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 ]]

Comments

[unusual_sith]

"She was Mandalorian?" Lana asked. "Mandalorian Jedi are rare."

[suitably_heroic]

"She was a war orphan who got adopted by Mandalorians during, well, the Mandalorian Wars," Jack explained. "It was why the Order didn't pick up on her Force sensitivity - she was out of their grasp. But Meetra had a way of... sniffing us all out. We found Mira on Nar Shaddaa, a bounty hunter who didn't want to kill anyone."

[unusual_sith]

"That's a bit of a disadvantage in that job," Lana noted. "Impressive if she managed it, though."

[suitably_heroic]

"I have never met anyone who knew as much about stun grenades as she did," Jack said. "That says enough."

[unusual_sith]

"It really does," Lana agreed. "Oh, how about this place? It certainly smells good."

[suitably_heroic]

"Dominican?" Jack asked, looking up at the restaurant in question. "I could definitely go for that."

[unusual_sith]

"And I don't think I've had it, so there we go."

Lana stepped through the open door and took a deep breath. It really did smell good.

[suitably_heroic]

Jack followed her, his hands stuffed down his pockets. "Their sandwiches are amazing," he said. "Very 'just shove half a pig into my face'."

[unusual_sith]

"Hopefully they cut it first," Lana said, amused. "But I could be up for that."

[suitably_heroic]

"You better be," Jack said, "Or I'm going to have to friend-divorce you on accounts of your lack of taste."

He pulled up a seat.

[unusual_sith]

"Well, we definitely can't have that," Lana said, deadpan. "Half a pig it is. How do I order it?"

[suitably_heroic]

"Well, they have this thing called a menu," Jack said, "And in a few minutes someone will come by and ask you what dish on it you want. It has pictures, so you can just point, if that helps..."

[unusual_sith]

Lana picked up her menu carefully. And hit him with it.

"Which of the things on the menu is the half a pig I need to try?" she asked, exasperated.

[suitably_heroic]

"Hey!"

Jack swatted at the menu as it got near him.

"Space! The pork chop sandwich or the Cubano, I didn't realize it needed spelling out!"

[unusual_sith]

Lana rolled her eyes at him. "Well, there can be a lot of things with pork and a lot of ways to cook it. I wanted to make sure I got the one you were recommending. But now I might have to get chicken or beef."

[suitably_heroic]

"Lana Beniko, contrarian?" Jack said, shaking his head. "Bring on the apocalypse."

[unusual_sith]

Lana grinned. "Worse men than you have tried. But I don't eat lunch with them."

[suitably_heroic]

"I'm honored you would come down from your lofty throne to eat sandwiches with me," Jack said. "Really. It warms the raisin of my heart."

[unusual_sith]

"A whole raisin these days?" Lana bowed. "I'm honored in turn to have room in such a hallowed organ."

[suitably_heroic]

"Yeah, you should. This is expensive real estate," Jack agreed.

[unusual_sith]

"It must have exceptionally high rent," Lana noted.

[suitably_heroic]

"Well, this is New York, and I have an album collection to feed," Jack said, reaching for his water.

[unusual_sith]

"Does it eat a lot?" Lana asked. "If you're missing food, you might have to check."

[suitably_heroic]

"We only feed it prime vegetables," Jack said. "Occasionally some of Dane's sister's rice noodle casseroles."

[unusual_sith]

"I don't think I've ever had one of her casseroles," Lana said. "Are your records eating better than I am?"