Brian Campo (briancampo) wrote in birthrightrpg, @ 2021-01-18 17:33:00 |
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Entry tags: | brian campo, cj johnson |
Vibing
Who: Brian and CJ
What: Playing Music and Talking
Where: Mama’s- A Piano Bar in Vegas
When: Saturday Night
Ratings/Warnings: Language
After the crazy night earlier in the week that resulted in a day off work and a headache that took the best part of a day to get rid of, CJ was a bit cautious about going back into the main part of the city to one of his favorite bars but this time he’d be keeping his eyes out more for odd fiery men and strange crystal creatures.
Most of the bars and clubs in town had their own band members and would only offer sing alongs or requests. There were a few who would let anyone come up and play, if only on given nights and CJ knew when most of these were. Although he knew that he might not get a chance that night he still had a habit of taking along a violin. Some people liked the accomplishment, or were just in the mood for a bit of fiddle and he was happy to help out.
That evening he walked into one of those bars, the violin case by his side and bow tube slung over a shoulder as he gave a nod to the man by the door and ordered a lemon, lime and bitters from the bartender. They chatted for a few moments before CJ went and took a seat, listening to the man at the piano.
When Brian moved to Nevada, he picked Searchlight because it was cheap and it had a middle-of-nowhere vibe for full moons. It also came with a job offer. But from the beginning, he needed Las Vegas to scratch an itch. Long before he was a werewolf who could function in the wilderness, he was a musician from the city, so he went to shows, taking in everything from punk to jazz. He played with his band the Death Spirals; they performed in nice bars with green rooms and shitty, hole-in-the-wall places where you’d rather piss in the street than risk bumping your elbow in the one-seater bathroom. He also hung out in places like the piano bar on Fremont Street.
It was a New York-style piano bar where every night was part karaoke, part open mic. The owner paid pianists to accompany amateur singers on a predetermined list of songs. The pianists even sight-read sheet music when customers brought it. If there was no one to sing, the bar staff picked up the slack. And just as CJ had learned, if a persuasive local got in good with the paid musicians, they’d let him take over the keys while they went out for a smoke or hot food.
At the far end of a stretch of checkerboard floor, Brian was at the keys of a white piano. A few other instruments were tucked behind the drop curtain. The pink-orange house lights made the stage look warm. Brian leaned over the keys in concentration, his hair obscuring his face, the ice in his third drink melting off to one side, and yeah, maybe his Citizen Dick t-shirt was tighter than it needed to be. Two women were singing along to the chorus of P!nk’s song Sober, much to the delight of their friends, who were swaying along, happy-drunk at the front table.
CJ hadn't recognised that it was Brian at the piano when he had first walked in and sat down with his drink. Over the years of visiting this bar he had seen musicians come and go, some only staying for a few weeks or months while others were almost part of the furniture because they had been there so long.
He knew Brian. He wouldn't say they were best friends or anything like that, but he would often stop in at Lucky's if he was in Searchlight to chat and catch up on what was happening in the small town. It seemed like musicians tended to flock together and find each other. If there was nothing else to talk about, there was always music.
It was only after the two ladies had finished a relatively not too bad version of Sober did CJ realise who it was. Taking his gear in one hand and his drink in the other, CJ moved to a table closer to the piano, wanting to make sure Brian wasn't about to start another karaoke song before he went and said hi. With the group of women seemingly happy CJ approached the piano. "Fancy seeing you here." He said, tone lighthearted.
“Hey, man!” Brian stood up and leaned off the small stage to greet CJ with a casual bump of their fists. He was buzzed, just enough to feel loose. As much as he liked working at Lucky’s, it was a lot better running into people when he wasn’t in a staff shirt at the saloon. He nodded at CJ’s violin case. “I see you came ready.” The two had heard one another play before, Brian with his band, CJ accompanying other acts or doing open mics, but he didn’t think they’d ever run into each other solo like this. “You picked the right night. Mike’s fucked up in the kitchen.” Here, he was referring to one of the resident musicians, who he’d just seen doing a line of shots. “I think it’s his birthday.”
It was a similar feeling for CJ, conversing with adults who were not staff members and not having to deal with teenagers for 5 days a week. Music was his escape and in places like this he was known as Chris or CJ and not Mister Johnson, a term he still felt aged him by several decades. He glanced back at his violin. “I’m always ready, I would say this one lives in the car but I’m sure the summer heat’d warp the poor thing.” Like most musicians he had quite a collection, from the cheaper one like he had tonight to electric and even his most prized violin that only came out for special occasions, or if he was lucky enough to get a spot in locally run orchestras. There was a shake of his head and a bit of a chuckle when told about Mike getting drunk. “Well, his loss is your gain. Want me to take over for a song or two before your drink ends up more watered down than bootlegger’s whiskey?”
“Yeah, go for it.” Brian picked up his glass and finished it in one go. He’d use the free time to get another. “I gotta warn you though, that guy back there?” Brian joined CJ on the floor and pointed to a dude. “He keeps requesting John Legend songs. One’s fine, but damn. The second time, the vocalist never showed up and I had to sing All of Me by myself. That shit’s gonna end up on the internet. Never again.” He clapped CJ on the back and headed off to get another drink. Maybe a beer this time.
“Duly noted.” He said, his smile turning into a bit of a grin as he looked in the direction of the John Legend fan. CJ was no Prince or Freddy Mercury when it came to vocals but he knew that Mike was more comfortable just playing instead of having to sing as well. “Just promise me you won’t film me on the sly and post it up.” After Brian clapped him on the back and went off to the bar CJ sat down at the piano, stretching his fingers for a moment to warm them up before moving the microphone a bit closer and starting in on the opening chords of Elton John’s Your Song. He knew that people tended to sit back and just listen for a song or two before approaching. He also knew his own limits when it came to most modern pop songs, much preferring Elton to Ed Sheeran. Thankfully he had also learnt after his first night playing to pack a tablet as trying to read sheet music on his phone was nearly impossible.
“Nah, I save that kind of behavior for Lucky’s.” Brain wasn’t kidding, either. The staff could be downright dirty about what they’d put on the saloon’s official Snapchat account; the only catch was, they weren’t immune to being humiliated on it, either. Brian smiled and set off for the bar at a slight jog. He chatted up the bartender while he waited for his pint glass from a local spot called Banger Brewing. He came back and slid into a seat to listen to CJ play the rest of the Elton song, kicking back with one foot in a chair. While he sat there, Mike lurched into the seat next to him. The guy’s face was bright red but he was hanging onto consciousness.
The only real embarrassing thing CJ thought could be posted was him playing and singing something like Britney Spears, although he knew a few people who’d get a good laugh out of that. But that was the fun of playing here, you didn’t just get to play what you wanted as regular patrons knew the routine and could ask for requests or to join in with karaoke. He had just finished playing when someone came up and asked him if he happened to know any Guns and Roses, to which he replied that he did but the guitarist was currently having a drink and would it be okay to leave it for a few more songs. The guy seemed pleased with that and asked how about some other soft rock, CJ laughed. “You got it, how about some Meatloaf?” Then the first notes of ‘I Would Do Anything For Love’ rung out, he wouldn’t admit it but even now it was one of his favorite songs to play.
Brian was leaning over to say something at Mike’s expense about turning forty and going to bed at 9pm when his eyebrows shot up, mid-sentence. Meatloaf. Voluntarily. Okay, then. At least it was a long one. There’d be plenty of time to drink his beer and take a bathroom break before he was up, especially if CJ played more than one song. He settled back to appreciate the guy’s skill at the keys, launching a thumbs-up sign in the air as he started drinking again. A couple of sips later, in a complicated section of music, Brian appeared in front of the piano, gestured to the crowd to cheer louder, and stuffed cash in the tip bowl. Then he ducked back out of sight.
He darted to the men’s and slid back into his spot. Mike leaned over to spit some loud words at him. “November Rain?” Brian called in disbelief over the noise, managing not to wipe his earlobe off on his t-shirt. “Yeah, obviously.”
His parents had some eclectic music tastes so CJ had ended up learning a lot from the 70’s and 80’s as well as quite a few classical pieces. Of course his collection of sheet music was quite impressive even though now he preferred to use the tablet. It didn’t take up the whole front of the piano for a long piece. There was a nod as Brian gave him the thumbs up and a laugh as the other man appeared for a moment before disappearing before the song ended.
There were cheers from some of the people and a few whistles as well. He got up to grab his tablet from the violin case that he had moved underneath the side of the piano, after a minute or so of searching he brought up the sheet music and started on ‘Bat Out Of Hell’. Maybe it was just a night where the older rockers were out and about.
While CJ was playing, Brian emptied his glass, got up, and crept backstage to where his guitar waited, already out of its case from earlier in the night when he’d shown up. The only sign of movement was a slight ruffle of the curtain, as if by a breeze. As he waited through lyrics about sinners groveling in front of the gates of heaven, Brian sat on a stool, feet to the rungs, and fired off a message to Nesryn: nothing serious, just a selfie of him holding onto the neck of his guitar with the words ‘guns n roses Nessie!’ He hit send and pocketed it. When the song finished, he batted his way past the edge of the curtains, still hooked up to the amp. “You ready?”
Again more applause rang out as the second Meatloaf song finished and CJ gave a mock bow. He got the tablet again, bringing up the sheet music and placing it on the stand in front of the keys. Thankfully this was a proper piano and not a keyboard, so there was no worry about the stand falling over or anything. He looked over at Brian who was standing there hooked up to the amp. “Yeah, time to Slash your heart out.” CJ said with a grin before turning back to the piano, the first few notes ringing out.
“Okay, Axl,” he said around the pick in his mouth. Brian lifted the strap over his head and settled the instrument. His fingers found a comfortable home and he got into the song, which started out much more piano-heavy and built toward the guitar work. He wouldn’t count himself as the most rabid GnR fan, but any kid who grew up loving hard rock, and who could play those particular instruments, had learned that epic song at one point or another, and there was no shortage of tablature available for it online or on paper in places like this. It also came with a built-in need for lead and backing vocals. He tried to ignore Mike’s enthusiastic, inebriated use of a cell phone camera coming from just offstage.
The customers were into it, too. One thing Brian loved about piano bars was how joyful they were, and how the patrons always sang along, especially when the person on stage was terrible and could use the lift. Thankfully they wasn’t the case here. As his hands found the right notes, Brian turned toward CJ so they could vibe off each other.
There was no greater crime than someone butchering the classics with terrible singing, karaoke or not. And of course the drunker people usually got, the better they seemed to think those abilities were. Thankfully the only really drunk person there seemed to be Mike who by some miracle was able to walk around without falling over anything.
CJ was definitely vibing. Although he couldn't turn completely to face Brian as he still had to play the piano parts, he couldn't help but grin as the guitar solo was perfect. When the song reached the end there was a lot of cheering and clapping, something much appreciated by any musician. "On that epic note, it's time for a break." He said into the microphone, throat pretty dry despite the sips he managed between songs.
As soon as the bench was vacated, Mike staggered over for a version of Crocodile Rock he could’ve played in a coma.
Brian put down his instrument and leaned into CJ’s space long enough to say, “Let’s get some drinks.” After a couple of minutes, he settled down at a table close to the front door. It was quieter, the crowd thinner, and they got a blast of fresh, night air whenever the door opened or shut. He had a much-needed glass of water. His tolerance was pretty high but it was hot and dehydration wasn’t going to do him any favors. “I’m glad we ran into each other,” he said when CJ was close enough to hear him. “I wanted to tell you, there’s this indie folk band in Boulder City who's looking for a replacement for their fiddle player. He broke his arm in an ATV accident. They’ve got some live shows lined up. If you’re interested I’ll send you the info.” Brian leaned back and ran his hand through his hair, trying to train it back.
CJ got a glass of water as well. The staff at Mama's knew that he didn't drink alcohol and Brian knew as well, although no one knew the real reason why he didn't drink and he probably wouldn't tell anyone either. It was nice to sit down near the door and the cooler night air coming from outside was refreshing and what was needed as it was hot under those lights.
"Yeah?" CJ's ears perked up a bit when Brian told him about an indie folk band who needed a fiddle player. He had played fill-in spots in some bands but a band in Boulder City would be nice, he wouldn't have to drive far at all. "Definitely send me the info, it'll be a change of pace if nothing else."
“I like these guys. They always have their act together and they don’t treat the staff like shit.” Brian took out his cell phone so he wouldn’t forget and texted the contact information for the vocalist to CJ. He dropped it on the table next to his water. Every time he drank a glass of water in a bar, he pictured Shimmer sticking her whole hand in a glass of it and sighing. “Anything new, other than heading back to school after holiday break?” Even if he tended to lose track of days, the werewolf saw the migration of kids to and from school and knew precisely when the districts were in and out. They trudged right past his trailer; There was also a marked increase in teachers in the bar at certain times of the year.
CJ's phone and wallet were still in his violin case which was hiding under the piano, but he'd check it to make sure he got the text before either of them left for the night. "Sounds good, there's so many out there who are just a bunch of dickheads." It was also nice to hear that the group was pretty good. He had substituted for some and hadn't made it through the night because of the way they were treating him and others. When asked if there was anything new CJ took a sip of his water and hoped he wasn't turning red. "I went on a date for the first time in… years, we saw the latest Cirque du Soleil production and boy." He fanned himself, it was definitely a rather sensual production.
“Alright.” Brian nudged him with the back of his hand and grinned. “Good for you.” He hadn’t seen a Cirque show, but he’d seen enough adverts to get the gist of it. “That your idea? I need to think of somewhere to take Nesryn for Valentine’s Day. We never did the whole first date, second date thing, we just…” He trailed off, at a loss for how to explain going from werewolves who were friends to mates. He definitely couldn’t detail what happened on his couch. “Oh shit. That means you’re gonna be right at that one-month mark on Valentine’s.”
"It just happened?" CJ asked. He was in the same situation with Steve. They had been friends for years but Christmas had changed it all. "Yeah, know what that's like. But I'm sure Ness would love to see it." He had gone into it blind. Steve had just told him to dress nicely for the date and the rest of it was a surprise. To be honest he didn't mind that kind of date, especially since Steve already knew what he did and didn't like, he wouldn't trust a stranger with those choices though. "It all kind of started on Christmas Day, so we're almost at the one-month mark already. Though we're still trying to figure it all out, no labels just yet." Not that CJ was in any kind of rush, they'd figure it out.
“Good for you. I was never good with that part,” Brian said, shaking his head at his own discomfort with ambiguity. “No labels. It was fine if it was casual, but if I really liked her, that would chew me up. It wasn’t about being possessive, at least before I was a wolf. I just couldn’t keep myself from blurting my feelings out.” He’d always worn his heart on his sleeve. If he could, Brian probably would have worn the rest of his organs out there, too. “I actually ran out of Nesryn’s house the night we met so I wouldn’t say anything stupid.”
"Honestly, I'm not good at that part either. I think we're both worried about somehow ruining the friendship we've built up over the years." It felt good to talk about this to someone other than Steve, an impartial person it seemed was in a similar situation. "Plus Steve and I don't want work to know anything, not that I think they'd care but teachers are worse gossips than teenaged girls! What business is it of theirs? Our work and private lives are seperate." They loved their jobs too much to do anything to jeopardize it. CJ let out a soft chuckle when Brian said he ran out of Nesryn's house. "There's been many a time I had to excuse myself, for too long I didn't say anything cause he was still grieving. But I'm glad I finally worked up the guts to do something."
“Yeah. No joke. Regret’ll kill you.” Brian took a few swallows of the iced water. “I don’t think I ever hooked up with a coworker. No. That’s a lie. God, I totally forgot this! I must’ve blocked it out. I worked in this record shop in my early twenties. Me and this girl were doing inventory late. We ended up hooking up in the break room. It was a disaster. Did you ever have sex with someone, and it’s like… Awkward, man, and on paper it seemed like such a good idea, but there you are and it’s so quiet you can hear the fluorescent lights humming?” Brian scrubbed a hand over his face. “The next day, we just pretended it didn’t happen.”
CJ tried not to laugh at Brian's retelling of the awkward work hook-up but failed, snorting a bit as the water he was sipping on almost went up his nose. "Can't say I've had that ever happen, but I did go out on a blind date with a co-worker's friend 'cause you two would get along so well', yeah it was a nice date, we talked about music and books, but when I dropped her off she pretty much jumped the centre console of the car and tried to force her tongue down my throat. Needless to say there wasn't a second date. I don't think I could handle getting jumped by Ms Washing Machine Tongue again!" It also put him off blind dates as well.
Brian steepled his hands in front of his face, wincing at the visual. “Man. Bad kissers. This is why you have to go in for that kiss early,” he said, “You don’t want to get to the third date before you realize you’ve got mouth incompatibility.” Some things couldn’t be fixed. “That’s almost as bad as not liking the way someone smells. That’s a nonstarter.” This conversation was not making him miss dating.
“Oh God, yes! Don’t get me started on the overuse of perfume or body sprays, or those who refuse to believe they’ve got a BO problem. To this day I still can’t handle the smell of any kind of AXE spray without wanting to gag.” Though CJ knew the brand as Lynx and just about every male in his high school seemed to think that it’d get them girls so would spray so much the bathrooms were almost fogged with it after they had finished sports classes. “And thankfully it seems like we’re mouth compatible,” his glass tipped in Brian’s direction, “I think I’m just nervous as hell about being a fizzer in the bedroom.” It was much longer than he cared to remember, but Brian didn’t need to know just how long.
Cologne and perfume were the worst. Brian had next to no tolerance for it now. But even the wrong body chemistry on a person who bathed regularly could be a downer. There were so many cues that human noses picked up but registered only subconsciously. He shook his head. “I’m not too confident on what fizzer means. But if it's the same thing as fizzle over here… maybe you should knock one out ahead of time. Y’know. Before you leave for date number two.” He glanced at the stage, mainly because Mike had veered into the cliche’d territory of Great Balls of Fire and it seemed to fit the conversation. Brian lifted his glass in punctuation of the moment, then returned to drinking it, his ankles sliding comfortably under the chair. One of his feet bounced along to the tune.
Thankfully in his job CJ didn't have to put up with too many bad smelling people, though it was the older female teachers with their liberal amounts of perfume that still got to him. He took a sip of his drink as Brian talked, not quite sure what CJ was talking about. Not an uncommon occurrence as even after all the years living in the US he still used a lot of Australian slang. "Think of it like a firework, you're expecting a big bang and amazement but instead all you get a pop and then nothing." It was the best analogy he could think of at that moment. Hopefully Brian would get what he was trying to say, that fear or under performance, or no performance at all. He turned towards the piano as Mike played. "Honestly, I think he's playing better now then he does when he's sober."
Brian agreed. “Yeah, it’s probably the injection of unpredictability. When you’re that drunk, who knows what note you’re gonna hit. Oh, and don’t be drunk,” he added, referring to the pop-then-nothing phenomenon CJ was worried about. “Keep your wits about you, man.” He was surprised CJ was being this open about it, but it was kind of refreshing, compared to all the bullshit he overheard working at Lucky’s. To hear the customers talk, everybody was a solid nine-point-five out of ten in the sack. If that was true, they wouldn’t be hanging around by themselves in a bar. The less they bragged, the bigger the chance they actually knew what they were doing, Brian figured, so all of CJ’s stress was probably a sign the guy was gonna be fine. “Seriously, good luck though.” He drank down the rest of his water.
"The crowd don't seem to mind." As soon as CJ had said that Mike hit a wrong key, a very wrong key for the song but kept going anyway and no one else seemed to care even though CJ himself had cringed slightly at how awful it sounded at that moment. "I don't think I need to worry about being drunk. I think it's around twenty years since my last drink." That was another thing he liked about Brian, even when CJ went to Lucky's and ordered something without alcohol Brian never gave him a second look. So many other places looked at him like he had two heads when he said he didn't drink alcohol. "And good luck with Nesryn, I'm sure whatever you do for Valentine's Day, she'll love it."
“Hey, congrats on twenty.” For whatever reason the guy wasn’t drinking -- health, bad memory, addiction -- going twenty years meant it was a choice. Brian had seen him ordering regular drinks but he didn’t think much of it; some people weren’t into it, and some saved it for special occasions. “On that really bad note,” he said as Mike hit another humdinger, “I’m gonna rescue him. Give me a shout if you want to go up again, alright? Let me know how things go with Steve. Not the--” Brian put a hand up. “Y’know. The other parts.”
Bad memories, well that and he knew what effects alcohol had on him and he didn't want his hydrokinesis to go and do anything stupid. Even though he was sure that whole accident wasn't actually his fault he didn't want to risk anything. "Thanks, and don't worry I'm not one to kiss and tell." CJ sat back, watching as Brian got Mike away from the piano, the drunken man almost falling over in the process. He didn't feel sorry for the hangover Mike would have in the morning.