New York City, Thursday

[suitably_heroic]

Sometimes mornings were nice. Time spent in the music room, after people had woken up, but before he needed to be anywhere. Jack let his fingers move over the keys, his ear fied on the sound of Dane's chords flowing from the phone recording - Em, G, Cmaj7, D... "Why do we always crave absolution? Why can't we put these ghosts to rest? Why won't we tell the dead to leave us alone? Why let the ghosts follow us home, to let our blood and leave us to roam? The dead should leave us alone--"

"I like the triplets and the duplets," Dane commented quietly from the doorway. "Very cute."

Jack let out a sigh as he looked up and away from the piano. "Well, we aren't all fancy assholes with pretty pieces of paper that say we're qualified to make music good."

"It is a nice thing to have." Dane lifted his cup of coffee with a small smile. "I like it, though. It's getting better."

There was still a quiet exhaustion in his face, and Jack knew it wasn't physical - Dane had slept just fine last night. He put the sheets with the notes down and rose from his seat. "Thanks," he said. "How are you holding up?"

One of Dane's shoulders slid up in a helpless shrug. "I'm okay--" he started. "Okay, no, that's bullshit. I'm sorry. I'm, I don't know. Stuck in some bad memories. I guess. It'll be fine."

Jack took a moment to roll his wrist, fiddling with the straps of his glove. Then he took a few steps, getting in closer, seeing the truth of that reflected in Dane's eyes. "Look, I know you're probably not eager to hear my Jedi zen therapy bullshit," he said. "But try and find a moment to sit with it for a while today, okay? Grab a break or something. Listen to the dulcet tones of cabs racing past, I don't know."

"Aye aye, Zen master," Dane said, a wry smile tugging on his mouth.

"And if you want, I can call the band, cancel our performance at the protest this weekend," Jack added casually. "Give you some time."

"And deprive you of a chance to yell 'fuck the system' in public?" Dane sipped his coffee. "I'm not that much of a monster."

Jack shook his head. He brushed a kiss against Dane's cheek before he passed him by. "Just think about it," he said.

"You tell Lana I said hi," Dane called over his shoulder.

"She agrees with me about the zen shit!" Jack called back.

He grabbed a thermos of coffee on his way out, shoving half a sandwich in his mouth. Lana was probably not going to be outside at 10 AM on the dot, right? He would be that lucky?

[[ for her ]]

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[unusual_sith]

"And you'll just have to wait for it," Lana said cheerfully.

Next, she pulled out a t-shirt and handed it to Dane. It had a typical large-headed green alien under a butterfly net held by a man with a big grin on his face. Under it was the caption, "I caught an alien!"

[suitably_heroic]

"Okay, that's just offensive," Jack muttered.

"... but it'll make for a funny birthday present for Trent," Dane said, patting the t-shirt as he put it down on the sofa.

[unusual_sith]

"If you prefer." Lana shrugged. She'd hope the joke would go over better, but she wasn't going to argue.

"And the serious one," she said. "Or at least the not-funny one. I have no idea if it's something you'd use, but it was lovely and I thought you might." She handed over a little box.

[suitably_heroic]

Dane grabbed it, opened it, and squinted inside. "... Huh," he said. "Cool." He looked up, grinning. "Maybe we should add some blues to our repertoire, huh?"

"Or not," Jack said, very quickly. "Maybe not!"

"You gotta be more open to experimentation."

[unusual_sith]

"What's wrong with blues?" Lana asked. "I thought they were the root of rock and roll." Look at her remembering your class! "Anyway, don't they use those slides in other sorts of music, too?"

[suitably_heroic]

"It's not as common these days," Dane said, smiling. "But hey, that's just an incentive to dick around with it, see what happens. Thanks, Lana."

[unusual_sith]

"You're very welcome." Lana smiled. Then it turned into a wicked grin. "Ready for yours?" she asked Jack. There were clearly still several things in her bag.

[suitably_heroic]

"No, but you're going to give them to me anyway, aren't you," Jack said, greatly resigned, and nearly at the bottom of his soda.

[unusual_sith]

"Of course!"

Lana dug into the bag and came up with a beaded robot kit. "This museum had beads all over. Look, you can make your own droid now! I know how much you've missed having one around."

She thought she was funny.

[suitably_heroic]

Jack stared at it.

"You're hilarious, Beniko," he grumbled. "You missed your calling as a comedian."

[unusual_sith]

"It's less likely to revolt and kill you," Lana pointed out. "Unless of course you actually give it sentience, but then it's your own lookout."

[suitably_heroic]

"Less likely is not not likely," Jack groused, "Or even not."

"I'll protect you from the bead uprising," Dane said, amused. "If I have to I'll get the vacuum cleaner or something."

[unusual_sith]

Look, he'd lived on Fandom. There was never going to be a not.

"See? You have your own bodyguard against the vicious bead droid."

She pulled out a t-shirt next. "We went to a western bar. I didn't bring you a hat." But was this really an improvement?

[suitably_heroic]

Jack took it. He held it out. He stared at it.

"I want to insult it," he said. "But."

"It's very New York?"

"It's very New York."

Dane looked to Lana. "I keep telling him," he said, "I knew it was possible to be born a New Yorker. I knew it was possible to become a New Yorker. I didn't know you could be born a New Yorker on another planet until I met him."

[unusual_sith]

Lana laughed. "Is that a good thing or a bad one?"

[suitably_heroic]

Dane shrugged. "I mean," he said, "I was born here and I have no intention to leave, so..."

Jack rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "He means I fit in with the rest of the furniture," he said. "Which is probably a good thing?"

[unusual_sith]

Lana looked at him for a moment, then shook her head. "Too loud for furniture. Which is also not a bad thing."

She pulled out the next present. "Speaking of other planets, though." Look, the Roswell museum was the first place they'd gone. "This was what actually started the whole collection. Just in case you don't already have an ID. And look, you can put this on the Hawk!"

She was getting her phone ready for pictures even as she handed it over.

[suitably_heroic]

Jack... squinted. And then scowled. And then squinted at Lana.

"Okay, one, that better mean your people have not wrecked my ship yet," he said, "And two, why would you do this to my Hawk?!"

[unusual_sith]

Lana rolled her eyes. "The Hawk is fine. And I wouldn't do anything to it. Any purely cosmetic changes I leave up to you. But if you bring it here, you'll be able to park it now!"

She was still grinning.

[suitably_heroic]

"You are so funny," Jack told her dryly. "Seriously. You should consider making this an act and traveling around the country."

[unusual_sith]

"I don't there are enough people from our galaxy to finance it," Lana answered. "But all right, I'll stop torturing you. Only one more thing."

And it was food, even! Specifically, chocolate cheese fudge.

[suitably_heroic]

"You're giving me food," Jack said, eyeing it. "... What's wrong with it?"

[unusual_sith]

"It's made from cheese whey and chocolate," Lana said. "I have no idea if it's any good."

[suitably_heroic]

"So possibly good, possibly might kill me," Jack said, taking it.

[unusual_sith]

"Unlikely to kill you. The place was seeing a lot of business, and apparently it sells well." Lana shrugged. "I make no promises, though."