Strike a Chord(closed)

[Jewelskye]

The lights were dim in the small establishment. It wasn't a bar, and it wasn't a night club, but at the same time seemed to be a mix of both, with a touch of higher society to it.

Their were small candles on all the tables, providing a little more light to the room. Dim red lights shone from the ceiling. The soft sound of chattering could be heard throughout the place from the few occupants the place entertained that early in the night.

And overshadowing the chattering came the gentle flow of a melody played over a piano.

A pair of tiny, pale hands danced over the ivory and ebon keys, pulling from the instrument a melody that while it was beautiful, seemed to lack any real emotion. The player of the piano was a young woman who's long deep red hair hung to her waist in silken ringlets while her pale skin made a bright contrast to the deep emerald blouse she wore.

A pair of emerald eyes watched the sheet music infront of her, though she never turned the pages, so it was obvious she was playing from memory. Her face also gave something away: she wasn't at all into the music she was playing.

She was told to play this music, she found no enjoyment in it, but she had to pay the bills somehow. Besides... her landlord was the owner of this establishment and if it weren't for his good graces, she'd be out on the street.

It was obvious to anyone who looked at her that the girl had talent, and looks to boot! Her fingers moved deftly over the keys, and meanwhile those intense green eyes fell closed and on the music went, soon followed by a soft, pristine voice more befitting an angel than a girl just struggling to make the rent.

 

[fukensploogin]

One of his regular coffee customers had told him about the place, an ancient establishment from another era, tucked away in a forgotton corner of the City. The place was classy, he realized, as soon as he wandered in, his leather jacket in stark contrast to a sea of suits. he sat at the bar and sipped a beer and listened as she played her song: it was a fanastic melody; he could swear he knew it from somewhere.

her technical skill was dazzling.

her looks... well... her stunning beauty was never doubted for a moment.

and then, the song got around to the good part, and she opened up her mouth and sang, and it was gorgeous.

She sang beautifully... yet... without a real passion. He knew that what she were songs written before her time. She doesn't feel a connection to what she's doing.

He watched as she sang, her performance clearly aided by her ability, at least, to act.

She would be perfect. He just had to completely alter the way she played music. And he hadn't even met her yet!

 

[Jewelskye]

She flowed from one song into the other, and as she did so, her eyes opened once again. She turned that same intense gaze to the crowd as she began another song, singing gently along with the music she played.

The lights were too bright up here and too dark down there for her to see the crowd, so she could only continue to play, hoping the hours would go by quickly tonight.

And then one of the customers came up to the stage, and she leaned down to hear what he had to play, hands still working the keys without missing a note. She smirked some, rosebud lips curving into a smile as she sat up straight, finishing out her song in her classic, graceful style.

"We've had a request from the audience, and I'm happy to oblige."

And with that her fingers deftly moved into pulling out the melody of "Piano Man" by Billy Joel.

Even as she played, she smiled, lips moving to form the words as she sang along.

"ts nine oclock on a saturday
The regular crowd shuffles in
Theres an old man sitting next to me
Makin love to his tonic and gin...

She continued on with the song, eventually pulling the audience into it, getting them to sing with her and changing up any words that hinted the player should be male to make them female, adlibbing when need be.

At the end of her song, she stood, curtsying to the now clapping crowd before sitting down and beginning to play another song.

 

[fukensploogin]

Him

As she finished up a rousing rendition of Piano Woman, he started to make his way toward the stage, until he was close to her. He got her attention with his smile when her eyes passed over him, so close to her. He was tall and lanky, with dark curly hair that went every which way it wanted. His eyes were a deep chocolate brown.

She finished her song in dramatic fashion, in a rich flourish of notes, and the crowd cheered.

"Will you play..." he said.

"What, I can't hear you!" she said.

He leaned over onto the stage, and she leaned close to him, and he said in her ear:

"Will you play music with me, tonight, for ten minutes, after your set? I've got a Tele in the car."

 

[Jewelskye]

She had to lean down close to be able to hear him, and as she did she could feel his warm breath was over her neck and ear. He wanted to play music with her? Pulling back, she looked him over again. He was certainly out of place here. Everyone was wearing classy clothes, a lot of them buisness professionals and dressed like it. He was wearing a black leather jacket and had a typical bad boy look to him.

She glanced up at the clock. "Come see me in an hour," she answered and stood straight once more, flashing him a dazzling smile before sitting down at the piano again.

All her songs for the rest of the night were upbeat, keeping the crowd singing along and sometimes dancing when the mood hit.

By far, it was her best night yet, and as she finished up her set, she was genuinly in a good mood. Atleast she'd pleased the crowd.

 

[fukensploogin]

Tommy

He watched from the back of the room as she finished her set. Something had really gotten into her. She seemed to really enjoy what she was doing there at the end.

A skinny black bag was slung over his shoulder. People were starting to file out of the club as the singer/pianist went to the bar. He walked over to her, putting out his cigarette in an ashtray along the way.

He stepped up to the bar next to her, and ordered a Heineken from the bartender, who promptly delivered. "Hi," he said, "I'm Tommy Mackenzie. My friend told me to come see you here. You just amazed me tonight. I was wondering if I could have a chance to convince you to join my band."

 

[Jewelskye]

She turned, looking at him as he spoke. His compliments brought a blush to her pale cheeks and she found herself looking down shyly, thanking him as he said it.

What he said next more than shocked her. "You? Want me to join a band?" she asked, eyes a little wide with the surprise. "I dunno if you noticed, Tommy, but I doubt I play your kind of music..." she said, half smiling as she took the coke the bartender offered her.

"Thanks Joe," she said, offering him a soft smile before turning back to the unusually handsome young man infront of her. Even for a grungy rocker boy, that curly hair made him endearing looking to say the least.

"I mean..." she looked up at him. "Wow... you're serious, aren't you?" she asked, looking even more surprised than before. "Well... I mean... if you think so..."

 

[fukensploogin]

More and more customers filed out as they chatted.

"Yeah," he said. "Let's do it. I'll know inside of ten minutes if you're gonna be able to work with us or not." He took a long pull from his beer and looked at her. "Well c'mon, I don't care if people watch us." He walked over to the stage, set his gig bag down and unzipped it. With ease and fluid motion, he pulled out a slightly-beat-up-looking Fender Telecaster, yellow body with a black pick-guard. He plugged into an amp, played a major scale, fiddled with a tuning knob, played the scale again, turned and looked at her when the notes were right this time.

 

[Jewelskye]

She was a little more than surprised when he walked up to the stage, but didn't say anything as she watched him take his guitar from the bag. Sipping again at her coke, she left it on the bar to be watched over by the bartender before moving over to the stage herself.

Walking up the steps, she slid in behind the piano, fingers finding the keys and carressing them in an almost loving manner. "So... what do you want me to play?" she asked, hoping she'd know the song. Honestly, she'd be a bit embarassed if she couldn't meet his demands.

Idly, she pushed down the keys, pulling from the piano the beginnings of "My Immortal" by Evanescence. It was a song she'd learned for a party she'd played at here at the place. The woman had loved songs like this, and the piano player was just happy to be playing something new for a while.

Even as she idly played the melody, she watched him, waiting for an answer.

 

[fukensploogin]

Tommy

He listened to the melody she played for a moment, and when it came around again, to the beginning, he let loose a horrific sounding wail from his guitar. He took a step back, calming the feedback before shredding into a simple power-chord progression; the next time the melody came around, he played a simple little scale over it, hitting blue notes in all the dirtiest spots.

It was the song she knew... but he was doing things to it, musically, she had never thought of. He looked at her as the melody came around again and he prepared to let rip a solo on that scale, his hand dropping to a higher octave.

He wailed away on it, and when it came back around, he calmed down his exploration, sliding back into the power-chord progression he had mapped earlier, falling into rhythm, wanting to see if she would take the lead.

 

[Jewelskye]

She nearly fell off her bench as she sat there playing, only to have the feedback from the amp nearly scare her out of her witts. Chuckling at herself, she continued to play as she watched him calm it down and then begin playing again. He was good. Very good. And he was just making things up, she could tell.

She listened to what he was doing, continuing to play the rythmic melody while he explored the song.

Her eyes moved from his guitar to his face when he fell back into rythm, and without thinking about it, she began an exploration of her own.

Switching up the feel of the song, she slid into something much more intense, simply playing what she felt. She didn't think about the notes, letting them speak for her, unfiltered, without second guessing things.

It was strong, passionate, intense, and the emotion showed on her face as her eyes slid closed. Several times she seemed to completely change the direction of the song without actually changing it truly. It was still the same song they'd been playing, but somehow it was different. She was bringing a new form, a new life to it. Making it her own.

 

[fukensploogin]

It looked like he had been right about her. What they were playing had taken off, and she was not afraid to explore its uncharted waters.

He continued on with his rhythm, switching it up a little bit, letting the song morph itself into something altogether new and original.

They picked up the tempo, and she found a wicked little melody that went so well over the simple chord progression, and when it came around again, he took the moment and ran, letting loose a machine-gun barrage of notes, his fingers flying over the fretboard, finding the sweet-spots of their new song, letting those blue notes stay and wail.

 

[Jewelskye]

Her eyes opened when he took the chance to play his solo and she smiled that same dazzling smile, though now there seemed to be something more to it. Her eyes were glowing with the intensity of the music, and she seemed to be getting lost in it, playing a simple rythmic melody for him while he wailed away, leaving her heart pounding.

She was nearly breathless as she sat there, not playing off of him anymore, but seeming more and more like she was playing with him. The music seemed to come so naturally, like they could read each other's minds as they played.

She wasn't sure if he was watching her, but lifted her eyes to check, and soon she found a melody that would nicely flow with their instruments. Her mouth opened and spilled forth its soft, haunting lines of notes. She brought no words to the music, simply sang in soft "ahhh"s, though somehow she doubted words could ever be found that would match the song more perfectly than that which she was singing in that moment.

 

[fukensploogin]

After the chaos of his improvised solo, he heard her strong voice coming through...

a beautiful song emerged as her "aah's" turned into pure, beautiful melody, slow, thoughtful, almost divine, and he picked out an arpeggiated tune to match, in the beautiful minor key that she was using, and was blown away as she let her voice go with the music...

they were oblivious to the bartenders and waiters watching and listening to them (and a few patrons still, as well).

 

[Jewelskye]

Her eyes locked onto his as she played and sang, almost feeling like she was having an out of body experience. She didn't feel like it was her body anymore that was making the music. She felt almost like the music was her body.

If she could have moved and taken the piano with her, she would have, to move closer to him. Part of her felt like laying her head against his should while they played, but that was ne'er impossible with him on the other side of the stage. And perhaps that was best, she didn't want him thinking her wierd for getting so into it.

She could go one like this forever, she realised. It was like she was having a passionate love affair with him through the music. Ignoring how odd it was to feel that way, she let herself get swept up in the melody, eyes still locked on his as she played. To others it may have just seemed like music, but to her it was something much more... something much more intense, something beyond anyone who didn't let themselves become a part of it wholly and honestly.

 

[fukensploogin]

They were working together now. The music had taken on a life of its own, and they were but mere conduits for its energy.

He walked across the stage, his cord trailing behind him, standing next to her now, watching her hands dance across the keys...

They built and built, working that energy until it came time for it to finally either explode in a fabulous crescendo or collapse in on itself in a mess of notes...

 

[Jewelskye]

He was close, so close. Turning her head, she looked up at him, her eyes dancing from the guitar to his face, her fingers moving fluidly, but furiously over the keys. She was breathless as she slowly closed her eyes again, leaning to the side slightly. Her head found its way to his hip, and she rested it there, eyes still closed as she continued to play.

It was mere moments, however, before the music began to build and build and build until suddenly it exploded in an earth shattering crescendo. Her voiced died after her fingers stopped moving over the keys, and her eyes were still closed, though now her head was thrown back, curls cascading from her head and nearly falling past the bench she sat on.

Her breathing was heavy, breasts heaving, straining slightly against the emerald fabric of her top.

After a few moments, her head still tilted back, she opened her eyes to look up at him, unsure what to say or if she could even speak at all.

 

[fukensploogin]

As their last notes faded away, he turned and looked at her. The woman's head was thrown back, her eyes closed, her breathing heavy, her breasts heaving and threatening to burst from the top of her low-cut dress.

She looked like she had just had an orgasm.

Which meaned, of course, that she had passed.

"You're in," he said, as she opened her heavy eyelids and looked up at him from her bench.

Suddenly, there was scattered clapping from the waiters and bartender and few curious patrons. Tommy waved at them, "Thank you!" he said. "We'll be back next week!"

 

[Jewelskye]

She offered him a slow, almost lazy, but nonetheless thrilled grin. Lifting her head back up, she looked out at the bar which still aparently had people in it. A blush colored her cheeks, but she turned and gave a little bow, skin still flushed from the rush the music had given her.

Turning back to Tommy, she held a hand out to shake his. "My name is Ashley, by the way. Ashley OMalley."

 

[fukensploogin]

Tommy

He quickly shook her hand. "Nice to meet you Ashley. Thanks for playing with me tonight, for just a few minutes. So are you in? Will you play the keys and sing in my band, the Guardians?

 

[Jewelskye]

She grinned. "If you'll have me... I think I'd like that, very much."

She hesitated a moment, an almost bashful smile on her lips as she glanced around. She wasn't one for public displays of.. well... anything, but she couldn't help it. Stepping close, she threw her arms around him, giving him a short, friendly squeeze before stepping back and moving quickly down the stairs of the stage to the bar, where the bartender handed her her purse and soda back.

The blush was still on her cheeks as she scribbled down her telephone number on a napkin, whispering to Joe to give it to the guy up there with the guitar, and ran out into the night, only to round the side of the building and trot up a set of stairs to the door to her apartment.

 

[fukensploogin]

Within moments of her opening her door, her phone is ringing...

 

[Jewelskye]

She dashed across the room, afraid someone had started calling while she was still down stairs and she'd miss it if she didn't hurry. Snagging the phone up off the hook, she hit the talk button and put it to her ear. "Hello?" came that same smooth as honey voice.

 

[fukensploogin]

"hello?" she said...

"and why did you run off so quickly?" he asked, talking into his cell phone, his gig bag with his guitar over his shoulder as he walked out the door of the club. He looked around, wondering if cabs ever came down this street.

 

[Jewelskye]

"I dunno..." she said, grinning and even in the sanctuary of her home, she was blushing. A car sounded from outside, and she heard it from his phone also.

Moving to the window she looked down at the street. "Waiting for your cab?" she asked, watching him through the window. If he looked up at the building behind him, he'd see her outline, a light on behind her giving her red curls an almost ethereal glow.

"I hope you called ahead, cause they dont just drive by this area very often..."