Mystery and intrigue, depth and deception, hope, love, terror. All these emotions swirled and mixed around within the mansion. Rikki had been waiting, lurking about in the shadows, for this moment, when everything was where it should be. She moved slowly, with an air duty, and she could feel the rising tension, the wonder and expectations; she practically tasted it in her mouth. Taking her place up onto the stage, she meet eyes with the band players, not knowing them personally but understanding them enough to speak without words. As she thought, the mansion jumped to the occasion, dimming the lights around everyone else but her, creating an odd sort of spotlight as it always did when someone came up to sing. She felt comfortable here, she felt more at home with the rhythm flowing through her veins than she ever did at any point in her life. Pausing, she took a deep breath, closing her eyes, imprinting the memory of this very moment into her what remained of her forever. The band caught her the very moment she began singing, a slow, steady tune on the piano, a light drum beat to back it up, and a low, mournful cry from the strings. Her purple eyes searched out into the audience, capturing their gaze as she sung with a deep, smooth voice.<br/><br/><em>Fiona Apple - Shadowboxer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnXjISlKLuE#)</em><br/><br/>She kept going with the song, one not from her world, but whose words reached out beyond the barriers and pierced the soul. Bittersweet memories fueled her song, moving her hips and clinging to the microphone as if it were her last moment in a lifetime of regrets. As it climbed into a crescendo, she had to stop herself from crying, unsure if she was really here, or back in those sweet summer night and cold winter mornings. It was as if she was dying all over again, an experience she relived on a day to day basis, unsure of when it would ever end, or if she really wanted it to, for the great beyond terrified her more than anything.<br/><br/>As all things do come to an end, so did her song, and she stood up on that stage until the very last note had faded from the hall. The rest went by in a blur for her, the lights filtering themselves back into the main hallway, the people going back to their business, applause and glares of disapproval. For one brief moment, they had all been connected, and now that connection had splintered off back into the night. If she were still alive, she would have been tired, drained, as singing usually left her, but she was no longer held back by those limitations. She lifted herself off the stage, gliding amongst the crowd, listening, watching, and waiting.