BtVS: Alternate Lives

WHO: Lexi OT Ginny
WHEN: Tuesday night, Oct 27
WHERE: Lexi and Ginny's apartment

Lexi had taken a few days to think about her conversation with Benjamin before mentioning anything about it to Ginny. She wasn't entirely sure how to bring it up, so she finally decided she'd just spill her guts and hope for the best.

"Hon?" she said, as she was clearing the dinner dishes. "If someone were to offer you a record deal, right here, right now, what do you think would be a deal-breaker for you?"

WHO: Lexi, OT Cassie
WHEN: Friday afternoon
WHERE: Shooting Star Comics

Lexi was on her way into the face when she noticed the comics shop, again. She'd seen it, but hadn't been inside yet, and today, curiosity got the better of her.

She locked her car, snagged her black biker jacket off the passenger seat and headed into the store, getting a look around that the boxes of bagged-and-boarded comics and the shelfs overflowing with books and action figures and other fan-gear.

"Not bad," she said appreciatively, gravitating to a rack of rock-band memorabilia.

Who: Ben, OT Lexi
Where: Avarice
When: Tuesday morning

After being assured by Meredith that Lexi Wilson was steadfast in not taking anyone's side in the current Slayer-drama, Ben knew what he had to do. He was starting up Full Moon Records, and knew he wanted The Lazarus Project on his label. However... he also knew Ginny had a less-than-stellar opinion of him. Which meant... he knew had needed to go through a mediator. Enter Lexi. He'd been friends with her for a while now, and if anyone could talk sense into Ginny about this, he knew Lexi could.

He'd called the girl's cell phone the previous day, asking her to please meet him for breakfast at Avarice the next day, to catch up and possibly discuss business. So now, he sat at the empty bar, comically enough sipping a small glass of gin (yes, at 9am) as he waited for his dining-mate to arrive.

Who: Ginny, open to Lexi and any other members of the local bands
Where: Avarice, in the makeshift backstage area
When: backdated to Thursday night, right after the concert


For possibly the first time in her life, Ginnifer Callaway felt like a swoony schoolgirl. The other girls in her band were still on a high over their own performance, whooping it up ad having a good old time, but Ginny? Had been focused on the stage the entire time, watching Lexi out there, and just feeling every sort of butterfly in existance go through her tummy. To see her love in her natural element, so healthy, happy, and excited... Ginny just blushed realizing how HOT it was.

Ginny just paced in little circles as she waited for Broken Sunrise to finish their last song, waiting to practically pounce her girlfriend the moment she came backstage.

Seriously... Lexi? Was in for about the biggest hug and kiss combo in the hbistory of EVER.

WHO: Lexi OT Chloe
WHEN: Thursday night, two hours to showtime
WHERE: Chloe's Sugar Shack

Lexi stopped into the Shack on her way to the club. As awake as she was, as hyped on adrenaline and nerves, she really needed that extra push off the cliff that would turn things up to eleven.

She ordered a triple-shot mocha, her guitar case leaning against a table near the window where she could see the front of Avarice and the people who were lined up at the door to show IDs and pass the bouncers. Just a few more minutes to look at this from the outside before she qwas in the thick of it again.

She grinned and collected her cup from Nica, who told her to break a leg and returned to making drinks.

Who: Ben, open to all
Where: Avarice
When: Thursday night

This was it. The biggest night in Avarice's short history. The CD release concert for Broken Sunrise. There were two other bands playing as well, including Skylar's, but he knew Broken Sunrise was going to bring in the media. Dressed in a snazzy black suit and tie, Ben stood on the stage, microphone in hand.

"Ladies and gents... thank you for coming tonight...  without further ado... allow me to introduce the first band of the evening."

He turned slightly, motioning as the curtain on the stage began to pull away.

"A band that I personally have a VERY vested interest in... allow me to re-introduce you all... to the new, the improved... Suicide Messiah!"

Who: Stephanie, open to all
Where: Eden
When: Backdated to Wednesday night

While most teenaged girls revel in their birthdays, Stephanie Whitmore was more the type to just ignore it. She didn't exactly have a normal life, after all. Being a dhampir was hard enough, living with two demonic guardians made it even worse. Plus, she didn't want to bother her friends with something so trivial.

So tonight, she celebrated her birthday by herself, sitting along in Eden at a small table, a tiny cupcake in front of her, with a single candle in it.

"...happy birthday, Steph. Ya made it one more year."

Who: Rachelle, open to anyone
Where: Avarice
When: Saturday night

Well DAMN. Chloe hadn't been kidding when she said what a madhouse Avarice turned into on a Saturday night. It was packed like sardines, and with the dancing, the music, and the lights... Rachelle felt more like she was at a concert than in a club. But it was pretty awesome, really.

As the new bass player of Suicide Messiah, the tomboyish redhead felt a wee bit awkward right now, knowing that the rest of her own BAND hardly knew her, that she was mostly here because they lost another bass player, and they needed someone consistant, and Chloe more or less said 'fine, let me call someone'.

Still, things were looking up. She knew she'd gel well with her new band, plus? Kevin and Lucy were here now too. Perhaps a Van Warren reunion was in the cards as well? If she could help it... you bet your ASS it was. That band was like her pride and joy.

She was even trying to work on her image a little, for the sake of her new band. While she felt a little ill at ease wearing a clingy black skirt, fishnets, and kneehigh stiletto boots... Chloe had told her numerous times that she likely wouldn't fit in at Avarice plodding in dressed in baggy jeans, a baseball cap, and a football jersey. Thank the Lord she'd listened to the blonde.

For now, she stood by herself, silent, slightly swaying back and forth to the music blaring forth.

WHO: Lexi OT Ginny
WHEN: Monday, 28 Sep 00, early evening
WHERE: Chloe's Sugar Shack

It had been kind of a crazy day. Lexi had sold off some of her old gear and ordered a head-and-cabinet amplifier more suited to the venues the band would be playing in the extremely near future. On her way out of the store, she'd called Ginny on her cell and asked her to meet her at the Shack; it had been a while since she'd been there, and she felt like she could really use the caffeine.

She got there first, bought two Sugar Fairies and nabbed a seat by the window. It was just after sunset, and Lexi was feeling pretty good. Something in the back of her mind didn't quite feel right, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

So she smiled, sipped her drink and waited for Ginny.

ATTN: All (See Guest List)
Note: These went out today, so your characters will probably receive them some time this week.

( Invitations )

WHO: Lexi OT Stephanie
WHEN: Tuesday, 22 Sep 00
WHERE: Lexi and Ginny's apartment

Lexi drove the last bolt into place and turned the guitar over in her hands, looking down the length of the maple guitar neck. She hadn't done anything with the neck except clean it; she had left all the wear and tear in place. This is a guitar that had been played tens of thousands of times in bars all over the country; it would be a shame to strip all of that away. If she wanted a new guitar, she'd have bought a new guitar.

The body was unvarnished butterscotch-colored wood, the pickguard plain black.

"Not bad, not bad," she said with a grin, and she broke out a pair of XL-gauge strings and a pair of wirecutters to string it.

WHO: Lexi OT Steph
WHEN; Thursday evening
WHERE: Lexi and Ginny's apartment

Lexi had started working on the restoration for her Nocaster guitar. She'd unbolted the neck and started sanding the body, removing several layers of poorly-applied paint and gradually revealing the woodgrain beneath it. She was sitting at the desk near her music gear, which she had converted into a workbench, using a bit of coarse sandpaper to get into the cutaway.

"Still not sure what I'm going to do when I get it stripped down," she admitted to Stephanie. "Paint or just lacquer, or leave the wood bare ... Probably that, if the grain looks good. How's that Mockingbird treating you? No issues?"

Who: Chloe, open to all
Where: The Sugar Shack
When: Tuesday afternoon

Pretty much everyone Chloe Van Warren knew had been affected in some way by the battles and conflicts going on the last week or so. She'd seen loss, suffering, and hardships befall herself, her family, and her friends. And frankly? She was TIRED of it.

Not that Chloe was cold or unfeeling... far from it, actually. She just loved her friends and family too much to let them suffer in silence.

So, the bubbly blonde drummer decided to take things into her own hands this time. She opened the Sugar Shack about an hour early today, just to get things set up. She sent messages to every person that had been touched in any way by the events of the last week, letting them know that all day and evening tonight, any food, drinks, or candy they wanted was on the house, as long as they could try their best to have a good time. Hell... why not try to have them celebrate the good instead of linger on the bad? While she was at it (since she knew at least one or two of them were affected), she left a note on the door of Shooting Star Comics, letting them know that her 'on-the-house' deal also went for all SHooting Star employees today.

Wearing a yellow, cleavage-baring Prada miniskirt ensemble with black Jimmy Choo heels, Chloe had her brightest smile going as she waited for (hopefully) everyone to start coming in.

WHO: Lexi OT Ginny
WHERE: Lexi's apartment
WHEN: Tuesday night

Lexi was sitting on a stool she'd picked up at a thrift store ages ago, her foot propped up on the corner of her amplifier. Her guitar was plugged in, and she was working her way through a classical piece as an exercise; something by Bach, complicated and fast.

Or it was supposed to be, but her fingers kept tripping over each other, and it just wasn't falling together.

Tomorrow could be a very, very bad night.

She scowled and gave it another shot, got to the passage with all the triplets and the key change, and the tune disintegrated into a discordant morass of noise. Lexi growled in frustration and set her guitar aside, on its stand, though the temptation to beat the crap out of the amplifier with it was lurking in the corners of her mind.

Who: Pat, open to Patience and any Broken Sunrise members
Where: Pat's basement
When: Saturday afternoon

It was days like this that Pat was thankful he'd had the presence of mind to turn his rather sizable basement into a mini-studio. Not only could he put extra touches on any tracks that hadn't been turned in to the record company yet, but he could actually have the band practice here, without always having to send everyone to Jack's garage. Hey... as a vampire, Meredith had to get SOME rest in the afternoons, right? Plus... this way Patience could watch them if she wanted. He knew the others didn't mind: she wasn't disruptive, and after everything she'd been through, this was a small pleasure for her.

So he looked around the studio at his bandmates. Jack, Chloe, Dakota, and Lexi all looked to be starting to make a really cohesive unit, and it couldn't have come at a better time. The album was only about a month from release. He'd managed to get Lexi in just in time to put a few of her own touches on two of the tracks, although he knew she'd have more to do with the writing process and the recording on the next album.

They already had everything set with the record label: "D.N.R.", one of the two tracks Lexi'd been able to get some recording in on, would be their first single, and they were set to have a record-release party/concert at Avarice just before the actual release. So now, it was time to get some practice in.

"You guys ready?" Pat asked, adjusting the microphone stand to the right height.

Who: Ginny, open to Lexi
Where: Lexi's home
When: Friday night

Most couples would be out on a friday night, partying, or drinking, or something similar. But Ginny knew that sometimes, with Lexi's past, that she needed to just have a nice night in, without having to look her demons or temptations in the eye. She'd been doing great, but everyone needed to have time away from the temptation from time to time.

So tonight, they sat at home, watching some old videos on VH1. For some reason, Ginny enjoyed watching old bands and performers and just making comments, good or bad, on what they sounded like. She was sitting sideways on the sofa, her legs crossed over Lexi's lap. Far from the goth goddess she sometimes looked like at the clubs, tonight her face was freshly scrubbed, her hair was in a ponytail, and she wore... baggy Care Bears pajamas.

"So... seriously. I know you know a LOT of people in the industry..." she said, looking at the screen with some confusion, "and you honestly think even the rockers respected Pat Benatar?"

Who: Ben, open to all. 
Where: Avarice
When: Tuesday night
What: Just a fun thread for anyone to goof around. Feel free to start your own little mini-threads in it if you like. It's a celebration, bitches. Enjoy yo'selves.


While Ben was mostly focused on all of the upcoming battles, and the violence he knew would accompany them... he also knew his friends and family needed to relax. Unwind. Just forget their problems and have some fun. So, On the spur of the moment, he'd set this little event up. Hair Metal Night at Avarice. Nothing but fun 80s rock, with drink discounts for anyone dressed in era-appropriate clothing.

As usual, he took up his residence at his personal table, in the back of the club, mostly dressed the same as usual, except for the presence of a vintage Motley Crue t-shirt. Let the people he cared about have some fun... God knew they deserved it.

WHO: Lexi OT Stephanie
WHEN: Sunday evening
WHERE: Lexi's apartment

Lexi had called Stephanie as soon as she's heard to good news.

"Come on over," she'd told the younger guitarist, "we'll celebrate, have some ice cream, play some music. What do you say?"

In preparation, she checked the tuning on several guitars, made sure everything was grounded and wouldn't incinerate anybody, took out a couple pints of Ben and Jerry's and settled in the dining area to wait, only skimming the top of one of the pints with her spoon.

She really had been less bothered by Stephanie's revelation the other night than she had by the fact that she'd been so distracted by their conversation that the vamp had been able to creep up behind her the way he had. If there had been any doubt in her mind that she wanted to spend time around Stephanie, that incident alone had erased any doubts.

Stephanie was not a monster, but she wasn't afraid of them, and she could handle them. It would be good to have more people like that in her life, because just lately, there seemed to be a lot of monsters about ...

WHEN: Friday night
WHERE: Chloe's Sugar Shack
WHO: Lexi Wilson, OT all

Lexi settled in a chair near the center of the small stage at the rear of the Sugar Shack and experimentally ran through a scale at the fifth fret of her natural-wood Thinline Telecaster. She reached down to her 15-watt Champ (didn't need anything bigger for this space) and tweaked the Gain knob slightly. She played another scale, low to high, soft to loud, and every note seemed to gather an additional layer of distortion as the volume increased.

"Perfect," Lexi said, and turned on her microphone.

"Hi," she said, "I'm Lexi Wilson. Welcome to Chloe's Sugar Shack."


Man in the Box Unplugged - Aisthas Kiss

Who: Ginny, open to Lexi
Where: Lexi's place
When: Tuesday night


While Ginny knew what she was (half-demon), she also knew that these last few weeks were filled with far more angst, violence, and strife than she thought possible outside of a WB teen drama. She took silent solace in the fact that her band was getting back on track, and that Irene and a few others had FINALLY perfected the spell that would un-invite Paige from Lilly's home, which meant she could go to her own place again, and Ginny could move in with Lexi.

So, for now, the curvy vocalist was bringing the first bit of her stuff to what was soon to be her new home. She dragged a few suitcases towards the door of Lexi's flat, and rang the doorbell.