Bass Clef Club
Bass Clef is a fair sized Jazz club with the lighting dimmed so that the booths and tables along the back and side walls of the cafe area are slightly shadowed and more private. Eight booths line the bricked walls, four on each side of the club. To get up into the booths there is a single step so that they are not on the same level as the rest of the floor. The walls are decorated with posters from past and upcoming events and entertainers. Several cafe-style tables have been set up in the center of the club with two to four chairs surrounding each. Closer to the bar there are taller tables, being close to forty-four inches in height so that someone could stand next to it and rest their elbows upon them as they leaned in against them.
Across from the large wooden door that is the entrance, there is a very short stage comprised of black marble. In the center of the stage is a grand piano, and enough room for the remainder of the jazz-band to set up. The stage is normally lit up with a spotlight, making it the most illuminated area in the entire club.
Settled on the right wall is the bar. The lights around the bar don't seem to be as dim as those in the rest of the club, but the lighting is still very low in order to keep the atmosphere of the rest of the establishment. Behind the bar the wall is done up in aqua-colored tile before the shelving for the various types of beverages; including soda. A door behind the bar presumably leads to the kitchen and storage areas.
Characters
The sun's not long set, the Bass Clef Club hasn't long opened, and the band's still setting up; the music playing in the background is that of the later Dixieland stylings of the 1910s, while there are a few fans of the style here, the vast majority seem more interested in more mainstream Jazz, or are simply here for a quiet drink; there's little noise in the club beyond the music, the crowds still gathering for the evening. Michael however has already arrived and taken a place at the bar; he stands alone quietly sipping a Trublood, his expression the emotionless mask he wears most of the time, his attention seeming to shift around the room.
~
Corey's decided this place, really, is pretty cool. He's always had this secret 'thing' for jazz… something he kinda keeps under wraps when dealing with the guys on the job site. Heck, his brother's probably about the only one that has any clue… and even then Corey doesn't tend to discuss it very much with Brett. The truck radio's tuned to a neutral rock station. So nobody'd know the difference.
Tonight, however, this seems like a pretty good place to hang out. And the fact there's no 80's music blaring bodes well for him not running into any crazy vampires. (Vampires, he thinks he can handle. Crazy vampires are another thing altogether.)
As it is, he heads over to the bar, himself, as he enters, ordering up a Guinness from the barkeep. As he waits for it, he turns around and leans back against the bar, surveying the place. His eyes eventually alight on the tall, well-suited fellow further along. Something niggles in the back of his head about him… and a glance to the fellow's bottle makes it clear just why.
Trueblood.
Vampire? Huhn.
~
Michael enjoys Jazz more for nostalgic reasons than the actual music, he sips his drink and then it hits him, it's nothing that uncommon, the scent of a shifter's something Michael's long grown used to, he hardly even seems to notice it, he continues to quietly scan the room, and then when he notices the shifter looking at him he rises his bottle in something akin to a salute, his expression not giving any sign of his opinion of Shifters.
~
As Corey's Guinness arrives, he picks up the glass and returns the vampire's salute.
"Sorry," he says softly, figuring the guy can hear him, anyway. "Didn't mean to stare." He's not usually so impolite… though he is always so curious.
Must be 'cause he likes to shift into a cat. At least, that's his story, and he's stickin' to it.
~
Michael shakes his head moving closer so that he can reply. "No need to apologise, you didn't stare. I got the feeling you're the type who can tell a vampire. I know that certain types have a harder time with us than most." He shrugs his shoulder. "Seems to be quite an active population here, of both our kind."
~
"Yeah?"
Corey's head cants a moment as he considers that, thinking back to the V-addict at the aquarium, and the friendly lady cop. He smiles then, a trifle wryly. "Yeah." he repeats. "Yeah, I think you're right." He gives a mild shrug, now. "'Course, I'm not the type that can sniff others out all that easy. You're only the 2nd vampire I think I've met."
Or, anyway, he's the 2nd person to trigger the niggly little creepy switch at the base of his skull.
~
His tone is thoughtful, his words coming in a strange deliberate manner. "Yeah, well there are plenty of us about, it's just a matter of knowing where to look." He shrugs taking another swig from his bottle. "Or where not to look if you'd rather, I don't tend towards the usual haunts." He smiles, although it doesn't quite reach his eyes. "Still it's gotta be hard spotting others without being able to smell 'em." He bows his head, it's almost imperceptible. "I'm Michael by the way."
The band have finally finished setting up, and they're beginning their set with something quite different from the music that had been playing, it's more akin to Nat King Coles early Jazz work, and giving possibly his first true expression Michael nods approvingly. "The bands good, they're not the King Cole Swingers, but they're good."
~
Corey's wry smile stays on his lips. It's kinda crazy, really, to realize that this guy's very likely making first hand comparison.
"Well, y'know what they say," he says, giving a mild shrug. "Ain't nobody ever quite like the original."
A beat as he listens. "I like 'em, though."
He takes another sip of his suds, raising the glass slightly in acknowledgement of the introduction. "Corey," he replies. "Nice to meet you, Michael."
~
Michael says, "They're right… most of the time, there are exceptions of course. I never liked the original showing of Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria as much as some of the later takes, but then Opera's like that." Michael shrugs his expression becoming amused. "It's just a matter of what you're used to, you enjoy something the first time round the re-make'll never live up to it." He finishes his blood with a shrug. "Still they're a good band, shame they're only playing covers. Jazz could do with some fresh blood." He studies Corey for a while. "So you're here for the music? Not many… young men come for the music." At the introduction Michael simply offers another nod. "It's a pleasure.""
~
Corey has to grin at that assessment. "No, I don't guess many guys are," he concedes. But, then, he's never really had trouble picking up a date if he wanted one. Longterm girlfriend? Yes. Those are much harder to find. But, a casual date?
Easy as falling off a log.
"Yeah," he says, giving a light chuckle. "I like this stuff. I can't much play anything, myself, but I had a music teacher in high school — Dr. Roe — who was really good at teaching appreciation."
A beat. He grins a little wider. "Just don't don't tell my brother, if you ever meet him, that I actually learned anything in school. He'd never believe you."
~
With a chuckle Michael nods to Corey. "Yeah, it's an ok style, I like Rythm and Blues more, but Jazz works. As for instruments, I spent a few decades learning the piano; I'm a good technical player, but I don't have that spark that makes a good player." He shrugs as though it's not important. "Corey… your brother wouldn't happen to be Brett would it?" He sounds thoughtful again, his tone finally taking on a hint of interest. "If he's not then it really is a small world these days."
~
Corey blinks somewhat owlishly, now. The vampire knows Brett.
"Yeah…" he says slowly, brow arching some, smile lopsided once more. "Yeah, that's him. Know him, huh? Small world…"
He's obviously going to have to stop in and see his brother one of these days. Noogie him for holding out on him.
~
Michael turns his attention to the band for a moment, then he's looking at Corey again. "Yeah, we've met a couple of times." He finishes his blood with a very faint smile to the other man. "He seems to travel in the same circles as me, mostly it's just been chance meetings though. You came up in passing; thought the chances of two Shifters in the city with the name Corey was pretty unlikely." He bows his head. "You'll have to excuse me, I just dropped in for a drink; I've got to deal with some business."