An invisible Bryce chuckled to himself as numerous cries of "HOLY
CRAP!" and "OH MY GOD!" reached his ears. Sliding, undetected, back into
his apartment, he released the Lyre, still laughing at his own cleverness,
and placed it back in his pocket.
"Think you're funny, huh?"
Bryce leapt about a foot in the air before spinning to face a disapproving Guy. He heaved a grateful sigh. "God, you scared the crap out of me."
Guy glared at Bryce in blatant disapproval. "There are a ton of magic Lyres, and you can't just go screwing around and do anything you damn well please with them."
Bryce rolled his eyes. "Aw, lighten up. It was just a harmless little prank."
"Be that as it may..." Guy growled.
"Whatever."
Guy seated himself in one of the living room chairs, expression no less harsh. "So now what are you going to do?"
"Just like I planned. I'm leaving all this to Franky. He's only 16, but I think he can handle it."
Guy raised an eyebrow. "Even the Lyre?"
Bryce's jaunty air wilted, and he ran a delicate hand over the lump in his pocket. "Yeah, yeah...all of it, just like I said...actually...maybe I'll just go ahead and hold on to the Lyre. It's mine anyway...my love...my preciousss..."
"What are you smoking?"
Bryce ignored Guy and drew the object tenderly from his pocket.
Guy sprung from the chair in a sudden rage. "Put it down!"
"NO, DAMN IT! IT'S MINE!"
Guy knocked the Lyre from Bryce's grasp and across the floor, narrowly missing his nose. Bryce shrieked and scuttled after it, but too late; Guy already had him pinned against the wall. Bryce wriggled and fought and made a couple of attempts to bite, which soon ceased as Guy struck him across the face. "Will you cool it!"
Bryce's senses came falling back to him, and he slumped to the baseboard. "I need to get out of here..." he mumbled, staring, wide-eyed, at the floor. "You're right. I'm leaving it. I'm leaving it all." Bryce struggled up and scurried to the bedroom, coming back minutes later with two suitcases. He set them down gently by the back door and extended a hand to Guy. "Well, it was good to know you, Guy."
Guy smiled knowingly and returned the handshake. "You too, man."
"Well, see ya later." Bryce smiled regretfully and made his way to a taxi waiting on the street outside.
"Sooner than you think, Bryce, sooner than you think."
"Think you're funny, huh?"
Bryce leapt about a foot in the air before spinning to face a disapproving Guy. He heaved a grateful sigh. "God, you scared the crap out of me."
Guy glared at Bryce in blatant disapproval. "There are a ton of magic Lyres, and you can't just go screwing around and do anything you damn well please with them."
Bryce rolled his eyes. "Aw, lighten up. It was just a harmless little prank."
"Be that as it may..." Guy growled.
"Whatever."
Guy seated himself in one of the living room chairs, expression no less harsh. "So now what are you going to do?"
"Just like I planned. I'm leaving all this to Franky. He's only 16, but I think he can handle it."
Guy raised an eyebrow. "Even the Lyre?"
Bryce's jaunty air wilted, and he ran a delicate hand over the lump in his pocket. "Yeah, yeah...all of it, just like I said...actually...maybe I'll just go ahead and hold on to the Lyre. It's mine anyway...my love...my preciousss..."
"What are you smoking?"
Bryce ignored Guy and drew the object tenderly from his pocket.
Guy sprung from the chair in a sudden rage. "Put it down!"
"NO, DAMN IT! IT'S MINE!"
Guy knocked the Lyre from Bryce's grasp and across the floor, narrowly missing his nose. Bryce shrieked and scuttled after it, but too late; Guy already had him pinned against the wall. Bryce wriggled and fought and made a couple of attempts to bite, which soon ceased as Guy struck him across the face. "Will you cool it!"
Bryce's senses came falling back to him, and he slumped to the baseboard. "I need to get out of here..." he mumbled, staring, wide-eyed, at the floor. "You're right. I'm leaving it. I'm leaving it all." Bryce struggled up and scurried to the bedroom, coming back minutes later with two suitcases. He set them down gently by the back door and extended a hand to Guy. "Well, it was good to know you, Guy."
Guy smiled knowingly and returned the handshake. "You too, man."
"Well, see ya later." Bryce smiled regretfully and made his way to a taxi waiting on the street outside.
"Sooner than you think, Bryce, sooner than you think."