Mark & Jay, Thursday evening
Jul. 3rd, 2008 09:08 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsMark has some fun with Jay's demo tape, much to Jay's chagrin.
Summer had barely even started, and already New York City was getting disgustingly hot. But if you were going to be all hot and sweaty, might as well head to a nightclub where you'd feel that anyway. Silver was surprisingly full for a July night. With the local colleges out for the summer, many of the regulars were away, but it seemed like every twentysomething tourist had come to replace them. Mark finished spinning a new track to roaring applause, then set up a playlist to cover him for a bit as he headed down to the bar for a Coke. (Still no rum, at least for a little while longer.)
It was hard to say if he liked that all the regulars were away and the club filled with strangers or whether he missed them. With all the bodies displayed in front of him, he had a perfect view of the flab, the sculpt abs and curvy thighs. There was enough drool from Jay to not miss the regulars. That was, if he was paying attention to the new crowd at all. Instead, he was serving up drinks and listening very intently on the music playing. His music. There was no bar flare tonight, no smiles or anything remotely pleasing when Mark came to the bar. Jay budded into the order, bumping Jen down the line. It only earned him a scowl.
Slapping the flat of his palm down on the counter, Jay leaned forward on it and glared. "Get ya a drink?"
"The pathetic usual," Mark said, waving a hand dismissively. His hair was finally starting to grow back and his skin wasn't so gross and waxy anymore, but he was still on the no drug orders from the doctor. If he didn't know better, he'd think that the doctor was trying to make him quit his vices. As if.
Jay pursed his lips and grabbed a glass, scooping up some ice and set it down on the counter, empty. "There." He knew what to make of Mark's modifications to his music. It was pure and ruthless butchery, mocking country music to the core. He hated how it was remixed, how it was used and felt stupid giving it to Mark at all. He didn't think it would be heard by other people, let alone played in the bar without his permission.
Mark raised the glass to his lips, and raised an eyebrow when he got a mouthful of ice instead of cola. With a sigh, he put the glass down on the bar and hopped up onto a stool. It would take an idiot not to accurately read the winged boy. "Why didn't you like it?" he asked bluntly. "Didn't you see everyone dancing?"
"Ah ain't blind yanno. They dance cause what else are they gonna do? Stand around and stare at each other?" Jay rolled his eyes and nodded to a blond that approached the bar next to Mark. "Rum and coke," he ordered, to which Jay served him up. It took two minutes to do it, pay and get the guy gone, but before he left, he cruised Jay up and down before leaving a small tip on the table. His phone number. Jay sighed, taking the paper and crunching it up, sliding it to the floor at his feet. "Ah hated all of it, especially that part where it picks up and then whirls into somethin' else. Yanno which part Ah'm talkin' about right?"
"Yeah, it whirls into the next track on your demo." Mark pushed his glass forward and nodded at the soda hose to silently ask for an actual drink. "How could you not like it? I was very careful about the whole thing. I didn't drown out your singing, and the guitar is prominent the whole way through. It's still very much your song, just with, you know, actual music to invigorate people instead of depress them."
"Yeah, Ah just... how do yanno they like it? Ah never gave it to ya to humiliate the shit outta me. It wasn't supposed to be heard, it wasn't ready," Jay snatched up the empty glass and filled it. He set it down on the counter, annoyed. "Ah wasn't ready. It sounds like shit. Ah don't care what you say. It ain't supposed to be heard like that."
Mark drained his glass and offered a contented belch before answering. "I've been here for almost five years, Jay. I know what my people like and what they don't like. This? They liked. You're a musician, a performer. You want to be heard. I can tell just by looking at you. You're not playing the right game here if you take the emo country route. You're not in Mississippi or wherever anymore. Welcome to New York."
He opened his mouth to argue but another customer came up and ordered a beer. Jay bent down, fetching it, all the while, his eyes fixed on Mark. He set the drink on the counter while Jen came by. Giving Mark a wink. "Loosen up Jay," she breathed against Jay's cheek, reaching over him and plucked the empty glass from the counter. Placing it in a Tupperware container, Jen whisked by Jay and smiled at Mark again before disappearing into the back. The customer paid and left. Jay pursed his lips once before making his voice final. "Ah want mah CD back."
Mark didn't reply immediately, and just kept his eyes on Jay as if daring him to recant. When he didn't Mark sighed to himself and shook his head. "Fine, it's up in my booth. But I really think you're making a huge mistake."
"Jay!" called another bartender who mouthed a little help please?
He picked up the cloth and slung it over his shoulder. "Ah'll get it on mah break." His wings bristled and turned his back on Mark, leaving the DJ without giving him another drink. If he wanted it, he could ask someone else.
Summer had barely even started, and already New York City was getting disgustingly hot. But if you were going to be all hot and sweaty, might as well head to a nightclub where you'd feel that anyway. Silver was surprisingly full for a July night. With the local colleges out for the summer, many of the regulars were away, but it seemed like every twentysomething tourist had come to replace them. Mark finished spinning a new track to roaring applause, then set up a playlist to cover him for a bit as he headed down to the bar for a Coke. (Still no rum, at least for a little while longer.)
It was hard to say if he liked that all the regulars were away and the club filled with strangers or whether he missed them. With all the bodies displayed in front of him, he had a perfect view of the flab, the sculpt abs and curvy thighs. There was enough drool from Jay to not miss the regulars. That was, if he was paying attention to the new crowd at all. Instead, he was serving up drinks and listening very intently on the music playing. His music. There was no bar flare tonight, no smiles or anything remotely pleasing when Mark came to the bar. Jay budded into the order, bumping Jen down the line. It only earned him a scowl.
Slapping the flat of his palm down on the counter, Jay leaned forward on it and glared. "Get ya a drink?"
"The pathetic usual," Mark said, waving a hand dismissively. His hair was finally starting to grow back and his skin wasn't so gross and waxy anymore, but he was still on the no drug orders from the doctor. If he didn't know better, he'd think that the doctor was trying to make him quit his vices. As if.
Jay pursed his lips and grabbed a glass, scooping up some ice and set it down on the counter, empty. "There." He knew what to make of Mark's modifications to his music. It was pure and ruthless butchery, mocking country music to the core. He hated how it was remixed, how it was used and felt stupid giving it to Mark at all. He didn't think it would be heard by other people, let alone played in the bar without his permission.
Mark raised the glass to his lips, and raised an eyebrow when he got a mouthful of ice instead of cola. With a sigh, he put the glass down on the bar and hopped up onto a stool. It would take an idiot not to accurately read the winged boy. "Why didn't you like it?" he asked bluntly. "Didn't you see everyone dancing?"
"Ah ain't blind yanno. They dance cause what else are they gonna do? Stand around and stare at each other?" Jay rolled his eyes and nodded to a blond that approached the bar next to Mark. "Rum and coke," he ordered, to which Jay served him up. It took two minutes to do it, pay and get the guy gone, but before he left, he cruised Jay up and down before leaving a small tip on the table. His phone number. Jay sighed, taking the paper and crunching it up, sliding it to the floor at his feet. "Ah hated all of it, especially that part where it picks up and then whirls into somethin' else. Yanno which part Ah'm talkin' about right?"
"Yeah, it whirls into the next track on your demo." Mark pushed his glass forward and nodded at the soda hose to silently ask for an actual drink. "How could you not like it? I was very careful about the whole thing. I didn't drown out your singing, and the guitar is prominent the whole way through. It's still very much your song, just with, you know, actual music to invigorate people instead of depress them."
"Yeah, Ah just... how do yanno they like it? Ah never gave it to ya to humiliate the shit outta me. It wasn't supposed to be heard, it wasn't ready," Jay snatched up the empty glass and filled it. He set it down on the counter, annoyed. "Ah wasn't ready. It sounds like shit. Ah don't care what you say. It ain't supposed to be heard like that."
Mark drained his glass and offered a contented belch before answering. "I've been here for almost five years, Jay. I know what my people like and what they don't like. This? They liked. You're a musician, a performer. You want to be heard. I can tell just by looking at you. You're not playing the right game here if you take the emo country route. You're not in Mississippi or wherever anymore. Welcome to New York."
He opened his mouth to argue but another customer came up and ordered a beer. Jay bent down, fetching it, all the while, his eyes fixed on Mark. He set the drink on the counter while Jen came by. Giving Mark a wink. "Loosen up Jay," she breathed against Jay's cheek, reaching over him and plucked the empty glass from the counter. Placing it in a Tupperware container, Jen whisked by Jay and smiled at Mark again before disappearing into the back. The customer paid and left. Jay pursed his lips once before making his voice final. "Ah want mah CD back."
Mark didn't reply immediately, and just kept his eyes on Jay as if daring him to recant. When he didn't Mark sighed to himself and shook his head. "Fine, it's up in my booth. But I really think you're making a huge mistake."
"Jay!" called another bartender who mouthed a little help please?
He picked up the cloth and slung it over his shoulder. "Ah'll get it on mah break." His wings bristled and turned his back on Mark, leaving the DJ without giving him another drink. If he wanted it, he could ask someone else.
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Date: 2008-07-04 09:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-04 09:57 pm (UTC)