It was in the low twinkle of the chandeliers and the smoky hush of the cavernous dance hall that you stepped up to the soft hum of the mic. Your face was flush with the bright lights focused on the stage, the drink you had nursed earlier giving you a little liquid courage as you evened out your breath. The dance hall was lively as always, tables packed with monsters and humans alike, the bar stretching along the length of the hall littered with patrons and heady chatter.
A nearly-silent shift behind you, an inhale… and the band began to play.
The monsters behind you picked up a quick swinging number, the jazzy beat a standard that set your foot tapping as you slid a hand up the microphone stand with a smile and a wink to a nearby table. The cacophony of the room faded to a murmur to your ears as you counted out the last leading beats. Then, drawing the microphone close, you sung.
There were cheers from the audience, and more than a few wolf-whistles. You tossed out another wink as you reached the refrain and leaned into the lyrics, belting out the pick-up.
You sang your way through a well-rehearsed set, moving in time with the band behind you, eyes roving the audience. A group of human men towards the back caught your eye, their hushed conversation and closed body language a little unusual. A monster waitress swept by their table and deposited a number of glistening drinks, the alcohol swirling amber and gold in several of them - a special made by your favorite bartender. The group barely touched them.
With some effort, you kept your eyes moving as you danced during a musical interlude. You spun, short dress brushing against the top of your knees. A few other tables caught your eye - there, a few members of the financial exchange, and nearby was a mix of suppliers. Across the audience was scattered those who kept to themselves, members of the monster mob, women and men and others who walked the streets, and more - but they weren't the ones you were necessarily looking for.
With the slow end of a crooning number, you finished your set with a dip and a flourish. The hall rang with clapping and cheers.
You smiled through the twinkle of the lights and gestured to the dancefloor front and center of the stage, where a number of monsters and humans had already been dancing. "Thanks for the ear, folks! Give it up for our lovely band, who are playing on for you all. As always, drag your loves and lads out to the floor for a good time," your voice is low and light, and you laugh. "Keep it friendly for the faint of heart, though. And save a dance for me!" You swept off the stage, pecking the cheek of the nearby trumpetist as you did, setting the monster woman's face aflame in a pleased blush. You called out a salute to the band as they lifted their instruments to pick back up again.
The music started again as you strode towards the bar, passing waves and thank you's to monsters and humans who called out as you passed. Your face was flush with the performance high as you plopped into a seat at the bar, waiting your turn as a group of suspiciously young looking monsters received their drink from the flaming bartender. You chuckled as he walked towards you, slipping their coins into the cash box as he passed it.
"Gotta love what monster food can do to keep you looking young these days, Grillby," you remarked, setting your cheek in one hand.
"Even better what a decent attitude and good gold will do," Grillby replied. His voice was low and rough, the cadence of a spanish accent giving a smooth and rounded lilt to the bonfire crackle of his voice. He didn't have eyes, or really even a discernable mouth, but you had long learned how to read the shift of his flames behind his wire frames. You laughed at the wry twist of his fire.
"Can't argue with that, though I'm almost surprised the made it past our little strongarm," you replied. "I've gotta get back out there, but mind grabbing me the usual?"
He nodded, reaching below him to pull out a tall, thin glass. "Knowing your right words will get you far in this world," he observed of the young monsters who had gone to experiment with their drinks at a booth along the back wall. You nod with a breathy laugh in response. With entrancingly smooth movements and a practiced touch, Grillby took the glass and mixed in a number of chilled liquids, one fizzing, and with a tilt of the glass slipped in the contents of the last bottle - a sparkling amber liquid. As he set down the bottle, he swiped a single fiery knuckle along the rim of the glass, fogging up the open area and making stark cool crystals form at the bottom of the glass. He passed it to you with an easy slide along the smooth stone countertop.
You lifted it to your lips and sipped, the heat of the rim warming your lips as you drank the chilled liquor, feeling the warm buzz of magic tingle through your veins and settle brightly in your chest as you pulled back. As you looked at Grillby you felt the pulse of magic, and little stars ringed your vision. Grillby's flames twitched into a smile. Your head was surround by a small cloud of tiny, sparkling stars, and your pupils had shifted into small star shapes.
"Give them a run for their money, mija," he said. You laughed and slipped off your stool.
"Don't I always, Grillby?" You replied as you moved back towards the dance floor, drink in hand.
Mingling was a great skill of yours, helped along by the magical drinks you had grown accustomed to. An easy smile rested on your face as you talked to various patrons, many of them regulars and friends. You stepped up to the group of merchants after a few minutes of slowly making your way through the room.
"Thanks for coming, gentlefolk," you said. The group welcomed you with a cheer, halfway through a new round of drinks.
"Your voice is makin' me rethink my life as always, gorgeous!" One man grinned, arm around a younger woman who didn't look upset in the slightest.
"You've got to do a private performance for our next little meeting," one monster insisted, a dopey smile on his face. His drink was a bright pink and little bubbles fizzed and popped above. You covered your mouth to hide your smile - the drink aptly named Lottie Love was a hit among all the genders, and the feel-good effects lasted most the night.
You took a sip of your drink, the fading stars twinkling brightly and coming into focus once again as the group oooh'd and one of the human women leaned back as a waitress passed to eagerly request the same. "I'm flattered, Leo, but you know just how fond I am of my little residency here," you replied with a sweeping gesture to the cavern-like room.
"You're practically the star of this joint, canary - hardly little!" Another monster argued proudly. The other monsters joined in, and you flushed with the praise, waving them off with a laugh and a bow.
"It's you all who make me shine the way I do," you said with a grin, pointing at the small stars floating around your head. A chorus of cheers and groans followed you as you take your leave with a cheeky bow and a wave. You danced your way through the floor for a few minutes, spinning from one patron to the next, greeting familiar faces and new alike.
Not all the groups you visited truly brought up flags. As one of the main entertainers for El Fuego Del Alma, it was in good taste to bump shoulders with the crowd - it's part of the draw, after all.
Well, outside of the illegal fare. There was always something of a rush in being underground like this, in more than just the literal sense.
At last you slipped away from the dance floor again and make it to one of the back tables, the one with the hushed group of human men. You smiled as you approached, turning on the charm to match your magical sparkle.
"I don't suppose any of you fine men are up for a spin around the floor?" You asked as you took one last sip of your drink, sending a fresh wave of dancing stars about your head. You deposited your glass on the proffered tray of a passing waiter, murmuring a thank you to them before refocusing back on the table.
"We don't wanna hog your attention," one of them said, looking away. None of them were really looking you in the eye, and you knew with barely a glance that the nearly-depleted drinks in front of them were not only the same from earlier, but they were non-magical. The drink's effects were internal, as opposed to your own - the men would be feeling particularly warm and bright, like they had an oddly comfortable set of coals in their core.
"Nothing would make me more pleased than to get to know a few new faces," you responded. You leaned forward onto the table slightly, turning on the charm to get at least one of them to look at you. They all looked distinctly uncomfortable, still, though you could see a few were fighting and losing the temptation to slide their gaze up your bare arms.
You fought a sigh. But it had paid off - "Alright, alright, can't say no to a face like that then, can I," one groused. He pushed a couple of his companions out of the way and offered his arm. You snaked yours through it and allowed him to lead you to the dance floor. The song was of a quick pace, and you stepped up to him and fell in to the beat quickly. He wasn't quite so smooth, and was making a clear effort to try to not trip over you. You ignored his inexpert leading and focused on staying out of the way of his legs.
"So what brings you in to our little joint?" You asked, playing up the kind of cadence only plentiful drinking can match.
"A guy's gotta cut loose now 'n then," he replied, glancing at you before watching the floor. He didn't seem to think much of your question.
You slid one hand across the lapel of his suit, fiddling with a fold. "I love it when we get new folks back here - it's real keen, you know?" You said with a giggle. Your fingers smoothed his lapel, not finding what you were looking for.
He grunted noncommittally. Another minute of pained concentration and the song ends, and he stepped back as quickly as he could get away with, mumbling something about needing to talk to his friend, and made a beeline to his table. For the first time, you saw the faces of the men there lift a little as they jostled and teased their friend before settling back in. You made your way back to the bar with a sigh and a roll of your eyes, bringing back an easier and less vapid smile to your face.
You made conversation with a sweet bunny monster and a human girl back at the bar for a few minutes, gossiping about a few entertainers and one of the latest political tizzies they had overheard on the radio. A waitress made of green flame passed by you as the girls took off and dropped off a basket of fries.
"Fuku, you are a lifesaver," you all but groaned, popping a fry into your mouth. "Ugh, even better than the last batch!"
"You say that everytime," she laughed. "Eventually it's just gonna hit a level!"
"I don't think that's possible," you replied as you wave a fry in denial. "Seriously, I don't know how the whole crew keeps making such good stuff. I mean, the magic has it's own punch, but even if they were regular fries…"
"Yeah, they do have just the right kind of crisp, huh?" she said, an honest grin splitting the fire of her face. "Anyways, that one's on us, no worries!"
You thank her profusely as she waves you off and returns to the kitchen. You make your way through the fries, content to wait for Grillby to have a moment.
Your attention wanders, and you look across the room. Three beautiful crystal chandeliers cast the majority of the low light of the room, hanging from the crystalline stone roof. Despite being literally underground, the speakeasy was a gorgeous one; tables were scattered close together across the room, the edges populated by cozy booths, and all ringed around the dark wooden dancefloor in front of the stage. You watched as the band improvised a jazz number, the bassist currently plucking their way through the twining rises and falls of the saxophonist, framed by warm tinted curtains. The bar - and back entrance to the kitchen - laid along the adjacent wall stage left, and stretched nearly the entire way to the corner. Grillby walked back and forth, handling many of the orders, but there was a barhand who helped him out as things needed stocking and cleaning. Candles topped by soft magical flames dotted each table and the stretch of the bar, and the walls were a deep, warm creme broken by intricately carved stone pillars that flowed into the twinkling crystal ceiling. You had been here for two years now, and didn't think you'd ever tire of del Alma's atmosphere.
"How goes it, belleza?"
You turned, throwing Grillby a smile. He didn't use names much for anyone, but you were among the few whom he spoke with at any sort of length and fell into some sort of sweet exception. "All's well, for the most part. We've got a table of pills over by Grey's section, though - grouchy at best, scouts at worst, I'd wager," you said as you finished off the last of your fries. Grillby gestured to his bar hand, who hurried over with a glass of water. You nodded a thank you as Grillby's gaze roved across the speakeasy, slow and all but imperceptible.
"Yes, I was wondering as much," he agreed, picking up a glass and wiping it clean of any smudges. "Thank you for the eye, as always."
You drank deeply from the glass of water, careful to keep it closer to you than to Grillby's side of the bar. "My pleasure, as always - back at you," you reply. His flames flicker in his sort of smile, and you stay in companionable silence as you both look out over the room.
It was in the latest hours of the night, essentially the early hours of the morning, that you slipped out the nondescript back door of the marketplace. Overtown, the side of Ebott City that most monsters lived in, had a number of all-hours markets; with so many monsters living nocturnally and others still not needing to sleep, they had become a staple that even humans would visit for their convenience. One of the largest ones made the perfect front for an entrance to El Fuego del Alma.
You waved at several of the stall owners as you passed by, stopping to grab a steaming Cinnamon Bunny pastry and make some conversation with the rabbit woman who ran the booth shop. The heels of your shoes were digging into your achilles tendons, though, so you bid your farewell fairly quickly and wound your way through the partially open marketplace.
One heel was really starting to throb as the magical food and drink of the night wore off, so you finished off your non-magical pastry and decided to take a shortcut home. Your apartment was about 10 blocks away if you stuck to the main roads, but there were some back alleyways you knew well that would cut that down, so you turned back towards the alley the speakeasy's entrance was in to take your shortcut.
Halfway through that first alley, you saw shadows shifting around the corner. The thought to go the long way crossed your mind, but goddammit it had been a long night and you just wanted to get home and get these shoes off. You drew your jacket closer around you, tucked your head down a little, and picked up the pace as you rounded the corner and aimed to stride right by whoever it was.
"Well if it ain't the little canary," a man drawled. You ignored him, moving to step around the vague, dark shape he posed in the alley. He stuck an arm out to block your path and you scowled.
"I'm just making my way home," you said with a hint of a warning, glancing at his face. It was the same man you had danced with, now looking like he had finally started hitting the alcohol. You noticed a flask dangling in his other hand and fight the urge to roll your eyes. Whatever it was, you doubted it was of the quality he could've enjoyed more back in the bar.
"Well, boys, y'hear that? She jus' wants to get home!" He slurred. The men standing behind him laughed - they blocked the way forward fully now. You didn't think the sound was too friendly, and weren't going to wait to confirm it. With a swift turn you moved to go back towards the market - and nearly ran into two more men. You fought the urge to swear.
"Hey, didn't she seem awfully nosy?" One of the men said to the one you had danced with. There were some noises of agreement from the rest, all sounding like they had been visiting their own flasks too.
"I think you might be onto something, pal," the man you had danced with said. Your eyes darted around, looking for a chance to escape. "Seems you asked a buncha questions and wouldn't let us alone, and then some fuckin' demon comes and tells us not any time later that we oughta make our way out!" He sneered, and you fought the urge to deck him for the slur against monsters. "I'm thinkin' I'm a little put out now, girly. Thinkin' I might need a little, a little…" he waves his hand vaguely, squinting in concentration.
"Re, uh… recompense?" One of his buddies ventured. The man you had danced with grinned.
"Yeah, some of that! So, girly," he continued, straightening up and taking a swig from his flask. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "I think my pals here 'n I are gonna get a little payback for the, the, the loss of the night out," he finished. He gestured with his flask, and two of the men stepped forward, one cracking his knuckles. You shifted your right foot, mentally cursing your bad luck.
Without any further notice, the men lunged for you as their friends cheered. You stepped to the side, causing one to stumble past you and leaving you in the perfect position to slam the point of your heel into the other's instep. He howled and jumped backwards, and you caught a glimpse of two holstered guns under his suit jacket as he reached to clutch his foot. You spun and kicked the one who had missed you in the rear, sending him sprawling on the ground with a shout. You hear the man leading the group swear and turn in time to see him push a couple of others towards you. You ducked as one swung at you with an outstretched hand and popped up hard with your arm bent to slam him in the chin with your elbow, sending him crashing back into the leader before the rough fist of the next grunt met your left cheek. You reeled, white flashing across your vision, then turned to run back the way you came. You were caught by your arm, and shouted in pain as you were wrenched backwards and pinned in place by two of the gangsters on either side.
And they certainly were gangsters. The guns had only confirmed your suspicions, but it was easy enough to see from the way they acted and carried themselves. More than likely, they were part of one of the all-human gangs. You resisted the urge to spit at the feet of the leader as he sauntered close.
"Got a bit of fire, huh?" He didn't ask. Another sneer spread across his face as he leaned towards you. "Not gonna get too far in life actin' too tough, doll."
This time you did spit - and you hit him right in the face. You felt the men holding you back tense. The leader straightened up and wiped his face. He passed his jacket to one of the other men, and took the cuff of his shirt and rolled up one sleeve, then the other.
"You're gonna regret that. You are gonna regret you fought back, you little-"
"Regate."
Without a thought you dropped to the ground at the command, wrenching yourself out of the loosened hold of the startled goons. You felt a sudden rush of searing heat above you, and the screams of the gangsters. The leader swore and you heard the sudden clamor of their fleeing. After a moment you moved to sit up, hands throbbing with the impact of your drop. You heard the soft tap of shoes along the alley street and were greeted by the extended flaming hand of Grillby as you turned into a crouch.
"Thanks, Grillby." You took his offered hand and he pulled you gently to your feet. Letting go of the warm lick of his flames, you brushed yourself off as you felt him watch you.
"How did they hurt you?" He crackled. Concern laced through his tone.
"Not too bad. Peeved that they got kicked out, and I seemed an easy target," you replied. Your hand went to your cheek, and you winced at the swelling sting. You were already forming a lovely bruise, you were sure.
Grillby's hands lifted, and one passed just over your cheek as he inspected the injury. "I can give you something for that," he said as he straightened again, his flames flickering in sympathy.
You shook your head. "I've got some monster candy for just this sort of thing at home." It had cost you a pretty penny, but damn if it wasn't worth it. "Don't worry too much, Grillby. I knew years ago what it meant to leave the human side of town. Trust me, I'd take a hundred of these if it was the only way I could stay."
Grillby stared at you a little longer as you shifted to pat your jacket and glance at the ground, making sure you hadn't dropped anything in the scuffle. Your eye caught on something glinting on the ground, reflecting Grillby's fire - near where you had dropped the one man with your kick.
"You could take one of our offers to walk you home," he said dryly as you bent to grab the tiny item.
You waved him off as you stood and inspected it. "I don't want you all going out of your way like that just for me," you replied. You missed the small shake of Grillby's head as you looked at what appeared to be a small golden teardrop. "Hey… looks like part of a pin. You recognize this symbol at all?" You extended your hand towards Grillby, careful with the unprotected pin point on the backside. The flames behind Grillby's glasses shifted slightly in surprise as he took it from you.
"No puede ser…" he murmured, almost too low for you to hear. You lean in, looking at the pin again, as if you could notice something different now. After a moment, he looked back up at you. "What exactly did these men say to you?"
Your expression shifted thoughtfully. "Honestly, not much. Just that they thought I was being nosy, and implied it might be my fault that they were kicked out." You shook your head and looked at him apologetically. "Nothing outside of that, really - they had clearly been tipping the flask since coming up. I didn't even ask more than usual - I'm always careful of that."
He nodded, looking back at the pin. Your ability to subtly gather information wasn't under suspicion, thankfully.
He stared at the pin for a few moments more, then slipped it into the breast pocket of his white button-down, just behind his glossy vest. "I'll look into it," he said.
You nodded. Trust wasn't an issue between you. You slip your hands into your jacket pockets, smiling up at your fiery friend. "Thank you again, Grillby. The timing of your break was impeccable."
Grillby shifted, looking away as his flames burned a little brighter. "De nada. Be careful on your way home, as I'm sure I will not be able to convince you to be accompanied."
You moved to walk back towards the market, having settled on the long way after the persuading events. "You too, Grillby - and you know me well. I hear the wind is supposed to pick up, so bundle up, okay?"
He nodded in reply, and you waved as he slipped through the back door to head back down to the bar. You looked up at the sky as the door shut soundlessly, staring at the stars you knew he had come to watch on his break. You ignored the dull throb of your hands and the sharper twinge in your cheek, letting the cool night air calm you before making the small trek home.