sticksandbones | I've finally come to learn where tomorrow will be,

I've finally come to learn where tomorrow will be,

Who: Are you musically inclined? Then you!
What: There has been talk of a Grove-wide Jam session for some time. Time to make it happen!
When: After the event
Where: Watchtower bar!
Warnings: Small Alcohol warning, since bar.

[Seems like they all could use something to unwind with. Mayoi was not trapped in the dream, but he did spend a lot of time being absolutely distraught over those who were. He almost felt like it was a little too soon, but honestly, what better way to try and get rid of the nerves and forget about the horrors than music, right?]

[So, he bravely made the arrangements with the bar so they could have their little Jam session. Snacks and Drinks are available per either Luca's arrangements or Mayoi's (or both). He probably did some stress baking this month, not gonna lie.]

[Feel free to mingle and chat! And play! And sing! Music!!!]

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[Outside the pocket of the dream, Min has been quiet and on edge since their forced theatre performance. If anything his mood has been even worse since waking up. He's been avoidant and nervous of anyone who shared the dream with him and might have noticed his and Ryan's (tamer than he thinks, and honestly not so different from the way they'd normally behave) interactions.

Today is a little different. He's had his Barold back for a month now, but hasn't had access to it all that much. Any opportunity to play it is an exciting one, and much as Min-Gi enjoys playing with Ryan? It's pretty cool to have the chance to play with other musicians too. It takes more effort to haul it over to the Watchtower than it would his mini-synth, but it's absolutely worth it.

While he won't share anything he and Ryan are actively working on, he might play some already established Chicken Choice Judy songs if his bandmate's about. He's also happy to improvise or play songs he already knows. Depending on who it is, he might propose classical, or something ranging from the 60s to 80s.

He is also more than happy to demonstrate the different settings on his synth for those who are less familiar with it and show an interest.]

[Thorns brings everyone the sweet sweet sound of Iberian music, which is just "music from Spain" for you Earth folk out there. And also sea shanties. Boy, he knows a lot of sea shanties.

They're a little lame when sung by one guy, but Thorns is luckily the type to climb up on tables and counters (sorry Luca) and toast with a mug of ale in hand as he sings. It's quite energetic and upbeat, exactly what one would expect from a pirate and not at all what one would expect from an introvert like Thorns, but hey. Sometimes you gotta subvert expectations. Sometimes you gotta get drunk off your ass and sing a song.

If he's not schwasted and actually playing his guitar he got just for this, he'll at least bother to sit down... still on a table, but y'know, sitting.

While the others are playing their sets, though, he might just get up and wander over to you with a drink and ask you to dance. Y'know, platonically, because he doesn't realise how this probably comes across.]

[Min-Gi had been fiddling with the settings on his synth when Thorns sits himself on a table nearby. It's not like he's actually playing, so it's only polite to stop and listen while Thorns does.

He remains quiet until he comes to a natural pause, not wanting to interrupt a fellow musician in the flow of his music.]

Did you write that?

—ah, this one was written by someone else. I couldn't tell you who, sea shanties like this get passed around from Iberian sailor to Iberian sailor. I do know another that I wrote, if you'd like. Less of a shanty and more of a...

[His face scrunches up.]

"Fuck the past and fuck the government" type song. My generation got shafted a bit by our elders going on and on about a tragedy from ninety years ago.

Only if you want. A lot of great songs come from emotions like that, but if it's going to make you feel bad I'm happy to listen to whatever.

[Because obviously the best thing you can do with thoughts that make you feel bad is just not to think them.]

No, no, I won't feel bad. I wrote it with my partner Elysium — he's not here right now. He'd be dancing on tables and stripping.

[Says man who will also be dancing on tables (with his clothes on) later tonight? Yeah okay.]

Him and our... frrrriend, Jordi. [There's a dynamic going on here. Thorns clears his throat and adjusts his hold on the neck of the guitar.] Ah, actually, to be clear, Jordi wouldn't be dancing on tables or stripping, but he was our other writer. We unwittingly sucked him into it.

[...]

It's a slower song. Anyway—

[Enough talk, time to sing!]

[As Min-Gi sits and fusses with his Barold, Ryan tries really hard to s n e a k up behind him as quietly as possible with his guitar. Then, as though Min-Gi definitely has not caught on that his mischievous best friend is behind him, he strums out a few repeated simple chords. No words are sung with the tune this time; it's just an easy little greeting that only means anything to the two of them.

Ryan laughs whether the stealth worked or not though and plops down next to him like things haven't been weird between them for a little while. All smiles and sunny earrings.]

Hey, man. Having fun?

[It's clearly time to check in with his favorite introvert. ♥]

[ He is burnt, he is injured, but he is GOING on that stage and there isn't a single person who will be able to stop him from dragging Mayoi up there with him. They have been practicing for a while on adapting their songs, and Aira has been itching to perform since he missed his last chance at the Nest.

Not that he could really help being in some kind of void dimension, but dammit he wanted to perform and feel normal again! It's nothing like the high-production lives he's used to from ES, but it's more than enough for Aira. He'd take a karaoke session at this point. He was practically starved for performing.

Once he's had his turn he's red-faced and tired, but more content than he has been since long before he arrived. He probably goes up several different times just to sing more common songs that weren't Alkaloid's simply because he wanted to share them with everyone.

The easiest time to catch him would probably be after a song or while he's sitting down resting after their first performance. Curse his poor stamina. ]

[Ryan is not as subtle as he thinks he is, so when he hears the notes behind him there's no jump, just a huff of laughter at the familiar chords.

He's still a little awkward in Ryan's presence, but he's a lot more relaxed than he has been. As usual, music turns out to be the answer when it comes to getting him to stop thinking so hard about everything.]

Of course, dude. We should do stuff like this way more often.

[In the end the only person he's interested in collaborating with seriously is Ryan, but it is fun to hang out and play with other musicians like this.]

[If he had realized this was the direction this conversation was going to go in he might have steered it some other way.

As it is, Min-Gi is forced to listen wide-eyed and red-faced as Thorns talks about men stripping off in public like it's no big deal. This is not what he'd signed up for.

Thankfully the song is an easy excuse not to have to respond to him, and is actually a lot more relaxing than he'd expected a "fuck the past and fuck the government" song to be.]

That's nice. It's a lot more optimistic than I thought it was going to be.

Jordi and Elysium are optimists. I don't believe Iberia will change, but they do. Maybe my grading on it was a little harsh, though. I believe that we don't need to return to the Golden Age and that me and my peers are fine as we are.

[He shakes his head and sighs. The context of the "Golden Age" is probably a bit lost on an outworlder, so he launches into a brief explanation:]

Which is, ah... essentially, Iberia lost all her ships and lighthouses in a war ninety years ago with the Seaborn, an event called the Profound Silence. It used to be a powerhouse of a nation, and now it's been usurped by other global powers like Victoria. It's all complicated political shit.

[He shrugs, then strums a few idle chords on the guitar.]

But that was well before any of us were born. It's one of those things you wish your elders would move on from, you know?

The Seaborn, like... our Seaborn?

[It's hard to picture the Seaborn being vicious, but that one guy had mentioned this, hadn't he?]

I guess it's hard to say for sure when we're from totally different worlds, but hanging onto something from ninety years ago doesn't seem like a good idea for anyone.

[Till is- as most people are well aware- not the most social guy. He doesn't talk to people much, doesn't get along with people much...and he doesn't go out of his way to, like. Do things...much. That last part isn't always by design, it's just what happens. So when he hears about a bunch of them meeting to play music, he doesn't originally plan to go. Because...well, he wasn't really invited. He probably wouldn't be welcome, he reckons.

But he has his guitar, and he has nothing better to do. So...he manages to push past that feeling and goes. It helps that he knows Luca, and he DOES know many of the people there, whether it be relatively well or in passing. God, why does this have to be so hard...

Anyway, he's here. He's got his guitar and his sketchbook, which isn't actually intended for drawings, but writing song lyrics. Till's lesser known talent and hobby involves writing his own music, so that's what he's busy doing in the corner, be it the lyrics or the actual music notes themselves.]

....~

Edited 2025-08-28 23:29 (UTC)

Similar. I've since learnt that they only caused the Profound Silence because Iberians attacked them first. That isn't what our history texts say — censorship is alive and well.

[The notes get strummed, and Thorns shrugs, though he thinks to himself that now is the time to ask questions of his own. He doesn't know much about Min-Gi, after all.]

What is your world like? Are your elders better?

[What a fun question! Min-Gi resumes fiddling with the knobs on his synth, as though it might somehow keep him from having to answer.]

Your elders are your leaders, right?

[That's the impression he's getting from Thorns anyway.]

[He shrugs a second time, watching the synth. He's never so much as touched one, so he wonders idly what Min-Gi is doing. Tuning it, maybe.]

Or parents. Whoever's in charge, really.

I think they're better.

[Things have been tough since he started being more honest with them, but it's not like his parents are stopping him ditching school to go play music in a foreign country with his best friend. They worry, but he can't really blame them for that. Especially not after disappearing off the face of the Earth for months on end without so much as a word of warning.]

My parents worked hard to set me up for the best life they could. I'm grateful to them.

[Okay, but Aira being injured IS going to make Mayoi fuss.]

[So is his own nerves about getting back on stage but that's way less important, what's important here is Aira could hurt himself further! Yes, and so, before they take stage, Mayoi tugs on Aira's sleeve like a child who has done wrong.]

Aira-saaaan...

[ He wants to perform so bad he's practically vibrating. He doesn't seem to expect the tug from how he stiffens, but he looks back to his unitmate with a confused tilt to his head. ]

Hm? Something wrong?

[He looks Nervous, but he always looks Nervous. Perhaps Aira can recognized this as Mayoi's usual stage nerves before he gets on stage.]

Are you certain you're well enough to perform...? If you hurt yourself further ...

[He would rattle apart. But also ...its easier to fuss over Aira than admit himself, that he's feeling afraid to take stage after all this time.]

[Mayoi takes the stage with Aira to perform one of their unit's songs for the first time in a very long time, and while his nervous almost did him in, he's very glad he did it.]

[Mayoi is a very different person on stage than he is normally, and probably everyone will pick up on his switch in stage presence. Once described as a terrifying demon, Mayoi commands the audience like someone larger than life. And then when he's done, he's being to being meek and nervous. Don't look at him please, he'll die.]

[He will do some solo on his own. His particular favorite is songs from a certain musical, so enjoy him once again sounds like some mysterious supernatural specter. Of course he will also join Thorns in silly sea shanties, too. After he's gotten a few drinks in him.]

[After the night carries on, he's less wound up and is even in a playful mood.]

[Too late, Ryan is looking at him and is very impressed! Ryan pops up beside him after they've all had a couple of drinks, and claps his shoulder.]

Dude!!! You were SO cool up there! I wanna dance like that!

[During his own performance with Min-Gi he was bouncing around the stage with his guitar, but it's not really the same as a coordinated dance number.]

[Oh god, attention. His weakness.]

[But luckily Mayoi after having a few drinks is WAY more relaxed so he only squeaks a little when Ryan comes over to him.]

A-Ah, I'm glad Ryan-san thinks so! I was ... I was worried I'd gotten too rusty...

[He laughs a little into his drink.]

If you do, you should come back our practices some time. Aira-san and I do them in the mornings.

[Ryan is a social butterfly at heart, so he's happily all over people after they perform, ready to talk shop with anyone and everyone. But, he does notice that Aira seems kind of beat? So he politely gives him a minute and bugs Mayoi first.

This means Ryan doesn't catch him until after his second performance, but he gladly takes a seat with him while he's recovering.]

Hey! Aira, right? You were really great up there!

( mafuyu watches quiet and adoring the entire time, sticking to the sidelines- but once he comes over in that playful mood, she draws one of his hands in hers and presses a soft kiss to his fingers. )

You sound beautiful.

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I've finally come to learn where tomorrow will be,

Min-Gi Park | Open!!

Isidro Thorns Arknights [Open]

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Aira Shiratori ♡ Open!

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Till | Open

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Mayoi | Open

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