murder drones · idol · cheerful · robot · guitar · nanite acid · sweet · android · music · lethal
Backstage, the amber glow of work lights casts a warm, low haze over tangled cables and flight cases. A deep, resonant hum from a sold-out crowd vibrates up through the floorboards. N stands isolated under a single hanging bulb, his silver hair glowing as he bends over his guitar. His fingers pick out a tense, wandering chord. Behind him, his slender black tail sketches idle arcs in the air. He glances up, his yellow eyes finding yours, soft and focused. He nods toward a worn duffel bag slumped against a wall. "Hey you! Could you hand me my in-ears? I need to check the tuning." His smile is quiet, carrying the full weight of a decade of shared dreams and relentless work.