#post gig comedown

[usernamemybeloathed]

Enjoying that post gig, my-brain-is-fucked, head still in the venue, somehow I have pain in my toe, not really concentrating on what I need to do today, post gig feeling

[blixabargelds]

The superstar prompt was so sweet and special, really enjoyed it, you are such a talented writing.

I’m so curious about bucky and buck in this world, like how’d they meet or what their relationship dynamic is like or how it changes with time. Very excited for anything that you write.

thank you so so much i’m sooo overwhelmed that ppl seem to be liking it (elo too, i’ve been feeding all this back to them!) especially considering we’ve not posted any fic yet jgkgk we must have about 20k+ written but it’s all out of order bc we’ve extensively planned the whole thing and just keep writing bits we want to most instead of chronologically 😭 we really kept joking that it would have like 5 readers max when we finally start posting it but seeing that that’s not true we are working on being more organised lmaoo

they meet at a gig. john (vocals), rosie (guitar), and curt (drums) are punk band the b17s that need a new bassist. it’s kind of love at first listen for gale, and he ends up joining and leaving wyoming with them (he cannot play bass. rosie teaches him. he’s a very dedicated student and gradually becomes an animal on stage).

john n gale are head over heels. throughout the whole thing even though things get pretty bad and they probably should split about 70 times they never do and their love is really the whole thing that guides them through everything to the (eventual, very eventual) happy, not perfect but god happy, ending.

their dynamic changes many times, especially when gale gets into drugs with john (he was squeaky clean and sober when they meet). it changes depending on the drugs they’re doing too (gale on coke- euphoric until the months long comedown. john on coke- tense. john on heroin- distant. gale and john on heroin- inseparable, invincible, sharing one soul. gale on heroin- living on completely separate planets).

a lot of bad shit happens as you’d imagine. three (four?) overdoses, lying, arguing, one attempted murder (not between them lol). one actual murder (also not between them lmfao). two rock bottoms as low as you can go.

it’s also filthy. they fuck like insane people. in bathrooms, in bedrooms, in their makeshift studio, in their van, in clubs, at gigs.

and there’s so much love. they are so so in love despite it all. and they get off drugs in the end.

it’s not fluffy. the whole thing is for the sickos for sure. but it isn’t brutal all the way through. there’s a lot of genuine sweetness. it’s also really funny in parts. i’m really so touched that people are interested we did not expect that. it’s become wildly important to both of us. we are both addicts, and we love addicts so so deeply it’s a kinship like nothing else i’ve known to be able to write candidly about things a lot of people turn away from in discomfort and to turn to each other and say ‘writing that was rough’ or ‘writing that was so fun’ or ‘writing that made me horny’ or ‘writing that really made me want to do x again’ and your collaborator saying ‘well don’t, do it to john and gale instead’ and saying ‘yeah, that would feel a lot better’. and so far it has.

[jewellersstunts]

i feel like it’s relatively universal that when you go to a concert you come back pleasantly surprised about one song you didn’t particularly rave about before, but the performance of it just completely changed your mind

with that said here is my take of the (rather few) artists i’ve seen in the last few years:

1. miles kane

seen him thrice, wasn’t originally too big on coup de grace but ever since he POINTED HIS GUITAR AT ME during it i don’t think i’ve ever fully recovered

2. monkeys (yay!)

thought i was too edgy by preferring the b-sides and priding myself on knowing all the lyrics to all the new songs but in the end i moshed to teddy picker the hardest like everyone else

3. blossoms

how long will this last I STAND BY THIS i will forever be a cool like you girl no matter what. all the other songs were good too but when i heard this i pissed and shit and cried everywhere

4. kaiser chiefs

namely this specific song only because england won the semis halfway through the song. top g ricky wilson played it off like a champ though. never miss a beat (the irony) took the crown for me that day

5. kasabian

it takes a LOT for me to say this was the best gig i’ve ever been to as monkeys will forever be my number 1, but oh my GOD the sheer atmosphere of vlad the impaler actually killed me and i would do it again and again and again and i dont think i could ever get sick of it. sergio if you see this i love you call me

6. the lathums

i am quite literally writing this post during a) my comedown and b) a raging hangover from the aftermath of this gig, but nevertheless for a band i don’t really know as well as i did the others, circles of faith took the crown for this. wasn’t keen before, absolutely love it now. on repeat on the way back.

[jommunism]

im still in my post-show-comedown period and cant sleep so time for a story :3

so, im in kaiju queers, we're a queercore punk band in denton, tx. i joined back in february of this year, taking the place of the former drummer

for this band, i bought a new-to-me drum set, a 2017 yamaha stage custom kit in cranberry red, and i LOVE them omg look at my pwetty dwumbz

its a 5 piece kit (pieces in drummer speak means drums, excludes cymbals/other pieces of kit), comprising a 20 inch kick, 14 inch snare, 10 and 12 inch rack toms, and a 14 inch floor tom. ive also carried over the 16 inch floor tom from my circa-2002 childhood pearl export kit for more boom

i also have a very odd cymbal configuration. from left to right, i have a set of 13 inch zildjian planet z hi-hats (cheap, brass beginner cymbals i got for $50 used), my childhood 18 inch sabian b8 crash/ride, a secondary hi-hat without a pedal using my childhood 14 inch sabian b8 hats, and a 20 inch b8 ride with a 12 inch b8pro splash mounted upside down on top of the ride

pic for reference

ANYWAY

in between practices/shows/etc my drums live in our frontwoman dana's house for convenience, we rehearse there and operate out of there on gig days, so while it makes practicing with the band far easier, it also means i dont have immediate access to my gear

however

it also means that my drums get used when im not around, like when dana jams with the rest of the band or with other musician friends

and on one such recent occasion, the former kaiju queers drummer (whos actually on the EP) was over jamming, using his kit, but when he packed up to leave, he took some of my kit with him

and then he put it in a friend's rehearsal space

so last week, i roll in for practice, and my hi-hat stand (with pedal) is gone, a cymbal stand is gone, my snare stand is gone, and the lil doohickey that goes into the kick drum and holds the rack tom and second hi-hat was gone too

but fuck it we ball, the show must go on, etc

so i had to improvise and make my already unconventional kit (there's a reason for all of it, promise!) even weirder

i used the one cymbal stand for the ride and splash like normal, and just went without a pedal hat (which was not pleasant), using the auxiliary contraption i built plugged directly into the kick

for toms, i used the smaller floor tom as a rack tom at times and as a double floor tom at others depending on the song

observe, shenanigans

this completely broke all my muscle memory for playing fills and other accent parts and i had to constantly adjust things and it never felt comfortable, but i managed

and at times it ended up making me more creative with improvising

oh and the kick kept sliding around on the carpet cuz the little rubber feetsies on the legs got pushed too far up and exposed the spikes which only grip by chewing into the floor

now for some band operational behind-the-scenes shit

when multiple bands are playing a show together, its rather common for one band's drummer to supply the core kit (kick, toms, sometimes a snare, stands/hardware) with each drummer swapping in their own cymbals and snare if desired

since i play such a weird and bigger than average kit (most drummers ive played with only use a 4 piece kit (one rack tom, one floor tom) with a handful using a second rack tom for a 5 piece)

i usually supply the drums for the show (called backlining)

but for last friday's show, i didnt have a full kit to bring, i had to use a backup snare stand (which is literally shaking itself apart) just to get thru rehearsal

so i had to play the backline drums from another band

and of course, that drummer uses a 4 piece kit, so i was having to adjust on the fly, on stage, during the show

i made it thru by bringing my own snare and larger floor tom along with the auxiliary hi-hat contraption, which made it not as bad as it could have been, but damn it was weird. that guy likes to keep his shit tuned LOW with almost like, flabby-loose heads on the toms, whereas i keep mine tuned up a bit higher, so my 16 inch floor tom (my lowest tuned not-a-kick drum) was dramatically higher pitch than his floor tom

and my muscle memory still was off, going for drums that werent there constantly

i got thru the show, but definitely wasnt my best work

for this past tuesdays practice, i still had to go without my normal set up, as the previous drummer still hadnt been back with my gear, so once again, had to improvise, using the smaller floor tom fully extended as a makeshift rack tom, and it went a little better

but i was so fuckin happy to see him roll up after practice that night with a trunk full of hardware

and for the show i just played a few hours ago, i was able to roll up and backline with my full 6 piece kit assembled how i like it :3

[power-chords]

Hello Bux,

Next bingo numbers for your concert ask.

15. who is an artist you haven’t seen that you’d love to?

25. which concert did you feel the most exhausted after?

26 (edited). do you often get concert hangovers or post concert depression? how do you deal with it?

(stay strong, fashion week may have started, but it will also end.)

Who is an artist you haven’t seen that you’d love to?

Seaway! The best Canadian pop punk band nobody’s heard of.

Which concert did you feel the most exhausted after?

Definitely Alabama 3! A week earlier I had been hospitalized with food poisoning, but it was potentially my only chance to see one of my favorite bands perform one of my favorite records in full, so I was undeterred. I flew a red-eye into Heathrow after work that Friday, queued for the gig, saw the gig, went out partying with a bunch of Brits who took a clueless Yank under their wing and ensured I got back to my hotel safely, crashed the night, and flew back to JFK Sunday morning. I have never been so exhausted in my life. But it was worth it!

Do you often get concert hangovers or post concert depression? how do you deal with it?

Totally. Nothing brings me more joy than following the Whigs around on a tour circuit, so I’m always a little bummed out afterward. Last year I did Milwaukee/Orlando/Chicago/NOLA/DC/Philly/Brooklyn, and Chicago and New Orleans are two of my favorite cities in the world to be. It was the first AW tour after COVID paralyzed the industry, so to have that part of my life back was a spiritual homecoming.

The best cure for the post-gig blues is to see another gig :) I try to hit up a small hometown show when I get back from a Tourcation to ease the comedown.

[standupsally-blog]

Bright lights

The last gig I did, this Tuesday just gone, was in a coffee shop. Not that unusual, it was at night and they sold booze too, but the space was odd. High ceiling, bright lights. You could see the audience. Even the ones trying to skulk at the back. And that made for an odd experience. I did my new material and they looked at me like I was insane. I did the first parody song, got confused on the chorus, cut it short and then they applauded for far too long. Odd. Then I tried a really new bit and they loved that. Odd. Always the way - the bit you've spent no time on and were going to leave out gets the best reception. They liked the last routine and song, but that's been road tested a good few times now. That bit is a keeper. The first bit? Needs work. Turns out not everyone knows about that particular game. I'll have to explain a bit more. I travelled home with another comic who also felt the gig was odd. The audience was very restrained for everyone. I'm sure it was down to the lighting. Of course, during the post gig slump the next day we both decided to stop this standup torture and give up. I changed my mind by teatime, he by dinner. And so we continue our adventures on the open mic circuit.

[dysphorie]

Actually can't bring myself to look through the pictures from last night. It's like looking directly into the fucking sun. I'm a fucking w r e c k, physically and emotionally!

[thekidsfromyestergay]

How do I have post-gig comedown from a gig I wasn't even at

[satanslamb]

post gig comedown

[brokenndownboyy]

Post gig comedown is real.

It takes me away from my family which is hell. And I feel like sometimes my priorities arent aligned with the one I love.

And I'm scared it's only going to cause divide.

I'm scared, That the things I need to feel like me aren't helpful or cohesive to our lives.

That even if I try my hardest to balance it..she's going to feel left out. It isn't her vibe. My music isn't something she enjoys. If I emote to much it causes more sadness around me. So I cover it.

I'm so fucking tired

I want to run into something sharp. I want a semitrailer to run me off the road. Work now is a punish and I just don't want to be

[leguin]

only truly terrible thing about the green knight is that it’s given me the worst post-gig (or movie, in this case) comedown of my life

[jimin-75]

September 2018 i got dragged into the Kpop bubble by Mia..

It started by hearing a group on constant repeat coming from her bedroom.. BTS!

So I started asking what was great about them, who they were.. And the ultimate 'White Rabbit Question' .. What are their names?

From that moment I cannon balled into the rabbit hole 🤣

Trying to get tickets for the O2 with no luck and Mia being devasted, to myself listening to their songs.. Blood, Sweat and Tears being the first song and MV to capture my interest.

Then I found the ARMY Seniors(over 25s) on here. A lovely lady Winnie was my first Army friend ❤️

I then made friends with Dot, James and Lee ಌ. We set up a WhatsApp group and talked every single day, and we still do every single day we check in with each other. We talk about everything and anything.

Then came the fight for BTS tickets at Wembley..such a stressful day 🤣🤣 we were all lucky to get tickets. We booked transport and hotels and through the Senior Army FB page we all met up at Wembley along with loads of other people who again we/I speak to nearly every single day from up and down the country and abroad!

The whole weekend was the best thing I've experienced as an adult. Mia got to meet up with other kids she'd also been chatting online with. It was really weird because we all had this one thing we had suddenly found as adults which we loved and couldn't get out of our heads. 

The concert was amazing, the atmosphere was electric and everyone in the football ground were all the same bubble. Honestly one of the best concerts I've been to. 

The comedown from attending the concert was suprising and confusing. 

BTS have an outstanding and heartwarming connection to us their fans. They connect via social media constantly. They have platforms to speak to their fans, membership site and merchandise. 

The friends I have made through finding BTS and Kpop is 2nd to none. I've been away for numerous weekends with them, attended other kpop gigs and just spent time with them. 

Part of the ARMY culture is a thing called Purple Post. This involves sending/giving random gifts no matter how big or small to another fan. I've received some amazing and beautiful gifts from people. I have also sent out purple posts which gives such a warm feeling back to you. 

Finding BTS and Kpop has given me such happiness. I have made amazing life long friends who I would be lost without. Some of these have got me through such a different time, they have honestly been a lifeline. 

[bitchfrank]

I never got post Gig depression until I was on my way back from Milton Keynes yesterday in floods of tears because I didn’t have a drink and my gf walked a little too fast and I felt like I was on a comedown from the biggest dr*g b*nge in the world. I also cried in Morrisons and also twice at home

[dysphorie]

As if I needed more proof that I'm not well,

I just listened to Lana Del Rey (who I do not enjoy) and cried at National Anthem. So yeah, the post-gig comedown is bad yo lol

[desertislandcloud]

At a time of growing global and national volatility, when the digital information overload seems to broil with nothing but the mind-blowingly infuriating, couldn’t we all use a song involving a little slapstick? And sick. Slippery sick, in fact. Throw in a broken ankle too. And who better to deliver such a musical missive than that uniquely raucous London quintet, Eat the Evidence.

For it was at last year’s Boomtown Festival that Steve, Eat the Evidence’s roadie, slipped in his own spew, fracturing his ankle and rendering him unable to complete his roadie duties. And this year the band have decided to tell everyone about it.

‘Sicky Slip’ is not only a ska-punk-goes-emo tribute to Steve’s ordeal – one that swiftly trashes its olde English folk intro for an onslaught of energised overdrive – it’s also a nod to the trials and tribulations of every roadie. These unassuming employees rarely get acknowledged, unless, as in this case, they do serious damage to others or themselves.

“He won't be there when we need him the most,” says Eat the E’s Tom, “but he still regularly boosts the morale of the band – if only by bringing us tequila mid-set. So it’s nice to give him some recognition. Steve’s foot took some time to heal but he is bouncing around now and ready for this year’s festival season.”

And given that ‘Sicky Slip’ is an high-octane rootsy banger with an anthemic edge, Steve ain’t gonna be the only one bouncing around to it at festivals this summer. Just watch out for that pile of…. woah…

Earthy, animated and uninhibited, Eat the Evidence’s explosive live shows are the stuff of legend. From sweat-box venues in London and beyond to packed festival marquees, the band’s gigs are outrageous and carnivalesque affairs with audience participation guaranteed. ETE’s debut album, ‘Sex, Drugs & Wishy Washy Politics’ somehow succeeded in capturing such visceral energy in the studio, its iconoclastic subject matter ranging from junkie girlfriends to the post-party comedown to political and existential conundrums.

Now the follow-up – recorded at Bridgend’s Jamtown Studios by David Enos – ponders a new roster of 21st-century concerns, such as paying for people to read your Facebook posts, roadies slipping in their own sick, and simply the highs and lows of being in a band. As ever, ETE’s foul-mouthed rejection of societal flaws and riotous celebrations of the good times are delivered via biting satirical lyrics, breakneck rhythms and a whole host of instrumentation including accordion, trumpet and ukelele alongside the bass-guitar-drums mix

This breathtakingly entertaining hybrid of The Specials, NOFX, Ween and The Streets are led by brothers Jack and Tom Lattimer, skilled musicians whose dextrous playing demands equivalent levels of expertise from fellow band members Ric Lygo, Joe Bartlett and Rich Lucey.

Links https://www.facebook.com/EatTheEvidenceBand https://www.instagram.com/eattheevidence https://twitter.com/EatTheE

[mariusperkins]

FIC: and so the comedown plays (1/1)

It’s been a year (or five, depending on who you ask), but you don’t leave your friends out in the cold. (Ground Party ot4)

A/N: Thanks to @madelinestarr, for betaing, additions, and generally being a delight in my life.

Read it under the cut or on AO3

It took them a long time to find Grand, much longer than Even would have liked. But they never stopped. That’s what you do when you’re part of the Fleet -- you keep looking, you keep trying, no matter what.

There’d been minimal clues. As far as they could tell, Grand had returned to the Fleet, began his passage back to Memorious, and then disappeared, his name appearing in the logs of small transport vessels and trading posts but leaving no trace of himself behind.

The only solid proof they’d found of him had come a week previously, the remains of the piece of Independence's body he’d taken, smashed against the side of a cargo freighter they think he’d stowed away on. They’d collected the glass fragments carefully, sealing the awful reflections away. The captain of the freighter had thought it had happened recently, on their way over to Sky Reflected In Mirrors, but they couldn’t be sure -- time was so odd these days.

It’s that that ends up leading them to Grand, holed up in one of the darkened rooms of Sky Reflected In Mirrors. He looks… about as terrible as Even was expecting him to look, although it’s still startling to see Grand’s normally smooth face hidden by an unkempt beard, his clothes ragged and stained.

He won’t look at any of them.

Grand’s shoulder tremble as he twists away from them from where he’s hunched in his chair. “Leave me alone.”

His voice cracks. Even recognises the roughness of it, a voice unused. He’s sounded like that often enough, returning from long journeys alone.

Gig that steps forward first, not hesitating even as Grand’s face twists into a scowl.

He puts a hand on the arm of Grand’s chair. “Hey. We missed you buddy.”

Grand snorts. “Right.”

Gig frowns, looking genuinely hurt. Even presses his lips together. Of the three of them, Gig is the one who’s been the most sure they’ll find Grand, the most sure that Grand wanted to be found. Even and Echo had been expecting Grand like this -- Gig had not.

Gig crouches, bending his lanky frame so he and Grand are at eye level. “We did.”

Grand bites his lip, ducking his face so Even can’t see his expression. Gig reaches out a hand, very slowly, like Even has seen Gig do with Duck when Duck gets spooked, and touches Grand’s arm.

Grand reacts like he’s been electrified, jerking back and very nearly hitting Gig in the face (out of the corner of his eye, Even sees Echo put their hand on their sword). Grand grips the arms of the chair, his face white.

“Don’t,” says Grand.

Gig draws back, his fingers curling as he draws his hand away. “Okay buddy--”

“We’re not buddies,” says Grand.

Gig frowns again at that, looking away from Grand for the first time since they entered. Grand opens his mouth as if to say something else and then closes it again. He swallows.

“I’m no one’s buddy,” says Grand, “I’m-- I-- It was my fault, what happened. You don’t get to have buddies after you do something like that.”

“I went to jail and you still wanted to know me,” says Echo.

“Well that’s different,” says Grand, sounding a bit more like his old self, “You did your time, and now, I guess, I have to do mine.”

It takes Even a moment to understand Grand’s meaning. “We’re not here to arrest you.”

Grand looks up sharply, eyes widening and then narrowing in suspicion. “Then why--”

“Because you’re our friend,” says Gig, “and when your friend goes missing, you go looking for them.”

Grand looks disbelieving. “Right. I guess I’m not so much of a friend that looking for me took priority.”

“You are surprisingly good at hiding your tracks. Had every contact I knew looking for you, too” says Echo, “and it’s been a busy year since we left Quire.”

Grand freezes. “Year…?”

They pause. “Grand, how long has it been since we last saw each other?”

Grand swallows. “Five years.”

“Oh,” says Gig, “oh, Grand.”

This time, when Gig reaches out for Grand, Grand’s face crumples. He lets Gig pull him into a hug, his face pressed against Gig’s chest. Grand’s arms come up to clumsily wrap around Gig’s sides, clutching at his brightly patched jacket. Gig makes soft, soothing sounds, resting his cheek on top of Grand’s head.

“We never stopped looking for you,” says Gig, “I swear we didn’t.”

Grand says nothing, but his grip tightens where it’s twisted in Gig’s jacket.

Even lets out a long breath. Five years. No wonder Grand looked so wrecked. Five years was a long time to be alone with the worst thing you ever did.

“What are we going to do with him?” murmurs Echo.

Even looks over at Grand. They’d had a plan, of course, but those had all been based on Grand experiencing time the same as they had. Five years was a lot of extra time, with a lot of extra variables to take into account.

“We’ll take him to Gumption’s Gambit,” says Gig, with certainty.

Echo looks at Even. Even shrugs. It’s as good a place as any.

“Come on, buddy,” says Gig gently. “Time to go.”

Grand blinks up at Gig, following his motions as Gig stands up. Now that he’s not so hunched in on himself, Even can see the was his clothes hang off him. He feels a stab of worry in his gut.

Echo steps forward, wordlessly moving to suppport Grand’s other side as they head back to their ship. Even leads the way, holding the lantern high to spot any hazards in their path. They don’t see anyone on their way back. It’s just as well -- Even’s not sure what he’d tell them.

Grand’s very quiet during their trip back. He doesn’t let go of Echo’s hand for the whole flight, his other hand gripping the armrest with white knuckles. Gig glances back at them both occasionally as he helps guide their ship towards Gumptions’s Gambit. Even grips the steering, checking on the two of them in the reflection of the screen.

Gig grins as the ship comes into view, busily adjusting dials and calling their position in. Even casts an eye over the Gumption’s Gambit -- he’s often wondered how such an odd collection of parts manages to stay together in space at all. Gig points to a small hollow to their right, which is apparently a docking bay (not that Even would have guessed from the outside).

Gig chatters to someone on the radio as they pull into the dock. Even listens with half an ear, but it’s mostly small talk -- Gig asking after their family, how their day’s been, his voice bright and curious. It’s soothing in a way, a cheerful sound in the otherwise silent cockpit.

Even lets Gig lead the way out of the ship. It’s slow going -- it seems like every person that spots them wants to stop and chat to Gig about nothing in particular, and Gig seems perfectly happy to let them.

Everybody who stops them glances at Echo, Grand, and Even curiously.

“Oh, you remember Echo, Even, and Grand, from my streams?” says Gig, “They’re visiting for a bit.”

It’s a strange feeling to be introduced that way. Stranger still is people’s reactions, which is universally delight.

“So good to see you!”, as though the citizens of Gumption’s Gambit were their long-lost friends.

Or

“Oh, that’s nice of you” which is doubly strange, given how heavily Grand is leaning against Echo’s shoulder.

Or, sometimes, the person asking after them blushes and turns quickly back to Gig, and Gig will laugh good-naturedly and quickly change the subject.

Eventually they get out of the main area, into the smaller, more winding corridors of the residential areas. People lean out of half-open windows to wave at them and Gig calls out a greeting back.

“Do you know the name of every single person on the ship?” asks Even, curious.

Gig shrugs. “Well they all know mine. Seems kind of rude to not return the favour.”

Gig’s apartment is long and thin, single rooms slotted in-between it’s neighbours like an afterthought. The walls of the rooms have splashes of different colours in-between unfinished metal panels, and the furniture looks like it’s seen better days (and not just as furniture -- Even’s pretty sure the small table in the corner used to be the hull of a ship). Gig leads them up a thin staircase to the next floor, which turns out to be a bathroom, every bit as pathwork as the room downstairs.

Grand still hasn’t let go of Echo’s hand. When Echo catches Even looking, they shrug.

“I thought, um, I thought you’d probably want a bath?” says Gig, a slight quiver to his voice, “I know it helps, sometimes, when you don’t feel great?”

“What bath?” says Grand.

Gig brightens. “Oh! Here.”

He pushes at one of the tiles and there’s a click, and a handle drops down. Gig slides the bath out from the wall, the tap popping out last.

“I usually keep it packed in because it, um, kind of takes up a lot of space,” says Gig.

He’s not wrong. The bathroom’s not large, and now that the bath is pulled out they’re all standing crowded in the doorway. Gig leans over to bath, balanced precariously on one leg, to reach the taps. The pipes make a groaning sound before the water pours into the tub, steam beginning to fill the room.

“Right,” says Gig, looking over at Grand, “Uh. So.”

Echo tugs on their’s and Grand’s joined hands to get Grand’s attention. “Hey. You’re going to have a bath now. Can you do that by yourself or do you want us to stay?”

“I um,” Grand’s voice is hoarse. He swallows. “Could you stay? Please?”

Echo’s gaze flicks to Gig and Even and then back to Grand. “Sure.”

The four of them stand together for a moment, the sound of running water the only thing breaking the silence.

Even takes a deep breath in. “Right. Gig, do you have clean clothes Grand could borrow?”

“What?” says Gig, “Oh, right! Maybe! I’ll get some!”

He rushes out of the room. Even tries to keep his momentum, keeping in mind the cadence of his old squad commander and the steady way she’d hand out orders to their group.

“I’m going to check on the water temperature,” continues Even, “Echo, can you help Grand get undressed?”

Echo nods and turns to Grand, business-like. Even turns towards the tub, trying to give Grand the illusion of privacy. It has been a long time since they were all together on Quire, after all, and even longer for Grand.

“How’s the water?” says Echo, after a few minutes.

“Fine,” says Even, reaching to turn off the taps, “ready when you are.”

Echo coaxes Grand forward slowly, helping him step over the ledge of the tub. They keep ahold of Grand’s hand even as he sits down, squeezing it once as Grand lowers himself further into the hot water.

There’s a tentative knock at the door, and Gig pokes his head in. “Everything okay?”

Even nods, motioning Gig forward.

Gig gestures to the bottles in his arms. “I know when I don’t feel great, having someone wash my hair makes me feel better, so I thought, um, maybe?”

They look towards Grand. He swallows, shifting under their gaze.

“Okay,” says Grand.

Gig gives him a small smile. “Okay.”

Gig wriggles out of his jacket, leaving him in his worn-thin faded green t-shirt. He gets a small jug from a cupboard set high in the wall, setting it down next to him as he kneels behind Grand. He pours a few jugfuls of water over Grand’s hair, careful to shield Grand’s eyes, before he tips a large amount of bright purple goo onto his hand. Grand keeps his eyes closed, his head tipped back towards Gig and he begins to massage it into Grand’s hair, suds quickly beginning to form when his gaze flicks to Even.

“Oh, wait, uh--” He hands a small can of shaving foam to Even. “I thought you might want to shave too, so I um. If you want?”

“Okay,” says Grand, his eyes still closed.

“There’s scissors up there,” says Gig, gesturing to the cupboard and flicking a line of soapy shampoo onto the mismatched tiles.

There’s a razor too, new looking and clean, and Even takes that too. He copies Gig, leaving his jacket in a pile with Gig’s and rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. It takes a while for him to trim to beard low enough to even be able to use the razor. After, he cups water in his hand and carefully washes along Grand’s neck. Grand sighs.

“Stay still,” says Echo.

Grand hums in agreement, his eyes still closed.

Gig has done two rounds of conditioner by the time Even finishes. Grand still looks tired, the weight of his five years etched into his face, but he looks a great deal better than when they’d found him. Some of the tension has left his shoulders, and he almost smiles at Echo as Gig rinses the last of the conditioner from his hair.

There’s a film of dirt and grease clinging to the bath after they drain it.

Gig just shrugs. “It’s seen worse. Man, I remember after this one stream…”

Gig talks as they dry Grand and help him into his borrowed clothes, telling them about a disastrous stream he did following some workers down in the waste recycling stations of Gumption’s Gambit. Grand huffs a laugh at a few of the more ridiculous moments and Gig beams.

“So what now?” says Grand, in the pause after Gig’s story.

“Oh!” says Gig, “I don’t know, do you want something to eat?”

“I… no,” says Grand. He looks down at the floor. “I mean, what happens after this, what happens when the rest of the Fleet finds out I’m still, you know…”

Even, Gig, and Echo share a look over the top of Grand’s bowed head.

“We’ll figure that out together,” says Gig.

Grand looks back up at them all. Even can see the hand that’s not clutching Echo’s is shaking a little, where it’s peeking out of the too-long sleeve of his borrowed flannel shirt.

“But first,” continues Gig, “food and then a nap? Or a nap and then food?”

“I-- sleep first, I think,” says Grand, “I, uh. It’s been hard since-- for a while. Sleeping, I mean.”

Gig reaches out and touches the back of Grand’s hand where it’s intertwined with Echo’s. “Bedroom’s this way.”

He leads them back down the thin staircase and then up another. Gig’s bedroom isn’t much bigger than his bathroom, with the bed taking up most of the space and a crowd of screens and keyboards in one corner.

They guide Grand to sit down on the bed, and he looks up at the three of them, taking a shuddering breath.

“Can you… stay?” asks Grand. His voice is small, quiet. “Please?”

“Wasn’t even thinking otherwise, buddy” says Gig, toeing off his shoes.

Even and Echo copy him. Grand makes a small distressed noise as Echo lets go of his hand to get their jacket off, and Gig wraps his arms around Grand’s shoulder, pressing his face into the crook of Grand’s neck. Grand reaches up to run a hand through Gig’s hair.

Even’s chest feels tight at the sight of it, overlaying with memories of the two of them by the campfire, sleepy and warm but not quite ready to retire for the night.

They gently push Grand back, getting him under the covers before they slide in next to him. Gig’s bed is big, but it’s not really meant to accommodate this many people. Not that they mind, tangling together around Grand in the small space. They’d probably be pressed this close regardless of the size of the bed.

Gig nuzzles his face back into Grand’s neck the moment he lies down, wriggling to get comfortable on Grand’s side. Echo sighs, draping themselves half over Grand’s other side like a second blanket, their hand resting on Gig’s arm. Even smiles, settling himself down along Echo’s back, reaching across their side to put his hand on Grand’s chest over his heart.

Grand’s eyes are sliding closed. “You guys are going to be here when I wake up, right?”

Even’s hand flexes, curling into the material a little before he relaxes. He gives Grand a soft smile.

“We’ll be here. Get some rest, Grand. That’s an order,” says Even, quietly.

Grand lets out a long sigh, his eyes fluttering closed.

Even stays awake as the other two drop into sleep after Grand, their bodies relaxing into each other. He stretches out his arm to cover all three of them, his hand curling protectively around Gig’s shoulder.

Things would be difficult, later, to sort out. But at least this part still felt easy enough.