OOM: Open-Mic 2

[mogget_cat]

Yrael and Teja step through the door and out into a deserted alleyway in New Orleans. It's evening, here, around eight o'clock with the sun just having fully set. The people in the street before them haven't noticed them yet.

"All right... to find a clothing shop."

Comments

[ostro_goth]

"My music just is -- it is the same if I sit by my own fireplace, or down in the bar where people are listening in. But I do not, usually, play for an audience. I fell out of the habit during our long wars," Teja says.

Then he nods, and vanishes to the restrooms with his bagged t-shirt. When he returns, he is wearing it, and has cleaned the sugar off his hands, face, and even hair (mostly).

[mogget_cat]

Yrael goes to change as well, though the shirt he was wearing is no longer anywhere to be seen.

"Now I need to find Jack, make sure he knows I'm here, and see the order of performance."

[ostro_goth]

"I might get drinks in the meanwhile?" Teja suggests.

[mogget_cat]

"Sure. Order whatever sounds good," he says. "I'm willing to try something new."

He bumps Teja on the shoulder and wanders off towards a man with a clipboard near the stage.

[ostro_goth]

Teja wanders to the bar, enquires about what is customary to drink here, and then approaches Yrael with two Mint Juleps in his hands.

[mogget_cat]

Yrael is chatting with the man who must be Jack, grinning and nodding. With a word of farewell, he turns back to Teja.




Only to recoil slightly at the drink.

"Um."

[ostro_goth]

"Oh - you do not like these?" Teja says, at Yrael's reaction. "I asked, and was told they were customary."

[mogget_cat]

"Do you know what kind of mint is in it?"

Very important question.

He's not coming near it.

[ostro_goth]

"No," Teja says, puzzled. "One would assume it is the normal mint they normally use? Does mint give you rashes?"

[mogget_cat]

That makes him laugh. "No. No rashes. Some types of mint, however, cause something near insanity in me and other catlike creatures."

"I would rather not miss my performance because I had the urge to see what the brilliant colors of the ceiling tasted like."

The ceiling, it must be noted, is a matte black.

[ostro_goth]

"Oh - it is a drug for you, that would disturb your perceptions?" Teja says, somewhat embarrassed. "They had offered something else, named -- Sazerac? Would you rather have that. It seems to be very traditional, also."

[mogget_cat]

"Let me see what kind of mint it is in the drink before we dismiss it entirely. If necessary, I can get away from it quickly enough that perhaps only the first song I play will be a bit more chipper than it's supposed to be."

He holds out a hand for the drink. Given a second to crush the mint leaf garnishing it, he'll be able to tell what it is.

[ostro_goth]

Teja looks at him, worried. He expects to see his friend try, and then turn into a bird -- or something.

[mogget_cat]

He takes the drink and crushes the leaf between his fingers, then smells his fingers, inhaling deeply.












"Spearmint. It's fine," he grins.

[ostro_goth]

"Oh, good!" Teja says, exhaling.

He hadn't noticed he'd held his breath.

[mogget_cat]

Because what everyone wants is to be stuck in another time with an insane Bright Shiner.

He grins and winks, sipping his drink.

[ostro_goth]

Teja remembers that he has one as well, and drinks from it.

[mogget_cat]

"Interesting," he says, consideringly. "Bourbon is not my usual choice of drink, though I am not unfamiliar with it or the Sazerac. I had it once before, with another friend of mine before he left Milliways."

[ostro_goth]

"I merely took what was the most obvious and traditional choice for this city," Teja says. "Mint Julep seemed to make slightly more sense than Sazerac."

[mogget_cat]

"Well, true," he says.

"It'll start soon, so we should find a table near the stage. I'm the third one up."

[ostro_goth]

"There is one there, that only holds one lonely man; should we ask to share it?" Teja asks, pointing.

[mogget_cat]

"That will be fine," Yrael says, making their way over to that table.

The man at the table seems more than willing to share his table with them, nodding to them over the rim of his glass.

[ostro_goth]

"So," Teja says, sipping his drink and looking at the stage, "when will they start? What will you play?"

[mogget_cat]

"They should start any second now. These things do tend to start a bit late, as they're double-checking and making sure everything works correctly," Yrael says, sipping his mint julep.

"And I'm playing two songs, both my own compositions. Incense a la Mode, which is a characteristically smoky jazz tune, and Clearly, which is a kind of companion piece to the first one, lighter and much more straightforward."

[ostro_goth]

Teja nods, looking around in fascination -- all the people, the musicians, their instruments, the general low-key excitement.