Muse in the Velvet Room
A grey haze hung in the evening air and rain hammered down on everything below like a two-on-one assault. Just typical, but people called this place 'Rain City' for a reason. When anyone asked me what I thought of the climate here I would just shrug, give them a smile and tell them it was a lot better here than out east. And most people agreed with me, after all this place boasted some of the mildest weather in the country, just not today on what should've been a full moon. I didn't mind some rain here and there, it helped wash away all of the worries of the week. That must have been her optimism rubbing off on me, she always looked for the bright spots whenever possible. I remember she loved to pull me outside and we'd play in the rain with nothing but gumboots on…
I shook those memories away, telling myself this was no time to be looking back. But I allowed myself a small smile while I watched the cars swoosh by, leaving mist in their wakes. I tilted my umbrella back a little and checked my left and right before I stepped off the curb to cross the street. My shoes splish splashed in the shallow puddles on the way to the other side. An impatient driver made his left hand turn while I was still crossing and came within a foot of paying for my medical bills. I shrugged it off as just another near miss and carried on towards my destination a couple of blocks away.
The wind started to pick up, and I had to fight to keep my umbrella between me and the rain. Despite the downpour there were quite a few people walking the streets. Their umbrellas bobbed up and down as they forded through the grey air around them and the water below. I made sure my jacket zipper came all the way up to my nose and quickened my pace. I was headed to a neighbourhood restaurant and club not far from the campus of my university. I could see the neon purple sign not too far off now. 'Velvet Room' in a fancy cursive script shone brightly even in the milky night. Down the steps I went, taking them two at time but still being cautious as to not slip. Down at the landing I shook off the excess moisture out of my umbrella by opening and closing it a few times before I collapsed it fully. I was finally here.
I pushed through the first set of double doors and spotted the familiar blue bucket in the corner that held other customers' umbrellas. I gave mine a final shake and placed it with the others. I could make out some faint chords of a familiar tune coming from the piano inside and allowed myself a smile before going through the next set of doors. To the right was the bar with only a few stools occupied by patrons, some I recognized and some I did not. A staff member approached me with a smile, "Nice seeing you again," she greeted while offering to take my outerwear to the coat room.
I returned the smile and offloaded my jacket. The maitre d' Margaret took it from me with great care and disappeared into a room beyond the bar. It was a nice temperature inside and I could feel the warmth wash over me along with the melodies coming from the piano to my left. Margaret returned from the coat room and scooped up two menus from the bar counter top. She radiated a type of aura that was at once sophisticated and professional but also youthful and relaxed. Her dress certainly played a significant hand in it. I wasn't taking any fashion courses but I didn't need any to note style. Blue checked blazer, matching checked pencil dress and heels went nicely with her charcoal dress shirt and also fit the ambiance of the place perfectly.
She motioned for me to follow her to a low table against the far wall that gave an excellent view of the stage. Once I had settled in I ordered a glass of water to start and flipped through the menu absentmindedly, unconsciously humming along to the slow, sustained notes the pianist on stage was selecting. I think it was "Aria of the Soul," I had no idea who wrote it. I slid back into the cushioned bench and allowed myself to be fully immersed in the atmosphere of the place. It was like being at home in the calm deep blue ocean. Blues and greens, mostly blues were everywhere from the marble floors to the fabric on the seats to the stage curtains. The colour palette was like an instant tranquilizer for me, my nerves were already calming down after that killer exam I'd just escaped from. The restaurant was lively but not overflowing with patrons. Hushed conversations were taking place at various tables, creating a soft murmur that didn't drown out the lone piano.
I came here every once in awhile to enjoy the music and unwind after stressful days at school. Kyuuma, a senior at the university and good friend had recommended it as a prime spot for intimate, romantic dinners. "Just right for sealing the deal," was how he had put it with his patented grin. He told me he had a 100% success rate here, what a smooth operator. My first visit was something I'd rather forget but the space itself had left such an impression on me that I found myself coming back again and again.
It wasn't long before a different server brought me my water and asked if I had decided on something. When I looked up from my menu I had to do a double take. She looked strikingly similar to the maitre d', if you replaced the wavy platinum blonde hair and blue hairband with a bob cut and what resembled the sort of hat flight attendants wore. Sisters perhaps? She wore a sleeveless turtleneck dress in the same blue tone as the hostess with complementing boots cut just below the knees. She noticed my expression and suppressed a giggle. "Yes we're sisters." I guess my face had said it all.
Being a student I settled for their lager on tap. I wasn't much of a beer drinker but it was one of my go to drinks in these situations. I found them pretty easy to gulp down or sip. I turned my attention back to the music, focusing on the notes once again. They felt, blue, for lack of a better word, melancholy. "Love Theme from Spartacus?" It sure sounded like it. I had heard it in my film studies class earlier last year. To say that score had impact would be an understatement, the way it played at the end. The woman on stage was accompanying her bittersweet words marvellously with sparse chords from the monochrome keys of the polished black grand piano, and that's when I noticed. I noticed the performer for the first time. I could only see her profile because of the way the piano was set up on the stage, but that's all I needed.
She was like the full moon hanging in the winter night sky, shining brilliantly in solitude, mysterious and alluring but surrounded by an air that could freeze you. The dark green wool sweater she wore hugged her slender form down to her waist. A black dress wrapped around her waist and flowed past her knees, leaving the rest to be covered in black stockings. She had pale complexion also like the moon, framed by raven hair that cascaded down to the small of her back and shimmered almost purple under the blue stage lighting. I could see strands of white, maybe ribbon, sway along with her hair as her fingers danced over the ivory. She was only vocalizing over the piano notes, humming here and la-la-la-ing there, but I was held captive by the sight before me and the sounds surrounding me. I didn't even notice the pint set down before me until the final notes were sung.
The applause started modestly, but then steadily rose like a tsunami wave cresting high. Time, normal time, returned again, as did my breathing and I had my first taste of the lager. How long was I frozen there, locked into her time, her world? How long had I been staring right at her like an idiot with my jaw slack? This was the first time I had been so completely swept away into someone else's reality. I checked the time on my phone, 8:13, then I put it away. Time didn't matter tonight. I didn't have any classes tomorrow and this muse, probably no older than I was, had just convinced me to stay until the final song. I took another sip of from my glass, not even tasting the frothy brew, and waited for her to sweep me away again.
Author's Note: It's amazing what a lacklustre and unsatisfying ending will spur you to do. Truthfully I've been turning an idea like this in my head endlessly for quite some time now. Short, AU (real world basically, well maybe not our world if you recognized the references), fluffy I guess, nothing really happens. I'm not even pretending to think I kept our main main in character but I just had to get this out of my system.
I'm really encouraged by the trickle of stories that have been coming out for Valvrave recently and I hope there's more to come. I figured I'd toss this one into the (hopefully) growing pool.
This is really my first fic (that I've bothered to make public) in a really long time and also one of my first in the first-person style, I don't think I've really nailed it down but I hope someone finds some enjoyment in this short piece.