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GEN-X VS. THE SUCKY ROCK BANDS AND THE UNWASHED MASSES (Or, Gen-X Goes Clubbing) Guest starring: Everclear! written by Kat and Amphitrite
*Bop!*
“Owww…hngg!” Jubilee grunted and rolled over, further entangling herself in her blanket.
*Bop! *
“Damn it Paige! I do NOT deserve this!” she shrieked from underneath her cocoon of blankets and pillows. The warm covers were consequently torn away and all Jubilee could think was, ‘What a waste of body heat,’ before she was sharply bopped upon the head for the third time.
“That’s it, Fluppy will die!” She threw off the rest of the bed covers and leapt out of bed only to fall flat on her face. “Ahhh! Pins and needles! Pins and needles!” After delicately working out all the kinks in her much abused calf muscles she jumped up and continued to scream promises of death by toilet drowning on Fluppy’s much abused, fuzzy carcass. Paige was long gone though and Monet wasn’t; rolling her eyes in the doorway like she usually did when such rants occurred. *Hmm* Jubilee took a moment’s pause. She knew she should be remembering to do something but what? Why HAD Paige woken her up at such an ugly hour on a Saturday? Something…something…hmm, maybe things would clear up if she took a shower. CLEAR! That was it! Everclear! Their concert was tonight! All the way in New York!
*ATACLUBANDSHEHADTOTAKEASHOWERANDGETDRESSEDWHATWASSHEGOINGTOWEAROHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHEVER CLEAREVERCLEAREVERARTALEXAKISARTALEXAKISSHOWERSHOWERSHOWER…* >Beep, beep< *HORNCARHORNSEANSJEEPANDI’MNOTINITARTALEXAKISJEEPSHOESCLOTHESSOCKSCLOTHESARTALEXAKIS DOORSTAIRSCARARTALEXAKIS…Ignore the laughing teenagers they will soon remember their angst training but I will still be completely jubil-blissful, ahem, because I’m gonna see Art ALEXAKISINCONCERTATANIGHTCLUBWITHMYFAKEIDITONLYSAYSI’MSEVENTEENBUTISTILLGETINANDARTALEX AKISANDEVERCLEARANDARTANDCLEARANDEVERARTANDWOLVIECAUSEWE’REGONNASTOPATTHEXMANSIONFIRSTAND GOODCAUSEWHEWIREALLYNEEDEDTHATSHOWER…*
Kat and Amphitrite Kindly Present:
Gen-X vs. The Sucky Rock Bands and the Unwashed Masses
Or
Gen-X Goes Clubbing
Guest starring: Everclear!
As the Jeep pulled up to the X-Mansion Jubilee rocketed out, nearly unhinging the door before it even came to a complete stop. Up the steps, in the doors, up yet more stairs and into the closest bathroom. *SHOWERSHOWERSHOWERSHOWERSHOWER…* She cranked up the hot water, ignoring the squeak resonating down the hallway. Someone else would have to take a cold shower, she was seeing Everclear!
When Paige entered the mansion a full five minutes behind her friend, she was faced with a very disgruntled member of the X-Men, wrapped tightly in a fuzzy bathrobe, soaked and shivering.
“I still don’t understand, after all these years, that she can manage to hog all the hot water. One minute I’m washing shampoo out of my hair, and the next I’m freezing to death!”
“Ah…undiscovered mutant power?” Paige asked, trying her best to look innocent and in no way connected to the voice that could be heard singing as loud as it could from the upstairs bathroom.
“She lost her focus yesterday, she lost her focus in the sun. She sits and stares at it for HOURS. She says she likes to go outside, she gets hung up on the wind. She gets lost inside the happy noise. Sometimes, I don’t understand her…Sometimes I don’t WANT to understand her…”
“Perhaps. Though she still appears to be tone-deaf. At least it’s not a brainless pop band, right?”
“Ah couldn’t agree more…at least she can hit most of the notes.” Paige smiled, trying to ignore the puddle of cold water leaking from under the fuzzy robe towards her feet. “Lord forbid she ever develops a taste for opera.”
“She says NO NO NO NO NO NO, she don’t want no double life. She says I should know why. She seems happier at night; her color TV and her chemical smile. I don’t want to know the reason, I don’t want to know the reason, I don’t want to know the reason why…” Jubilee closed her mouth and hummed the last bit of Chemical Smile to avoid swallowing any of the lavender/mint shampoo. She turned off the water and stepped out of the tub still humming loudly, ‘Oh yeah, this day is gonna rock!’ Washed away were all of yesterday’s training pains, this mornings terrible wakeup call, and, Oh Let Us Not Forget, three hours of road sweat because she’d also forgotten to apply deodorant on her way out the door and Ev had been sitting right behind her too. Okay maybe that embarrassing moment would have to be brushed away with the cavity causing plaque. Ah ha! Bubblegum flavored toothpaste, God Bless Hank McCoy! Hmm…no toothbrush, well just that purple one, purple, so it must belong to Psylocke. ‘Betsy should really take better care of her things’ Jubilee thought as she inspected the basic looking toothbrush. ‘Clean and no bent bristles, must be almost new! She really shouldn’t leave it on the sink, why someone might scrub the toilet with it or…use it,’ by this time the brush was already working up a foamy, bubblegum cloud of clean in Jubilee’s mouth.
She exited the bathroom fully dressed in the clothes from her duffle and ready for a day with Wolvy and a night at the club but immediately back peddled into the bathroom in shock. “Of all the inconsiderate, jerky things to do!” she shrieked quickly pulling off her soaked sock. That squealing someone from the shower down the hall had obviously exited said shower and left a water trail as long and wide as the Mississippi! ‘Ugh! How rude!’
She followed the cold, slightly sudsy trail to it’s shivering owner who was still standing in the doorway of the entrance hall harassing Paige, in nothing more than a pink, fuzzy robe! ‘This must be dealt with.’ Jubilee decided and screwed up her pixie-esque face into her best impression of “pissed of Wolverine”.
“REMY, you shameless, self-involved, inconsiderate JERK!” Now the first two insults rolled off Gambit like the beads of soapy water that worked their way down his legs but the last? Well that was just uncalled for coming from the girl who’d unceremoniously entered the house and without so much as a “How do you do?” ruined his perfect morning with her hot shower and obnoxious singing! He was, you realize, NOT wearing his pink, fuzzy robe but Rogue’s. How he had ended up in that particular robe…Gambit grinned.
“You’re smiling? You’re smiling! Why are you smiling? Damn it, Cajun! This,” she pointed to the offending wet sock. “Is your fault! Ever heard of a towel? Big fluffy rectangular pieces of fabric that hang on a rack on the bathroom wall?” Jubilee had worked herself into a fine, indignant rage by this point. Gambit cringed mentally, stranded as her only target. Much to her credit, Paige had slunk off to the kitchen at the first hint of Jubilee’s “grumpy face”. The last thing she wanted was for Jubes to remember Fluppy when she was in such a delightful mood. The offending stuffed animal was currently going incognito in the back of the Jeep.
“If you hadn’t stolen the hot water, p’tite, we wouldn’t be having this conversation, would we?” Mustering up his ego as best he could, he looked down at her, arms crossed over the lace edging of the robe. Big mistake. The lace had caught Jubilee’s attention.
“Remy,” a wicked, slightly possessed smile plastered itself on her face. “I know, for a fact, that that isn’t your robe. It’s all fluffy and lacy…not at all your style. Who squeaked, Remy?”
*Great. Just great. She’s turned into a little, femme Wolverine.* Gambit just shook his head and smiled, turning to retreat back up the stairs. “Non…none of your business, Jubilee.” About a step and a half away, he felt a tug on the back of the robe’s belt. Instant reflexes kept the front shut and prevented a very uncomfortable incident with Bobby, who had wandered into the war zone. Muttering under his breath, Remy scurried back up the stairs, maniacal laughter following him.
(And now for something completely different = )
Later:
Bruises were rising on beaten flesh and blood flowed freely. Remnants of what might have once been considered edible and other less mentionable things lay scattered around them. The younger, less jaded wept; while the bitter, aged or simply more experienced shrugged off the effects of the escapade that had been going on for the last hour. Screams and gasps of shock could be heard from where she was sitting, words muffled behind cupped hands made her strain her hearing beyond it’s normal capacity in the hopes of catching a rumor or a name. One name in particular but he wasn’t here, she could only hope that he was still breathing so that when she found him she could kill him for making her worry so much. She didn’t dare ask about him, she knew what other’s thought about her and her…feelings towards him. She wouldn’t stoop to ask about him, she would not be the one to draw their mocking laughter, those condescending smiles, and thoughts, which they longed to have reason to give. Anything to distract them from the scene of carnage so recently passed. No instead she’d ask another question and make someone else the target of their whispered rumors and out right lies.
“So, Remy,” she shouted over the long table where all of the X-teams had gathered to share a dinner and memories, “Who was that in the shower this morning?” She didn’t really need to shout, he was only across the table and three large people to the left of her. Yeah, so maybe she did it for the attention, four dozen people simultaneously dropped what ever they were doing at that moment to stare and with the help of years of working in teams, all swung their heads in the direction of a certain blushing Southern Belle quietly making her way out of the dining room door for “refreshments”.
“Ya’all want anything while I’m up?” She asked in a saccharine but steely tone that made anyone, who’d ever seen her toss two tanks at one time, flinch.
“No, I’m fine.”
“Nein.”
“No.”
“No.”
“No thanks.”
“Nuh-unh.”
“No.”
“No!”
“No.”
“Nope.”
“Nah, thanks anyway.”
“Nada.”
“No.”
“A coke…err…I mean, um…no?” >smack<
Later, yet again
Concerts may be wonderful, but the process of getting in the door is boredom incarnate. Jubilee rocked back and forth on her heels, eyeing the huge crowd of people that she was currently at the back of. *Boredboredboredboredboredboredboredboredbored…* Paige had produced a book from somewhere in the unexplored depths of her cargo pockets, now oblivious to the world. No luck there. Bobby was eyeing a blonde bombshell in a short skirt and heels. She was clinging to a vaguely punk looking man in leather pants. *Perfect outfit for a concert…riiiiiiiiiiight. I wonder if she came free with the pants?*
“Hey!” Jubilee poked him in the shoulder. “Bobby! Let’s play a word association game!” She smiled at him, batting her eyes and generally looking cute and irresistible. She knew she was being wicked, using that evil ability that all girls have to manipulate guys if they truly work at it. *1…2…* She smiled as his defenses crumbled.
“Okay munchkin. You go first.”
“Duck.”
“Where?”
“….Let’s do something else.”
About an hour later
It had been boring inside as well, but only in passing. There were people packing in, smoke hazing the ceiling…and then it went dark. Much squealing and a roar of noise from the crowd, warm already from so many bodies packed in such a poorly ventilated area. But it turned out to be a false alarm, just the opening act. Some local band that wasn’t too bad, but definitely wasn’t why they were here. Not that you’d ever guess it from the way the band acted. Loud and grating, but bearable. Jubilee was bored again, and occasionally ‘paffed’ the tall guy in front of her, partially for being too tall and partially for emitting more smoke than Angelo when on a nicotine binge. *I don’t know why I bothered to shower, I’m all sweaty and gross already.*
“Hey,” she poked at Ev, her self-imposed guardian for the evening- “You won’t go unless someone can assure us that you’re not going to be pawed by some muscle-bound ape!” Emma had said. Ev had promised to keep an eye on her and while she was thrilled by the possibilities she did not like to have someone holding her hand, especially in a club. “Dude I’m gonna go try and score a drink at the bar, it’s right over there, look the one in the corner with no people? The bartender looks like he’s younger than me! Do you want anything? No? Okay, back in a second.” He kept up the glassy-eyed stare directed toward the overflowing bosom of the woman dressed up and down in vinyl. Yuck, so much for the handholding. She started for the bar but then remembered the big ol’ M for minor on her hands and decided not to make an issue out of it. It was almost the end of the second band’s set. The crowd was working up a bit of adrenaline; if she hurried she could get to the front, prime crowd surfing positioning, before Everclear came on. She paid for an overpriced bottle of water and scampered back to Everett. Grabbing him by the wrist she hauled him to the front of the crowd.
Just in time. The lights all cut, and the crowd went dead silent. There were some noises of moving equipment onstage, and a melody very much akin to the Beach Boys crooning began. Lights flashed, and there he was, standing like he’d been there forever. Art Alexakis, armed with microphone and guitar. Jubilee grinned like the Cheshire Cat, eyes huge. Despite the crush of sweaty, adrenaline-high people pushing in at every side, this was going to be the perfect night.
