ximilialog | ONE NIGHT ONLY

CHARACTERS: everyone (including new characters!)
LOCATION: ximusic + common room
DATE: night, october 1st
CONTENT: come by for a night of good music, good food, and better drinks
WARNINGS: none for now, will warn as needed

I love rock 'n' roll

An announcement goes up the day before: Murderface: The Band: The Show. Location and time are printed beneath along with a promise of a "special surprise." Arrive early and you can catch the current members of the band warming up or happy to talk someone's ear off. At the promised time, the lights dim but for those on the stage. Gwen's drumming gets inside one's bones; Wei Wuxian's dizi belongs on a stage with Lizzo; Lan Xichen alternately opens with the deep, tranquility of a guqin or arms himself with a xiao; and Newt…Newt is Newt, tearing the stage on his electric guitar. As a treat, he also provides the vocals to a few songs. There is even space left for the band's honorary member should he choose to join in.

The band plays a mix of covers and original music. Even after their show ends, the music doesn't. Gwen and Newt rigged a music player and the playlist—curated to include something for every taste—plays into the early morning. The music room's instruments are available for anyone who fancies a turn. And for those who do not have or should not be trusted with instruments, clap, stomp, dance, sing along—and enjoy the night.

Pour some sugar on me

In the common room, just outside the Ximusic room, courtesy of their ever enterprising (and not-so-artificial) AI comes the promised "surprise": food and drinks, each hailing from an Orber's home world. Even the new Orbers are represented! This might be their favorite treat, a famous dish, a representative drink… What they have in common: each one says "home" to someone.

There is enough to share with friends (or hoard for yourself if this is you.) So eat, drink, and be merry (though maybe not too merry; the alcohol proof of a few bottles can double as fuel.)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ If he were back in Hawkins, Steve wouldn't be caught dead in the audience of any kind of show. Then again, back in Hawkins, it's not like any halfway decent musical acts come through. It's mostly local bands, playing shitty country music or Christian rock, and the occasional metal act, none of which is Steve's kind of vibe.

But this? Steve thinks he could get into this.

And okay, the food's kind of the biggest selling point here, Steve's not going to lie. Because, holy shit, he never thought he'd have another milkshake and fries again, but they're there and Steve can't resist them. Maybe even dips a fry into the milkshake and ignores any weird looks he might get. ]

Okay, I have to ask, what are those? [ he asks, pointing to the cronuts. The shape resembles a donut, but he tried one earlier (how could he not?) and it didn't taste like any type of donut he's ever had before. ]

〈 who would have thought. gwen stacy's role tonight was not as drummer or unpaid stage manager or badly battered babysitter. no, none of those. turns out gwen's true purpose tonight is to preach the word of cronuts to all who will hear.

she's not complaining. 〉

Cronuts!

〈 still in the clothes in which she performed, a t-shirt dress with the name of the band emblazoned across the chest, she shifts the box over her shoulder like she is delivering a pizza. a skinny dutch braid keeps her hair from falling across the undercut above her left ear. 〉

Flakiness of a croissant, fried goodness of a donut. Try one already?

[ Interesting. Steve had never been a croissant kind of guy, but then again the singular coffee shop that Hawkins had didn't really have the most extensive selection in pastries. Hawkins was clearly missing out. ]

Tasty. Never would have thought to combine the two. [ And for good measure, he takes another one now that he knows what it is, because might as well, right? While there are still cronuts left? ]

Yeah, this'll be my second. [ He flashes a charming smile at her, before his eyes fall upon the t-shirt dress. ] Ah, you guys were great! A shame your music was wasted on little ol' me, but the couple covers I recognized were fun.

〈 the corner of her mouth turns up. what she doesn't say: she would have been pretty surprised if he recognized all the covers. they are a pretty mixed bunch here. to put it mildly.

what she does: 〉 Wow. Double-dipping the cronuts.

〈 she tsks in exaggerated disappointment. 〉

And he admits it so easily too.

[ There's a playful roll of the eyes as he throws his hands up in the air, still holding a cronut that now has a nibble in it. ]

You caught me. Red-handed, even!

[ Weirdly enough, this might be the first time since arriving here that he actually feels kind of normal. Like this is a conversation he could have had back home, minus the fact that cronuts hadn't been created yet. ]

What can I say? They're delicious and they don't have them where I come from.

Fine, you get a pass. This time, 〈 she intones so dramatically it could only be fake.

that she promptly brightens again lends further credence to the idea. 〉

Having a good time?

This time. [ Steve repeats her words back at her, trademark Steve
Harrington grin in place as he gestures with his half-eaten cronut. ]

As a matter of fact, I am. I mean, shit. If I can squint, I can almost pretend I'm a normal teenager again, so. Thanks for that. [ His smile fades a little, but he quickly swallows all of that up out of a desire to not be the buzzkill tonight, thank you very much. And so he recovers quickly, though his smile maybe doesn't quite reach his eyes this time. ]

〈 her smile softens. almost three years out from being a -teen, but she can remember those moments for what they meant: the little lulls, like eyes in the storm, where the weight of the world lifted so briefly from her shoulders.

she does not know him or his story. but she can recognize a familiar parallel. there is no returning to the people they used to be. but they can capture moments to breathe. 〉

If you ever want to be a normal teenager, may I recommend the simulation room? Grab some popcorn from the kitchens, load the drive-in theater sim, watch a movie or throw popcorn at Godzilla. Whatever floats your boat.

[ He isn't sure what he should be expecting from this place. The whole concept of missions sounds ominous, and a part of him feels like he should be training for them somehow. But after the absolute hell he had been through just prior to his arrival, it is nice to have this, just for a little while.

Even if it is just being lulled into a false sense of security before the storm crashes down. ]

You know what? That does sound kinda fun. [ Movie nights were a big thing for him and the gang in between the "shit hitting the fan" phases. It might not feel the same without the kids talking over everything and pointing out little behind the scenes tidbits, but it would be nice, to feel a little bit more like he's at home here. ]

Just don't stay up too late, 〈 she teases, moving away. or do. what's a few shitty sleep-related decisions during youth? 〉

And FYI, 〈 she swivels on her heel, deftly avoiding an orber walking behind her, 〉 I've got a list of movies everyone needs to see at least once in their life!

〈 she peaces out. 〉

[ Steve scoffs at that, and is about to insist that that's his job, being the mom before he sees her start to retreat into the rest of the crowd. ]

Yeah, well. Shoot that my way, but I make no promises, Buckley's been trying to get me to see Some Like It Hot for ages now!

[ And if Steve grins to himself and finishes off the rest of the cronut as he disappears in the opposite direction, well

too bad nobody's around to observe him. ]

ONE NIGHT ONLY

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fin.