lt_safe_house | (no subject)

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(no subject)

Date/time: May 22nd, evening
Location: The ballroom
Status: Public
Summary: Just making Murdoc available to be played with, maybe also for merging him into Joe and Belial's plans.

Originally, he had only wanted to take a look around and opened the door to the ballroom to quickly glance in and leave again.

Then he had spotted the piano there. It may have been a mismatch for a man of his profession, but he loved theater, and he loved music.

He entered the room, walking over to the instrument and carefully tried a few keys to see if it was in need of tuning.

It was not.

He slid onto the stool in front of it without thinking about it and tried a tune. He kept it simple at first, feeling the years of too little practice in the somewhat sluggish reaction of his fingers and almost-mistakes.

Soon, though, he picked up both confidence and speed, moving on to something a bit more sophisticated.

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Belial had been on his way to the bar when he heard the faint strains of music. He moved in the direction of the music, pausing outside the ballroom for a moment before slipping in silently and leaning against the wall.

At a slight lull in the music, he clapped.

He looked up and around to see a man standing by the wall.

"Thank you," he said. "It's hardly worth the applause though. I'm rusty."

"Well, practice makes perfect."

Belial approached the man. "I believe we've met before?"

"Very briefly," Murdoc acknowledged, rising from the piano with a slight twinge of regret at leaving the instrument. He could hardly claim that he was too busy to chat, though, considering that he had been using htoel equipment unauthorised and all.

"Allow me to remedy that." Joe had asked him to keep an ear out, after all. Belial held out a hand. "I'm Belial."

Murdoc took the offered hand. briefly, in a firm grip.

"Murdoc," he said.

With the practiced efficiency of many years, he took in the other man's appearance, physical shape and as many other details as he could, without any outward sign of it. He was used to treating any new acquaintance as a potential opponent. People had been trying to remove him from this world in the most impossible of ways before.

Belial was not the sort to start fights, but he could certainly defend himself, and he kept himself fit. Admittedly, that was more due to his willpower and actual powers rather than lifting weights.

"Nice to meet you, Murdoc. Would you like a drink?" He gestured in the general direction of the bar.

"Sure," Murdoc said. "Why not."

He'd return another time. Or later tonight, maybe. He quickly glanced at the piano and it's direct vicinity to make sure he had not disturbed anything else that had to be tidied up first, then followed Belial outside.

Belial led the way to the bar.

"So what brings you to Lower Tadfield?"

"Looking for a quiet place for my retirement," Murdoc answered. "What about you?"

The demon shrugged. "A little job for my boss. What are you retiring from?"

"Work," Murdoc said. "You're not going to stay for long then?"

If he wanted to be vague, well, two could play at that game. Belial shrugged again. "I might. Depends."

"On what?" Murdoc asked.

He pushed open the door to the bar.

"Counter or table?"

"On how long the job takes. Counter, if you don't mind."

He walked up to the counter. "Joe?"

"Sure," Murdoc said, walking right up tot he bar stool he had made "his" at his previous visits to the bar.

Joe smiled at his two guests. "Same as always?" he asked, already taking down a glass for Coke and another for wine.

"Yes, thank you. By the way, have you gotten any volunteers?" Belial slid onto a stool next to Murdoc.

Joe shook his head. "No," he said as he put down the glasses in front of his guests. "Either no one reads posters or no one's interested."

"Volunteers for what?" Murdoc asked, looking from one to the other.

"A band," Belial answered. "By the way, Joe, Murdoc here plays the piano. I heard him."

He grinned at Murdoc and gestured to the notice in the bar.

"I used to, a little," Murdoc said. "I haven't played in a long time."

He glanced at the notice.

"Well, except for just now. You're probably looking for someone with a lot more practice."

Joe raised an eyebrow at Belial, hoping for his more detailed judgement of what he had heard.

Belial shrugged. "It sounded good enough to me, and I've heard quite a few players."

"Thanks," Murdoc said. "So have I, and I know my skill isn't what it used to be. Doesn't mean I'll not help out if you think I'm good enough for it, though."

"Until proven differently, I trust Belial's judgement," Joe declared.

Belial's lips twitched. That was a new one. Still, he did mean it. "I think you're good enough."

"How long had you been listening?" Murdoc asked, a little suspiciously.

"And how large is your band yet?"

"Not very," Joe admitted. thenhe chuckled a little as a thought came to him. "You can have a formal audition if you want to..."

"I'll take one if you want me to," Murdoc said. "Otherwise you'll hear me at the first rehearsal at the latest."

"Not too long," Belial responded, sipping his wine. "An audition would be nice, though; Joe should probably judge for himself if you're what he wants."

"Can you leave the bar at this point?" Murdoc asked the barman.

Joe looked around the otherwise empty bar.

"Right now, I think I can afford to leave for a bit," he decided.

He walked around the bar to join his two guests. "Shall we?"

"Of course," Belial grinned.

"Fine then," Murdoc said. "Let's go." He turned to leave the bar and return to the ball room and the piano.

"After you," Belial gestured to Joe.

Murdoc walked back to where the piano stood with them and sat down at the instrument.

"Anyting specific?" he asked.

The demon shrugged, glancing at Joe. "He's in charge."

"What were you playing when he heard you?" Joe asked.

Murdoc nodded and proceeded to repeat the piece he had been playing earlier. It was easier not to slip up this time around. He probably should play more. It kept the hands nicely limbered up.

Belial nodded approvingly. "I like it."

"So do I," Joe declared.

He looked at each of them in turn. "I'll send both of you word when we have a time for rehearsals then. And hopefully another band member or two."

"Looking forward to it," Belial grinned. "I'll see you around, Murdoc, Joe."

Nodding to each of them, he left the ballroom.

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