milliways_bar | (no subject)

The lonely strains of a solo violin play as Melkor descends the stairs. He should have known better than to come back into the bar while this strange musical force was still loose, but now that he's here, there's no getting around it. He sighs heavily and lets the Song do what it will.

"Devils are all right for some
And Death for others still,
But call on me by name you see,
For my special skill.
To the Eldar, I'm a terror
To the Edain, I'm a curse
But call me by any name
Any way it's all the same"

The music kicks into a tango tempo, and the Fallen Vala rolls his eyes when finger cymbals appear on his hands, and his body moves into a reluctant flamenco step.

"I'm the fly in your soup
I'm the pebble in your shoe
I'm the pea beneath your bed
I'm a bump on every head
I'm the peel on which you slip
I'm a pin in every hip
I'm the thorn in your side
Makes you wriggle and writhe
And it's so easy when you're evil
This is the life, you see
The Devils tip their hats to me
I do it all because I'm evil
And I do it all for free"

The music pauses and Melkor picks out a random patron and points, tossing them a rose that seems to have dropped into his hand.

"Your tears are all the pay I'll ever need

"While there's children to make sad
While there's candy to be had
while there's pockets left to pick
While there's grannies left to trip down the stairs
I'll be there, I'll be waiting 'round the corner
It's a game. I'm glad I'm in it
'Cause there's one born every minute
And it's so easy when you're evil
This is the life, you see
The Devils tip their hats to me
I do it all because I'm evil
And I do it all for free"

Another pause. There's another rose suddenly in Melkor's hand, and he tries to hold onto it as long as he can before the force of the music jerkily tosses it to another random person.

"Your tears are all the pay I'll ever need"

With another heavy sigh, he begins marching in place as the music shifts tempo to match.

"I'll call for allegiance, for all things dark
To rise, promise on their damned souls
To do as they are told, and next time they
Will never see me coming, stake my claim
Oh bloody hell, I think I'm bursting into flame!"

There's a brief musical interlude while Melkor holds out his arms -- both engulfed by fire -- and mentally extinguishes himself. "Fucking Milliways," he mutters, just before the tune returns to the earlier tango, and he's swept back into the song.

"I'm the fear that keeps you awake
I'm the shadows on the wall
I'm the monsters they become
I'm the nightmare in your skull
I'm a dagger in your back
An extra turn upon the rack
I'm the quivering of your heart
A stabbing pain, a sudden start.

"And it's so easy when you're evil
This is the life, you see
The Devils tip their hats to me
I do it all because I'm evil
And I do it all for free
Your tears are all the pay I'll ever need
And I do it all for free
Your tears are all the pay I'll ever need
And I do it all for free
Your tears are all the pay I'll ever need"

The lights in that section of the bar suddenly dim, except for a single muted spotlight illuminating the motionless Dark Lord. The music, too, dies out, leaving only a mournful silence into which Melkor sings.

"It gets so lonely being evil
What I'd do to see a smile
Even for a little while
And no one loves you when you're evil"

A look of horror and disgust steals across Melkor's face at that pronouncement, and he uses the small pause to rally all of his power and influence over music to break free of whatever force was compelling him. The lights burst back into their former brilliance, and his voice seems to come from everywhere accompanied by the last triumphant chords.

"I'm lying though my teeth!
Your tears are all the company I need!"

Finally released from the influence (for now, at least), Melkor closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Goddamn it. Atlantean," he says to Bar. "Big one."

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After a bit there is a Djinni on a nearby table staring at him with awe and perhaps some fear. "Singer of darkness..." it gasps.

It is likely apparent that this statement has nothing to do with the immediate situation.

Awe and fear? Melkor likes it already.

"You know of me, small one?"

"I recognize your type, though I haven't heard specifically of you. I am Crystal, a Djinni of Earth."

If not fear, then certainly at least respect and wariness.

"An Earth spirit, then?" he asks. "I am Melkor. I'll spare you the rest of the title; at this point, it might come out sounding like Gilbert and Sullivan."

~~I am the very model of a Vala who was overthrown?~~

"Yes... and in some ways no. We were the last to join the Song of our world, and we delay the approach of the Void."

~~Cast from all my glory and condemned to walk the Void alone~~

"Delay. I admire your choice of words. Such approach is inevitable, as you no doubt recognize. It is a truth that my siblings chose to ignore."

Crystal nods. "All that begins must end, or else it becomes a perversion of itself. It's generally worse than useless to ignore such fundamental truths."

"Ha," Melkor says dryly. "Tell that to my siblings, who chained me in the Void beyond creation for bringing that to their attention."