Style Quest: Kaytlyn and Crew

 Now that Varick was back in Drakethorpe after so many months away, he found that quite a bit had changed. All of his old flames had found others to kindle their fires. His best friend, the white wolf with a magitech right hand, had started touring with her band Valkyrie Scream between working as a magitech engineer. Varick’s younger sister, the twelve-year-old fennec Kaytlyn, had learned to play the flute quite well.

 

“Please be in my group for Battle of the Bands,” Kaytlyn pleaded with her brother. She had done this every day since the posters went up. Now a week out, she hadn’t given up her quest to enter the competition.

 

“I told you already, we can’t enter as a duo,” Varick reminded his sister for the twentieth time. “We need one more person, and I don’t know anyone that the other bands haven’t already scooped up.” The horse looked around the mostly empty coffee shop till his eye stopped at a piano in the corner. Usually, it just sat there for show, but a snow leopard with blue and green spots sat down and started playing. A beautiful melody filled the air in the coffee shop, entrancing all the patrons.

 

“You think he’ll play with us,” Kaytlyn excitedly asked as the song ended. Before Varick could stop her, the fennec ran over to the piano player. As the blonde Clydesdale caught up to his sister, he saw that the pianist had heterochromatic blue and green eyes matching his spots. Parts of the patterning visible around the low-cut blue shirt and dark shorts put Varick into a mild trance.

 

“Hi, my name is Raine,” the snow leopard greeted the brown horse snapping him out of the trance. “You must be Varick. Kaytlyn was telling me you were looking for a piano player.”

 

“Uh, yes, but it’s ok if you don’t have the time,” Varick answered, shooting his sister a look. “We weren’t seriously considering entering the contest.” Varick couldn’t help himself from checking out the taller snow leopard. He just looked so cute and soft to cuddle. Raine noticed and snuck a few peeks of the Clydesdale for himself.

 

“Shame, I was looking for someone to play with,” Raine replied with a wink. As much as Varick wasn’t looking for a relationship after the traumatic ending of the last one, there was just something enticing about this leopard.

 

“Although if we practice every day, I suppose we can give it a shot,” Varick finally caved. Kaytlyn cheered and started talking about musical choices with Raine. Every day until the contest, the three met and practiced for a few hours. Varick made everyone unique clothes with magical effects to enhance the show. He was too shell-shocked to ask Raine out after practice, even though the snow leopard gave all the signals.

 

Each band had one song to impress the judges at the contest, so Raine suggested a piece by the High Celestial of Music, Jon Bon Jovi. Varick agreed because, after all, their chance of winning was living on a prayer. Kaytlyn filled out the entry form with the band name Kaytlyn and Crew, which, unfortunately, no one caught in time for it to be changed.

 

On the night of the performance, Varick, Kaytlyn, and Raine took the stage to a cheering crowd. The violin, flute, and piano ignited in blue and purple flames as the song started. It was a simple illusion, but it wowed the crowd. Varick sang as he played his violin with backup vocals from Raine at the piano. Kaytlyn’s flutist skills weren’t entirely on par with the others, but considering she’d only been playing for a few months, it was impressive nonetheless. The song continued, accompanied by all kinds of pyrotechnics and magical effects erupting from the clothes Varick made. In the end, though, despite the impressive display, Kaytlyn and Crew finished eighth but earned a special mention by the judges.

 

“So you are ever going to ask me,” Raine asked as he walked home accompanied by Varick.

 

“I want to, but the last person I was with left me a little put off from relationships for a while,” the horse explained, trying not to say too much and trigger a bad memory. “Some day, maybe, but the wounds are still too fresh for now. We can be friends in the meantime, though.”

 

“I can work with that,” the blue and green spotted leopard smiled. “You feel like someone worth waiting for.”