07 Dancing

a/n: The Ma-non subscription theater presents their newest offering: it's a youth musical production! Lin just needs to find someone to go with her to see it.

Underedited because it's getting late.

All the good things belong to Monolith Soft, but xeno musical theater is my own invention.

The whole thing started because of Commander Vandham and his weakness for antique movies. He'd made a habit of screening them in the lounge. The audience was irregular and limited, but Lin and Tatsu were there every week. Tatsu was the more dedicated fan, but Lin kept him company and also made it her business to provide snacks that matched the movie. Cannoli for the (slightly edited for content) Godfather trilogy, life preserver donuts for the screening of Jaws, and some weird blue milk for a very grainy science fiction movie that even Tatsu fell asleep during.

The snacks for the screening of West Side Story were tasty as always, but Tatsu barely nibbled. He watched the film with mouth agape, making none of his usual excited commentary. Midway, when Lin spluttered, "Hey, this is Romeo and Juliet! They stole that story!", it was Tatsu that shushed his friend. Lin noticed this odd behavior, but neither she nor anyone else thought much about it. In the following days, no one paid attention to how frequently Tatsu would fumble with the digits of his wingarms at odd moments, rubbing them together smartly.

It was three weeks later that the Ma-non subscription drama club announced a new production, one that wasn't part of their previously announced line-up. "West Side Story" would be offered, with a youth cast. There wasn't much more information beside that title and the dates. Lin asked Tatsu if he wanted to go, but he blushed and squirmed. "Linly should stay home. Too complicated for youngsters."

That settled it. No pipsqueak was going to tell Lin Lee Koo, 13 years old and experienced in lots of things, absolutely tons of things, that some musical was too grown-up for her. She wasn't sure if she was older than Tatsu, especially since Nopon were slippery when it came to dates and aging as a mimeosome was debatable, but she was sure she was old enough. She used some of her mission rewards to buy two tickets, one for herself and one for ...

That was the problem. Tatsu didn't want to come with her. Elma was unfortunately too busy with a Wrothian project to attend. Doug, same. Mia, also same. Nagi already had his own ticket and guest, being a loyal subscriber to the project. Alexa would have come but there was this new skell and ... Lin didn't want to ask too many questions because she didn't want to be tempted to throw out both tickets and spend the evening in the Outfitter's Hangar.

Vandham was far down the list of her preferred escorts, but he was cheerful enough and willing to ignore the after thought nature of her request. He even bought her a commemorative program from a matronly Nopon in the lobby. There were more Nopon in the audience, entire families, outnumbering all the other species. Lin snorted to herself. There were tons of babypons, some still cradled in their parents' wings. No way was this musical too mature for her.

The curtain opened, revealing a flat painted set with a few suggestions of chainlink fences. Graffiti sprayed on the set was garish and clumsy, and in Nopon script. When the music started, a few littlepon wandered onto stage, their head tufts slicked back. They all wore the ponchos common to the caravan in Oblivia. They swung their wingarms in rhythm, their digits clicking in the way Tatsu had been perfecting for weeks. Another group of littlepon waddled in from the other side of the stage, also with slicked tufts but wearing the zippered jackets sold by the Muimui and Moimoi in NLA. The two groups circled each other, swinging and snapping in rhythm when they weren't bumping into each other. The bumps looked clumsy and accidental at first, but then they became clearly belligerent. Lin wasn't sure when the circling had switched to fighting, but suddenly the stage was filled with flailing wingarms and littlepon being launched from vicious slaps. The groups cleared off the stage to loud applause from their families in the audience. A few stayed, and they continued their dance, singing a familiar tune. "When pon is Jet!"

After this dance ended, to even more applause, the stage darkened. When the lights came up again, imagine Lin's astonishment. Tatsu was on stage. She ruffled through the program, but most of it was printed in Noponese. Shock turned to anger when she realized he was playing the role of Tony, the lead, and the stinker had never told her. He hadn't wanted her to see him! That's not what friends do!

Within a minute, her emotions had switched again, to pity. His singing wasn't great and his dancing frankly stunk. His bubbly eyes were squinting painfully without his glasses. He finished his first solo and paused. He looked more uncomfortable than Lin had ever seen him, but he was staying where he needed to be. She jumped to her feet and cheered.

The production kept going, and Tatsu never fell off the stage or got trampled by his dance partners, which Lin decided was enough of a triumph. He even managed to get a proper round of applause for his heartfelt if wobbly belting of the song, "Me just met pon named Maria!" The rest of the cast whirled and bounced, in more or less organized rhythm, and the story reached its tragic conclusion. It took over a dozen littlepon to lift a limp Tatsu from the stage and carry him away, but Lin did her best not to snort. Even Vandham stifled his laugh. The applause was deafening, and Lin had a chance to practice the extreme whistling technique L had taught her.

a/n: I would give anything to see this in real life. Another fun prompt from OnePirateWolf96 (again, follow them for some very nice stories). Hey look! A year ago the same theater group provided a version of Mice and Ma-non, Apriltober 2020/6.

Next up: I have prompts, I have a list, I still don't know. Excuse me while I research Rock...