What I Need (Elaine)

[Deleted]

Brandon was pretty excited. For the past few weeks he spent much of his time looking for a job that he was interested in. Sure, he had the record company, but they were really busy right now. The plan was for him to record something with them in early December, which was too far away for Brandon. He needed to do something with his life other than hanging around in his apartment writing music he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to record. He needed something to take his mind off of it all.

It took him long enough, but eventually someone mentioned that maybe he could play at Club Indigo and Brandon liked the idea. A lot more than he really wanted to admit. So he found himself walking into the establishment, asking if he could talk with whoever was in charge. He knew it was last minute and a part of him expected to be turned out before he got the chance to talk to anyone, but to his surprised he was simply told to wait. Brandon found an empty booth and sat, glancing around the place curiously. Honestly, he had no idea what to expect in a Club like this, but it seemed pretty nice. He was excited and feeling a bit more hopeful than he'd felt for a while.

Elaine Lyra Dupree

[Elaine Lyra Dupree]

Well, this was a fun little nugget that fell into Elaine’s lap today. Sunny had suggested branching out Club Indigo’s clientele to be more open, so that more opportunities for both Refined Holdings and the Purifiers could come to fruition. So, she had decided to introduce a sort of ‘acoustic night’ on Wednesday evenings for up and coming musicians to come play their songs for the crowd. Elaine had no idea if it would be popular or a success, but she supposed it was worth a shot. What she was not expecting was an old friend of Zander Lloyd’s to be one of the first to interview for a chance to play at the club. Zander of course had been the boyfriend of that blood traitor Braelynn Rousseau, who Desi has rightly killed when she had helped the kidnapped students escape their prisons over a year ago. Elaine had of course kept tabs on everyone kidnapped - who they were friends with, who they hated, who they loved. Brandon had been tricky; he had transferred to Durmstrang only to come right back for the Triwizard Tournament his seventh year, but he had been on the ship when the bombs had detonated, causing its total destruction. Elaine hadn’t really cared who had lived or died - as long as there were SOME of each, she was happy - but she had known from her spies at Saint Mungo’s that Brandons recovery had been long and arduous. How funny was it that, now fully healed, he’d be auditioning to play at the club owned by the woman who may very nearly have taken away his music permanently.

Anise was her face today; Sunny had a meeting with investors, and Anise did tend to work well with a younger crowd. She was pretty, and her voice was soft and melodious. She could be flirty and sweet at the same time. She sat in a plush chair facing the stage, having just waved off a crooning country singer that would never step foot in the club again - Elaine would make sure of that. “Brandon Fisher? You’re up!” she said breathlessly, looking over to him with a bright smile.

@brandon

[Deleted]

Brandon stood up when his name was called, making his way to the stage. He wasn't quite sure what to play, but once he saw the piano and made his way over to his favorite instrument and let his fingers take it from there. He ended up playing the song "Piano Man," with gusto and elaborating at some of the piano parts, while generally keeping to the main gist of the song. Honestly, he had a blast. Once he was done, he looked at the lady in charge, not quite sure if he was just supposed to leave or if she would say anything back to him about his performance. He wanted this job pretty badly and didn't want to mess it up by talking out of turn, which he knew annoyed some people. Nope, he had no intention of doing that today.

Elaine Lyra Dupree

[Elaine Lyra Dupree]

Elaine sat back, listening as Brandon played his music. If she was totally honest, she wasn’t familiar with the song - she had never found Muggle musicians to be worth her time, except for the composers of centuries ago. Still, it was evident that he was talented, and they were in need of a musician...time to turn on the Anise charm. She could see the anxiety in his eyes, waiting for her to say something, anything. She stayed silent however, and began to clap, slowly at first, then faster and faster until she stood up, applauding him loudly. “Bravo!” she called with a cheerful smile.

Elaine gestured to the plush armchair next to hers. “Come, sit,” she said graciously. She waited for him to sit, the smile still plastered on his face. “My name is Anise, the owner unfortunately couldn’t be here today, but since she says I have an ear for music she trusted me with the auditions.” Elaine let out a giggle that she had grown accustomed to doing whenever she wore the girls face. “I must admit, we’ve had plenty of people come and go today, but none have been as talented as you. Or as good looking,” she confided with a conspiratory wink. “So Brandon, tell me about yourself. How did you get your start in music?” she asked, propping her chin up on her hands as she leaned forward, waiting for him to speak.

@brandon

[Deleted]

Brandon waited in silence for the girl to say something- anything, really- but she was silent for what seemed like hours. Then, she finally started to clap, slowly clapping faster and louder as she continued. Brandon felt a small smile break loose as he exhaled a little in relief. At least she hadn't hated it. That would have been terrible. 

She told him to come sit down next to  her and Brandon jumped down from the stage with perhaps too much energy. So now it came to the talking part. He could do this. He generally got along pretty well with people. He nodded politely as she introduced herself. "Well, it's nice to meet you Anise," he answered politely, his smile growing slightly as she complimented his talent and his looks. "Why thank you." Brandon wanted to be polite, so he was trying to hold back his natural disposition to tease, but she seemed to be teasing him, so maybe it would be all right ... no. He was in an interview. He needed to be somewhat professional. 

She asked him to speak about himself and Brandon shrugged, "I've always loved music, ever since I was a little kid. I climbed up onto my mom's piano bench and messed around with the keys a little bit before playing one of the simple songs she sang to me every night. Since then, I've had a hard time staying away from music." He chuckled a little as he continued, "It used to get me into a bit of trouble in school, but I always knew I wanted to go into music so I didn't really care." He sighed, thinking about how he got his start. "I used to be part of a band in school and one of the members got recorded at a label. We did a few numbers together and the recording label says they're interested in me as well, but they're full right now so it'll be a while before they can really work with me." Brandon shrugged, "but I can't sit around and do nothing, so I'm looking for work somewhere." He stopped, not quite sure what else to say. He should probably just wait and see if she had any other questions. Yeah, he'd wait a bit.

Elaine Lyra Dupree

[Elaine Lyra Dupree]

Elaine could tell that Brandon’s personality was trying to shine through more than his professionalism, and she had to hand it to him that he was handling it quite well. She listened politely as Brandon rattled off how he got into music and how it impacted his life during and after school. At the same time, the gears in her mind were hard at work to come up with a way to use this to her advantage. She, Elaine, knew that Brandon was a former Hogwarts student, turned Durmstrang alum, who had made a miraculous recovery after the ship explosion. She also knew that he had been best friends with Zander Lloyd in school, the Mudblood who had been in a relationship with Braelynn Rousseau before Desirae had taken care of her. Her spies told her that Zander had mysterious up and moved with some floozy over to Brazil, and….well something just didn’t sit right with her about that. The floozy part she supposed could happen; he could have taken his sorrows out on the next young thing he found. But from what Desirae had described, Braelynn had somehow loved this Mudblood. If the feeling was mutual….well, she didn’t think a quickie marriage was his cure to heartbreak. Perhaps Brandon would know more.

Turning back to the matter at hand, Elaine smiled. “Well, a recording contract, how professional!” she exclaimed, giggling softly. “Club Indigo didn’t even dare dream of having someone of your professional quality come around. We have a bit of a...well, a reputation you see, and they’re trying to change it. Make it a little less trashy and add more class.” Elaine laughed again. “Of course, Friday and Saturday nights will never change.” Elaine had more fun that way. She paused, waiting what she thought was a slightly awkward yet appropriate amount of time before speaking again. “What happened the band if you don’t mind me asking?” she asked, looking at him curiously.

@brandon

[Deleted]

It was nice to be in an interview with someone who seemed so enthusiastic. Maybe she behaved this way with everybody, but even if she did it was very encouraging. He smiled when she mentioned that it was so professional that he had a recording contract. "I like to think so. We'll have to see how long it is before they can actually get me in." At the moment, apparently the studio was working on several different albums at once, so they didn't have time to start a brand new album. They hoped to have time for his music around Christmas, which Brandon was definitely hoping for. 

He nodded as she said that they were trying to add a bit of class to Club Indigo. "I can definitely try and help with that. I think I can play songs that will get people on the floor and having a good time." At least, that was the hope. He wanted people to enjoy dancing to his music and singing along. That was why he wanted to be a musician in the first place, to share music. He laughed when she mentioned that Friday and Saturdays wouldn't change. "So if I were to be hired, would you just want me to play on weeknights?" He honestly wouldn't mind playing every day, but learning her expectations was probably a good thing to do. 

She asked about the band and Brandon frowned a bit. "Well, two of the members are still in school, so obviously that's not working right now. The other is living in Brazil. Moved there about a year ago." He smiled, trying to be more positive, "So it's more an issue of location than anything. Maybe someday we'll get back together again." He would love that, but Brandon also didn't really think there was much of a chance of it happening. Wishful thinking.

Elaine Lyra Dupree

[Elaine Lyra Dupree]

Elaine leaned forward, almost conspiratorially. “Well, let me tell you something. I may be a small fish in a large pond here, but if the owner hears you play and likes what he hears, well...let’s just say he has some influence in the entertainment industry. You may find yourself in the studio a lot more quickly than you’d think.” She sat back, smiling smugly. She could of course use her web of influences tomorrow if she so deigned to, but she liked making people work for their rewards. It seemed to be working well with her willing followers, so her unknowing ones could make use of it as well. “That’s what we’re looking for - someone who knows how to work an audience and engage them, rather than just be some background noise,” she explained. Plus, with the less magical patrons distracted, her loyalists could get on with their work unnoticed. She was quite sure Brandon could provide that distraction too.

“Weeknights to start, see how you do with the type of crowd we pull in. Then depending on the reaction and feedback, you could get a slot on the weekends as well,” Elaine told him, nodding her head in agreement of his question. “Do you have a specific genre you feel you play exceptionally well? In the future, whoever we hire could have some say in themed music nights, for example.” She wanted Brandon to feel comfortable in the spiders’ lair, remaining blissfully unaware of who he was actually dealing with. “Brazil? My my, that’s quite a change from England,” she commented with a tinkling laugh. She didn’t push her luck though; Jessavette had grown cautious of Isolde by the end and she wasn’t about to same mistake twice. “Why don’t you get back up and play something completely different than your first piece?” she suggested, gesturing up to the stage. Get him back in his comfort zone, then maybe she could get a few more bites of information out of him.

@brandon

[Deleted]

She leaned closer to him, saying that if the owner of Club Indigo heard Brandon playing and liked it, that he’d probably be able to get a record out much faster than expected. Brandon’s eyes widened with excitement. Was that really true? He hadn’t realized that this club was owned by someone so influential. The idea was both invigorating and nerve-wracking. What if the man didn’t like Brandon’s music? Granted, Brandon could play anything, but still. He nodded as she continued, saying she wanted someone who could engage their audience and Brandon nodded firmly. He might not be entirely certain how to get people to listen to all of his music, but he knew he could play things that others wanted to listen to. That wouldn’t be difficult.

He was about to respond, telling her that he was sure he could do that when she went on, telling him he could work the weeknights to start. “That sounds more than fair,” he agreed firmly, feeling the excitement starting to build up now. It sounded like he was actually going to get the job! At her next question, he thought for a moment before answering thoughtfully. “I can play any genre. Any of them here in England I can play on demand. If you want a genre from a different country, I would just need to hear an example or two and then I could play that as well.” Brandon didn’t want to sound like he was bragging, but he’d done enough travelling and playing around with his abilities to feel more than confident in his ability.

He nodded when she commented on Zander, saying that being in Brazil was quite a change. “Yeah, but he seems to be liking it,” Brandon answered. Then she was asking him to return to the stage and play something different. Brandon nodded, moving back to the stage and playing an upbeat, popular song of the day. In his mind, it was entirely different from the slow, peaceful song by Billy Joel. Once he’d finished, he looked back to her, wondering if this would seal the deal or break it, but deciding to let her make the first move.

Elaine Lyra Dupree

[Elaine Lyra Dupree]

Elaine nodded as Brandon explained his musical style, noting that he was impressively talented. It would be an added bonus she suspected; Club Indigo desperately needed new clientele after all, and getting close to Brandon would mean she could figure out if her suspicions on Braelynn’s status were true or not. It could take some time; Elaine couldn’t pry as easily as she did with Jessavette after all. She was to be his manager when he played here, and she could use that to build his trust in her. It wouldn’t take too long, but he seemed to be the type that would let something loose, even if on accident. She just needed the right nugget of information to claim her target.

She applauded as he finished his next song; it had been different, so he was showcasing his talent. “Well done Brandon,” she told him. She then looked around, as if to make sure she wasn’t going to be overheard, and moved closer to the stage. “I may not be able to get you the contract right now, but I’d say you’ve got the gig. We haven’t seen anyone NEAR your caliber of talent,” she said excitedly, beaming up at him. She watched, waiting for his reaction - perhaps something would slip out of excitement. She had to be on her guard at all times, but that didn’t hold for every human being on the planet.

@brandon

[Deleted]

Brandon played his upbeat song, hoping that she would like it. He really wanted this job, mostly because it was a job that he'd be able to practice his music with, and Anise seemed to be the person he needed to impress. He was a little more nervous than normal, but she didn't seem to notice at all. When he was done, she was applauding him. He moved to the edge of the stage, toward her, and she told him that he'd done well. In a lower tone, she all but promised that he got the job and Brandon grinned. "That's great! Thank you so much," he told her in an equally soft tone. He was excited that she thought he was so much better than the other applicants, but he also didn't want to be shouting his thanks when she was obviously not wanting them to know that her decision was almost certainly made. "So ... do I wait for your owl, or what's the process from here?" he asked, still smiling widely. He got the job!

Elaine Lyra Dupree

[Elaine Lyra Dupree]

Elaine was grateful he accepted, but a little disappointed he hadn’t revealed anything in the process. Grindelwald save us, he’s going to be a tough nut to crack, she thought, though for him she plastered on that big smile she knew Anise had. “No need!” she exclaimed, bustling off to the back where she had a blank piece of paper waiting. She tapped it with her wand, and it burst to life, filling in the lines of a calendar for the month of January, and with another tap the dates the Club had allotted for their new live music nights. The first week of January was just once, with New Years falling in the middle of the week, but she had been able to get Brandon two nights a week - Tuesday and Thursday - for the remainder of the month.

Elaine came back out to the front and handed him the paper. “Guard that with your life,” she said with a soft trill of laughter. She stood back, then gave him a quick hug, as Anise was wont to do. “I’m so terribly excited for you!” she exclaimed, then let go, allowing a blush to creep onto her face. “Sorry! I know someone as handsome as you must have a girlfriend, I’m just a hugger,” she said, trying to sound sheepish. She already of course knew Brandon did have a girlfriend, and reality was she couldn’t care less. It was just fun to make people squirm.

@brandon

go ahead and end on your next post

[Deleted]

She said that there was no need for him to thank her, but Brandon was still glad he did. He couldn't believe he had the job! He was so excited to try something new and to actually play for an audience and see how they responded to him. It was sure to be different from playing to his friends and such, but he was all right with that. He felt like he was ready for some real constructive criticism, for the chance to really work on his music.

She left for a moment and he glanced around the room, waiting until she came back and handed him a piece of paper. "That looks great," he told her with a happy smile after looking at the calendar. It wasn't like he was working too much; Brandon still had plenty of time to work on his music. He laughed when she told him to guard the paper and then gave him a hug as she said she was excited for him. Brandon was a little surprised by the hug, but he just smiled as she pulled away and apologized. "Oh, it's no problem. I'm excited to be working here. Thanks for the opportunity!" He glanced down to the paper again. "I guess I'll see you soon. Have a good day!" He walked out with a bounce in his step. Brandon couldn't wait to tell Rosie about this!

--- the end ---

Elaine Lyra Dupree