Xaviers!

A piano and drum combo could be heard floating out of the music room, only occasionally broken up by the two coming to a halt.

"You're rushing again," the pianist griped at the drummer.

"You're going too slow," the drummer griped back. "I'm falling asleep over here."

Will shook his head. "Alright, then. From the top. A one-two-three..."

https://youtu.be/ooeA4_-5IVc?t=2m39s

Shari pokes her (otter) head in through the door, glancing back and forth between the two Wills.

"Since when are there two of you?"

"There's only one me, babe. This is just the remnants of some bad decisions," the drummer said, smirking.


The pianist frowned. "Uh, hi, Shari. There was a bit of...a bit of a situation."

"Was the situation needing someone to play the drums? Cause I think you solved that one."

"No...more of a 'crazy telepath decided to split us into two in order to have her own private lackey' sort of...situation," Will explained.

"Heavy stuff." says the oversized otter holding a saxophone as she steps into the room.

"...Why do you have a saxophone?"

"Cause I like how it sounds. Why do you have an analog keyboard?"

"An ana...

It's a piano. It's the most...I mean, it's the most universal and workable instrument," Will said, disbeliving, and then performing a quick run up and down the keys.


"Can you actually play that thing?" the other Will asked. "I mean, without human ears or human lips."

"The keyboard makes the same sounds and a buuuunch more if you mess around with the buttons." Shari informs Piano-Will. Probably not a big surprise a Skrull would judge something by it's overall versatility.

"And my ears and lips work just fine, thanks."

"Yeah, but...I mean, try to blow on that thing and see what comes out. It's designed for human anatomy," Drummer-Will frowned.

"Doesn't mean it's the only anatomy that works. What, am I not human enough to play your instruments?"

"No, that's absolutely what it means. You can't play a piano without fingers, you can't wear shoes without feet, and you can't play a saxophone without lips and omnivorous teeth."

"That's rude."

"Blame Adolphe Sax for not having alien anatomy in mind, and blame the Skrull homeworld for deciding music was stupid and dumb."

Shari lifts the saxophone to her lips and produces a defiant honk. It's a little wobbly and her mouth clearly shifts a little to allow for it, but she seems proud of herself none the less.

Both Wills, however, cringed at the out-of-tune, airy, warbly squeak.

Drummer Will just cringed, but piano Will actually vibrated some, his skin rippling in sympathetic vibrations with the blast.

"Did that sound...good to you?" Drummer Will smirked.

"I'm working on it!"

"Nah, it's a valid question. Human brains like our series of notes because of how we're hardwired. We like nice, even ratios of soundwaves. Our brains are really good at picking those out and telling us they sound 'right'; it's why out of tune things seem so bad immediately.

But hey, Skrull brains, or otter brains, might like irrational things. Maybe a ratio of pi or something! Weird alien biology isn't just a thing for strange pornos, after all."

"Oh. Well, no, it didn't. But I think it did something to him." she says, pointing at Piano-Will.

"Oh, don't mind him," Drummer-Will laughed. "He's incredibly manipulable right now, as all his charm and brains and general je ne sais quoi is present in yours truly.

We've always been susceptible to sonics, but I guess I just have a firmer sense of 'self' right now, so it's easier to effect him

ASHLIE has him tagging along to make sure I don't do anything crazysauce. It's really annoying -- but, hey, I found out I can do a neat trick, and we had a ton of fun."

Piano-Will, gathering himself, glared at Drummer-Will, but was otherwise quiet.

"Wait, why do you need to... check yourself?" Shari asks, tilting her head. "Is it so you do not wreck yourself? I heard that's a concern to some people."

Drummer-Will sighed.

"When I was...indisposed...and split, Miriam got in a little over her head and unleashed some...negative parts of my personality. Some long-buried secrets she brought up to the surface. Under that control, I did some very bad things, and the headmistress is...I suppose justifiably concerned that I might go off the reservation once again.

Overly concerned, mind you, so I've got a little spy around here, but I can't...really blame her. But I'm fine; I've been checked out and given a full bill of health, so she's just being paranoid."

"Well that sucks. So you gotta babysit yourself, huh? At least that means the company's good, right?"

"Eh," Will shrugged. "He's a moron, but then, you know that -- you were stuck rooming with him, even after I was gone.

He's not all bad, but he needs to stop dragging when he plays the piano or I"m going to have to get creative to teach him to keep proper time," he shouted back over.

"P...please excuse him. He's having a rough time of things," Piano-Will said, having recovered some from the SaxBlast.

"Looks like you both are."

"I'm fine," they both said, in disturbing unison.

"Well at least you're on the same page. Wanna make some jam?" she asks, holding up the saxophone.

"We can give it a shot, though...uh...maybe we could help you, you know. Get to use the instrument a little better?" Piano-Will hedged.

"Only if you're not going to be a huge butt about it."

"He's more likely to be a stick in the mud," Drummer-Will joked. "If he gets to be too much for you, babe, let me know."

"And vice versa?" she asks, looking over to Piano-Will.

"Oh, uh. I mean, if you need help with him, then, I guess I'm supposed to..." Piano-Will hedged.

"I can take care of myself. But can you?"

"I'm...not sure I understand the question."

"Just seems like one of you is definitely the one in charge here."

"I wouldn't say that," Piano-Will demurred. "And besides, I have people to take care of me, if it comes to that."


"Oh, like they took care of you after you got beaten up at the bar? People like that?" Drum-Will butted in.

"Yeah, that sucked the butt. Coulda send literally anybody else too..." Shari grouches a little.

"He worships Sam, you know.

I mean, I do too, but the right one. The one back home who actually has, you know, done things. To deserve it. She would have come down and raised holy hell at the bar, saving both of your asses.

He also thinks that he's stuck here forever because he betrayed our Sam. As If. It was never going to be Sam that came to got us; it'd be Sara kicking science's ass and taking the names, also of science. He of little faith," Drummer Will groused.