Let's Dance!

[ziggyplayedguitar]

[Continued from here]

The celebration was supposed to be short, sweet and just a greeting. However, with Ziggy and his friends and the family friends all being incredibly social things continued on. He and Mick and pulled out the equipment from the spare room. It was turning into a party by the time it was late afternoon.

As it attracted more people Tom ordered food to be delivered from the plaza, because they would need it, though the Anthean food was still there for the more adventurous. Jack also started a small bonfire in the portable fire pit in yard as it was getting toward evening and would cool to something colder than most humans might find comfortable. It would be good for there to be a place to warm up if the dancing or whatever else went on wasn't enough. Tommy had also finally come from where ever he had spent his time earlier in the day with his wife who, unlike Aletayria, hadn't adopted any human features at all. They were both simply observing from the edges since Etainia had not seen other species, and very few humans. This was a startling situation.

Cords run out front, Mick and Ziggy both with guitars, they were ready to jam with Soundwave. It was sure to attract other people since they were more or less starting a concert on the front lawn of the tiny house not too distant from the edge of the plaza.


[OOC: This is open to anyone who is at the celebration or wishes to amble by. Party style thread... feel free to tag about and mingle.]

Comments

[guitar_voodoo]

"Oh yeah, it does happen to us. Mostly between me and Zig because we perform closest on stage. Sometimes, Weird, the bassist, comes in and plays loud near us. It gets pretty intense."

As for everyone being affected by the weird alien empathy? Mick didn't even know Ziggy was an Anthean until he got told on the train that time. It blew his mind alright. Turning back to Minoru, the blond offered a polite smile and touched the other man's shoulder. He could tell the young man was close to Ziggy and that did warm his heart that his bandmate had such good friends within this new world.

"He's a really nice bloke and I--well, I love him. He's my world. I've known him for nearly three years now and I've never been able to tell him how I feel all that time. Not until recently anyway. Social stigmas and all that back on my world."

Yeah, those were tough.

"He told me you saved his life when he nearly died. That takes bravery and courage and you're a decent bloke, Minoru."

[itmeanstruth]

Minoru smiled softly. It wasn’t hard to be chill about that. “You know what the best thing about Ziggy is? He’s got enough love for all of us. And here’s always more to go around.”

He’d grown up in a world with a lot less social stigma regarding sexuality, and here in the Nexus, pretty much everything was fair game. There was even room for an alien hybrid and an asexual human to find some way to connect and care for each other.

“Nobody had seen him in weeks. I was worried about him. Jumped the fence and found him in bad shape...” He thought back to the overdose, or rather, drug binge of repeated overdoses. Tom minimized the danger, said his son was sturdier than that. But only when Mick framed it this way did Minoru think the former military man might have just been keeping everyone, including himself, calm. “Tom and Aletayria did the hard work. I just... he really said I saved his life?”

[guitar_voodoo]

Mick nodded. Minoru's words rang true because Ziggy was a loving kind of person who just took people under his wing because he cared. The guitarist knew that it must be hard being under constant pressure all the time from fans but Ziggy still found the energy to choose those close to him and care for them.

"Weeks? Bloody hell....I can't imagine it. I don't want to imagine it. Poor Zig on his own in that low place. But, yeah. He did say you saved his life."

The blond only wished he'd been there during this hard time in Ziggy's life. Instead, he was wrestling his own feelings for the singer, trying to figure out how to express himself, yet failing everytime. Ziggy could have died and he wasn't there. Yet, Minoru was.

"Thank you for---being there when I couldn't be, mate."

[itmeanstruth]

“Everyone just assumed he was working on material for the new album. Because I guess that’s what artists do when they get upset.” He sighed. He didn’t add that at least a few of the nurses had gossiped about Ziggy’s pain making a better album. But comments like that were what spurred him to pay Ziggy a visit.

“He was used to having to hide from everyone. I’m glad he doesn’t have to do that anymore.” Minoru glanced back at Mick just as grateful that he’d be there when Minoru couldn’t. “Not here, not even on tour.”

Yes, there was more than enough love for them both to share it.

[guitar_voodoo]

"I know how that goes. Ziggy used to have terrible moods swings off stage when he was writing or practicing. That usually boiled down to the Anthean side. The empathy coming off him. He--couldn't act on it and it was tearing him apart. I didn't even bloody know until I found out he wasn't human."

That part hurt the most. The fact that Mick performed with Ziggy, ate and drank and had no idea that he was hurting inside. The empathy he showed towards Mick--it was being deflected back and he didn't know how to deal with it. How could anyone deal with that?

"At least we don't have to pretend in this Nexus. Holding hands back home would get us abuse hurled at us or the media snapping it up and calling us horrid names. Two blokes aren't supposed to be together. Even if Ziggy does look like a girl."

The media were cutthroats back on Mick's world.

[itmeanstruth]

Minoru put an arm around Mick, pulling him in for a friendly hug.

“I’m sorry people from your world treat you like that.” Minoru sighed a little. “Where I come from, they say it used to be that way. In some places, it probably still is, but all the places Isamu and I have lived, you’d never know it.”

Granted, Minoru was also pretty oblivious when it came to sexual advances. But it was also pretty rare that he encountered blatant intolerance or discrimination. He was lucky, even privileged, to be born in a place and time like that. The Nexus wasn’t a refuge. Just another place to feel at home.

[guitar_voodoo]

Leaning into the hug, Mick patted Minoru's back and tried not to inhale his rather large and impressive hairdo. The spikes were something else and he really needed to ask how the lad got his hair in such an awesome style. Nodding, he knew that some places were more accepting than others; the Nexus being one of those, even though Mick had no idea what year it was here.

"It's ok, mate. We're used to dodging the media if we can, especially out on tour. If anyone says anything to start shit, I'll deck them in. Tom would too."

Space dad and his temper? Yeah, the media wouldn't stand a bloody chance. Mick could tell that Minoru was a kind young man and this pleased him that Ziggy could have such friends as him.

[itmeanstruth]

If it’s any consolation, that hair is rather fluffy - achieved with a comb and a quick burst of hairspray - not hardened with gel. No one is going to get impaled.

“Everybody talks. Doesn’t mean we have to listen to the bad stuff.” He laughed softly. “And if things get really rough, there’s always Isamu. They way he talks, they wouldn’t get a word in edgewise.”

[guitar_voodoo]

Mick thinks Minoru's hair is pretty awesome since it took time and effort to sport such a do as that. Most rock stars spent a lot of time getting their look just right for the public eye. As for the other man's words, Mick nodded.

"You're right. Oh, your brother? I've not met him yet but I would like to."

Since it might make a change meeting new people and getting into deep conversations with them. Did this Isamu like talking about music acoustics and the effect it had on a live crowd? That could be an interesting topic that Mick would love to indulge in.

"I wonder if your brother likes talking about music technicalities. Acoustics and stuff like that. Rocking out not really his thing, eh?"

[itmeanstruth]

“I think if it involves technicalities of ANY kind, you have his attention.”

Honestly, since he’d gone home to get the potion and come back, he hadn’t seen Isamu around. Not that he’d done much besides sit on the grass to watch the musicians jive.

“Last I saw him, he was studying the Anthean buffet way too seriously.” Minoru laughed. “If he got a hold of Tom, the two of them could be way deep into the science talk by now.”

Because of course, Isamu would be fascinated by alien food - where it came from, the nutritional value it contained compared to the nutritional needs of the species consuming it, how it was prepared, etc. Minoru, meanwhile, was pretty sure he had some of those veggies on a sandwich before.

[guitar_voodoo]

"The buffet is really good. Loving those salty Anthean snacks. As for Tom? He's a smart guy being Ziggy's dad. Going in space takes guts and I respect him for that. Even though he's had to rescue Ziggy and me from situations before. Usually, from mobs of fans or idiots who think it funny to throw bottles at us. Thugs that don't like seeing a man dress in feminine clothes."

Yeah, that part stung. Tom was always on hand to rescue his son or help out the band when things got bad. Mick wanted to try and protect Ziggy where he could and he was sure Minoru would do the same.

"Have you been busy lately? Working at the hospital and the like?"

Because Mick now knew about Minoru's other ability, that being helping people and doing good in the world.

[itmeanstruth]

Minoru nodded about the food. “Anything guaranteed vegetarian is already fine with me. Around here, you never have to even ask.”

Minoru would have a greater appreciation for Tom - at least in the way Mick already did - once they headed out on tour. Minoru would get a first-hand view of what it was like to need to be rescued. But that had yet to happen to him. At the moment, Tom was mainly a confidant and expert in all things Anthean.

He laughed. “It’s been calm for the last week, but I might have just jinxed myself there.”

Calm meant that he had more time to shadow over at the physical therapy clinic, though. And try to read the textbook for his first class - the second worst part of deciding to go back to school if you ask him. (The absolute worst was always going to be having to sit still in a desk.)