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Mutant Town — Club Atomic
It was a new year, and as such they always seem to start out frozen and miserably wet don't they? Club Atomic though was warm, the drinks were good, and it was Pro- but not exclusivly-Mutant. That fit JP all together just fine. Tres bien even. He was tired, and frozen, and still sporting a shiner and some bruised knuckles from more than one fight this week, but it did not take the sassy swagger out of that Cajun's step one bit. First stop was always teh same: swiping a hand over the juke box. No Douggie you do not get my nickles, but I'll be spending them at the bar all the same the action seemed to say. Today it was some Jerry Lee Lewis "Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On".
Kai opens the door for Elmo. He's all bundled up for the weathere, a hat and long wool coat on and a striped scarf wound round his neck and nose so that only his big blue eyes are visible, really. His voice is a little muffled as he talks to Elmo. "So I was at Saganaki playing for some money last night, and someone tried to eat me. It was the wildest thing." He looks around once inside. This place is new to him, but he's cool with mutants, and it looks great.
Elmo looks defensive and nervous; it's scary and loud and colors and people here. Worst of all, it's totally new to him. But there's no saying no to Kai when he wants to get Elmo out somewhere. So here he is, gloves hands deep in pockets, shoulders hunched. "Someone tried ta /what/?" he says, giving Kai a look like maybe he's not sure he heard him right. "Beat you?"
Sam is off tonight, and it's a slow night, so Doug is tending bar. He's a pretty quick study, and they say he makes a great gimlet. He looks up at JP, and says "A little birdie told me you've been throwing fists in my bar. Is that true?" He pours a beer, and sets it on the bar.
Jebediah is working, actually /working/, like a real job and everything. He seems to be taking it very seriously and hasn't even finished off anyone's beer or punched anyone just yet as he clears tables and cleans up spilled beers that resulted from enthusiastic guests. He's being surprisingly good, wanting to impress Doug, at least at first, before he starts getting into fights every night he works. Plus, well, he could use the money… to send back to his mama. He tries to swallow all his urges to fight.
Thea has heard about the place, though she's never actually been here. But if she wants to persue her plans, she needs a better grasp of the demographic, the willingness of people.. and well, who she's likely to be treating. Blonde hair is loose in a spill over the bright blue scarf that's wrapped around her throat to her chin and tucked into her old, trusty navy blue peacoat. There's jeans on, and winter boots that she tries to clear off snow from before she steps inside.
Jay's about as well, though he isn't on stage for the moment. His guitar is, but the red-headed brother of the trio working this place is currently washing glasses and stocking behind the bar for the rush time later tonight. When Doug mentions 'a little birdie', he looks up and sets a large flat of glasses down with barely a shudder of the glass and flops a towel over his shoulder. "Don't look at me. 'Birdie' don't always mean me." Trying to head off that argument with a smile at JP, he glances over the floor. A quick smile for Kai and, oh look, Elmo. Familiarity brightens his expression a bit, "Hey y'all."
JP dropped down into a seat taking two fingers tapping the bar silently ordering up a beer. Straight faced the dimples came ina creased emile, "No, sir, mah fists stay' attach' t'me the whole time. Sammy jes' came t'say hey and we caught up." As JP looks like he was backed over by his own car. Coinsidence? Perhaps. Maybe it's just that. Looking over his shoulder following Jay's line of sight there was a double take at Thea which was enough to spin him round in his stool churious and seeing Elmo there wasn't a hi before JP was pointing to him and commenting to Doug, "He was there when I got this pretty. Wasn't in here." there was a short nod to Kai and ELmo and spun back around good mood undaunted.
Kai pulls his scarf down and tells Elmo succinctly, "Eat me." Then he waves to Jay with a grin of unrestrained happiness. "Do you know Jay?" he asks Elmo. "Jay's great. Oh, look! There's JP." As Kai narrates the room to Elmo on his way to the bar, he says, "You know how I got marked by the Wild Hunt? So sometimes people just want to predate on me. This guy was an apex predator. Red eyes, fangs. The thing is? He was actually really nice. I mean I'd hang out again if he asked me, but I'd bring one of those guns they use to tranquilize elephants."
"S'true," Elmo says in JP's direction, tossing him a sardonic salute. "I was there. We weren't in no bar. Hey, it's Jay! Yeah I know Jay," obviously, "he /is/ great." Jay gets a shy half-smile.
Kai's story has an odd effect on Elmo and brings out a look in his eyes that those who know him have never seen before: unadulterated, high-key hatred. "Yeah," he says, briefly. "I know that guy. I wouldn't call him nice."
Douglas gives a little smirk at Jay, then elbows him. "Your brother's working hard." He says. "Tell him I'm gonna give him some of my tips tonight since he's doing such a good job." He grins, and pushes the beer at JP. "Don't…" He says, "Start fights inside the bar. Take it outside, if you really have to. Please."
Thea undoes her scarf, pulling it free and tucking it into a pocket. She'll peel off those fine leather gloves to shove into the other pocket, before she'll unbutton her jacket on the way to the bar. She'll take a seat, a glance at JP with his shiner and knuckles, before she'll smile at the man behind the bar. "Bother you for a whiskey?"
Julie is just coming in, shrugging up one of her nicer leather jackets… it even seems like she's possibly put on some mascara, wonder of wonders, and has a glance around the club, checking it out for the first time as she unwinds a warm checkered-flag scarf. Just whistles a bit to look at the place and waves around at familiar faces, before making her way toward the bar.
Jebediah is mighty curious about the guy at the bar with a shiner. He really wants to talk to him, wants to find out how he got that bruise, wants to poke him and see if he'll bite, but he also wants to impress Doug. And also there are a couple of really pretty ladies here and you shouldn't make a scene in front of ladies, that just ain't polite. Instead of making a scene, he wipes up another spill and lugs his container of abandoned beer glasses and beer bottles back to the counter where they can be washed. "Busy tonight, huh? Did you tell 'em we were havin' a party?" He teases at Doug with a wink before he wipes at his brow.
Jay takes the elbow and grabs it, smiling at Doug, clapping him on the shoulder. "Sure thing. You might actually get a couple extra days outta him that way." Flashing a wink at Doug, he smiles at Kai while lidding his eyes at the elf. "We were all at Reno's poker night, remember? With the goat?"
Clearly thinking that the elf is just giving him a hard time and pretending he doesn't remember, Jay strides out from around the bar to properly greet his friends, smile warming quickly for the pair. He sweeps right in under one of Kai's arms to give the elf a squeeze and a hard pat on his shoulder as he backs up. The musician steps back and turns that smile on Elmo, his wings eke out a little bit, but otherwise, he doesn't reach out for him. Just scrubs the back of his head a bit and waves, unnecessarily. "Hey."
Turning around to the whole of the club, Jay swings around and sort of hosts a little bit to his pals, "Welcome to Atomic, Ah guess. S'where Ah've been spending most of mah time lately. You two know Doug?" Pointing toward the bar with the rest.
JP looked up to Dougie and shifted his jaw on his molars. he thought for a long moment before quietly he asked Doug with a curious tone, "You sure you know hwo start dat fight? Don' look here. I jes' finishin it. I didn' lay hands first. You may wan' check your source, but anyone come divin' after me again I'll be happy t'drag outside an' leave em in the snow." Was he naming names? No. JP knew well he wasn't the one that took that first swing and the frozen Cajun seemed a bit set to dig in his heels on that one. The man was short on prospects, but pride he had. Thea got a curious look as she sat down next to him and beyond saluted Julie with three bruised fingers. "Hey, doll." He was going to say something to that behind him but there was another conversation going and the flippant mechanic felt disinclined to interrupt. "Beer f'them too. He lookin like he needs one."
It's not often than the heir of the Worthington fortune makes a public appearance these days. It is even rarer when he shows up in his new 'natural' state and not hiding the fact that he now sports blue skin.
Dressed for a good time the young millionaire strolls through the front doors of the club wearing a freshly starched oxford shirt tucked into a pair of dark blue jeans. Not exactly club wear, but his out of place attire doesn't seem to phase him much. His longish blonde hair has been tied back into a loose pony tail.
He takes a few steps into the bar and glances around, letting his eyes and ears adjust to the new surroundings, a small smile forming on his face as he starts to head to the bar.
"So…" he says, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans as he strolls towards the bar, "…who do I have to buy to get a decent gin martini in this place?"
Kai eyes Elmo sidelong, quirking a brow at all the hate rolling off the little fellow. Delicately, he says, "He was really nice to me up til his predatory nature took over. Anyway, I ran for it. It's just, like, in the grand scheme of things, I'm a rabbit and some people are wolves." He gives Jay a fierce hug. "Hey there," he says. "That's right, Reno's card game. I can't believe the goat beat me." Poor Kai, he just doesn't have a poker face. Even goats know it. When Doug is mentioned, Kai peers at him and says, "The party! I remember. You're groovy, man."
Elmo rubs his face in a deliberate and obvious attempt to quit glaring daggers at nobody. Jay helps—when those beautiful wings come over, Elmo brightens up. He doesn't even step back too much when hugging starts. "Nah, we haven't met," he says, about Doug. "You playin' tonight? I wanna hear it."
Dizzy, having just come in, herself, turns around, giving a wave, "Hey, there, Warren! Where you been? …I dunno, maybe that's worth finding out. And I guess you ain't met everyone," she says, "Just come to check the place out, myself, Doug sure put a lot into it, from the looks of things." She waves around, giving JP a bit of a tilt of the head, given he looks a bit roughed up. "Hey, there, got a line on a fender we can work with, gotta go get it across the river there, but we're in business."
Douglas slings up a couple more beers, and then grins to the newcomers, from where he's tending bar. "Hello, hello, and welcome to Mutant Town's newest happening nightspot, the place with the controversial name and the cheery ambiance." He looks up at Warren, and says, "One gin martini, coming up." A whisper of vermouth in the glass, cold gin and a splash of olive juice stirred together and given a liberal pour, and then topped off with a juicy green olive. He nudges it toward Warren, and then waves his hand to the others. "Who knew being an entrpreneur means sometimes you have to tend your own bar? But on the plus side, I'm making great tips." He grabs up the glasses Jeb brought over, and begins to wash them.
Thea turns to look, a smile for Julie, before Warren comes through the door. Brown eyes widen at the sight of him, as it's..been a while. "Warren." she says, her voice soft. "Let me buy you a drink?"
Jebediah shakes his head at Doug's welcome and joins him behind the bar. "You want me to wash 'em so you can just make the drinks?" It was /Doug's/ bar anyway, he shouldn't even be tending the bar, really, right? And Jeb is still trying to impress his new boss and prove some point that he could indeed be a responsible adult, which meant he was completely capable of making decisions about moving to New York. "Gettin' busy in here. You probably need to focus on the drinks. I got these."
Jay walks along with Kai and Elmo, taking up a post next to the latter of the two while he encourages them further inside. Though there is a long look at Kai, his smile fading when he mentions more about being chased and that messy business. Trying to neatly brush to topic under the rug, the feathered flier nods back to Elmo, dipping his head bashfully at first shake and turning it into a nod. "Yeah. Most nights, unless we got a guest in. Anything in particular you'd wanna hear?" Offering up easily, though his green eyes track away as Warren walks past them and straight for the bar. Shocked, his eyebrows fly upward and every feather hovering behind him slowly rises up into a soft-looking mass of fluff. Jay's wings shake out and slick back down after a moment, self-consciously blinking back to his immediate company. "C'mon on in, lets get you fellahs a drink, huh?"
As heated as JP was about many things one fantastic way to to back him off the starting line was always good news. The rest of the 'fite' went out of his shoulders and that cavalier grin came back to him, "Awwww Diz' you talk like that I could kiss you." He looked to Jeba nd Doug and sighed chillin out like a happy lil Fonzie. "A'ight, order up two and …" he vaguely gestured to Dizzy for them, "Hers' on me." The Cajun paused and snapped twice, paused and decided one more and the jukebox flipped from Jerry Lee Lewis to the Pixies Three 442 Glenwood Ave. "Hey, Elmo, come get you' beer and calm down already, mon ami." A hand went up, "S'goin on Kai?" Now what was curious to him was what caught Thea's attention. Tall, and blue? Now that was interesting.
Lifting a hand to Diz, Warren waves a greeting as he settles by the bar, "Oh you know, running a business and keeping my head down. Though I am not sure that the later is going to happen that much anymore. I'm toying with the idea of no longer hiding. Holding a press conference and just showing the world who I really am, you know? Just give them a show, wings and all. Maybe I won't have a business to run in the near future. Who knows."
He gives a nod to Doug, reaching into his pocket and tossing a bulging money clip onto the bar top. "Drinks are on me tonight, Doug. Might as well spend it while I got it."
He turns to Thea and gives her a genuine smile, lifting his drink towards her and chuckling, "I think I just took care of buying the drinks, but you can save me a dance, Thea. Still light on your feet, or was that me?" He winks, taking a sip from his martini.
Julie raises a brow, to what Warren's saying there, "Wow, …that's Sure a big step, Warren," and she grabs a stool a bit over. "Hey, Doug, quite a place you got together here. Ah, I guess how bout another Martini, guess I'll be hanging out long enough." She does smile over to Warren, says, indicating Jay when it looks like he might start playing. "This guy can really sing, if you never heard, by the way. " She waves, "Hey, Thea, it's been ages, it seems."
Kai eyes Elmo, and he pats him on the shoulder. There, there, little man. Keep up the good work, not blowing a gasket. As he settles amiably at the bar, he unwraps the scarf from around his face, revealing more elf goodness. "This guy tried to eat me last night, but he was pretty nice about it. No harm done. Elmo just doesn't like the guy." His eyes stray to the money clip, then to Warren. "Why, hello," he says. Then, to no one in particular, he says, "I'd like a beer, please. Money's on the table, time to drink up. With a glance at the stage, he tells Jay, "I want to hear you play. You're so good."
Elmo finally realizes JP's been generouswell, Warren's been generous, through JP. "Thanks, buddy," he says, picking up the beer, but doesn't drink it yet, instead preferring to brood over it. A smile just touches his mouth and he shakes his head at Jay's inquiry. "Nothin' in particular. Just you." He leans over to JP, with questioning eyebrows. "How's the" he gestures to his own face as a map of the horrorshow going on with JP's.
"Looks like drinks are on a lot of people." Doug says, before he reaches out and ruffles Jeb's hair. "Good work tonight, Bean. After we're closed down for the night, have yourself a beer. You're a hard worker, bud! I like it." He looks up at Warren, and then at the money clip, "Mmmm, good deal." He taps it on the bar and then puts Warren's tab next to the cash register, and proceeds to start slinging drinks.
"We should get together to talk about that sometime, Mr. Worthington," Doug says, "I've got some plans of my own, and this place is really just step one. I think the Kree stole the luxury of hiding from us." He mixes up another martini, with alacrity, and slides it across the bar to Julie.
"You know maybe this summer I'll put a keg up on the roof and shout 'DRINKS ON THE HOUSE' — that might be fun."
Thea blinks, a look at Julie. "Hey. It has. I've been super busy with work. It's nice to see you looking so well." Eyes shift back to Warren. "I'm pretty sure I can still outdance you, Worthington." She'll sass him, even if the color in her cheeks is high. "It's nice to see you out."
Jebediah smiles when his hair is ruffled, preening under the praise. "It's a job, Ah want to do well at it." He seems to vibrate in place when Doug tells him he can have a beer after they close up for the night. When Doug talks about putting a Keg up on the roof, Jebediah snickers while he takes over washing the glasses.
"If you're both covering the tab, then ah think that we just keep the second tab and call it a tip." He nods at the man with the shiner. "Ah think he was callin' tabs first."
Jay lifts his brows at Kai a little bit. "Tried to eat you? Uh. Huh. Yeah that doesn't sound really nice, but leave it to you to somehow make friends with someone who tried to eat you. Ah'd believe it, Kai." A confused note back toward his friend, but he doesn't seem to worry much about it. The oddity that seems to get his attention is when Kai pats Elmo's shoulder. A vague uptick of the winged fellow's brows, but not a word. Largely listening as the crowd packs in. The myriad of notes from folks nudging him to sing are all treated with graceful modesty, nodding to Elmo, he offers a small smile and nods. "Sure thing."
Jay slips around behind the bar, clapping Jeb and Doug each on the shoulder while he passes, snapping the towel off his shoulder and letting it hang behind the bar. He upnods to JP. "So what happened there, if it wasn't our brother given' you a little goodnight kiss on th' nose?"
JP pointed two fingers Doug's way "You do that and let people figure out how t'get up there on their own? Put some sport into it." Well turns out he didn't have to shell out for Julie's martini then, but all the same. He took a drink of his beer arching one eyebrow to Elmo asking about the beat down he was wearing across his face like damn war flag of honour. That impish smile reappeared and a hand reached out to give Elmo two approving slaps on one side of his cheek. Really what was it about the Italians and the French withthe face squishing? "Eeeh was cold las' night so all th'swelling's gone down so we ready fo' Friday."
A faint shrug followed though JP still seemed to be sizing Warren up as a curiosity factor. Huh. Back to Elmo he asked, "You in call em lemme know." Arching an eyebrow he pointed to Julie and Elmo, "Now I jes' sais those two and mine."
Looking up to Jay JP grinned shakin his head, "Naw, Sammy did that. Coal miner ain't lost his stride. Just an offensive lil man, with an offensive lil sign. Thought I'd correct come 'grammar' issues." Said like a true Lou-i-si-ana travelin salesman: accept no substitutes, he is doin you a favour. The tone says so! "His lil Mutants need to apply sign was spellin the word 'to' n-o-t. I like t'ya know, help out the les fortunately educated like that." Totally was helping.
Shrugging a shoulder, Warren looks to Julie and nods. "It is, but it's one that is long overdue I think. I am high-profile, and if someone like me is to afraid to show his true nature, then what the hell are we fighting for? We can't be equals if we are to afraid to be ourselves."
Warren turns to Doug and nods, lifting the martini up to sip at it. "Anytime, Doug. You let me know when you want to chat, and I can pencil you in. I can either come to you, or you can come to the penthouse."
He looks to Thea and laughs. "Outdance me huh? I'm pretty damn sure I'm lighter on my feet than you are, Thea." He picks up the olive from his martini and plops it into his mouth, chewing slowly. "It's nice to be out. I'm tired of sitting in that penthouse all alone, brooding. I figured I should get out and stretch my legs, and wings." He glances out to the dance floor then back to Thea. "So…"
He looks to Jebediah and shrugs his shoulder. "Tip. Investment. Tab…whatever you want to call it man." he says as he turns his yellow eyes to look over at JP. "Something I can do for ya? Hell, figured a mutant in a mutant bar wouldn't be something to be stared at."
Kai grins at Jay guilelessly. That look is exactly the look of a man who would befriend someone who tried to eat him. He listens to JP, and he nods along. "Looks like he did a number on you," he says with sympathy. He leans on the bar, looking up and down it at the people he doesn't know. When a random glance is caught, he says amiably, "Hello, I'm Kai." Just introducing himself to anyone who'll look his way, whether or not they intend to snack on him.
This is when another member of the staff comes in and says, "Hey Doug, call for you in the back office, it's about one of your translation jobs."
"Damn it. The problem with having multiple irons in the fire. Okay." Doug looks at Warren, "I'll call your secretary, set up an appointment, that's usually how busy people do these things right?" Then he looks at Jay, mouths 'Watch this' and then pats Jeb on the shoulder. "Hold down the fort while I'm on the phone, bean. OK? I'm counting on you."
"You may cheat and be light on your feet, Warren, but you don't have the moves and style." Thea will respond, those eyes narrowed faintly. "Now, if you're trying to challenge me.." She will look at Warren, trace his gaze to JP and back, sighing as she slides off the stool. "Now boys.." She will wander over to JP, and reach a hand out for him. "Hi! I'm Thea."
Julie nods to Warren, tilting up her Martini glass, and clicking a button on her big watch, starting a little timer. "Well, you know you got friends, however it turns out. Sometimes I just wonder *when* we'll… Well, yaknow. Get to be ourselves, really." But she brightens a bit and says, "Hey, the lady wants to dance, though, sounds like you could use it."
She gives a little point to JP, and says, "I could bring some gear for that, but I ain't tried keeping beer in a glass with it," she winks. Doug gets a little wave as he goes.
"Gah," Elmo says, rearing back up out of JP's reach. "With the /touching/." But he let Kai touch him. Kai gets touching privileges, apparently. He looks at Warren and Thea both, warily.
Jebediah looks up when Sam's name is mentioned. Interesting. Sam had given this man the shiner. He tries not to look too interested in the story, less he gets in trouble for somehow looking for a fight. Though, he does begin to lean in closer to the conversation, slowing his work at washing glasses. He hasn't heard of Sam getting in a fight yet here. Kaleb had hinted that he and Jay had gotten into one, but hearing that Sam had thrown down with someone was something new. Jeb is totally /not/ all but falling over the counter to hear about what had gone down.
Jay listens to JP, his attention turned squarely on the other man from the deep south while he explains. He can't much help the guilty smile on his lips when JP explains. Dipping his head to try to hide itpoorlyfeathers ripple with motion, whispering behind him while he dries a couple glasses and writes something down on a strip of paper to denote 'JP, Julie, Elmo' and slide it in Doug's direction for tabs. "Well, the school system here's a scandal in itself, so Ah'm glad y'could correct him there, JP." Flashing a green-eyed wink at the cajun terror as he pushes away from the bar.
Jay upnods at Doug as he gets the call to go upstairs, watching curiously the interaction between the blond and his younger sibling. A slow smile spread on his lips, Jay takes the scrap of paper he'd written on and walks up to Jeb. Flinging an arm around the shorter man's shoulders, he presses the paper into his hand and points to the three indicated on it. "You got this, Beansprout." Firmly planting a kiss on his brother's temple with fondness and ruffling up his hair. "Ah gotta get up there. Folks wanna dance." Jay presses his palm against the bartop and neatly hipslides over it as a shortcut toward the stage, strolling casually in that direction.
JP help up five fingers at Kai. "Five'em." Not one dude. Having the audience for something like direct judtice wasn't something h e was shy to. "Sammy's another story. Was good t' catch up." Hell a headlock and repeated punches might be a standard fraternal greeting in several tribes of humans. Who really knew. Thea was smiling and to that he lifted the glass and gave her a wink, "Nice t'meet you too later, but the man buyin me a drink wan' dance with you chere. Je ne vais pas botter ce cheval." In shortI know better than to bite that hand literally feeding me. "Jay, go play somethin'." A snap of his gingers and the COnnie Francis died out on the Jukebox. He murmured to Kai, Dizzy and Elmo since they were in immediate area, "That trick never get' old. But yeah, I'm thinkin is about time t'start doin something about somehtin."
Warren laughs at Thea, downing the last of his martini. "Cheat? I don't cheat, how dare you say such a thing." He shakes his head, slipping off of his own stool as he looks to Julie with a shrug. "I'm tired of waiting. Maybe I will change my mind and think it is a horrible idea, but right now I am just tired of it. However, I have a beautiful blonde over here challenging me and wanting to show me her moves. I can't disappoint her now, can I? What kind of angel would I be if I did that?"
He looks back to Thea and grins, moving in her direction. "Jay…" he calls out, as he walks slowly towards his intended dance partner, "…help a fellow angel out?"
Kai snaps JP a crisp high-five without missing a beat. "Next time, you call me and we'll take care of business," he says. Because the little fellow looks sooo threatening. As Jay goes to get up on stage, Kai claps loudly and wolfwhistles. "Jay!" he calls out. "Woohoo!" He's a fan. A loud fan. To Elmo, he asides, "Have you ever heard him play? He's amazing. One of those once-in-a-lifetime kind of talents." He wolf-whistles again.
Julie smirks to the others about JP's jukebox trick, spreads her hands out nnocently, "Hey, it wasn't me, that's all's I know," she winks, and nods to Elmo.
"Or look it in the mouth, I see." Thea smiles brightly at JP, clearly understanding French. But she will reach out to touch JP's hand, just a brush of a touch. He'll feel warmth, and a tingle, and soreness in those knuckles will start to fade. She'll walk away with her smile over her shoulder, before she'll head to dance with Warren. "You best watch your hands, Mister." She'll tease him.
Elmo watches Thea touch JP, eyebrows going up. He watches her walk off and join up with Warren, and gives JP a 'how about that' look. In response to Julie's teasing, he mutters, "Naw," into his beer. "This what it's like around mutants all the time?" Jay catches his eye and he smiles a bit more genuine and relaxed now. "Ain't heard 'im play, but I got no doubts about it," he says to Kai.
A soft, mellow whisper of a laugh easily heard coming from Jay's direction as the bar goes silent but for the rumble of conversation, thanks to JP's efforts. "Y'read mah mind, JP." Jay calls back in playful bantering tones while he shakes his head lowly. Red hair slides along his cheeks like a curtain to hide his smile, but when he steps up on the low stage, under the lights, Jay lifts his head again and peers out across the floor with that serene warmth holding effortlessly to his expression. Leaning in to the mic, he asides quickly, conversationally, humor in his voice. "Ah hear y'Warren. Ah won't leave you hangin', now. Ah got yer back now an' ferever, brother. Birds-of-a-feather jokes all aside."
Snagging up his guitar, there's a puff of near-laughter when Kai shouts out and wolfwistles for him. "That Kai? Course it is, what'm Ah askin'?" Humming gently while he tunes up, the chords hanging in the air.
Jay seems…relaxed. At ease up on the short platform up against the mic stand. Not a whisper of a feather out of place, his shoulders back and smile on, the young man pipes up, aggressively southern, and introduces with gusto he is not typically known for, "Good Evenin' brothers an' sisters, movers an' shakers, trouble an' the makers, an' welcome to Club Atomic this fine wintery evenin'!" Pausing for reactions while he kicks up the energy a little bit. "Mah name's Jay Guthrie, an' it is mah distinct pleasure to welcome y'all in tonight. That's mah baby brother, Jebediah behind the bar—yes, that's his real name, an' the kid will fight ya over the right t'call him 'Jebby' in the alley round back, so watch your mouths unless ya wanna get shocked. Wear rubber boots or something, Ah don't know what to tell ya." Jay chuckles softly and stretches his fingers a bit, noodling around on the strings. "Since Mister Worthin'ton over here bought us all a round, what do ya feel like, Warren? Somethin' fast? Somethin'," Jay pauses for affect, leaning in to the microphone with a smile slid out over the floor like he's offering to buy it breakfast in the morning. "…real slow?"
JP arched an eyebrowhigher and yet higher watching Thea get all over in his personal space. When her hand left his he grank his beer. With no hurry rolled his hand to look at the back of it which was dirty but undaamged. His fingers tightened into a fist to try that on for size and was paraking in the accolades Kai was tossing his way. High five indeed. "God, Elmo, I hope so." He couldn't not snicker at that. He did note to everyone asking if they've heard Jay with, "Well if y'all stop your yammerin you would,." But it was in good nature.
"Watch my hands?" Warren says as he gives Thea a chuckle. "Now where is the fun in that?" He grins, offering a hand to Thea in order to lead her out to the dance floor. "Besides, its not the hands you have to worry about." He grins, winking to her before he looks up at Jay and grins. "Oh, low and slow, Jay. Low and slow. Take your time with it, just how it should be."
She will let Warren lead her out, shaking her head. "The fun is in keeping them. I'm sort of dating someone that has a sharp temper.." Her voice lowering. "And sharp claws in his hands." She'll speak just for Warren's benefit. But she's all about the slow dance!
Kai takes a generous swallow of his beer and watches the stage. "He'd be a hit in the Village," he tells Elmo. "If he doesn't become famous, there's no justice in the world." He grins as Jay says his name, and he waves at the stage. Now that it's time for the actual music, though, he quiets down to listen. Avidly. The elf likes him some music.
Elmo gets a distinctly yearning expression with Jay up there, preening and showing off. He realizes he's doing it after a moment and finds something else to look at. Like beer. Beer is /super interesting/ you guys. "He has trouble with it," he murmurs to Kai. "The wings n' all." Then he obeys JP's directions to hush up.
JP finished his beer setting it on the counter. Nodding to his buds nearby he rapped Elmo's shoulder withthe back of his knuckles to get his attention but let him pay attention to Jay. "Guys save my seat. I gotta chack in wit' Sev." He took another look at the floor and shook his head. Took bad the other gal had to duck out. First thing is first and he had to set up a relay for retrieval across the river for tomorrow. Then he can fix his car, and then find out who hit 'her' in the first place and and back over the asshole eight or nine times with his size 10 boot. Who said car chivalry was dead?
The seductive angle in Jay's smile warms too much to be anything but innocent looking when Warren answers, the gentle puff of breathy laughter into the mic before rolling on. His fingers walk along the strings a bit while he decides and nods a couple of times, arcs of bright red falling along his cheeks. "Low and slow it is. Now, don't know if y'all know this, but a legend was killed about a month ago—Ah know, Ah know. Shut up Guthrie and get to the good part. This man wasn't a personal friend of mine, though Ah wish he would'a been. But Ah think…" His chords become a little more cohesive rather than wandering. Intentional and slow, setting the pace for a deep, low grooving angle one can really lean into. "That the beautiful music this fellah made is proof that for all the ugly in the world, ya just gotta focus on the good sometimes, and let that carry y'on through."
With that, a series a low notes are plucked out before Jay launches into it. It's just him and one guitar, so he makes up for the lack of instrumental where he can, but it's his voice that seems to make up for it mostly. On a cheap mic, it's clear as a bell, screening out the reverb on his end rather than making the speakers do it, though the voice is all him—if they wanted to hear the record, they'd turn the juke box on, so he doesn't mimic the man's voice precisely. Jay doesn't need to. Not when the harmonies hit and out of nowhere, there's a second voice sweeping in from below to give his voice volume and support, letting it rise and fall delicately and mellow, like gliding on the wind.
But it's just him up there. No second person appears, magically. A chorus while Jay leans against the mic, smiling slow against it until he can feel the music through his wingtips; feathers fluttering gently.
As Warren leads Thea out to the dance floor, she says something that causes him to pause a beat and give her a look. "You're dating someone? Exclusively? Well damn. I guess I should have gotten out of my penthouse sooner." He sighs, shrugging a shoulder and continuing to lead Thea out to the floor before something else clicks about what she said. "Wait….this guy. He short?" He looks to Thea, a brow arched. "Hairy?" He sighs, shaking his head as his eyes flash with just a hint of red before he takes a breath. "Well…as long as you're happy." He slips his arms around her to slow dance.
"As of Christmas." Thea will answer him, softly. There's a soft laugh. "He's not that short, or that hirstute." Her brows lift at that red flash in his eyes. "I haven't had time yet to be unhappy. I'm seeing how it goes. I've never had a boyfriend want to be exclusive before." That may be a touch of a jab at Warren himself. It seems Thea is unafraid.
Warren goes home.
Kai sways in time to the music, which sometimes has him leaning against Elmo, but briefly. "Did you hear the thing he did with his voice?" he murmurs. He glances at Elmo and, seeing the look on his face, grins broadly. "Oooh, I see." And he looks smug. So smug. "I see how you are." Was smug mentioned? Because smug.
Elmo, occasionally being swayed on, is busy watching Jay raptly, having forgotten he's trying not to do that. "Yeah," he answers Kai dreamily, then scowls ferociously. "You don't see /nothin'/, ya meshuggener. There's no seeing. You ain't seeing /nothin'/."
Jay smoothly plays through that first song, his smile curled sweet across his lips and eyes closed, he barely pauses before slipping into another Sam Cooke gem, 'Somebody ease my troublin' mind'. Lifting his head high and swaying as well to the beat, not unlike those on the floor while he begs for someone to come by and tell him everything's all right. Dancing slowly with his microphone and his guitar, Jay explains that 'They say that when you tell your troubles to someone, they fly away from you' and he wishes someone would come on by and listen to his, ever so sweetly. It's slow and solemn, but rather than heartbreaking, it seems a slow, intimate song.
Looking up after that, Jay smiles slowly, but broad, that quick dimple appearing offcenter on his left side, chuckling under his breath softly into the mic. "How'sat for y'all, Warren? Can we kick this puppy up before Doug's got folks sneakin' off to the bathrooms?" He grins and whips the tempo up into something more upbeat with a driving tempo. But it's unfamiliar. Not something from the radio. This one's celebratory and damn if he doesn't threaten to burn a hole into his guitar with the energy he plays. Wings eke away from his back, cupped and fluttering light around his shoulders, begging to spread out but not quite making it.
Kai just grins, and he listens, and when the song comes to a close, he cheers and claps. He whistles sharply as the next song starts with its upbeat tempo. Yep, he's just watching the show, Elmo. Nothing to get suspicious about here. "Damn, he's good," he says, like he can't say it enough. He side-eyes Elmo, his smile gains a little quirk at the corner of his mouth. Then he downs the last of his beer and says, "I hate to bail on you, but I've got to get home to that man of mine." He slides off his barstool, waves toward Jay again, and claps Elmo on the shoulder. "Tell me you'll stay for the encore." Then he heads out.
"Hmph." Elmo sinks lower over the bar, as if this will somehow escape Kai's observations. He can't look away from those wings and the light glinting off them and, coincidentally, Jay. "Yeah, yeah," he says to Kai. "Tell him I said hi, okay?"
Jay catches a bit of the wave from the glare of the light and lifts his hand briefly back to Kai, flashing a wink at him when he needs his hand back. He keeps things light after that, mixing familiar songs, older songs with his spin on them and songs nobody's heardhis original workall together into a set. Providing his own back up singing and harmonizing while he plays, it's still painfully obvious at some points that he's lacking accompaniment, but he minimizes the feeling pretty well.
The end of the set, Jay steps back and mops his forehead with his sleeve, laughing softly. "All raght, y'all. Ah'll be back for second set in a bit. Gotta make sure y'haven't scared my brother off. Hit the juke box!" He flashes a smile and lifts his guitar off his shoulder, stepping down off the stage and back toward the bar to see who's still around. Spotting Elmo, he looks a little surprised, but gratified, smiling slowly. Making his way over. "Yer still here?"
Elmo is still there, propping up the bar and most of the way through a third, or is it fourth, beer. "Hey," he says, greeting Jay with a brilliant flash of a smile. "Well, I never heard you play before. I hadda stay. The boys don't know what they're missing. You're great. I dunno anything about music, but, you can't play 'n sing like that and /not/ be great."
Jay modestly shakes his head, still smiling, though. "Thank you, yer very kind. An' thank you fer stayin'. That's really the greatest compliment I could've asked for since ya came in with Kai and all. It's what Ah love doin'. More than anythin' else." Scooping a hand through his hair, his temples are a little damp, hair just a little darker there. Jay realizes he's standing rather close and takes a half step back. "Sorry. Ah'm a mess, it's hot up there. Ah was gonna grab a water an' step out back a second to cool off. You wanna join me?"
Elmo doesn't complain about the proximity, though. "You bet." His eyes hop from the damp hair to Jay's face to the wings, and back. "Lead the way. My first time bein' here." He grins a lopsided grin at mention of Kai. "He likes to drag me out to places. He thinks it does me good." Unmistakeable fondness.
Jay nods and waves his little brother over for a glass of water, arguing with him for a second, Jay rolls his eyes and walks away with a bottle of beer and a water after Jeb tells him to 'stop being such a prima donna. Y'ain't Willie Nelson, yet.' But it's with familial fondness the two snipe back and forth. Jay leads the way out the backwhich they still have for code and Doug's sanitythough it leads to another alley in Mutant Town. "Yeah that sounds like Kai. He used t'do the same thing with me all the time when Ah didn't have a place, or Ah'd find him in the weirdest places. Takin' a nap or playin' it cool with Kev."
The moment they step into the cool air, Jay's wings lift and feathers fluff up a little bit, but the musician sighs with relief at the cold.