|
Surprise, the bar is not a gay one, it just puts a big emphasis on live music and tonight there are not one but two jazz bands that will be performing. Guy is wearing his fancy date clothes, parting the crowd to the bar for Petra.
Surprise, Guy. As he reaches the bar, he finds that he's not the only Kindred in the room. Henry's chatting up the bartender, but he pauses as he sees his fellow Gangrel and tips his hat at him. "Well, well, well. Didn't expect to see you here."
Petra was a tiny woman, barely 4'5". She popped out from behind Guy and flashed a broad smile to Henry. "A friend of yours, Guy? Fabulous, mind if we join you? I'm Petra. Nice to meet you."
Cory- present on her own for entirely different reasons- notes Guy and Henry arriving and sighs to herself. She prefers to go unseen, but there's things she'd like to speak to them about and now is as convenient as it is not- and if it's going to be a toss-up, it's easier to get back to the business of snacks afterwards. She slips into the restroom- all the while under the auspicious cover of Obfuscate- and emerges notable once more, her Beast off its leash and free to prod at Henry and Guy as she approaches, weaving through the crowd with what must seem like completely unnecessary delicacy.
Except for Henry.
He knows better.
“We’ve met,” he says with a nod. “Petra, this is Henry, Henry, this is my girlfriend Petra. I’m trying out new music,” he explains to Henry. “And I’m...working on crowds.” When Cory approaches, he nods. “Hello, Cory. How are you?”
"Petra. Floretta mentioned Guy had a new dame, but not that she's a real pip! Henry Moynihan, nice to meetcha." He offers a hand to shake warm from the Blush. His smile comes easily, and next to Guy, he looks like the most awkward dork on the planet.
She shook his hands, delighted with the film noire dialect. "Pleasure's mine. You don't happen to be a detective?"
A few realizations and recognitions flicker through Cory at the introduction, and she nods, offering a hand Petra's way. Her gaze also dips sidelong across Henry but she's well aware that attempting to convince her elders to avoid dated slang is... an uphill battle of Sisyphean magnitude.
Not that she can even spell Sisyphean.
"Pleasure. Cory."
She shakes hands if Petra plays along- her hands are warm as they should be and without callouses- and she looks to Guy and Henry- Petra after a beat. "Meant to ask you boys something. You into sports?"
He laughs at Petra's question, shaking his head. "Competitive dancer, if you believe it. Currently working on a routine for an electroswing competition in May."
Then he gives Cory a smile. "Doll, any sports you'd be into, I'd be pure shit at. You know me? I'm not exactly...I mean, not like you, at least. Whoo-ee."
“Not really,” he says with a shrug. “Never really got into them. Petra, Cory. Cory, Petra.” He thinks for a moment. “Schatzi, would you like a drink?”
"That's awesome! And doesn't competitive dance count as a sport? I went to a dancesport competition was, shit was seriously badass sexy. You should own it!" She smiled to Guy and slipped an arm around him. "Love one. Nothing too strong."
"Never seen any swing competitions. In May, huh?" Ciry asks, visibly musing over that. "Oh, that's kind of the point," she counters. "Putting together a big sports league. All sorts. Swimming, racing, martial arts, team sports. Idea is everyone does everything. So everyone gets to do the thing they're best at and everyone does lots of things they aren't. Mostly trying to find some skilled competitors in... well. Pretty much whatever."
She looks between the three. "Sure you aren't interested?"
He thinks for a moment. "Put me down for dancing, if you see it as a sport. And, uh. Maybe knife throwing, I suppose, if that's a thing you'd have as part of the competition." There's a distinct sheepishness as he brings up that second option.
“Sorry, but I’m going to have to pass. Busy as is, I’m sure you have to understand. Work takes up a lot of my time.”
Jazz is. Really not Jack's favorite, as is evidenced by his grimace as he opens the door to the place. But it's a bar, and it's on the way home from work, and so he wanders up to the bar, shrugging his leather jacket off as he goes. His clothes are casual - close fitting jeans and a black t shirt with some sort of yellow logo on the breast pocket, and he gets the bartender's attention with the ease of a regular.
It's only after he gets his drink that he takes a look around, and when he sees Petra, gives her an upnod and a small toast of his glass in greeting.
Petra returned his toast with a little salute and crooked her finger to him in invitation. "Oh come on!" she pestered Guy. "You're awesome. You would kick ass in an MMA match. Or wrestling. Boxing. Whatever."
"I don't see how it isn't one," Cory allows. "And definitely throwing, too." She pulls out her phone- cheap but current- and adds "HM- dance/throwing" to a notepad of other initials and sports.
Guy responds and Cory gives him a look. It's not pointed, but it does drift onto Petra and back- helpfully camouflaged by her speaking up- when he says work keeps him too busy. To her credit, she also accepts the excuse and nods, though she glances back at Petra's encouragement. "All of those things would be acceptable, yes."
Also there is a Jack but he is off her radar because he lacks A.) A Beast and B.) proximity.
Meanwhile, Henry's gaze follows Petra's wave, and he blinks owlishly at Jack from across the bar, behind a pair of round golden-framed glasses that seem a little too large for his face. "Friend of yours, Petra?"
He leans to wave down a bartender, and gets something fruity for both Petra and him. When Jack is motioned to, he looks him up and down, and then waits for Petra to explain her knowing him quietly.
Jack takes the few steps over with a smile. "Petra - how've you been? You must be...Guy?" He rakes his gaze over Guy in return, his grin widening, before he turns to the other two in the group. "'M Jack."
"Yeah. Hey Jack, how's it going?" She smiled and blushed faintly when Jack guessed correctly about Guy's identity. "This is Guy, and some of his friends that I just met. Uh, Henry and Cory."
"Henry Moynihan." He nods offering a (perfectly warm) hand to shake. "Good to meet you. What's your story, morning glory?"
Cory upnods as she's introduced. "Cory. Pleasure." A hand's offered to shake- her grip is delicate, a bit at odds with her rather punkish appearance.
Guy nods. “Yes, I’m that Guy. Petra been talking about me?” he asks with a little smile.
Jack shakes Henry's hand, then Cory's with his own, callused one. "Henry, Cory." He nods, as if cementing the names in his brain and smiles. "Pretty broad question - story of my life, or how I know Petra, or why I'm in this place tonight...? She's mentioned you once or twice, Guy, yeah. Fondly."
Henry considers that deflection for a moment. "Story of why you're at a bar like this alone, I think. This isn't the usual sort of gin joint for just drowning sorrows."
"Hey Jazz is cool!" Petra protested. "How many places have real music like this? I'd come here alone if I didn't have Guy to keep me company."
“I’m seeing if I like it. Jazz. And Petra is here.”
"I get enough jazz in my work life, 's not the reason I'm here, I promise you." He shakes his head and takes a drink. "'S on the way home from work, if I'm honest. But the live music's not too bad, most nights."
It's a crowded room. Under normal conditions it'd be easy enough to slip away without much fuss. Easier still when there's not much talk aimed your way just this moment.
Easier still if you cheat.
And Cory has zero compunctions about cheating when there's no stakes. The conversations roll comfortably on, and it'll be some time before it's worth noticing she wandered off.
"I love jazz, myself--if I thought I had half a chance with any of you fine cats, I'd try and get you onto the dance floor with me. But I'm assuming Guy and Petra are gonna be tied up with one another. And Cory's probably not interested." Here he thumbs at where she had been. "So, Jack, you might be my only hope."
Guy chuckles in his strange way. “I don’t dance, unfortunately.”
Petra's jaw dropped. "Say it isn't so! Cory- hey, where'd Cory go?" Petra frowned. "Awww, maybe she'll be back. Well I'm sure Henry could teach us a few steps?"
"I..." Jack huffs. "Not gonna say I've got two left feet, 'cause that's not quite true, but I don't...know many actual dance steps. Be less dancing, more teaching."
"Would you trust me to teach?" His eyes twinkle merry mischief, as he looks between Petra and Jack. "I can start slow and simple."
Petra reached out and took Guy's hands in hers. "Pleaaase dance with me?"
He sighs softly. “I guess. But I’m no good..”
He stands to walk with Petra. “Slow, yes please.”
"I'm...gonna watch, for now." Jack offers Henry a smile. "See if I can pick anything up from here."
Henry considers Petra and Guy. "I won't get in the middle of you two right now. I've never seen Guy dizzy for a dame before, so I'd rather not...impose."
And then he turns this look upon Jack, the world's most pathetic, disappointed little pout.
Her smile blossomed into delight. "It's not about being good, it's about having fun. Henry might compete but it's not a contest tonight. - Jack, don't be a stick in the mud! Henry needs a partner so they can show Guy and I what we're doing!"
Guy looks hard to teach, but maybe that’s because he can’t reach Petra’s hips to dance with her while standing up straight.
"...Christ..." Jack mutters, glancing at Henry and shaking his head with a smile. A very slight and scribbly blush (really only visible to Petra) grows on his cheeks, and he downs the rest of his drink. "Fuck it. Sure. Sorry in advance if I step on your toes."
Petra bounced and feathers fluffed up in excitement at Jack's agreement. "Yes!" She grabbed Guy's hands and did a little twirl into his arms.
He grins, heading toward the dance floor to find a spot for all four of them. "Alright, so Guy and Petra, you're going to need to modify the dance hold a little to account for your heights, but I imagine if you two want to do things like lifts, it'll be worlds easier. Jack, I'll be leading, so if you do this with another partner, you might need to transpose it. Alright?"
Guy nods, holding Petra’s hands. “She’d like me making her fly around and such.”
"Alright - there a specific dance you're thinking of, or just some basic shit?" As Jack follows Henry onto the floor and gets closer to him, the scent of what must be some very interesting cologne drifts through the air. It almost smells like an imminent rainstorm, except for the slightest scent of something more coppery beneath it.
"Right now, we're keeping it basic. Guy, put your hands out, palm-up. Petra, place your hands on his. That's a simple two-hand hold, which'll be easier than a closed hold or anything for you two. At least as a starting point. Jack, meanwhile..." Here, he demonstrates as he talks. "We're going to do a shoulder-waist hold. Here. your hand goes here, mine there...you comfy?"
"Hell yeah I'd love to do some Dirty Dancing lifts," Petra grinned and adjusted her grip to hold Guy's hands.
He smiles down at Petra as he takes her hands. “See? I told you so.”
Jack places a gentle hand on Henry's shoulder and nods. "Yup." He's actually not overly tense or uncomfortable looking, though he's got a small frown of concentration.
"Alright, before we actually get into the dancing, everyone catch the rhythm. Hear the drums, not the voice, and tap your food along with that little tap. Get a feel for that, first." He demonstrates for them all.
He’s careful, exceptionally so, as he starts to move with Petra. “At least we’re don’t have to learn all the steps of old dances...”
Petra bounced along with the beat, practically bursting with energy. She nodded. "Then what do we do? Jazz is pretty structured with steps and stuff, right?"
Sure, Jack taps his foot - and also moves with the beat, just a little. He's clearly aware of how time signatures work, and easily keeps the rhythm. Maybe he's better at this than he implied...
"Jazz is structured, sure, but we're here to have fun, not to compete, so this doesn't need to be so formal. So you can literally just start by stepping back and forth. Jack, follow my lead here." And Henry begins to move. And he uses his experience and his level of almost godly grace to make it look good, even though it's the simplest thing in the world. Henry has lived for dance for almost a full century, and while that may not be fully on display, he tries to work this into something artful nonetheless.
Petra sighed with wistful admiration when Henry moved, and did her best to mimic his movements in time to the music.
Guy is try really hard to not be mechanical in his movements, and somewhat succeeding. Mostly he’s just admiring Petra.
Jack's got the rhythm down, but especially in comparison to Henry, he's a little stiff. He also may be getting a little distracted, just watching Henry move rather than worrying too much about what his own steps look like. And Henry's leading, anyway, so there's not much to do but follow along, which he does with a growing smile. He's clearly impressed with Henry's skill and grace.
Henry looks at Jack and lifts an eyebrow, his smile both a question and a dare. "Up for something a little more challenging?"
Petra seemed quite pleased with herself as Henry and Jack danced, then turned to look up at Guy. She moved with the music and inexpert steps but it was all just for fun. Petra let go of one of Guy's hands and pulled him by his neck down to kiss her.
He chuckles into the kiss, having to bend over quite a bit to get within range.
"Lead on, sir." Jack grins, and winks at Henry. And takes a quarter of a step closer, the next time he steps.
Henry grins, and that's all the real warning Jack gets before he's twirled and led through a fluid sequence of steps, where most of what he has to do is just follow Henry's motion and not freak out. It's flashy, it's bold, and the Gangrel moves with the grace of a heron in the reeds, every single muscle directed toward doing this well.
Guy watches the impressive dancing with a raised eyebrow. “Wow...I can see why he dances competitively...”
"Huh?" Petra had been distracted by making out there on the dance floor. "Oh, yeah. He's good. You're good too."
While Henry dances with grace and ease, Jack keeps up with sheer hard work. His brow is slightly furrowed brow and his movements, while accurate, are tight and stiff, but he doesn't freak out, allowing Henry to pull him along for the ride. "Fucking hell, dude, you're good - you said you compete?"
"Yeah, I've been at it for years, doing all sorts of local-level competitions. Everything from waltz to jive--though electroswing's my favorite modern style." That fancy sequence over, he goes back to simple steps, his grin broad, before he glances at Guy and Petra. "You two oughta practice more, if you're having fun with this."
He kisses her again softly, and then tries more dance. “You’re the one who makes me look good, I’m barely keeping up with the motions...”
She laughed. "We're doing it together. We fit together, even if you got all the height and I got shafted in that department."
"Pretty damn impressive." Jack grins at him. "Electroswing's fun as hell, I throw it on the system sometimes at work after jazz nights just for something a little different."
"Oh, yeah? Where's work for you, then?" Clearly genuinely interested.
He smiles wide down at her, a rare look for him. “You think so? Maybe it’s because we’re having fun. That we work so well together.”
"Stardust - jazz club in the Gayborhood. I'm the tech there part time, you should come check it out if you haven't been. Though they've been trying new shit recently - fucking comedy nights and bullshit like that." He scoffs. "Fridays and Saturdays are a solid choice for live music, though."
"Oh yeah, you got that redheaded canary who sings there. She's a looker, great voice too." Henry nods at Jack. "I'm sure we've been there at the same time before, even if I've never seen you myself."
"Yeah." She was breathing hard and jumped up to give him a peck on the cheek, then her phone buzzed in her purse and she pulled back to check it. "Shit, I need to take this."
He nods. “It’s work, isn’t it? Go ahead, and text me later, ok?”
"Chelle, yeah she's pretty great." Jack nods. "'F you've seen her sing, we've been there at the same time, I always mix her sound. So I'm hiding in the booth in the back."
"Yeah. I'm not even on call so it's probably an emergency. I'll let you know when I do."
Jack lifts his hand from Henry's shoulder to wave at Petra as she leaves before returning his attention to the two men.
"Your work is so solid, I haven't noticed it. Which is probably what you want, in tech. Yeah?" His dancing slows down as he looks at Guy. "You're completely dizzy for her. It's kind of cute, seeing that from you of all people."
He watches Petra leave, and then looks to Henry, his eyes empty of emotion again. “She’s a miracle. I can’t...help the way I feel.”
"You two are pretty cute together." Jack eyes Guy with interest. "How'd you meet?"
"You better hold onto that. It's good for you, getting a chance to unclench."
“We met at an underground fight, she was in the crowd and knew the person I fought. Sturm, if you know her. Petra was concerned about my injuries after the fight.”
“And I plan to hold on with everything I can...”
"Yeah I know Sturm." Jack chuckles. "Petra'n Sturm'n I...run in kinda the same circles...?" He glances around to the rest of the patrons at this bar, to see if any of them are even paying a little attention. Either way, he's gonna be subtle about it. (whoops forgot a word there)
Henry raises an eyebrow, looking at Guy to see if that holds meaning to him. He had heard Petra's not mortal, but otherwise seems confused by this.
He nods. “Kinda figured, from how you seemed to know her and others. Henry and I are in the same circle too.”
Jack's eyes flick toward his dance partner, giving him a once-over - and whereas he might have been meeting Henry's gaze occasionally before, he's being very careful not to, now. "Oh?"
"Insomniacs." He tries to play it off as a joke, giving Guy a sidelong uncertain look.
“Civil insomniacs,” he says softly. “Who just want to dance tonight.”
Jack huffs out a laugh at 'insomniacs', and nods at Guy. "I got it. Heard that not all of you are like that Cordray bitch, an' if Mearcstapa and Petra are okay with you and your friends...I've got no problem with being civil, too." He shrugs.
"Oh, does everyone have to bring up that broad?!" Henry's reaction is almost comedic, as his shoulders slump and he lets Jack go completely. "Worst thing, being affiliated with her."
He lets out a small frown. “Sorry if I ruined dancing...”
Jack wilts a little. "Sorry - I'll leave her out of it."
"Look, it's fine, I just...I work with her people, you know? So I get the reaction to her. Makes us all look like we're awful. I just...urgh. Please, please don't take me for someone like her?"
He nods. “She’s a piece of work.”
"That she is." Jack grimaces. "'S far as I've heard she's kinda an outlier, here. I'm not gonna hold her against you - 's not like you're a hive mind or anything."
"I'd ask what she's done, but...this probably isn't the best place to talk about it, huh?" His arms cross over his chest.
“Probably not, no. I’m not...” he frowns, pulling out his phone. “Hmm. Potential work emergency, I need to go...sorry you two, I’ll see you around.”
"...Be happy to talk somewhere more private about it." Jack smiles at Henry in a way that gives him at least a little plausible deniability. "See you Guy - nice to meet you."
"Be safe, Guy." Henry nods, then gives Jack a thoughtful look. "We could walk outside for a fresh air break. No dark alleys, just up front. Well lit, safe. I'd say 'cigarette break', but that's not something I do."
He nods to them both, and makes his way out.
"I don't either, but I'm up for a walk." Jack nods and starts to leave the dance floor, waiting for Henry to follow.
Henry leads the way through the crowd and out the front door, finding a spot to lean against the building like some kind of cool guy.
Wouldn't you know, Jack does the same thing after shrugging his jacket on, and sighs. "So...how much d'you know about the other kinds'a non-humans around?" He keeps his voice low, but casual. A private conversation, but not a secret one.
"Uh, that you all exist? I got pretty much nothing on any of you, sorry. Been too busy with..." Here, he gestures at the blackened sky. "...matters of the night. What do I need to know?"
There's a beat, while Jack considers his words. "All of us, some way or another, were held against our will. Kept to do...whatever our Keepers wanted. So... Anna-Marie trying to force me into her pocket, and threatening shit I care about when I didn't willingly submit to being 'hers'...isn't the kind of thing I'm gonna just forgive."
Henry lets out an exaggerated sigh. "Well, fuck. I know it doesn't help, but she treats a lot of us the same way. We're...socially tied, in a way, and she has authority over me. I sort of...I'm trying to make her feel like I'm just not a useful pawn to have. It's kinda working, kind of."
"Seems like she treats most people like...pawns. Or tools. Doesn't see any of us as anything but a means to an end. 'S shitty that you gotta be tied to her like that." He does look like he sincerely feels for Henry.
"It's shitty that she doesn't see people as people." He sticks his hands in his pockets, pursing his lips. "It's not going to impress anyone in town, though. She's playing a game that a lot of us just aren't interested in, here. I mean, I'm not completely devoid of competitive spirit, but..."
"'S what it's looking like, yeah. But she can still cause a shitton of problems for people, even if she does care about impressing anyone. How're you...tied, if you don't mind my asking? I know she's pretty new in town, she's still got influence over you?"
"Mm, it's not direct influence. It's more...rank within a social group. Like she's a manager of a company who just arrived from another branch and I'm just the schlub in the mail room, who's been the schlub in the mail room for the past ninety-odd years, if you want to look at it that way."
"Oof." Jack winces in sympathy. "Sounds rough. I...he pulls out his phone to check the time. "I gotta get going - but I'd love to hit you up for some more dance lessons, sometime?"
"Yeah, I'd like that." He pulls out his own phone, which is easily a decade old and out of date. "Can I get your number?"
Jack gives Henry's phone a small side-eye, but recites his number for him without comment. "And lemme know next time you're at Stardust, I'll come say hi." He smiles and he pushes away from the wall. "See you around?"
"Yeah, see you around, Jack."
|