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

[It's complicated! Or, well, maybe he's making it all more complicated than he should. But his mind's been buzzing with a lot of things — Hermann's revelations about his grim fate back home, and then Kirigan's admittance, that someone he had trusted had attempted to smother him in his magic-induced sleep... A lot of guilt and uncertainty and waning confidence in his ability to be what people need...

But Gwen's not a shrink, and she shouldn't have to worry about that kind of thing. As far as anyone should be concerned, Newton No Middle Name Geiszler should be a pinnacle of healing and good health. Life has to carry on, and people need to be okay for the missions to continue without delays or complications.

He smiles sheepishly, shrugging.]

Yeah! I mean, of course I do. I'm just rusty. And like, not to brag on everyone else's behalf, but a lot of them have super cute voices that would totally sound great on a mic.

And you know, like I do, that a "super cute voice" means nothing if its owner won't get up on a stage.

〈 there is also more to singing on a stage than just singing well. mary jane could be alone with nothing and she would fill the madison square garden with her force of presence alone. that is a quality few people possess. 〉

Did I tell you why the original "Murderface" broke up and got back together again as the "Mary Janes"?

[Huff!

The huff of a man who knows when he's beat. No way is he gonna fight her on it, not when he feels a mandatory obligation to his crew. Especially where music is concerned; c'mon, he'd be a total loser if he let them go on without what he could offer. But...

He blinks at her, lured from his own train of thought by a question that offers juicy backstory.]

Don't remember you ever mentioning it, no.

〈 she makes a little face as if to say not surprising. 〉 It's not exactly the type of story you drop into conversation.

〈 her blue eyes are on the far wall. her hands sit in her lap. 〉

We were getting to ready to play. Senior prom. Right when we were about to go on stage, there was screaming. One of our classmates turned himself into a monster, and attacked the prom. People got hurt. 〈 if not directly by peter or gwen when they fought, then indirectly in the panic that ensued. 〉 One died.

... Oh.

That fucking sucks.

[Smooth.

But the sympathy in his voice makes up for his lack of eloquence. He looks at her with a troubled frown and crinkle in his forehead, and after a moment, he clears his throat. It's hard not to compare what had happened on the train to this story, especially when he had shared a hivemind — had seen through the eyes of the kaiju who had rampaged and had been put down. He'd rather not make this all about him and his abject woes, though.]

I'm guessing Spider-Gwen had to handle that.

〈 yeah. it really fucking sucked. gwen picks at her nail. 〉

She did. 〈 and that event has reverberated throughout her years since. in some ways, a lot of ways, actually—gwen, like peter, never left that gym, either. 〉

Took me a long time to play again. All of us. 〈 because it wasn’t only she affected by what happened. her classmates, her friends… all mary jane had wanted since middle school was to be a rock star. they made a deal—gwen would play the drums, mary jane the electric guitar, they would be famous. what’s it say that even em jay, with her superhuman ambition and drive, lost her north for a time too?

her smile is rueful. 〉

Took me a long time to figure out how to be a person again, actually.

... I know what that's like.

[He says it like an admittance, but he's pretty sure anyone with eyes has seen him struggling. He's not very good at hiding it; he's never been good at hiding anything, really. Not until the precursors did it for him. But he can empathize. In a different way, maybe, but being a person is hard after something so awful happens.]

It's, uh — I mean, this thing we're doing. I think it's helping me figure out how to be a person again, too.

[He knows Gwen can understand how healing it is, to be able to express yourself musically. It's an outlet, a way to feel connected to something. Create stuff. Distracts, rebuilds, all of that.]

How about you? Did it help? Getting back to it.

〈 the corner of her mouth turns up. 〉 The Mary Janes are going on a cross-country tour. Soon as my stint here is up.

[A soft smile tugs at his lips in return.]

Man. When I get back, maybe I'll do the same!

After all, no war, no years spent on trying to stop the world from ending.

[None of those kaiju tattoos on his body, either.]

Important query— 〈 this is so important, extremely important, the most important question ever asked— 〉 do I get an invite?

If you can find a way to remember me, spidergal?

You can go with me wherever your little drummer heart desires.

[He sounds a little sad saying it, though.

After all, even if they were from the same world? They wouldn't remember each other. None of this, or the things they've all been though. No Murderface featuring Newton Geiszler anymore, or embarrassing pep talks, or bridal carries. That'd be all she wrote.]

Lucky for me, I'm a frequent inter-universe traveller. And I love making new old friends.

〈 she holds out her fist for a fist bump. 〉

[And a fist bump she shall get, accompanied with a grin that looks a touch more hopeful than a moment before.]

Hell yeah.

To new old friends!

ONE NIGHT ONLY

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cw: allusions to school shooting type scenario

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