.
“Tricksy had better fix- get back here!” Priss snarled as her friend decided to go with the better part of valor and such, and ran for safety. Priss, being rather grumpy, decided to follow, threatening violence in the third person.
For a long moment, Mack and Ann considered the situation. “Well. Hopefully you costume sorts know someone that can fix that,” Ann said.
“Eyup. That, or you’ll be doing all the singing tomorrow night,” Mack noted.
“Ah nuts.”
Priss snickered. “It’s a long story involving an interesting weekend of fighting evil... I got to find out just how... worldly his sisters aren’t.” It took a moment for that concept to filter through Anns mind, but she’d had the chance to meet both Jackie and Blossom, both of whom were shining examples of sweet and innocent farm girls from the countryside. Some brief mental math placed them in the same location as Priss, and then Ann could only groan in sudden understanding of the horror that must have been inflicted. The singers smirk didn’t help matters any either.
“Priss...”
“There are times,” added the blue-white haired magician curled up on the couch with a notebook, “that the Great and Powerful Tricksy can only assume you enjoy raising the blood pressure of those around you.”
“Eeyup,” agreed Mack, maintaining a steady glare. “Ya went well over the line boss,” he added.
Priss grinned, entirely unapologetic. “What got you going the most? Making Blossom hear of the concept of lesbians? Jack too, I suppose, although how she hasn’t caught on about Flash yet amazes me...” Ann made a noise somewhere between a groan and a snort of laughter, and Macks glare intensified. “The description of what I’d like to do to that clone bitch?” She considered Macks darkening expression and nodded. “Not going to apologize for the first, although I’ll admit I might have gone too far with the teasing. So, sort of a conditional apology I suppose. The second one... yeah, shouldn’t have done that in front of someone her age, even if she’ll hear worse from the goons she beats up.”
“Why does Tricksy suspect that Priss displayed the sort of language that wold make Tricksy cast ‘summon soap?’”
“Shuddup you, I’m apologizing here.”
“Tricksy shall fetch a camera ow!” Tricksy rubbed at her leg and glared at Ann, who merely smiled in return.
Mack considered Priss for a moment, then shrugged. “Reckon you’re right ‘bout that,” he said. “Very annoying though. It’s been said before that you need to learn when to back off. Always charging in, making noise even when you shouldn’t. Not that smart.”
Eyes narrowing, the last of her amusement fading, Priss nodded slightly. “Yeah... you’re probably right. Sorry about that Mack. She’s a good kid, and I was only meaning to have a little fun. Didn’t mean to go and cause you some real anger. Messing with Jackie got the better of me. I’m sorry. Really.”
“Eeyup. I know you are. Just wish it didn’t up with my little sister on one of those dang rocketboards,” Mack replied, leaning back in his chair. “And you lot all butting in with opinions didn’t help.” Priss winced, reconsidering that little incident in a different light.
“Not exactly my best move,” she admitted. “Sorry. I should try to stop being a bitch, huh?” Tricksy nearly snorted, but stopped when Ann gave her another warning look.
Shrugging again, Mack leaned back in his chair and picked his guitar back up. “You wouldn’t be you if you weren’t steppin’ on toes. It’s why we love you.”
“... Thanks. I think,” Priss replied, not really sure of the proper way to reply to that. Ann shook her head, not quite suppressing her smile. Tricksy merely rolled her eyes, amused. “Anyway, back to business. They’re asking for two songs, so I was wondering if we should go with out older hits, or maybe some of our newer content...”
***
“You know,” Priss admitted, “I’d be all for you taking the lead in a few songs Tricks, except for the fact I’m not entirely sure you can consistently say ‘I’.”
Rolling her eyes, the magician ignored Anns snickering. “The Talented and Vocally Flexible Tricksy can speak in such a manner, thank you very much. She just chooses not to most of the time. Image is very important for a stage magician-”
“You can?” Ann interrupted. “I always assumed it was a magic spell or something. You don’t even drop the act in private.”
“Well, yes. The Dedicated and Focused Tricksy has been using this as part of her style for quite a long time. It is a hard habit to break, and Tricksy does not want to risk a slip up in public...” she paused, considering. “And there is a magical spell on her hat,” she admitted at last.
“Cheating,” Mack said dryly.
“Creative use of resources,” Priss disagreed, chuckling. “So, wear the hat, and you have to talk in the third person?”
“The Slightly Embarrased, yet Honest Tricksy has to admit that Priss is correct - ANN!” she protested as the other girl snatched the hat off her head. “Do you mind?”
“Oh calm down, I just want to try it out,” she replied, looking at the hat curiously, before putting it on. “The Amused yet Curious Ann is looking forward to seeing how it works. Oh wow. Tricksy has certainly impressed the Admiring and Playful Ann with this.”
Aborting her lunge to recover her property, Tricksy snickered. “Tricksy is glad you like it. While it is not something she advertises, it is one of her better creations.”
“So that’s how you always come up with an ‘X and Y Tricksy’ comments,” Priss laughed. “You’ve got a shortcut.”
That comment earned her a disgusted look from the magician. “Priss should know by now that the Creative and Imaginative Tricksy has a title for any situation,” she sniffed.
“The Giggling and Suddenly-Titled Ann would argue she presents support for Priss’s theory.”
“... Fine. I added that to the spell, just in case. Are you happy?”
“Very,” Priss smiled, reaching over and messed up Tricksys hair, enjoying the protesting noise that caused. “I always like it when you let your hair down. You’re too uptight. Need to loosen up more.”
“The Calm and Mature Tricksy is just fine the way she is, thank you very much.”
“Oh!” Ann said, jumping up and pulling the hat off her head. “Mack!” she declared, dropping it on the bassist. “Does it work on you?” she asked, leaning forward eagerly.
Tilting his head back to get the hats rim out of the way, Mack considered his fellow band member for several long moments. “... Nope,” he drawled at last, the disappointed expression on Anns face sending both Priss and Tricksy over the edge into cackling laughter.
“Awww,” she declared, before glancing at the other two women. “Thanks.”
“Your face!” Tricksy responded, covering her mouth with a hand, but utterly failing to contain her giggles. “You just...” She gave up on trying to control herself, leaning against Priss.
Sighing, Ann took the hat off Mack and waited for the women to calm down. It took a few minutes, but eventually, the pair began to look somewhat more composed. “Feeling better?” she asked, before dropping the hat onto Priss’s head.
“The Amused and Satisfied Priss is feeling very good indeed,” she smirked, glancing over at Mack, who had an amused smile on his own face. Priss suspected that if he’d gone past his usual speech gag, Ann would have found he was affected... but no need to spoil his fun. “So, Tricksy... if you practised, and kept this well away from, your head, the generous and supportive Priss would be more then willing to let you try a few songs as lead singer.”
Laughing, Tricksy reached over and recovered her hat. “You don’t want an accident on stage?”
“Besides the fact you’re keeping a relatively low profile until that asshole agent is dealt with, and a slip up like that might ruin that? The Paranoid and Professional Priss would prefer to keep any snafus out... of...” She paused, then reached up to check her head. Sure enough, the hat was gone, back on Tricksys head where it belongs. “The Worried and Concerned Priss... The Actually Rather Worried Priss... Tricksy!”
Eyes widening, Tricksy considered her friend carefully. “Ohhh dear...”
“Oh no,” Ann sighed, facepalming.
“Tricksy can fix this!” she exclaimed as Priss rose to her feet, glaring.
“Tricksy had better fix- get back here!” Priss snarled as her friend decided to go with the better part of valor and such, and ran for safety. Priss, being rather grumpy, decided to follow, threatening violence in the third person.
For a long moment, Mack and Ann considered the situation. “Well. Hopefully you costume sorts know someone that can fix that,” Ann said.
“Eyup. That, or you’ll be doing all the singing tomorrow night,” Mack noted.
“Ah nuts.”