Inspired by Tom Waits and his song Tom Traubert's Blues (Waltzing Matilda). Lyrics belong to Mr. Waits.
Blood and Whiskey
By Sailor Onyx Pluto
The lounge was quiet, save for the occasional clink of a glass or throat-clearing cough. Many of the night's patrons were regulars to the Sax and Keys Club, and were privy to the nightly performers, be they amateurs or seasoned. Tonight was no different as the tired eyes watched the latest hopeful on the small stage, seated at the black piano. Her long, blonde hair was tied into a braid that dangled down the back of her emerald dress, and her blue eyes focused on her hands as she was about to begin her last song of the night. Taking in a steady breath, she started to play the familiar notes as the small ensemble quietly joined in.
Wasted and wounded/it ain't what the moon did
I got what I paid for now
And I'll see ya tomorrow/hey Frank can I borrow/a couple of bucks from you
To go waltzing Matilda/waltzing Matilda
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me
And I'm an innocent victim/of a blinded alley
And I'm tired of all these soldiers here
She didn't sing like the original composer but rather in her soprano tone, giving the song a new life.
No one speaks English/everything's broken
And my Stacys are soaking wet
To go waltzing Matilda/waltzing Matilda
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me
And now the dogs are barking/and the taxi cab's parking
A lot they can do for me
And I begged you to stab me/and as you tore my shirt open/and I'm down on my knees tonight
And old Bushmills I stagger/and as you bury the dagger/in your silhouette window light
To go waltzing Matilda/waltzing Matilda
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me
And though I've lost my Saint Christopher/now that I've kissed her/and the one-armed bandit knows
And the maverick Chinaman/and all these cold-blooded signs/and the girls down by the strip tease shows go
Waltzing Matilda/waltzing Matilda/you'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me
And no, I don't want your sympathy/as the fugitives say/that the streets aren't for dreaming now
And manslaughter dragnets/and all these ghosts that sell memories/they want a piece of the action anyhow
Waltzing Matilda/waltzing Matilda/you'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me
And you can ask any sailor/and the keys from the jailer/and the old men in wheelchairs know
Matilda's the defendant/she's killed about a hundred/and she follows wherever you may go
Waltzing Matilda/waltzing Matilda/you'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me
And it's a battered old suitcase/into a hotel someplace/and a wound that will never heal
And no prima donna/you know the perfume is on/an old shirt that is stained with blood and whiskey
Goodnight to the street sweepers/and all these night watchmen flame keepers
Goodnight Matilda too
Upon finishing the song, she received a standing ovation, but couldn't be sure if it was because she was liked or if they were glad it was her last song.
'Take what you get and be grateful for it, Minako.' Her mother's words rang true in her mind as she took a bow and left the stage to go to the small dressing room for performers. It was nothing spectacular, but it served its purpose. Sighing, Minako sat down at the vanity and proceeded to wipe off her makeup when her phone went off from her coat pocket.
"What now?" she half-groaned, snatching the annoying device and opening it to see who it was. "You're lucky my set's over, Usagi," she practically snapped.
"Sorry, Mina," her friend apologized. "Sounds like you had a bad night."
"Not really, but I can never tell if I'm getting better or if the crowd is glad I'm done. I don't know why I keep doing this to myself."
"Because you're trying to save up some extra cash in the hopes you get accepted into Julliard?"
"Hope is the right word," Mina groaned as she took her makeup off. "I keep accepting these gigs, keeping my fingers crossed that the right person will hear me, but after two years, I'm starting to doubt it'll ever happen."
"Don't start talking like that, Miss Aino. We all know you're more than qualified to get into that school, so don't you dare talk like you're not." Usagi scolded. "By the way, you ever think about trying to land a scholarship?"
"Been too busy working to even look into it," Mina put the phone down to put her coat on. "Probably should though since I seem to be barely scrapping by right now."
"I've told you numerous times: if you ever need help with rent or groceries, you can call me."
"I know, I know," she went to collect her payment for the show then waved to the musicians who played with her. "Guess I have too much pride to ask for help. Mom even offered me the chance to move back in anytime I wanted to." Pulling her coat tighter to block out the cold wind, she stepped out of the club and started to walk towards the subway.
"Well, when you get into Julliard, you should take her up on her offer."
"I may have to do that if I can't get a scholarship. Listen, I'm about to get on the subway but I'll call you when I get home."
"Alrighty, Mina. I'll talk to you soon and be careful."
"Don't worry, Usa. My dad didn't enroll me in those self-defense classes just to get me out of the house. See ya," and the blonde hung up as she was walking down the steps to the underground station. She slid her pass card and went through the turnstile onto the platform. There were maybe three or four other people waiting for the train, and the majority looked as though they were going home from the bar. One in particular caught Mina's attention as he was the only one not in a business suit nor was he in clothing that said he was a vagrant.
He had icy blue eyes that could've been gray in the right light, and long white hair in a ponytail, which contrasted with his tanned skin. He was seated on a bench, reading a book but Mina wasn't able to see the title, and she didn't want to be caught staring. Checking her watch, she only had two minutes before the train arrived, so she moved closer to the tracks as the sound of the transportation machine moved closer. Shrieking to a stop, the sliding doors opened, and the blonde music hopeful stepped on then took a seat on the opposite side of the car. Before the doors could close, the man from the bench entered and sat a little further down from her on the opposite side.
Sneaking a glance, Mina was slightly disappointed that he went right back to his book. 'Probably didn't even give me a passing glance when he got on.' Despite being the starving musical artist she was, she could also be a bit of a narcissist when it came to her looks. Not to say that she looked into a mirror every chance she got but she did have a tendency to overreact when she thought someone should be paying attention to her. 'Oh, the hell with it,' she concluded as the subway train began moving. 'I'm too tired to even say anything to him.' Taking a pair of headphones from her coat pocket, she plugged them into her phone and started to newest playlist but kept the volume low so she could still hear what was going on around her.
After a thirty-minute ride, Mina heard the announcement for her stop, turned the music off, and stood up to get ready to exit the car. Before she could steady herself, the subway train jolted to a rough stop, causing her to lose her balance. She never hit the floor, however. The man who had been reading was now holding her around the waist; not tight but enough to keep her from face planting.
"You alright there, miss?" he asked in a deep, steady voice.
"Yeah, uhm, thank you." She reoriented herself as she felt her heart pounding.
"No problem. If this is your stop, you might want to get off."
"Oh, right. Excuse me," and before he could respond, she dashed through the sliding doors and up the steps to the street. Under the light of a street lamp, she stopped to catch her breath. "What the hell was that?" she asked herself. "A total stranger makes my heart pound as if its trying to break my ribs. How is that possible?"
"Miss?" Her head snapped up. The voice of said stranger halted her diatribe, and she cautiously turned to see him standing across the sidewalk. "Sorry if I scared you, but you ran out of there so fast, I wanted to make sure you were alright."
Mina blinked as if she wasn't hearing him correctly. "I'm fine. I just didn't want to miss my stop since I'm not too far from here." 'Now, why the hell did you say that?' her inner voice questioned. 'You don't even know his name.'
As if reading her mind, the stranger stepped a little closer and held out a hand. "I'm Kunzite Burton, by the way." He smiled. "And you are?"
'He sure has a nice smile.' "Minako Aino." Mina shook his hand politely but found herself taken in by how firm his handshake was, not to mention the callouses on his fingers.
"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Aino." Kunzite replied, releasing her hand.
"You can call me Mina, Mr. Burton."
"Only if you call me Kunzite." He chuckled, and Mina suddenly felt at ease with him, even though they'd just officially met.
"Alright, Kunzite," she offered. "Uhm, listen, I really have to get home as I've had a long day and need some sleep so I can work in the morning."
"Of course, of course. I didn't mean to keep you. Do you need me to walk with you? Wouldn't want anything to happen to you."
She thought about it for a moment. 'He seems like a good guy but that could change once he finds out where you live.' 'Can it. Besides, I can take care of myself if I need to.' Silencing her mental battle, she decided: "That would be very nice if you did that."
"Shall we then?" and they started walking away from the subway stairs. "May I ask where you were coming from?" he asked when they were at the block's corner.
"The Sax and Keys Club. I play there on a regular basis." She looked both ways before crossing the street then taking a right.
"I know that place. What do you play when you're there?"
"Piano mostly, but I'm learning the flute, and I sing."
He gave her his full attention. "You sing?" She nodded, a bit of blush creeping into her cheeks. "I'll have to come hear you then next time you're at the club. Alto, tenor, or soprano?"
"Soprano." She made a left then stopped about halfway down the block in front of a six-story old stone building. "Here I am." She turned to see him looking up at the windows then back down at her. "Thank you, by the way."
"Anytime, Mina." He looked to be contemplating something. "If you ever want to talk or need something, here's my card with my cell number."
She took it and read it. "Investigator? Are you a P.I.?"
"Something like that. Some of my friends are in the financial game and have called on me to look into some shady clients. You could say I have a knack for finding out information that people want to keep hidden." Mina wasn't so sure she liked hearing that, and it must've shown on her face because he let out a laugh. "Not to worry. I'm very careful not to break any laws or step over any lines that most people wouldn't cross."
'I suppose that's reassuring. Still…,' she thought to herself. "I'll keep you in mind, Kunzite. Do you mind walking me up to my apartment?" 'Now, that's just asking for trouble.' 'Shut up.'
"Not at all." She unlocked the front door then led them to the elevator where she pushed the button for the fifth floor. When the car stopped, she led him to number 507, where they stopped. "Well, it was great meeting you, and like I said, you ever need anything, feel free to call me anytime. If I don't answer, leave a message or text me."
"I will and thank you again."
"Until next time, Miss Mina," and he gripped her hand for a moment then turned to go back to the elevator.
"Wow, that went better than I expected," she said to herself as she unlocked her apartment. What greeted her when she got inside was hardly expected. "What the hell are you doing here?" she nearly screamed.
"Figured I'd surprise you, honey," the person seated on her couch said.
Mina visibly cringed when he said honey. "I should've changed that stupid lock. I thought I told you never to come back here again." Her voice was raised again. "Get the fuck out before I call the cops on you for trespassing, or maybe I should call Makoto instead, although I can't guarantee you'll leave here in one piece if I do."
Kunzite stopped when he heard a woman's shrill voice. "What was that about?" He turned to scan down the hallway but didn't see anyone, so he just listened and heard another outburst.
"Didn't you hear me? I said get out!" Now, he knew where it was coming from: Mina's apartment. Not wasting time, he ran to her door and placed a hand on the knob to enter when he heard someone else.
"Come on, Mina! Don't be like that! You know how much I love you."
The investigator heard the blonde laugh. "Love? Love! What the hell do you know about it? You left me for someone else when you decided I was, how did you put it, 'too obsessed with getting into one of the best music schools in the country to have a boyfriend.' Oh, yeah. You really showed me that you loved me. Ha!" she scoffed. "I'm telling you one more time, Josh. Get out and don't come back."
Before he could reply, she heard the knob turn and the door swung open to reveal Kunzite. "Apologies, Mina, but I couldn't help overhearing and wanted to make sure you didn't need any assistance." He eyed Josh as if he were sizing him up, although there wasn't much to size up. The other man was shorter than Kunzite, with blue eyes, and messy brown hair, and not much muscle either.
"Who the hell are you?" Mina's ex-boyfriend tried to sound intimidating, but it came out as little more than a squeak, causing her to stifle a giggle.
'Maybe having this guy around won't be such a bad idea.' She thought as she watched the confrontation.
"Someone who's obviously more of a man than you, pipsqueak." Kunzite couldn't believe this guy was trying to step up to him, but the whiskey odor on his breath might have something to do with it. 'Alcohol makes people do stupid shit.' He thought, keeping his focus on Josh.
"What gives you the right to come in here, anyway? I wasn't doing anything." He planned on getting Mina back, even if it meant doing something unpleasant, but now he couldn't with this stranger here.
"From what I heard, the lady doesn't want you here, so maybe you should leave, and I'll be much nicer than the police, if you don't push your luck. I happen to know a few of New York's finest, and they don't take kindly to trespassers."
The spark seemed to go out in Josh's eyes, and he looked at Mina then back at Kunzite as he was weighing his options. "Fine," he sighed. "I'll go, but don't think I won't be back."
"Trust me, you won't," Kunzite put a hand out. "Your key, please."
"No way, pal! I'm not giving you anything."
"The hell you aren't!" Mina spoke up. "I told you I never wanted to see you again and I meant it. Now, hand it over!"
"Alright, alright! Take it, damnit!" He gave the key to Mina, who quickly put it in her coat pocket.
"Now, leave, and don't come around here again, or I will call the cops."
"You know what, Mina. You never know what you have until it's gone, and I hope one day you realize that I was the best thing you ever had in your life." Before she could reply, Josh pushed his way past Kunzite and stomped down the hall to the elevator.
"Well, now that that's over, would you like to come in?" She joked, inviting her rescuer inside.
"Only if I won't be intruding," he laughed, stepping inside and closing the door. "Ex-boyfriend, I take it?"
"Yes, and thankfully, an ex. I don't know what I ever saw in that moron. He was so self-absorbed, as you heard, and wanted me to spend every free minute I had with him, which I couldn't do." She hung her coat in the closet next to the small kitchen and kicked off her heels. "I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised to see him here, but I did tell him to bug off more than once. Even had to call my best friend to escort him out. She doesn't play nice with guys who hurt her friends."
"Good to know, if I ever meet her." Kunzite quickly realized what he'd said and looked to Mina, who had a shocked expression on her face. "Sorry. It slipped out."
"That's alright," she went to the kitchen to start a kettle of hot water. "I'm used to it; just not from someone I only met an hour ago. Fancy a cup of tea?" she asked in a funny British accent.
"Why not?" He replied. "Mind if I sit down?"
"Not at all," and he pulled up a stool at the small breakfast bar.
She pulled two mugs from the cupboard and selected a lemon-ginger tea. "So, do you mind if I ask you something?" He shook his head. "You already met my last relationship. Are you seeing anyone?"
"Not at the moment. The job can make me too busy more often than not, so I'm not able to consider a relationship."
'Well, that could be a plus.' Mina thought. "I know what you mean about being too busy. I'm trying to get into Julliard right now."
"That's a hell of a goal. Not an easy school to get in to."
"Tell me about it. I've been working like crazy for the last two years to save up enough money to attend, but between that, rent, bills, and food, I'm barely getting by."
"You try for a scholarship? Thank you," he said as she handed him his tea.
"You're welcome," she said, sitting down opposite him. "Another friend of mine suggested the same thing, and I think I'll try it. Worst that'll happen is that I'll get turned down."
"While I haven't heard you sing or play yet, I don't think you'll get turned down, for a scholarship or admission."
"What makes you so sure?"
He shrugged. "Call it a hunch," and he sipped his tea.
Mina looked at the man she'd only met a short while ago; the man who had kept her from falling on the subway train; the man who was gracious enough to walk her home, and the man who kicked her ex-boyfriend out of her apartment, and hopefully, out of her life for good. Was he really so certain of her success, or was he only playing to her ego so he could get something out of her? Rei had always told her to be cautious of men as most only wanted one thing for themselves, but this one seemed different. He seemed… genuine, as if he actually had a heart, unlike most of the creeps she'd dated throughout her teens and into early adulthood.
Coming out of her train of thought, she decided to do something she never thought she'd do. "Listen, Kunzite. If you're not busy tomorrow night, I'm playing at the Sax and Keys again for a two-song set and was wondering if you'd like to come."
The investigator smiled. "Of course I would, but why only two songs, if you don't mind me asking."
"It's something the manager started a while back to get more performers in on Saturday nights. Two Song Saturdays, he calls it. Only two per artist, no matter if they're an amateur or a veteran. That way, everyone gets an equal amount of recognition, plus he gets more paying customers as the genres vary by artist."
"What are you planning on playing then?" he asked, leaning forward a bit.
"Not telling," she said with a bit of a flirtatious undertone. "You'll have to wait and see." He stuck his lower lip out in a pout, but she wasn't falling for it. "Nope, not gonna work on me. I'm sticking to my guns."
"Oh, alright," he gave up. "I'll play along, you little vixen, but now you have to let me buy you a drink when you're done tomorrow night."
"It's a deal." She replied, picking up her mug and putting it in the sink. "Oh, wow. I didn't realize it was getting this late. I need to get some sleep. Sorry to have to do this to you,"
"It's perfectly alright. I need to get home too to catch up on some paperwork." He handed her his mug. "I enjoyed the tea and your company, Mina. I'm glad we ran into each other."
"Me too, Kunzite," she held out a hand. "See you tomorrow night then?"
He gripped her hand lightly and kissed it. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."
She blushed pink. "Then I'll see you at the club."
"See you then," and he let himself out. She watched until he got in the elevator then closed and locked the door. Her heart was pounding again and Mina had to take a few breaths to get it to slow down.
'Wow! I sure hope he shows up because I invited Makoto, Usagi, Rei, and Ami, and I want them to meet him. Wait? Why the hell am I thinking about that already? I'm not even dating this guy! Not yet anyway.' "Yet is the right word as he would be fun to go out with. More fun than Josh." Looking at the time again, Mina decided that was enough contemplation for one night and went to bed, but not before making sure her door was securely locked, lest her asshole ex try to come back in.