Milo and Skits
"…It means no worries for the rest of your days! It's our--"
Milo shut the tape player off.
"That was an amusing song," Kida smiled.
"More so since Milo didn't run into anything!"
"Hey, I passed the driver's license test!" he defended himself against Audrey's teasing.
"And how many tries did it take?"
"Well I-- I, um… Oh, look! We're here."
The sight of the city's skyscrapers was strange to them all, and the convention center was no exception. The glass sparkled brightly in the late daylight. Indeed, the modern world was as alien as Atlantis had been to Milo, a world with new wonders and problems. The two cars circled a few times along the strange streets in efforts to find the parking garage. After several minutes they had secured parking spaces and they left their cars.
"Milo, are you sure this is a good idea?" She batted at a fly, the sleeve of her royal garb flapping.
"Sure! People dress up all the time for conventions like this one. I mean, scientific romances like the ones I used to read you are popular here. You'll fit right in wearing what's comfortable. Besides, I think you'd do well in the masquerade. We'd better get going, though. That cave-in leaving Atlantis really put us behind. We need to get ready for it--"
"What?"
"Masquerade. It's a show and competition for who has the best costumes. Besides, we'd be in the novice category. It's almost assured you get a little certificate just for entering, I hear, if you're in that category. I checked on the Internet. Amazing how technology's changed over the years…"
"Internet?"
"Um… Sort of like a magazine in a sense. You can get entertainment and information from it. I'm pretty new to it myself." He held the door open for the others.
It felt strange yet comforting to be wearing clothes more like what he had grown up with, and he rolled up his sleeves once inside.
The world of the convention was indeed one apart from the rest. A mix of people roamed, the saddest ones seemingly in desperate need of sleep and a bath, the grandest in extravagant clothing that appeared to be from the 1600's.
"Milo…?!" Kida's voice seemed a bit concerned.
"What? What is it?" He shoed away an insect. "Why are the bugs so bad this year? Even indoors?" he wondered quickly and quietly.
She pulled him close and spoke quietly to him, pointing to groups of individuals. "Their ears…! Their foreheads! Do people normally look like this?"
"Oh! Pfft! No!" he chuckled. "They're costumes. Judging from the rest of the costumes the people with pointed ears are elves. Tall elves… The people with the ridged foreheads I think are from some show called--" The linguist stopped at the queen's expression. "Elves are people of mythology."
"I understand." Kida looked around in a hurry. "Where is everyone?"
"I told them, since we're so late, to go ahead of us. We'll see them at the masquerade, probably."
She motioned in acknowledgement. Once again spellbound by the peculiarity of the people around her, many of which returned the expression and gaze.
"Come on," Milo took her by the hand. "We're wasting time. Let's go register."
Kida removed her badge as she looked in the restroom mirror. She was not the only one preparing for the masquerade. Beside her a woman was adding strange things to her face, becoming beastly, complete with fangs.
"Nyeth cothtume," she lisped in a friendly tone.
"…Thank you. Yours is very interesting…" The queen paused, not sure of how to comment. "What or who are you trying to be?"
"Me? I'm a werewolf. I think werewolveth are cool." The woman with the latex on her face noticed Kida's confused look. "You mean you don't know what a werewolf ith?!"
"…I do not…"
"Good Lord, woman! They're people who become a part human, part wolf beatht."
"…I grasp the idea, now." She had little idea what a wolf looked like, but she could imagine.
"By the way, I like your acthent. Maketh you thound more foreign. You look like some shaman or queen or thomthing." She applied whiskers.
"…Thank you. I am a queen, actually."
"Fun to be what you're not at a convention, ithn't it?"
The huntress blinked. "I suppose so."
"Gonna uthe that acthent in thom thkit?"
"Thkit?"
The wolf woman struggled for the sound. "Th… Tsh… Ssskit."
"Skit?"
"Yeth."
"My husband said it might be best to simply display the costume and walk down the isle. We have planned nothing, and you might say we had difficulty getting here. There was no time to rehearse, in any case."
"Too bad."
"I must leave now. Good luck to you."
"You too! Thee ya!"
"GAH-moak!" she called as she exited.
"What?"
The door closed before any response could be made. The hall was relatively empty, since almost everyone in the area had entered the presentation area of the masquerade ballroom. Kida turned to see Milo waiting at the far wall. He smiled as he noticed her and approached, taking her hand.
"All ready?"
"I believe so." She swatted at a fly with the back of her hand. "This is rather annoying," Kida commented.
"Okay. You need to go though this door here. I'll be in the crowd. The guys are saving a good seat for me. All you have to do is walk down the isle, okay?"
"Yes. You told me."
"Don't worry about winning anything. Just get up there and have a good time. You'll make me proud." They exchanged a quick kiss. "I'll see you up there, Kida."
"Goodbye, Milo!" she called after.
Kida bit her lip. It was almost her turn to go up, and her nervousness surprised her. It was not some dire task as she had faced before, but something simple, non-life-threatening. Yet the feeling mixed with her curiosity in a somewhat disquieting way.
The woman cocked her head in wonder at the giant outfit of some regal creature. To her it appeared as a golden brown beast with spreading wings, a sharp beak, fierce, intense eyes, and the back half covered in fur rather than feathers. The talons that were front feet did not seem to match the clawed paws of the back. She looked on in endless fascination as it went slowly out of sight behind the protective curtains she could not yet penetrate.
The music died away, and her heart picked up the tempo. The lights dimmed again and the enthusiastic voice of the announcer returned. "Entry number 32! 'The Queen of Atlantis.'"
Kida climbed the steps, pulling the strength of the air into her lungs and drawing energy from it. She stepped onto the stage, and a glaring light fell upon her in the silence. She squinted while holding her head high to display the power of her position, at Milo's earlier suggestion. The queen turned to face various sections of the crowd, quickly to find those who had finished their presentations in the front rows, the seats apparently having been saved. It seemed there were also more costumed people in the crowd that she had not glimpsed in the chaos backstage. She paused, intrigued at clothes and forms.
A malicious voice sliced the silence. "Do the skit already!"
The nervousness returned as she realized she had lingered too long. Another insect buzzed annoyingly around her. Kida knew she had to quickly decide whether to improvise or simply continue down the isle. Her mind flew like the fly, trying to remember a dance that might possibly be entertaining to this alien world or some great saying in her tongue to inspire and move the audience. Consistently the buzz of the insect interjected into her thoughts, slowing them and adding to frustration.
A need to put an end to it came to her, and she waved her hand at it. The pest seemed determined to try to land on her face, and she stepped back in avoidance. Kida whipped her hand at it in an abrupt movement, missing. An occasional silhouette and location of the drone was all that could tell her where the plaguing insect was. With quick, vigorous movements she tried to hit her target from the vague directions her senses gave her, but easily made sure she did not step off the ramp into the crowd. The fly buzzed behind her, and she twirled, hair flying back as she aimed with the side of her hand. The insect moved again and she made a quick movement, making some contact to stun it slightly. It hovered but a foot away from her hand. With a powerful, swift, and short movement, she struck it with a single outstretched fingertip.
Kida heard nothing. No fly to bother her. And no murmur from a startled crowd. Her eyes widened, realizing just what she had done. Pressing her lips together, she stepped briskly down the ramp, ready to take a seat that she hoped was being saved for her.
A few claps along with a, "Helloooo future ex-wife!" caused her to stop. It was not as if it could be worsened at this point, though she could not help shaking her head at the comment, happy to be married to someone with manners. As the spotlight paused on her she was amazed as the single applause was joined by a growing number of others. Whistles and various comments were only covered by the announcer's voice. "That was 'The Queen of Atlantis!' Displayed by Kida… Kida Gakash and made by… The tailors of Atlantis?" He chuckled. "Well, it seems they had their fun before she even came onstage, folks."
The queen was directed to her seat by the rest of the crew, sitting down next to an enthusiastic Milo. "Nice hit!" he shouted through the dying applause as he hugged her. "The crowd loved your moves. How'd you think of a skit so fast?"
Kida laughed in relief, not answering, but grateful to a Greater Force for her luck.
Disclaimer: All characters, and this version of Atlantis, as well as "Hakuna Matata" lyrics are property of Disney. The name storyline is my (Rebmakash's) property.
Disclaimer: Atlantis: the Lost Empire, and the characters, language, symbols, storylines and titles are property of he Walt Disney Company. This site has been created for entertainment, non-profit purposes only. See sources.
Permission must be granted by the fan authors/artists before their material is to be used. Credit must also be given to the respective author/artist in question. Do so via their e-mail. Questions? Comments? E-mail me at Like_A_Star8800@yahoo.com.
