( open. )

[construing]

CHARACTERS: gwen; you
DATE: first week of perdition's rest
WARNINGS: nerdery probably
SUMMARY: catch-all

SALOON.

[ performers wanted, huh? the times that spider-woman would break onto a television set to show off for the cameras have long since been left in the past. spider-woman, consummate performer that she is, is not a gimmick. she can't afford to be.

gwen, however, wouldn't mind some comped drinks. ( the comped board is how she knows she's not in new york anymore. )

it doesn't take long to rig. drums and their like are ubiquitous everywhere. human or not, everyone likes to wail on things. she manages to borrow one, rig together two more, borrows a line of bottles which she fills to different amounts under miz poppy's skeptical eye, arms herself with sticks then takes the stage.

it's not quite a drum kit and the event is definitely not a rock show. but gwen plays. she adopts jazz infusions, incorporates rock leanings or mixes both depending on requests. she shows off: tossing the sticks high to beat the skins with her hands before catching them; drawing recognizable tunes from her line of bottles; listening to songs hummed or sung to her by the qorral once or twice, then evoking them with flair from her drums.

she plays for the rowdy and mellow alike. she volunteers herself for those who'd like musical accompaniment on stage. she drinks and takes requests and is as relaxed as she ever is, more at home behind the instruments where they take the focus: she only facilitates the music. ]

CHURCH.

[ gwen stacy ( wearing a massive cowboy hat because of course, she got one ) is on the roof. how did she get up there, you might ask? the old-fashioned way, actually. by climbing ( and not the wall-crawling way, either. ) her backpack sits with her as she sits on the edge, her feet gently swinging in the cool evening air. her head is turned up; she studies the night sky, the unfamiliar constellations.

pavitr would be feverishly drawing star maps. peter, version ham, would have found pork somewhere probably to her eternal disgust. gwen's fingers trip across the wristband of the dimensional travel device. she misses them. pavitr and peter, billy, anya, everyone else. it feels weird. being stuck in an alternate universe without the spider-crew. just her and ( a ) spider-man.

so many times she felt alone. for the first time, she is alone. gwen fiddles with the sleeve of her jacket.

when she hears someone underneath, she looks down. stranger or friend get the same greeting, ] Nice night.

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE.

[ what it says on the tin! or ask for a starter and I'll get that to you :'> ]

Comments

[construing]

Take a deep breath, [ gwen suggests only loudly enough for nyuu, and perhaps those sitting right up close the stage to hear. if nyuu looks back, she will see gwen wink her way. ]

You got this.

[ she counts off, and starts to play. ]

[scarredhorns]

[Nyuu turns her head at the voice, giving Gwen a nervous, toothy grin along with a single nod of her head. She takes a deep breath as Gwen counts off, opens her mouth, and sings. Not only is her singing surprisingly good, but it also comes out strong. It's thanks to her friend Nozomi and her tutelage that Nyuu learned how to project her voice even when under pressure. She also manages to put on a big smile for everyone while singing a jovial tune, encouraging the audience to sing with her at certain parts by leaning forward and putting a hand near her ear as she turned her head slightly. Nyuu didn't just stand on stage either, she made motions with her hands, swung her arms, and moved around stage--dancing, skipping, or just walking around with her hands behind her back, depending on what the tempo seemed to call for. She even did the whistling part, glad that she had decided to go through with the idea of practicing it.

The audience does sing along with her, especially during the chorus, and the saloon is soon alive with different voices and even some dancing as they become infected with Nyuu's energy and enthusiasm.

When the last of the song leaves her mouth, she strikes a pose, showing outspread arms while crossing her legs, smile still brightening her face and growing even wider (if that was possible) as the crowd erupts into applause, cheers, and whistling. Some patrons raise their drinks to her. Compared to how she seemed like a trembling leaf before, Nyuu was absolutely glowing now despite the way she was panting and covered in a light sweat. She bows to the audience before making her way over to Gwen again.]

Thank you very much for playing the music for me! You were great! [She may have been the one singing and dancing, but Nyuu wasn't one to forget those who helped her, which is why she gives Gwen a quick bow from the waist.] I also like how you've had your drums set up, by the way. I've never seen anyone play with instruments made from everyday items.

[construing]

[ gwen was grinning as she played, caught up in the infectious enthusiasm. when nyuu is finished, gwen tips her a little salute, smiling as she accepts her compliment. setting the sticks down, she reaches over to where she keeps her bottle. she coughs a laugh mid-drink. ]

You've clearly never been around anyone bored before, [ she says, still laughing. ] People will bang on anything.

[scarredhorns]

I can see why, it looks like a lot of fun. Where did you learn to play like that?

[Nyuu wipes at her forehead with her sleeve.]

[construing]

I'm self-taught mostly. A lot of imitating what I saw in videos. A lot of not letting the neighbors sleep.

[ her expression reads as pure "oops," but she's not all that regretful. her dad liked to complain, but he also bought her her drum sets. the parkers didn't mind either. ben and may made a joke of her racket, and peter never minded, he —

gwen kills the thought. lately, they all seem to pull into hurt town population her and her guilt. she rigged this entire thing precisely to get away from them. ]

[scarredhorns]

[She giggles when Gwen mentions the neighbors.]

Did anyone try to get you into trouble with the police for noise complaints? I hope not.

[Nyuu's own home, Maple House, wasn't flanked by other houses, so her friend Nozomi could sing as loud as her heart desired. Even if they did have neighbors that were close by, though, Nyuu doubts they would've minded the noise since Nozomi's singing was so lovely.]

I never got your name, now that I think about it. You were already on stage by the time I arrived, so I missed your introduction. [Then Nyuu hadn't introduced herself yet either, but she was going to fix that.] As for myself, I'm Nyuu. Pleased to meet you!

[She gives a quick bow of her head accompanied by a curtsy.]

[construing]

[ oh, they probably did. but that's one benefit to having a police captain for a father. even with one as fair as george stacy, people prefer to stay on your good side. ]

Gwen. [ sitting down makes a curtsy difficult, so gwen settles for a riff off of the bottles. she holds the sticks out. ]

Want to give it a try?

[scarredhorns]

Eh? Is it really okay?

[Her eyes widen in surprise as her hands clasp together in front of her chest, but she DID want to try it out.]

[construing]

Yeah! [ gwen gets up from the seat, offering it and the sticks both to nyuu. ]

And don't worry about them, [ she continues, pointing at the audience since become engrossed in their own drinks and conversations. ] Half drunk as they are, you could play "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and have them clapping along.

[scarredhorns]

[Nyuu follows Gwen's finger, then her eyes land back on Gwen and she smiles, carefully taking the sticks into her own hands.]

I'll try my best then!

[After she's made herself comfortable on the seat, she experiments with each bottle to hear what sound they make and once she's got a handle on things, she plays. It's mostly random tunes or songs she calls to mind, ranging from children's songs to those she'd listened to along with her friends, both from Japan and overseas.]

[construing]

[ gwen keeps her hands behind her back. the urge is strong to jump in once in a while ( it's the musician in her ), but at the end she's the first to applaud nyuu's efforts. ]

See? It's fun. They're great stress-relief. [ gwen tips her head with a dramatic sigh. ] I miss my drums.

[scarredhorns]

[She shyly inclines her head while one hand reaches back to rub at her nape, giving a small nod of her head.]

It is, thank you for letting me try, Gwen-san.

[At the sound of Gwen's sigh, Nyuu lifts her head back up and offers a sympathetic look, lowering her hand.]

Yeah, there are things I miss from home, too. I've heard that ALASTAIR will sometimes reward people, though. So maybe you will have your drums again some day?

[She tries to sound hopeful for Gwen.]

[construing]

[ gwen lifts a shoulder in a shrug. she can get the drums, sure. but looking forward to that means planning for a future here. she can't. for so many reasons, she can't. ]

Yeah, maybe. That'll have to wait to Oska, though. I don't know about you, I'd rather be home.

[scarredhorns]

It's the same for me. I miss my friends back home and I do hope to return someday, but... [Nyuu sighs this time.] we might as well make the best of things while we're here, yes?

[If Lucy was as dangerous as Nana claimed, then Nyuu wondered if her time with ALASTAIR could teach her how to control her other self better, or at least establish communication between them. Perhaps that way Lucy wouldn't pose such a danger to the safety of Kouta and the other Maple House residents.]

[construing]

Why else do you think I'm here?

[ only half truth. a distraction; entertainment so she doesn't have to think.

gwen extends her hand for the sticks. ]

You want to keep playing or partner up again?

[scarredhorns]

Let's partner up again sometime.

[Carefully, she hands Gwen back the sticks, flashing her a bright smile, before moving a hand over her mouth as she yawns.]

All the excitement from earlier has left me worn out, but at least I'll probably sleep real good tonight. [Nyuu giggles to herself.]