Failed A Spot Check [Gabe]

[Cecil Wathen]

It was a busy night in the Churchkey, with both regulars and new faces arriving and a general good vibe about the place. Some people had criticised Cecil when he'd said he wanted to take over the run-down and unloved bar and give it a British-style vibe and theme, but so far his determined decision seemed to be paying off well. The place was bringing in enough money to be just on the upside of the break-even point, but considering it had only been opened around eight months and it had been born from literally nothing, Cecil thought that was pretty good going. Clearly the business side of his degree was coming in some use despite the fact his speciality was actually a world away from the pub and club scene.

The Welshie had left the bar to be attended by his staff for half an hour while he had taken the dog out, the slowly cooling evening air feeling fresh on his skin as the Kelpie padded by his side. The smoke from his menthol cigarette curled up into the night, and once he had taken the last draw he stumped it out carefully on a wall before flicking it into one of the bins on the outskirts of the small park they had passed. “Home now, girl.”

Man and canine jogged back to the pub, Cecil letting them in through the main entry and heading to the little door located next to the bar, the little door that led up to Cecil's flat. Just then a familiar face walked into the building, and Cecil smiled brightly and waved. “Hey Gabriel, I didn't see you outside just then. Give me a minute to send the dog upstairs and I'll be right there.”

[Gabriel James]

Gabriel walked down the street from the small apartment he was renting with his hands tucked into the pockets of his dark wash jeans and a lightweight brown jacket covering his purple dress shirt. The way he dressed screamed high-middle-class, but Gabe was a thrift store shopper with dreams of making it big time - and felt like he should dress the part. If only he could get his wild curly hair to calm down. He was only going down to the bar, but he always dressed to impress - just in case he met someone or had an impromptu performance.

Gabe liked the Churchkey for a few reasons. It was picking up in popularity, so it was a good place to meet people. Every now and then there was a kareoke night, or an open mic night which gave Gabriel the chance to release some of his pent up energy through a means other than drinking. And lastly, the bar owner - Cecil - had become a fairly good friend of Gabes over the past few months. Cecil listened to Gabriel when he told him about his mistakes and how he ended up back in Pilot Ridge, but never criticized him. He was a sweet guy who was also down on his luck - having recently divorced his husband. The two were becoming more and more involved in each other's life stories, and Gabe felt like maybe that was how brothers should act. It was a far cry from how his blood brothers treated him.

As Gabe walked up to the Churchkey and reached for the door-handle, an unmistakable voice called after him. Gabriel waved to Cecil who told him he'd be down momentarily. "Alright," Gabe said to him before joking, "Don't keep me waiting too long!"

[Cecil Wathen]

Cecil gave a quiet laugh, unlocking the door up to his flat and calling back to Gabe over his shoulder. “As if I would! You're one of our best customers.” He slipped Mephit's lead off at the bottom of the stairs, letting the Kelpie bound up ahead of him. The stairs led up directly into his living room, and Cecil hung the lead up on a peg by the entrance before going to make sure there was water in Mephit's bowl. The Kelpie lapped at the water for a moment before going to settle on the couch, where Cecil would no doubt find her still napping when he came back up in a few hours once the bar was closed.

Heading back downstairs, Cecil washed his hands and forearms thoroughly before taking his place behind the bar. He may own and run the joint, but he was a firm believer in taking on his share of the actual work. It helped of course that a familiar face was in tonight, and Cecil smiled as he approached Gabe. “Hope that was speedy enough for your liking.” He laughed softly, always at ease in his kingdom. “It's good to see you. Having your usual?”

Cecil got along well with many of his patrons but he always especially enjoyed talking to Gabriel. Despite their age differences they could easily bond over the knocks they had taken in life, as well as their shared interest in looking decent and they were always able to share their stories of great bargains and the best locations to find what they were trying to track down. “Though if you want a change and are feeling adventurous, I've imported a couple of crates of a grapefruit beer from back home. It's quite zesty but really refreshing.”

[Gabriel James]

"Could have been a little quicker," Gabe joked as Cecil appeared behind the bar, "But we can't all be the flash." Gabe chuckled and leaned against the bar, his feet tucked up on the rung of the bar stool. He was pretty self conscious about how shirt he was, and hated that his feet didn't touch the ground, but had come to forget about that while he was at the Churchkey.

Cecil offered Gabe his usual drink, and a fruity alternative. "I'll give it a shot," Gabriel replied after being offered grapefruit beer. He'd never even heard of anything like it, but Gabe was pretty adventurous with his alcohol consumption. And Cecil usually kept Gabriel on his toes with new products or cocktails. And if they were awful, Gabe could just go back to his good ol' American beer.

"So how have you been, man?" Gabe asked while Cecil grabbed his drink. It had been a while since Gabe came in. Probably a little bit over a week. Gabriel had been busy with interviews at Hammel to get his job. He had to prove he could come up with lesson plans as well as interesting topics for discussion. He had spent a good deal of time with the Institute's higher ups convincing them he was ready to take the responsibility - despite his record of being a bit of a clown while he was in high school. "Keeping busy? Not a bad crowd tonight."

[Cecil Wathen]

Cecil smiled brightly and took one of the pint glasses down from the storage space above the bar, giving it a quick wipe over with a clean cloth just to ensure it was perfectly dry on the outside. It wouldn't stay that way for very long of course; warm bar plus cold drinks tended to result in a fair bit of condensation, but Cecil kept high standards. “I'd settle for having half his speed. I might be able to keep up with the dog easier then.”

Nodding as Gabe said he'd give the beer a shot, Cecil gave him a thumbs-up. “Smart man. I used to drink it quite a bit back home, but I only ordered a couple of crates to try it out. If the opinion's good overall I might get some more brought over.” He went to one of the small fridges under the mixing station, fetching out a bottle of St Peter's Grapefruit Beer and uncapping it. He trusted Gabe's opinion at least, and he was happy for a more reliable guinea pig to see if it would be worth getting more of it shipped over.

“I've been good thanks. Just signed up for some refresher self defence classes, which should be interesting. How about you? The job hunt going well?” Cecil poured the beer into the glass slowly, letting it settle before sliding the glass across to Gabe. He also offered him the flask-shaped bottle in case he wanted to read it. “Yeah, there's a good buzz in tonight. You fancy knocking a few songs out in a bit to amuse them? Beer'd be on the house.”

[Gabriel James]

Gabe accepted his drink with a warm smile and a deep, relaxed breath. He examined the label of the bottle that Cecil handed him. "Hmm..." Gabe mused, bringing his glass to his lips and taking a short sip first, and then a longer sip. The smell was faintly fruity and the taste slightly bitter, but not bad at all. "Bit of a sharp aftertaste there, Cecil, but not bad at all," Gabe complimented the barkeep on his new product.

"I'm good too. I finally got a call back from Hammel," Gabe started, a slightl smile forming on his lips, "And I got the job! It took a bit of work and kissing up to the right people, but I got it!" Gabe felt good about it too. Sure, it wasn't exactly what he wanted to do with his life. He wanted to write and preform. But for now, teaching what he loved would be a valid substitute until he was ready to try his luck in the business again. "And you know what, I may just have to take up on the offer. I may have a job now but doesn't mean I wont sing for beer," Gabe laughed, taking another swig of the Grapefruit beer that he was enjoying thus far.

Gabe enjoyed playing at the bar. He usually got a few good tips and Cecil usually let Gabe have drinks on the house if he could keep the customers around for an extra hour or so. He hadn't been very mused lately, so he didn't have much new work. Everybody loved a good pop/rock-cover singer though.

[Cecil Wathen]

As he awaited Gabe's verdict on the beer Cecil fixed himself a glass of coke with plenty of ice. He didn't drink alcohol while working (well, the odd one now and then didn't count) but he often made use of the coke or lemonade. The ice helped cool him down after the jog back with the dog, and the caffeine nicely battled the downward pull of the pill he'd popped before he'd gone out. A fine balance. A smile crossed Cecil's lips and he nodded when Gabe made his mini-announcement. “Good to know. Feel free to spread the word around about it.”

Cecil's attention perked as Gabe started talking about Hammel. The barkeep didn't know much about the place save what his friend had told him (and what he'd picked up from visiting staff members), but he knew Gabe had been trying hard to get a job there and had been routing for him the whole time. The kid had been down on his luck for some time and could use a break from the crap life kept handing him. When Gabe announced the good news a grin split Cecil's lips and he leaned over the bar, giving his friend a congratulatory pat on the shoulder. “Aw, nice one mate! I'm dead pleased for you! When do you start?”

The smile didn't waver as Gabe said he'd be willing to play in a bit, and Cecil gave a nod of his head. “Glad to hear it. You keep 'em in and I'll keep the drinks coming.” He pondered for a moment, taking a long swig of his drink. “If you were interested in playing a proper set, I might be persuaded to make it a regular thing if it works. Say, one Saturday a month? I can't pay you a rock star wage, but I'm sure we could find a happy medium.”

[Gabriel James]

Gabe took another long sip of his drink. The beer stung a little as it went down, but he liked it that way. He sighed contently as he put his glass back on the bar and looked up at Cecil. "I start at the end of the month. I'm going to go in a few times a week now, though, so put up flyers for after school lessons and such," Gabriel explained. He was kind of excited to start doing SOMETHING that'll bring in some money. He was living off tips and donations people gave him when he preformed in the street. It was a little degrading, though at least he was making music. Though by the end of the month he'd be earning his keep and doing something that hopefully made him feel a little more fulfilled.

Gabe's smile only got bigger when Cecil offered him a regular gig. "Man," Gabe started, "You don't have to! But that would be so great!" Gabriel just loved to preform - and the opportunity to get paid (even a little) to do so would be so great for him. "Seriously though, only if you want me to. I couldn't possibly just take over if you don't think I'm good enough."

Gabriel felt in his heart he was a good musician. He believed he was a good songwriter. But he constantly worried about how other people felt. He constantly wondered if he was good enough. He wanted to be so much more than just a mediocre bar musician - but it was a place he was willing to start if he was good enough.

[Cecil Wathen]

There was no one else waiting to be served at the bar and with the rest of his staff buzzing around the room keeping everyone content, Cecil knew he could spare a moment to chat to his friend. Crossing his arms and leaning on the bar, the smile stayed bright as Gabe talked about his new job. “That sounds great, I'm real made up for you. It's about time something went right, ey?” Cecil knew the school was for meta-humans, he'd heard all about it during his time at Kocher, Hammel's Swiss twin. Beyond that the place was mostly a mystery to him, but the knowledge of its quiet presence had been what drew the Welshie to Pilot Ridge when he'd made his escape from New York. Here he knew he'd have something in common with at least some of the residents of the sleepy mountain town. “Sounds like you've got it all planned out. I'm sure you're gonna do great there.”

Cecil gave a smile and a dismissive wave of a hand. “I'll get as much from it as you, if it works out. Most of 'em seem to like hearing you, and if I can advertise it a bit it should work out well for both of us. Never know, might get one of them swanky record execs in one night.” In a relatively small bar in a small town Cecil doubted it, but it was nice to daydream. “I wouldn't offer if I didn't think you were good enough.” He laughed softly. “Not that I'm the best judge, mind. Tone-deaf as a bat, I am.”

Another patron came up to the bar and Cecil started serving him, but since the other bloke was mainly keeping his eyes on the telly in the corner Cecil continued to chat with Gabe as he pulled the pint. “Let's say, how about every third Saturday of the month?”

[Gabriel James]

"Im in!" Gabe said excitedly, sticking out his had to Cecil as a gesture to seal the deal. "And you know I'll advertise the shit out of myself and this place. I'll do my best to bring in some huge crowds." He smiled at the thought. Having a regular gig would help him relax from all the stresses teaching might bring him - especially in the first few months while he still figured out exactly what he was doing. Preforming on the street was great and all, but there was something about an organized crowd and really getting paid that made it much more appealing to Gabe to play in the bar.

"I dunno about those record guys though. Some of them are all scams," Gabriel said warily. Gabriel didn't really believe that. But he liked to give a reason for not trying to find a record comany to sign with. Gabriel hadn't explained to Cecil what had happened earlier that year while Gabe was out in LA. He had been offered a record deal, but Gabriel had used his ability to obtain it. As far as Gabe knew, he could have gotten it without the help, but he panicked, and made the decision to cheat. Then when guilt overtook him, he told the record company he had to drop out due to family reasons. He still didn't have it in him to trust himself during those true opportunities. "Plus, I don't know how many shady dealers like that will be hanging around in Pilot Ridge"

Gabe drank down the last of his grapefruit beer, and licked his lips as he set the empty glass down on the bar. "Have any requests for tonight Cecil? I dunno. What do you think this crowd is in the mood for?"

[Cecil Wathen]

Cecil finished pulling the pint and slid it to the gentleman waiting before taking the proffered hand and giving it a firm but friendly shake. “Sounds like we got a deal, we have.” Laughing brightly, the Welshman nodded. “Between the both of us we should be able to get a pretty good stir going on about it. I'll put a notice up in here and if you scatter a few about we should get this rolling pretty good, I reckon.” Cecil would be lying if he said he wasn't quietly excited about the prospect; Pilot Ridge was a pretty small town and the night life was usually centred around 'go to bar, get drunk, go home again'. If he could offer an alternative to that it could work out well for the Churchkey. If you build it, they will come and all that.

Giving an understanding nod of his head, Cecil resumed his post leaning on the bar. “Yeah, I get that. If they're anything like the fashion agents I wouldn't trust them as far as I could lob them.” Whilst Cecil had never directly had anything to do with the fashion industry, he'd been around his ex plenty long enough to realise it was a mostly catty, corrupt world of backstabbing, advantage-taking and the pursuit of perfection regardless of the human cost. He could understand Gabe's hesitation and wariness. “Hopefully one day you'll get lucky and get found by a team that aren't as scummy as the others.”

Cecil gave a quiet breath of a laugh at the question and looked out around the bar. “Half o'them look like they're about to drop off. Maybe nothing too energetic, don't want ta scare the poor buggers.”

[Gabriel James]

Gabriel shrugged when Cecil commented on the fashion agents. Gabe was sure those individuals were just as bad as music agents. Anybody in a highly public industry who held some position of power seemed to juts suck the life out of everybody around them. "Someday, maybe," he agreed, not ruling out the option. For now he was more than content playing a few gigs at the bar, teaching lessons, and figuring out where to go from there.

Gabriel peered around the room, having to agree with Cecil about the mood of the bar. "Alright," Gabe said, "I think I have a couple songs in mind... I'll be back." He turned in his barstool to hop off and walk over to a little stage area Cecil had set up at the side of the bar. There was a piano and some equipment. Of course, Gabe hadn't brought his guitar today, but luckily he could play piano as good if not better than guitar. "And have another beer for me when I'm done!" Gabe said, turning to the bartender as he walked backward to the stage.

Gabriel hopped up into the stage area, and found the power box for the mics. He flipped the switch on - having played enough recently to know exactly where everything was. He pulled a mic up to himself as he sat on the piano bench. "Hey there," he said, adjusting the volume quickly, so it wasn't too loud. "Hey..." he said again, "Some of you may recognize me. Gabriel James. I play here sometimes. Cecil here asked me to play a few songs for you tonight and I just couldn't resist."

Gabe played a couple keys of the piano before continuing, "I'd also like to announce that I will begin playing here, at the Churchkey, every 3rd Saturday of the month. So if you like music and drinks... keep that in mind." Gabe played a couple more notes as a little warm up.

"I'll start with a song a lot of you probably know... "

Gabe played and sung with passion no matter how small the crowd was. The soft music he played perked some of the customers up without being in their face. He continued by playing a medley of songs he'd once thrown together and really enjoyed. He got mild amounts of applause from both songs, and was pretty pleased with himself.

He pulled the mic a little bit closer to himself as he announced one last piece. "Just another reminder, I'll be here every 3rd Saturday. Details to come so keep an eye out.... oh and try the grapefruit beer." As he finished his mini commercial break, he began to play one last piece. A disney cover. When you wish upon a star. However after the first line, he managed to(probably due to the light buzz from his previous drink) forget what he was singing. He started singing 'Somewhere over the rainbow' and stopped as soon as he realized, immediately embarrassed by his mistake. He played it off with a couple of jokes and a laugh that was shared by the bar patrons. He finished the song and left the stage with a wave - the final song gaining the biggest applause, likely due to the small mistake but excellent and fairly comical recovery.

"Well that was only a slight train wreck," Gabriel said as he approached Cecil and the bar again.

[Cecil Wathen]

Cecil gave a reassuring smile and a vague shrug of his shoulders. “If you want it enough it'll happen, one way or another. Fate can be funny like that.” It could also be a complete bitch but that wasn't helpful knowledge right now. He didn't for a moment doubt that music execs could be just as problematic as fashion ones so he could understand Gabe's hesitation, but at the same time he knew that moping around a bar wouldn't get the man to where he wanted to be if he still wanted to follow that dream. Still, it was most definitely not his place to comment on that, and while Gabe was still playing and drinking here it was bringing bums onto seats and cash into the till. At the end of the day, that had to be Cecil's priority.

Giving a nod of his head, Cecil watched the younger man go over to the stage and get set up. He trusted the kid with the equipment and nodded again as Gabe called over for another drink after. “Will do, boss.” Going back to serving the other patrons with the rest of his team, Cecil gave a satisfied smile at Gabe's announcement over the mic. If this worked out it could prove to be very profitable for the Churchkey, which was obviously something Cecil would never turn down. He was a firm believer in making investments in order to get better potential returns, and if it didn't work then he could always just pull the plug on the project. It certainly wouldn't hurt to try.

After the first song was finished Cecil sent one of his bar staff to take Gabe a glass of ice water, the younger girl setting it down on a coaster on a small table near the piano so he could grab a drink during the mini-set if he wanted.

The soft buzz in the place as Gabe was playing was a pleasant one, and Cecil gave a soft breath of a laugh at the little promo for the grapefruit beer. As Gabe finished off his set Cecil clapped along with the patrons, and made sure there was a beer on the bar ready for the singer once he had finished switching off the power for the mics. Sliding the beer towards him, Cecil gave a small shake of his head. “It was fine, everyone hiccups sometimes. Good job.”

[Gabriel James]

"The beer must have been a bit stronger than I imagined," Gabriel joked as he took the glass that Cecil had left for him on the table. He took a long swig, feeling refreshed after sweating under the spotlights for a few minutes. Gabriel sweat really easy. It didn't take much for him to become drenched under spotlights or in the sun - even without doing anything. He wiped his brow with his forearm after he took the long sip and sighed. "Thanks for this, man. You have no clue how much I love playing here."

Gabriel played in plenty of venues before. However he usually took to the streets like a beggar. Then again, the streets allowed him the freedom to play whatever he wanted without comment from a superior. And although this deal meant having a 'boss', Gabriel liked Cecil and the bar was pretty low key - perfect for Gabriel's style of music. And he didn't seem to mind Gabriel making his corny jokes or being goofy in front of the bar patrons. "It'll be nice to come here every once in a while to get away from the ankle-biters," Gabriel joked, referring to his new job at Hammel.

[Cecil Wathen]

With a bright smile Cecil gave a nod of his head, loading some empty glasses into the washer. “Hey, we love having you playing here. Otherwise I wouldn't have offered.” Whilst this deal would mean technically having another employee and some extra wages going out, hopefully it would be well worth it. The kid had raw talent, and though his performances were hardly flawless he had a distinct charm that made them a pleasure to witness despite the occasional hiccup. He would give it a few sessions to see how it went. Perhaps by that point Gabe would be too busy with his new job at the school anyway.

Whilst Cecil had never set foot in the Hammel Institute, he knew a fair bit about it thanks to stories carried across to Kocher during his time there. It had been what had drawn Cecil to Pilot Ridge when he had left New York; that knowledge that at least here he knew he would have something in common with some of the residents. He gave a soft laugh, switching on the washer. “Better be careful with that. If they have any shape shifters you could be fending off actual ankle-biters.”