It was near silent and dim but the stage had already been set. Ongoers clad in expensive skirts and suits searched endlessly for their nights entertainment in fancy laced chairs.
A young man hidden behind the counter simply rolled his eyes as nimble fingers cleaned the insides of a mug with a tattered rag. His shades hid his lingering eyes under a mop of dirty blonde hair. He 'tsked', the tip of his tongue hissing against his teeth.
It was so typical of people like them.
Suddenly the sound of erupted applause filled the room as a pair of polished shoes began to approach the stage. He didn't even bother to glance up as he heard scrapes of chair against wood.
After about thirty seconds, his hand paused in mid swipe. The flow of the tones and notes all came together as a peaceful and simple tune, but Dave Strider had never heard anything so damn good in his entire life.
It was almost an addicting sound, but at the same time, it let your mind wander.
His interest in the musician quickly rose as he finally looked up, the gleam of the piano even from a distance was easy to spot, reflecting off his shades. Dave found himself even more surprised, that the one playing the piece, looked about the same age as himself.
Tailored in a classic black suit, sat another young man. His eyes were fluttered shut in concentration as his fingers slid easily across the glossy keys of the piano. Despite the clothes, his messy black hair and freckled cheeks gave him almost a goofy sort of appearance. One you would find advertising a kids toy commercial.
Dave wasn't the only one who found himself impressed with the music. Most conversations had ceased when the music began.
When the performance met it's end, everyone was standing out of their seats to applaud. Dave watched from the counter as the man cheekily grinned, standing up from the piano to bow politely. Dave could have sworn he looked his way.
By the time the checkered clock hanging from the wall struck twelve, the room was almost completely cleared. Dave normally would have left for his shitty apartment by now, but his curiosity in this musician caused him to linger. As Dave placed a final glass in it's spot, he heard a voice behind him. "Oh, you're still here?" Dave's attention snapped to the stage as he watched the other close the piano's slick cover. "I thought I was the only one still here, haha." He said with a sheepish smile. He stood up from his spot, and Dave noticed his walk seemed a bit duck-footed.
It didn't take long for the musician to be leaning against the counter, still grinning. "My name's John. What's yours?" He asked. Dave almost found himself wondering, how he could act so damn dorky after playing like that. It was almost unnerving. "Dave." "Well Dave, it's nice to meet you." Dave simply nodded. "Yeah, same."
There was an awkward pause.
"Well anyway Dave, I better get going, it's getting pretty late." John said, pulling on a coat. It struck against the fancy suit but he didn't seem to be bothered by it. Just as he pushed the door open, letting a gush of cold air inside, he glanced back over at Dave. "It's getting kinda late you know.. maybe you should head home soon." He said as he carefully wrapped a scarf around his neck. He sent Dave one last grin. "See ya around, Dave." And with that, he left into the cold.
Dave remained frozen for a few seconds, staring at the spot John had been moments ago. He suddenly snapped back into attention, though still in a bit of a daze. He hastily pulled on a jacket of his own, before setting out himself into the late night of December.