//------------------------------//
// 3 
// Story: Sharp Dressed Men 
// by Jaycren 
//------------------------------//

Scaramouche smiled as he watched Vinyl and Octavia txt back and forth, the cellist looking more and more dismayed about what had been happening behind her back.  Hearing a comotion behind him, Scats turned and saw three girls surrounded by 3 larger teens.  They seemed to be led by a large individual that reminded Scats of a cross between a hairless ape and a malformed bulldog.  The two henchman were both of similar, if smaller and slimmer, build respectively.

"Leave us be!"  the orange haired leader of the girls demanded, "you gave Sunset a chance, why not us too?"

"You three are monsters, made me and the boys hurt each other," The Largest snarled, "Now it time for us to hurt you."

Feeling X's presence behind him Scats snarked. "Stay with Ms. Scratch and Ms. Melody, You dig?  I got this.  You play your cards right I think you may finally get a date.  Finally end that dry spell of yours."

X snorted, "Hardly," he muttered to his youngest brother, "Vinyl is not exactly my type and I'm pretty sure Sly is angling to end his own dry spell."

Scaramouche snorted, "I wasn't talking about Vinyl, my brother.  That Cellist has been making a few glances your way."

X sighed, but sat back down near Octavia.  The well dressed girl glanced at X, then saw where Scaramouche was headed.  Octavia's eyes widened and she rose, only to feel a hand rest on her arm.  Looking down she saw X smiling up at her.

"It's alright, my brother knows how to handle himself.  My name is Xylophone Bell, but please just call me X."

Sitting back down, Octavia smiled back, "Octavia Melody, I am sure that your brother can, but those are Rover and his boys and those girls they are harassing are The sirens.  Neither group is good news."

"Oh?"  X quiered, "Well, me and my brothers are not exactly strangers to trouble ourselves and Scats has always liked the bad girls," looking down for a moment, X finished, "Honestly I hoped we could avoid trouble here.  Just be able to play some music, maybe find a steady gig."

"Yes, your brother, Scats was it?"  Octavia asked, "He said you knew how to play 'a mean jazz trumpet.'  I myself prefer the classics but Jazz is a favorite."

X chuckled, then reached for his Trumpet case, "Well I think I can find something to play, Ms. Melody, if you would like?"

Octavia's eyes sparkled as she replied, "Oh I would like that very much," leaning forward she whispered in his ear, "although my friends call me Tavi.  You want to be my friend don't you?"

Smiling himself, X undid the clasp, responding as he placed the trumpet to his lips, "Oh indeed Tavi, I think we'll be the best of friends."




[https://youtu.be/QtcBSx_avSM]Hearing his brother in the background, followed by the low deep tones of a Cello, caused Scaramouche to smirk.

"Not exactly my tune but I can dance to it," he grooved, "yeah! That Ms Melody can swing!"

Strutting his way over, he saw that the boys had turned to watch the impromptu concert and had failed to notice his approach.  They still stood between the girls and escape, but X's and Ms. Melody's jam session had given him a much needed distraction.  Closing in as the music ceased, he took stock of those before him. 

"Now that isn't the way to treat a lady.  You gots to try a little Tenderness."  Scaramouche snarked to the three thugs.

Rover growled at Scaramouche, easily towering over the former Assassin bot, he pushed Scaramouche back.

"You leave this to the Diamond Dogs, bitches here do bad things.  Make brothers fight each other.  Use bad music.  They need to pay."  He snarled.

"What about that Sunset chickadee I heard mention?  What makes these three ladies beautiful different from her, my man?"  Scaramouche questioned.

Rover cocked his head, "I no have to give reasons to you.  We Diamond Dogs.  We stronger, we do what we want.  We want punish these girls, so these girls get punished."

Scaramouche smiled wickedly, "I so hoped I'd run into an idiot like you."  he snarked.

"What you call, Rover?" 

"I called you an Idiot.  You deaf too?"  Scaramouche teased.

Looking behind the boys to the three girls, Scaramouche called out, "Hey, Pig tails.  Hold on to this for me."

Tossing the cane into the air, three sets of eyes watched it fall into the purple haired punks hand, "My name is Aria, asshole."  She snarled.

"Aria the amazon, I'll remember honey.  But first, how about a performance."

Snapping his fingers to a rapid rhythm Scaramouche smiled, each snap causing the Diamond Dogs to flinch.  Snapping faster and faster, several objects began to vibrate until an unattended glass bottle shattered.  

Ceasing his snapping, Scaramouche chuckled at the sniveling Dogs before him, "Alright, I gots the rhythm, now let's add the song.  Alluring Aria, would you mind given me a beat?"

Aria's first blow shattered the small boys kneecap as Scaramouche began scratching.  Each sound out of his mouth causing the Diamond Dogs to flinch and stagger back, while among them Aria swung his cane.  Soon the three boys were in full retreat, the tall one carrying the smaller, Rover leading the way.

"Thank you for being such a lovely audience and once again give it up to the Lovely Aria on percussion!" Scaramouche snarked as he clapped his own hands.

Aria's eyes narrowed, but she flushed when she heard clapping and cheering from behind her.

"Woohoo, Go Aria!"  a blue tinted pony tailed girl shouted, leaping into the air as she cheered the other Siren.

The older orange haired girl stepped forward, politely golf clapping, "Indeed Aria, good show.  I would ask for a encore performance, but you must introduce me to your partner in this deut," Looking Scats over she smirked, "I do so love his style."

Sliding forward and slipping his hand behind the orange haired girls back, he removed his cane from Aria's grasp.  Winking at both Girls, Scaramouche chuckled at their blush as he stepped back.  

Giving a full on stage bow, he proclaimed, "Aria and I were never formally introduced, but I am a great admirer of her form," He complemented, earning another blush from the belligerent siren, "I would love to make all of your acquaintances, you three ladies look like you know how to swing."

"Flattery will get you everywhere," the orange haired hottie answered, "I am Adagio, the de facto leader of our little group, Aria provides the staying power, while Sonata here provides the harmony."

"A trio?  While I am definitely hip to that.  You got any room for a Flute man in this little group of yours?"  Scaramouche teased.

"Before we let you audition, we must know your name?"  Adagio purred.

Scaramouche smiled, this was what he yearned for.  Three woman of dubious intent, eyeing him like wolves before a sheep.

"Forgive me for being so rude Ladies, my name is Scats Arpeggio.  You are all pleased to make my acquaintance."

Three women converged upon him, Aria to his right, Sonata to his left, and Adagio in front.  Smiling the women, eyed him hungrily.

"I like him Dagi, he's fun," Sonata chimed. "He just better like tacos." the blue bombshell remarked.

Scats hummed, "Nata, baby I love tacos.  I think your's would be absolutely delicious."  Scats flirted to Sonata's delighted squeal.

"Well he can keep a beat, I'll give him that," Aria growled, "Just have to find out if he has any staying power."

"Aria, I have staying power for days," Scats assured, "I'd have no problem keeping up."

"Well, I guess you can audition for the part of bass,"  Adagio allowed, "have any problems performing under me."  She leered.

"I will gladly play the part of bass," Scaramouche leered back, "and although I have a wide range, I have no problems taking orders under you."

All three girls nodded, they liked this one and they had not had someone to share it quite some time.  All three women grabbed Scats and began leading him away.  The self proclaimed former Pied Piper of ruination turned his head."

Shouting over his shoulder the now renamed Scats Arpeggio shouted to his brothers, "I'll catch you cats later, I have an audition to prepare for and I have no plans to disappoint.  Catch you guys on the flip side."

From across the courtyard X sighed, "I really shouldn't be surprised.  Scats always was a player.  Now he just found women how actually will play."

Octavia smiled, "And what about you X," the cellist shly glanced at the lean boy beside her, "do you happen to be a player?"

X snorted, "No lady but Lulu in my life," he sighed, "although it does look like your friend has adopted my pup."

Octavia chuckled herself when she saw that Vinyl had coaxed Lulu into her lap and was rubbing the small dog's belly, while the other brother of X fed Lulu scraps donated from the lunches of others.  Smiling at how easily the two males had slipped into her and Vinyl's lives she narrowed her eyes mischievously at the older brother.  He did indeed play a mean trumpet, maybe it was time to find out how else X was gifted.