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Scene takes place on January 21st, 2023
Jeremiah Hamilton:
The Green Room is a cafe tucked into the center of the Spring Gardens neighborhood, done up in warm woods and a paint job to match the name. Tables are set up both inside and out, with the interior also hosting a wooden stage - currently unoccupied - and a counter near the front with a view into the kitchen beyond it. Music plays through the cafe's speakers, loud enough to here but not so loud as to deter normal conversation among its patrons.
The master of the house was present this particular day, dressed casually in jeans, sneakers and a dark grey t-shirt as he sat at 'his' table near the back of the cafe by the office door. A glass of iced tea sat handily nearby as he watched over the place, with the Warlock taking a sip on occasion.
Thespis:
Thespis, or Adam, has been sitting for the past half hour, listening to Journey in his headphones and reading the local paper, cup of coffee before him. It was a slow day he had just set up the finishing touches on his new Agency, so he though he'd earned a brief rest before the real work started, both mundane and for the order, next step on his list was forming a proper Labyrinth but that would take some time. All in all Saturday was rest day.
Polly Romantic:
Polly wanders in from the actual green room within the green room, dressed in a wild-wacky chiffon floor length skirt done in overlapping rainbow frilly colors. It's paired with a prismatically garish sequin jacket worn over a black pinstripe vest and that's all folks. The bedazzled leather biker flat on her hat was also a choice. She heads for the back table, her makeup all done up, in order to leave some of it on Jeremiah's cheek. "Hey."
Roger Gimlin:
Roger Gimlin, Magician Extraordinaire! decided to go somewhere new... hopefully the paparazzi and fans would be less present. To non-Lost, his hair was slicked back and styled nicely and he was clean shaven. Currently, he wore a black suit vest and tie over a white collared shirt, starched, and jeans with a white belt.
To the Lost present, his long sasquatch hair that covered much of his body was slicked back as well, and tucked into his sleeves as much as possible.
Jeremiah Hamilton:
Both Roger and Thespis earned a quick nod from the Warlock before his lady love's arrival stole his attention, smiling warmly to Polly as she approached and sneaking in a kiss of his own as she left hers on his cheek. "Hey there yourself. You look fantastic, by the way."
Thespis:
Another sip of coffee, another Journey song
Polly Romantic:
"Oh, this ol' thing?" Polly laughs, turning side to side to share off a daring bit of leg on one side. "It's a bit on the nose, but I feel cute. So. Worth it! Got any requests? I got my drummer sitting in. Just keeping the pipes warm." Plus it's Saturday and she's bored and Jeremiah is here to sing to.
She starts to back away towards the stage, but she's listening to Jay, clearly. A glance is sent to the arrival of Roger, a doubletake, and a quick wave. She just looks like a floating squid lady made out of rainbow light. Cute in a botticelli angel kind of way.
Jeremiah Hamilton:
Jay let out a low whistle at the flash of leg, grinning as he looked her over. "Not off-hand; let the muse guide you where she will."
Roger earned another brief look as Polly did a double-take upon spotting him, a note of curiosity crossing his features before he turned his attention back to the Torrent while she got up on the stage.
Roger Gimlin:
He stopped and stared at the eye catching Polly before looking at the others with a grin to listen to it all.
Thespis:
Thespis took out his earphones as he saw the scene before, him, he reconized two of them, the woman with the decent sense of fashion and the slick haired man where local talent, and he didin't even use Fate this morning. He took another sip of his drink as he watched, the woman clearly up to something and maybe, just maybe it was something that could prove intresting.
Polly Romantic:
Nothing terribly untoward, as it happens. As the drummer, a lanky guy with sleeve tattoos of a tuxdeo while wearing a short sleeve tuxedo coat, is absolutely the kind of drummer a woman dressed like that needs behind her. There's some lazy testing of the heads while Polly herself picks up the cans for the keyboard and begins testing some levels and fiddling with settings. A thumbs up over to the dummer, then over to the sound guy in more of a question. She nods at whatever cue she gets back, and then begins playing several chords that nobody but her can hear yet, save perhaps through the headphones about her neck.
"Hey. You know what goes good with Coffee?" She looks back at the drummer who does the 'what am I choped liver spread'. "Metric." And she hops up onto her stool to begin a completely self-effacing coffeehouse set. Starting, yes, with a breathy slower tempo rendition of The Shade. It gives her some time to watch the crowd, Roger in particular, and pass it off as crowd interaction.
Roger Gimlin:
Roger moved towards Jeremiah, with the appreciation and his double check pulling his attention so he saddled up towards the club owner and smiled, "Hi, I'm Roger..."
His eyes stayed on Polly for the most part.
Jeremiah Hamilton:
Jeremiah smiled at the banter between the bandmates, a finger tapping along in time to the music as she started to perform.
"Jeremiah," He replied to the Courser as Roger approached, eyes still on the stage. "Welcome to the Green Room. Can we get you anything?"
Roger Gimlin:
He smiled with teeth and said, "How's the Steak? And a Johnny Walker Blue."
Thespis:
Thespis closed his eyes, listening to the music
Polly Romantic:
When the chorus comes around she whines the sample up into the stratoshphere with the keyboard's tone slider, she kicks the layer switch and replaces the percussive digital backing with a clearer clarion trumpet horn track like it's sounding down from heaven.
"With eternal love, the stars above, all there is and ever was, I want it all I want it all I want it all I want it all. The blade of grass, the grain of sand, the moonlit sea, I hold your hand, I want it all I want it all I want it all I want it all."
She leans into the keys at this point, head turning to stay on the mic, working the verse with renewed intensity. She may have just winked over at Jeremiah there.
Jeremiah Hamilton:
"The steak sandwich is solid, so good choice there. We don't serve alcohol here, though; we have coffee, sodas, specialty teas and whatnot." He nodded towards the counter, which had the full selection available. "Anything jump out at you?"
Oh, that wink was noticed, and he mimed a quick kiss back to the Torrent in return. She was playing fantastically as always, and he couldn't help but get lost in it. And her, of course.
Roger Gimlin:
The courser shook his head, "oh, Sorry... I just... I recognized your partner on Stage there," he flicked some fuzz off of his own sleeve, "I didn't even look at the menu. Some ginsing tea would be great."
Thespis:
Good beat, decent stage flare, and a good personality for crowds. . .could be a gem, depends if she's interested in big leagues or not, this is a charming set up
Polly Romantic:
When you're spring, you make your drummer come with you on a Saturday afternoon so you can flirt with your boyfriend. It's a thing. She loses her treble hand to snatch the kiss out of the air, like it was actually aimed for the drummer. Who, again, does the chop liver arms while double kicking the bass to maintain the backbeat. He rattles the snare back out of it to pick it back up, and we're back into the chorus again.
Fluke may be the name of the band, but they aren't, really. Or perhaps that's the joke. Or perhaps being fronted by an aging glam rocker is the joke. Who knows.
She knows better than to try to improve on the original too much, and save for some artistic choices to get some messaging across, and the tempo shift? Nice cover. Solid. When it's over, she just stays in her seat but resumes the very small crowd banter.
"It's weird if I pretend this is a show, isn't it? It's always weird, when you're like right there and I know your muffin order. Oat bran, nice." She points to someone near the front. "Oh, I apologize. Oat nut. See? We're learning. We're sharing." She then adds back to muffin lady. "Hey, since we're friends, you sit in for a minute."
She hops from her seat to slip off stage, leaving the drummer doing the arms thing for a third time.
Roger Gimlin:
His gaze follows Polly, while moving back to Jeremiah, and then over to Thespis' curious gaze, and back.
Time to play Winter and not say a damn thing unless proven.
Jeremiah Hamilton:
"You got it." He nodded, stepping off to the counter to put the order in for Roger while Polly was finishing up the song. By the time she was off the stage he was back at the table, making a motion for the Courser to take a seat if he wished. "A friend of Polly's is a friend of mine."
Polly Romantic:
Polly invites herself to Roger's personal space, just like that. Like they're long time friends that have known each other forever. "Hey! Gosh, I've not seen you in forever, how long have you been back in town for?" Jeremiah will forgive her the white lie and subtleties later, hopefully. Rainbows can do subtle when they need to! "What name are you going by these days? I'm rocking Polly now. She/Her, still." Okay, real subtle.
Roger Gimlin:
A smile and slight bow at the waist in recognition, before sitting, "Thank you, Jeremiah. I am not a spe--"
And then there was a Polly in his lap, "Oh hey Polly! Loving the tunes."
His movements were too graceful, too smooth, to adjust for Polly in his space. Eyes looking for it would certainly notice superhuman dexterity and limberness.
"I am now Roger, or Rog... He/Him! Got myself a local show... mainly based at, "he said a mid-large sized theater, "with a few Magic shows here and there to warm things up."
Jeremiah Hamilton:
"Stage magic, huh? Nice." Jeremiah nodded, noting that bit of superhuman enhancement but keeping it to himself. "He/Him, on that note. What brought you by, Roger?"
Meanwhile he scooted back a bit in his seat, giving space for Polly to slip in eventually if she so wished.
Roger Gimlin:
"I've heard good things and wanted to hear some music. I think I've been too deep into my own shows to really get out, and where better than to support a local cafe. Plus, I think I've seen a few ads in the Gayborhood."
Polly Romantic:
"Congratulations! Nice step! Are you all settled in, then? Got a place, and all that sorted out? If you need anything, I can get you my new personal number, and you can call me down the road if something comes up." The Spring Welcome Wagon is an efficient one in this town. Find 'em, tag their ears, drag them before the crown. We're at step two, but at least she's smiling about it.
"If you want to hear some music, I can head on back up, I just wanted to make sure you were properly greeted, you know?"
"That would be nice," the drummer deadpans into his mic.
Jeremiah Hamilton:
"Awesome. Thanks for coming by." He glanced towards Polly's drummer with a smirk, then nodded to the server as she brought Roger's meal over. "She's get you sorted out, no worries of that."
Roger Gimlin:
He produced, seemingly from his empty hand, a business card with all of his details, while his phone was pulled out with the other hand to let her enter her digits.
As she entered the number, "Oh yeah, I love the cold air here. My friends Lux and Bobo helped me get settled as well. You ever do Archery, maybe do marching band stuff these days?"
Then he starts to eat happily, "I'd love to hear your favorite song, that you don't get to play as often in your shows, by any artist, ever."
Polly Romantic:
"Fuck," mutters the drummer barely audibly over the PA to a mix of chuckles from the audience.
Polly just brightens up like a lightbulb and all but scampers back to the stage, cackling like someone just requested Freebird and she has every intention of playing it while giving that person hard eye contact.
She gets the cans back around her neck and one to her ear, makes some adjustments to the boad in the process, then gives another thumb up to the sound box. When she resumes playing, the room is filled with a bright piano sound.
The rock drummer, sighing, puts away the sticks and gets out the brushes like he never sat in a jazz quartet in Highschool. Hissahissa tap is the next four minutes of his life, he's figuring.
"Why are there so many, songs about rainbows?"
Jeremiah Hamilton:
Oh, the smile on Jeremiah's face when that song started, it could light up a room on its own.
His finger started tapping along to the beat once again, glancing Roger's way now and again as he ate. "Enjoying everything, I hope?"
Roger Gimlin:
"Food is great, tea is perfectly brewed..." He ate like someone aware he was being watched. Fork and knife precise in their use. Even here, he noticed a few fans torn between them and the stage.
Thespis:
Thespis decided now or never, standing up he made his way over to the table where the three where sitting and placed two of his cards, Melpomene Agency, not saying a word he simply kept walking to get a refill of coffee and if they had questions he'd let them ask.
Polly Romantic:
"Rainbows are visions, but only illusions, and rainbows have nothing to hide. So we've been told and some choose to believe it. I know they're wrong, wait and see! Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection, the lovers, the dreamers, and me!"
Polly's voice has a torchlight vocal fry to it, and an almost incalculable sweetness to it around the end of each couplet. She really wants for a banjo Uke to do her voice and emotions justice. But the clean, crisp piano notes and chords are what she keeps easing out into the room.
The cards are glanced at, a gust in the room perhaps flicking one a little clearer into a rainbow of light cast through the salt shaker on the table.
She keeps on singing, though her eyes flit up to Thespis with curiosity. She could phone this song in to NPR from a tour bus and they'd applaud it, she knows it back to front. So. She watches Thespis and sings.
Jeremiah Hamilton:
Thespis earned a curious look from the Warlock as the cards were dropped off and he continued on, his eyebrows going up with a quiet "huh" when he got a look at said card. The other card flipping over on its own into the light led to a small smirk, and while his eyes were on Polly as she performed his full view of the room let him keep tabs on Thespis as he headed to the counter.
Roger Gimlin:
The card was studied and then disappeared into his palm. At the card flipping with the Warlock's thought, he jumped a bit, surprised the magic was coming from that direction.
His eyes moved to Polly to see the reaction of the Torrent at her partner's little trick, and then over to Thespis. He tried to do it all without being too noticable.
Thespis:
"Anyway you want it," he sings silently to himself as he get's another coffee, "That's the way you need it," he continues as he takes his drink taking a sip and savoring the flavor, he turns and walks over to Jeremiah was sitting, "Great coffee and fantastic music, I can see why this place is so popular." he compliments the master of the house
Jeremiah Hamilton:
"Thank you." He said to Thespis with a smile, leaving the spare card on the table for the moment. "We do our best to make it a place folks want to come back to."
"Jeremiah, although most folks call me Jay." He said as he offered a hand to the other mage. "Good to meet you."
Polly Romantic:
Polly brings the song home, then for whatever reason plays the organ sting from Somebody's Watching Me by Michael Jackson. The drummer gives a rimshot and touches his nose, then Polly and he both point at each other, ha ha. It's funny.
"Okay, now that you've sat through my self-indulgent adolescent crush on a muppet, any other requests? Or am I back to plugging the website. FlukePhilly.com. FlukePhilly on bandcamp, too. We got merch, we got CDs, we got--"
"--actual music," the drummer interrupts again, totally deadpan.
"Sometimes," Polly agrees. "So. Requests?"
Roger Gimlin:
"'Sup?" he grinned with a lot of teeth towards Thespis, "You a talent scout?"
He produced his own card, and on the back it has his current agent's number and everything, giving it a toss towards Thespis.
If no one else says anything, he'd throw out a song from the late fifties, like... "Ain't nothing but a hound dog!"
Thespis:
he shakes the hand and smiles, nodding at Rodger's words, "Adam Harken, founder and owner of the Melpomene Agency, formerly of Los Angeles, now of Philadelphia." he shrugs, "Hollywood, it either corrupts you or spits you out."
Polly Romantic:
Left to her own devices, she decides to get all cool about it. She starts by leaning into her mic and starting up the sampler. Some chorus and reverb are put into the channel, and she sings two bright notes into the sampler. "Bah! Bah!"
This sound starts looping as the drummer begins picking up the click track in his ear and bobbing his head along to whatever is coming. A thrumming bass sound is then produced out of the keyboard from a preset tap. She works the bass line around those two bell bright notes. She leaves it to loop in a pre chorus, then a chorus. These are all set down in flashing light on the deck before her.
The full bass intro now looping behind the bell notes, she begins singing wide open harmonies behind and above the notes. And another set for the chorus, too. The drummer is just grinning, cos he saw the fucking cards out there. He knows what's up.
The song is now a wall of sound and harmony, and it hasn't even started yet.
Jeremiah Hamilton:
It took Thespis mentioning where he was from for the metaphorical light bulb to finally flicker above Jeremiah's head, the "I knew I knew you from somewhere" look blossoming on his face. "Adam...it has been a while. How you been, man? What brought you out to Philly?"
The growing cacophony of melodies soon drew his attention back to the stage, however, giving Polly a warm smile. It already sounded fantastic and he couldn't wait to see what she did with it when she really got going.
Roger Gimlin:
He turned to focus on the music, letting the gents talk business while he enjoyed the absolute banger coming out from the stage.
Polly Romantic:
The kick drum picks up the click track now that the elements are all built. Polly looks back to the drummer with a one two three nod and then launches into a bright electronica track that keeps her treble hand dancing easily and her basso hand alternating between trading the loops around and giving the sound on the low end some belly.
Her voice hits like a louisville slugger to the jaw of sentiment. High, tight, and bright. Torchlight fry in the breathy ends of things. Just gorgeous, all around. "I used be a yes girl, yes girl. Dress me up in white, I'll sign the papers. I used to be a promise maker, leaving a trail of endless empty favors..."
Thespis:
Adam blinked a bit before the cogs started to turn, "Wait a minute. . ." he smiles a bit, "That Jay," he shakes his hand, thinking of how to handle for a bit, "How long as it been, almost didn't recognize you,' he laughs, "Oh you know, needed new sights, new sounds, new oppurtuinites, LA is only paradise for so long." he explains, "I see your prospering here, small world."
Jeremiah Hamilton:
"Seven or eight years, give or take. Grab a seat." He motioned to one of the other chairs at the table, eyes still on the stage as Polly poured her heart out on it. "So far so good. Still doing the music thing myself, although more on the producing and tutoring side of things these days."
Polly Romantic:
The drummer is killing it. Like killing it and the drummer knows he's killing it and the dummer knows she's killing it, and he's got big fucking dollar signs in his eyes as he starts pulling out the drum fills the way lesser men toss out bar coasters. He's living, he's loving it!
...and the talent agent is talking to The Boyfriend. Band drama. One can see it forming right before one's eyes if one knows the signs.
Polly doesn't care, though. The lady getting the danish at the counter is genuinely into it. So is Oat nut muffin lady! And the hairy guy! She's having a blast, time of her life apparently.
Roger Gimlin:
Letting the L.A. Boys talk, he moved to an open space near the stage and started to dance, in style with the song. Just to help with atmosphere, moving close to Oat Nut Muffin or Hairy guy to try and get them involved.
Thespis:
"I can see that," he nods his head to the beat and looks at Polly, "So, what's the story, don't think I don't read the body language," he teases, "How serious is it?"
Jeremiah Hamilton:
"Recently engaged." He replied with a warm smile, the love for the woman on stage clear in the lights in his eyes as he watched her absolutely kill it up there. "Been together for about two and a half years overall."
He grinned as Roger got up and started to dance, letting out a sharp whistle of support for both of the Lost.
Polly Romantic:
The diamond and ruby engagement ring on her left hand gleams conspicuously in the stage lights as Polly continues to ply her craft. Her head voice is banger, and her chest voice makes her lean back away from the mic to keep from blowing the speakers out. She has a voice that fills the room without the mic if it wants to, the mic serving only to layer in the effects.
And when the drummer sees it, that's it. That's just it. The guy loses it and drops out of the song dead away. The kick rattles out to a stop, the snare falls away. And without the high hat, there's nothing there counting the beats. It takes Polly a minute because she has the click track in her ear, but when she realizes whats up she looks back at the dummer who is just shaking his head at her.
He just gets up and starts walking off the stage without a further word, leaving the loops playing over the PA like an ironically cheerful wall. Polly just sort of watches it happen. This properly should be wrecking her world. She should probably be clutching her head and falling down, but she instead just shakes her head at him. "Real professional, Robbie."
"Fuck you, Polly." And he's pushing into the backroom and out.
Polly looks back to the room with some surprised blinks. It is to Oat Nut Muffin lady she makes her appeal, "How are you on a five piece?"
Roger Gimlin:
Without the beat for the dance, Roger slowly loses steam as well... and then he moved after the drummer for a few steps. Polly could see a few snowflakes form in Glamour land... and then he exhaled and took the beast inside by the reigns to divert to the table once more, to finish dinner and drink more tea.
Jeremiah Hamilton:
Jeremiah's attention snapped towards the stage as the drum dropped out completely, frowning quietly as the other musician stomped off. "Excuse me a second..." He said as he stood up, heading up towards the stage to check on Polly. He knew what kind of impact a sudden shift could have on her, after all, and that concern for her was clear on his face. "You alright?"
Roger Gimlin:
"I should... be going... I need to talk... to a friend. I... I need space.." and that was it, before he headed out swiftly. The Courser pulled out his phone and was dialing his assistant quickly after to meet up.
Polly Romantic:
"It's okay. I'm about to show him he's the idiot, here." She presses a kiss to his cheek, then steps back again to return to work.
Polly adapts while Robbie gets his shit together while losing his shit. She rolls her tongue in her cheek, clearly putting some shit aside. New melody, a sharp eighth note track to count out some beats to the click track in her ear. Then she layers in some organ sounds over the top of it. Some doohinkery gets the controls of the synths fed over to the digital five head that's in the rack with the rest of the kit.
She then kicks her keds on over to the drum kit, picking up Robbie's headset and abandoned sticks. Click click click click. "One two fuck you." She drops down onto the kit with a snap of snare a double tap of bass drum that makes it very fucking clear she was doing this asshole a courtesy the entire goddamn time. And when it comes time to come out of the intro back into the start, she gives a single quick rap to the digital board to reset the loop. It's gonna be like that.
"Before you go," she starts singing aside at the green room's green room, "I just want you to hear this: I never told you what my real name is."
Jeremiah Hamilton:
"Just making sure." He smiled a touch at the kiss, stepping back from the stage to let her set up in peace. Rather than going back to the table he found a convenient piece of wall nearby to lean against, nodding along to the song with a growing smile as the lyrics hit home. He watched the door to the green room mystically if only to watch for Robbie's possible emergence, but his eyes were only on Polly.
Polly Romantic:
Robbie does emerge, and he's doing his best not to look angry. Just nonplussed. He's been in the scene for a while, so you don't burn all your bridges. A dramatic flameout is a good story. He'll take the good story and walk.
Polly on the other hand is living her best life, and so during the bridge she leans into the mic and asks, "Wanna see me do it in heels, you prick?" She's got a ring on her finger, she can burn all the bridges she wants.
Back to singing a song at her man, now. Bye, Robbie.
Jeremiah Hamilton:
A part of Jay winced at that little dig, all too familiar with throwing that sort of torch himself back in the day. He stood beside Polly and her decisions, however, so he simply gave Robbie a 'that's rough, buddy' glance before looking back to Polly with a small smile.
Thespis:
Thepis just sits and watches the drama, good to see how talent will handle drama
Polly Romantic:
Robbie is out the door with his dignity in place, and Polly brings the song to its conclusion with her point thoroughly made. The sticks go back into their caddy, and Polly makes the kill it motion to the sound guy.
"That's my set!" And off she hops, but just to perch on the edge of the stage. Processing all of it. Another smile for Jay, though.
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