#Hire Instrumental Duo

[kotaromita]

OOC Lore Post: KOTARO'S FRIENDS

After talking about them quite a bit here and there as Kotaro, I figured now would be a good time to do a big info-dump about my two Project Sekai OCs that server as Kotaro's friends and musical collaborators. "Kotaro's Friend" is a canon character who has 2 lines spoken to Akito regarding how Kotaro got into music, so I decided that was enough information for me to take it and run and make individuals based on it.

Introducing, Minoru Saiki and Kazuki Shimabokuro.

I'll start with Kazuki.

Kazuki Shimabokuro

2nd year, online student (17 yrs old)

170 cm tall

Born February 20th (Pisces)

An online musician who goes by the name “Kazukur0.” He makes chaotic and inconsistent music that can be described as “breakcore” or “alternative.” He utilizes Virtual Singers because he is self conscious of his nasally voice. He’s socially awkward and has a tendency to ramble on and on when given the leeway to. His younger sister creates his song cover images to post online. He has William’s syndrome.

He suffered a lot in junior high in a fashion not unlike Mizuki and Rui, which is why he does online school now that he's in high school. He has severe stage fright and admires Kotaro's bravery to perform solo a lot. He longs to be heard and admired but until he can overcome his social anxiety he will use Kotaro as both his muse and vessel.

Hobbies: Mimicking Western fashion trends, singing

Specialties: Making electronic music utilizing sound effects and the Kagamine duo’s vocals

Dislikes: Quiet

Favorite food: Takoyaki

Least favorite food: Kimchi

and through Kazuki, Kotaro meets...

Minoru Saiki

Graduate, unspecified university (19 years old)

178 cm tall

Born November 29th (Sagittarius)

A professional musician who prides himself on his ability to mimic the musical stylings of any musician exactly. He is mostly hired for classical music performances and cover bands but he is able to play most instruments and learns songs very quickly. Because of his capabilities his nickname among peers is “Shapeshifter.” He is unwilling to compromise when it comes to music. He has Jacob’s syndrome.

Due to dedicating himself to perfect recreations, he has left little room for himself to develop his own style and even his own personality. He has a makings of a talented composer but he never takes credit for anything original he creates as he doesn't want to risk being associated with something "imperfect."

Hobbies: Challenging his skills by learning incredibly difficult songs

Specialties: Translating songs from instrument to instrument

Dislikes: Change, being disagreed with

Favorite food: Fried tofu

Least favorite food: Tuna

Kazuki meets Kotaro first. Kazuki is Kotaro's fan! He didn't see RAD WEEKEND, akin to Toya and Kohane, but he's always found solace in music and came to love Kotaro and his independence and individuality rivaling his own.

He offers up his "services" making "beats" to Kotaro, who sheepishly accepts, unaccustomed to being spoken to with any sort of admiration. Rather quickly they become friends. Kotaro picks up on Kazuki's discomfort with crowds and comes to care about him in a way similar to that of an older sibling.

That's when Minoru encounters them. Minoru seeks out Kazuki, knowing him solely as his online alias. As Minoru's only pastime is dissecting music pieces. A friend of his (shockingly, Souma Miyata) oftentimes challenges him with pieces he thinks would be exceptionally difficult to recreate. Through Kotaro Arata learns of Kazuki and through Arata Souma learns of him too. Thus, he shares kazukur0 with Minoru and says "Try recreating this!"

Minoru listens to Kazuki’s music over and over again, struggling to comprehend it. He’s frustrated but excited as he can’t remember the last time he felt challenged. He tries for days on end and for the life of him he cannot make an exact recreation of Kazuki and Kotaro's music. Minoru seeks Kazuki out and insists he observe Kazuki’s work process so he can understand how it was possible for someone to make such hypothetically bad music sound good. He has to find Kazuki and he has to understand how his brain works so he can mimic him as identically as he can every other musician.

Kazuki hates this! Frankly, he hates everything about the way Minoru treats music. They're complete opposites in every way. And yet, they both massively admire one another as musicians.

Both of them quite like Kotaro. Kazuki adores Kotaro, in the way a fan loves their bias and in a way a little sibling loves their elder. Minoru respects Kotaro for all that he's endured as a musician and his willingness to suffer in the quest to better himself.

Even though Minoru admires Kazuki in his own strange way, they have massive creative differences. During rehearsals Kazuki changes things and improvises sporadically, making each performance vary slightly. Minoru dislikes it, insisting Kazuki play the song the way it was “intended to be.” Kazuki gives in but Kotaro steps in, forcing them to agree to explore their options. When Kazuki performs the song without any personal touches, Minoru does recognize that somehow it feels as though something is missing.

As a trio, they're all forced to face the parts of themselves they try to ignore looking them dead in the face. Kazuki has to decide if he's truly satisfied being an accessory to Kotaro rather than truly being his partner and working side by side with him instead of insisting he work for him, that he isn't worthy of being seen as his equal. Minoru has to address the fact that he has no sense of identity and that despite his insistence on always working solo that all of his performing up until now has always hinged on being someone he isn't. And Kotaro, of course, has to face his persistent struggles with self worth and feeling that it's okay to "burden" others by asking for help.

They end up all in a sort of friendship-colleagues situation. Kotaro calls them his friends, Minoru calls them his colleagues, and Kazuki calls him his allies.

Here's sort of what a relationship chart between the three would look like!

Minoru → Kotaro: I admire your drive and willingness to follow advice and experiement. You're so far from perfect, and yet…I don't particularly hate it. [Calls him Mita.] Minoru → Kazuki: You're difficult to get along with and understand, but I admire you and you've fundamentally changed how I view music. [Calls him Kazukuro.]

Kazuki → Kotaro: MITA-SENPAI! ♡ I'm your biggest fan, forever! It's an honor to collab with you, so you can rely on me whenever! I just sort of wish I had the guts to stand on stage like you. Kazuki → Minoru: You piss me off so much! Your music is so good, but there's no YOU in it. How can I understand YOU when you keep saying these conflicting things!? You don't have to keep pretending to be perfect around us… [Calls him Saiki-senpai or Shapeshifter-senpai.]

Kotaro → Kazuki: You've always got my back and I've always got yours! Let's keep working together for a long time. My 2nd little brother. [Calls him Kazuki.] Kotaro → Minoru: You're a pain in the ass, but God are you talented. There's a lot I could learn from you…and a lot you could stand to learn from Vivid Street! [Calls him Saiki.]

thank you for coming to my ted talk please support kotaro mita and his two fuck ass mentally ill friends

[tjreidwrites]

Movie reviews for spooky season!

A Haunted House movie who’s big tag line for promotion was ‘It’s not the house that's haunted’... This film depends on good characters, a creepy atmosphere, uneasy anxiety and scary imagery. James Wan is a legend for launching the ‘Saw’ franchise, and is possibly the best at practical effects in the modern horror genre.

We see a family move into a big old house that happens to be perfect for this haunting movie. Old school, lots of nooks and crannies. The Lambert family seems to have been pretty happy before all this went down. Josh (Patrick Wilson) is a teacher, Renai (Rose Byrne) is a piano player and the boy Dalton (Ty Simpkins) is the kid who likes to get into shit. When he eventually finds himself in the attic, he falls off a ladder. The next morning he doesn't wake up, the doctors say its coma but signs show otherwise.

Renee is the most convinced something supernatural is going on. Doors and windows are opening and closing on themselves. Boxes that are still heavy packed with things are getting shuffled around by who knows what. We (the audience) becomes even more sure than she is as we begin to see the beast in shadows.

The pacing begins to suffer a bit in the second act. As Renai becomes more and more aware of the creepiness and how real it really is, Josh the father starts staying at work to grade papers later than normal, and we get a good twenty minutes of Renai trying to convince Josh something is up. The acting is what saves this section, with some really good performances, its hard to notice the lull in story telling until watching a second time.

They hire a psychic named Elise Rainier (Lin Share), who send over two helpers who mainly exists for comic relief (Angus Sampson and the writer of the film Leigh Whannell). Lin Shaye actually becomes the face of the Insidious franchise, in this first film though, she comes to break the ice and let this family know exactly what she knows this to be by experience.

FINAL THOUGHTS

James Wan nailed this movie when it comes to practical effects, make up, and creating tension by real creepy imagery. There are a lot of jump scares in this film, but the difference is, and the reason this movie is better than all the cookie cutter genre films, is because every scare has some sort of pay off. Every time the score gets more dramatic something actually pops up that is creepy and the camera doesn't just cut away instantly, it lingers on the frame to let us see the creäture we are looking at.

The music plays beautifully with the direction. Lots of stringed instruments playing choppy, creepy chords. The cinematography plays off the writing in the same way, becoming paler in certain instances and brighter in others.

This movie does remind me of my past as well. I remember watching this for the first time in 2011. The scene in Dalton’s room with his dad, Josh. Josh is looking over all of his son’s drawings and comes across a duo that writes ‘Last night I watched myself sleep, and then I flew away.’ As Josh breaks down crying, he is convinced that his son can in fact astro project. In my case, this is called lucid dreaming. I used to be able to know I was dreaming. I used to be able to see myself sleeping and fly away too. Coincidentally, as I've gotten older its become more impossible to lucid dream again. Maybe what they say is true. A childlike mind is so free and capable of anything.

[howdy-folks-its-showtime]

Elegant, confident and straight forward, Sammy is the spitting image of what people envision when the title of conductor or music director comes up. A man who knows what he wants and will be unhappy if he doesn’t get it. A man with a strong vision of his art and is impatient with those who don’t see it. He’ll be even more unhappy if anyone dared to imply what he does isn’t art, lucky for most Joey is by his side to stop him from throttling anyone for such comments.

Yes, Sammy is quite the character, to contrast his husband’s constant smile Sammy has a near permanent frown he wears around the studio and his life. Many question how such different characters could come together and decide to spend the rest of their lives together, Sammy usually responds saying when he first met Joey he almost couldn’t believe someone hadn’t already swooped in to take his heart. Despite what most assume, Sammy will happily admit he fell for Joey first and practically knew he’d held such feelings for the man since they shook hands during his interview. He knew Joey was an artist, a man with a strong vision, and wild imagination the moment he saw him.

Joey could always find a way to make the wild and fantastical so real, Sammy couldn’t think of something he’d rather do than bring his characters and stories to life with music. He takes great pride in the work he does too, in fact when he first was hired at the studio he was a one man band. He still brags about those days when the staff was rather small and he was the only music producer making instrumentals for cartoons that at the time had no lyrics or words in them. Who knew how fast the production would grow in such short time, with voice actors, songs that now needed lyrics and Sammy knew just the man to write them.

Of course Sammy had to pick his childhood best friend Jack Fain, the two had been a musical duo before their studio days after all and if anyone could help him, it was Jack. The two always had each other’s backs, even when Sammy’s home life pushed him out of the home and onto the streets, the two stuck together. Of course Sammy saw it coming. His rather religious parents never truly approved of their friendship but he didn’t care, finally getting out of that hell of a house also allowed Sammy to change his body to match both his current name and identity. Sure surgery isn’t the kind of thing to try doing when you’re an amateur but for Sammy, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

With such a rough childhood and upbringing, it’s no wonder Sammy was so quick to adapt to the lifestyle he has now. Becoming the kind of elegant and respectable music director the investors love, so long as he and Joey are subtle about their behind the scenes romance of course. Sammy has all he could’ve ever asked for when he was younger, a loving, charming husband and a studio that truly values his work… What more could anyone need?

[genevawrenn]

Welcome to the conspiracy 🎗

✨️My name is Geneva Wrenn 🇨🇦

✨️I am twenty-something bisexual 🩷💜💙 genderqueer 💜🤍💚 [fae/they/she]

✨️I enjoy writing fics and original stories, listening to music from all genres, and am a huge nature lover. I have two cats named Tobias and Soren! 😼😺

~~~

👑 CC'S I Follow 🐷

Technoblade, Philza, Tubbo, Foolish, Niki, Seapeekay, RanbooLive, Sneegsnag, Aimsey

Death Family & BOLAS

Missa, Chayanne, Lullah, Sunny, FitMC, Ramon, PacTW, Richas, Cellbit, Roier, Baghera, Etoiles, Pomme, Jaiden, Bobby, Foolish, Leo, Charlie Slimecicle, Mariana, Juana Flippa, Luzu, Quackity

Hermitcraft & Life Series

Etho, BdoubleO100, Mumbo Jumbo, Grian, GoodTimesWithScar, Zombie Cleo, Pearlescent Moon, Geminitay, Tango, ImpulseSV, Skizzleman, Rendog, Iskall85, VintageBeef, Martyn InTheLittleWood

Other fandoms I enjoy

Mass Effect, Fire Emblem Three Houses, Stardew Valley, Harvest Moon & Story of Seasons, Divinity Original Sin 2, Subnautica, iZombie, White Collar, Supernatural, Fairy Tail, Fullmetal Alchemist, Eragon, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Mortal Instruments, Warrior Cats, Guardians of Ga'Hoole, Markiplier, Jacksepticeye, Dan & Phil, NateWantsToBattle

~~~

Below I will include a list of my stories. I will do my best to keep it up to date and edit this post as I write new works!

~~~

My AO3!

My Twitter!

All My Links!

Twitch!

“I think Skyblock at its core is the ultimate challenge in resource management. You spawn on a tiny island in an empty universe. All you have is a tree, some supplies and some dirt to stand on. You have to treasure EVERY dirt block, because if one falls into the void, there's no way to replace it and as you carefully navigate your absurd circumstance, you gain a new appreciation for the few things you have as you meticulously use them to their fullest effect. With nothing but some ice, lava and saplings you slowly transform this empty expanse into a world of your very own. Skyblock teaches us that no matter how ridiculous the odds may seem, within us resides the power to overcome these challenges and achieve something beautiful. That one day, we'll look back at where we started and be amazed by how far we've come.”

― Technoblade

Stories for DSMP Universe

[As a heads up, some of the stories below include Wilbur. I have a full post here about it, I prefer to preserve history and can't bring myself to delete these pieces. Always believe victims!]

01. My Champion [First one shot I ever posted]

02. Youth [Second one shot I ever posted]

03. A White Orchid Broken in the Rain [Rain Duo apology]

04. Nightmare [Benchtrio POV lore retell]

05. Down to Where Forever Lies, Without a Doubt I'm on Your Side [Emerald Duo house arrest rescue then Doomday, non canon]

06. Blinded by Imperfect Form {Eternal Duo wither cult story & apology post-Red Banquet]

07. Oh, Let's Go Back to the Start [Bee Duo, Tubbo mourning his husband and Clingy Duo comfort]

08. I'll Be Right Beside You [SBI alternate ending]

09. And How Can the World Want Me to Change? [Bedrock Bros comfort post-exile]

10. Fate May Fall Down Upon You [Clingy Duo apology post-Doomsday]

11. I Hope I Exist One Day Less [Bee Duo story about their relationship]

12. You're All That I Recognise [Royal Duo, Eret hires Techno to perform a hit on royalty]

13. More Than the Dust That We Can Return to the Ground Again [Butterfly Duo, Tommy & Eret apology]

14. We're on Earth to Break Each Other's Hearts [Crimeboys apology]

15. Shadows of the Mess You Made [Traitor Duo apology while getting drunk on wine at the bottom of L'Manhole]

16. It Was Your Heart on the Line [Prank Duo, Eret offers Fundy the forever home he needed]

17. I'm Only the Monster You Made Me [Non canon ending to DSMP, on hiatus]

18. We're Never Gonna Be the Same as We Have Been Before [Sand Duo story about a sword given to a father to slay his son]

19. We Weren't Just Born to Fade, Our Stories Are Past the Horizon [Eret finishing the Royal Archives, meeting significant people the exhibits are about]

20. Don't Be So Quick to Judge, Rain Havoc From Above [Fireworks Duo, Techno seeks out Tubbo after the firework execution]

21. A Heart That's Full of Nightfall Hanging on Dear Life for First Signs of Daylight [Niki is injured in Doomsday, Eret & Techno help]

22. The Unimaginable Light You Hold Inside [Angel Duo, Tommy flees to Phil's protection after a certain green-themed man escapes from prison]

23. Please, This is Just Too Good to Be Gone [Peer Pressure Duo, alternate ending to Ranboo's story because his teacher was simply too stubborn]

24. I Found Peace in Your Violence [Techno gets injured after Ranboo's final death at the prison, Phil worries for his best friend's life]

25. Another Cog in the Murder Machine [Sand Duo, Phil's son writes a journal addressed to him before his death]

26. Can It Be I'm Not Meant to Play This Part? [Eret & Tubbo apology]

27. Between the Lines of Fear and Blame [Traitor Duo apology]

28. You Were There, Impossibly Alone [Fireworks Duo apology]

29. Can I Handle the Seasons of My Life? [Eret addressing their past self before the Final Control Room]

30. If a Moment is All We Are [Tommy's older brother regrets the blonde's fate]

31. Who is in Control? [Eternal Duo, Red Banquet with a twist of revenge]

32. I'll Be Here Throughout Your Days [Alternate ending of Techno getting the retirement arc he deserves]

33. Lookin' Like a True Survivor, Feelin' Like a Little Kid [Bedrock Bros, Techno rescues Tommy post-exile]

34. I'll Tend to the Flame (You Can Worship the Ashes) [Techno rescuing Phil from house arrest]

35. Before My Wild Eyes (When Will We Finally Breathe?) [Eternal Duo, how Foolish escaped the end of the DSMP, a cycle always repeating]

36. These Little Wonders, These Twists and Turns of Fate [Syndicate Baking AU and fluff]

37. In the End I'm Realizing I Was Never Meant to Fight on My Own [c!Techno returns to the DSMP post-nuke to rescue three young souls who were saved by a selfless Monarch]

Stories for QSMP Universe

01. Breathing Just to Survive, It's Time to Bring Us Back to Life [Phil adopting Chay]

02. And the Walls Kept Tumbling Down in the City That We Love [Phil confronting his son about his past]

03. Our Past Lives Return Onto a Way [Lullah's first adoption before her true home]

04. I Am the Beast That Survived [Phil's reaction to Lullah's first death]

05. Chant the Tales and Legends Told, Strengthened by the Hymns of Old [Phil telling his children about their uncle Techno]

06. If the World Wants You Gone, We Will Fight the World [Lore retell about Phil during the Electoral dinner fight]

07. Fly Along With Me, I Can't Quite Make It Alone [Phil & Quackity comfort]

08. A Drop of Water in an Endless Sea [Lore retell of Charlie Slimecicle's birthday and his confrontation with 'JuanaFlippa']

09. Promise Me This, That You'll Stand by Me Forever [Niki meeting a friend from her past on this new world she just awoke too]

10. The Wise Crow Has Been Fooled (A Cage for a Cage) [Phil learning of his children's disappearance & birdhouse plot]

11. I'll Be Home for Christmas [Death Family & BOLAS celebrate Christmas together]

12. Stay Awhile and Maybe Then You'll See (Different Side of Me) [Hide Duo story about their relationship and the events it endured through]

13. What Impossible Means, a Leap of Faith [Undying Duo, Phil attempts to fly and fails, Lullah fetching her Tio Foolish to help fish the crow from the river]

14. We May Have Lost Our Sanity (We Have Not Lost Our Humanity) [Purgatory team BOLAS lore retell from Phil's POV]

15. One Thing You Leave Behind is How Did You Love [Hide Duo post-Happy Pills and Fit plays guitar]

16. There is Nowhere for You to Hide (The Hunter's Moon is Shinin') [Archivists, Cellbit & Phil discuss Purgatory 1 & 2]

17. The Whispers of a Reckoning Have Kept the Spirits Beckoning [Chayanne receives encouragement from his Tio Techno in his fight with the Ender King possessed Philza]

18. Artificial Stars on Eclipsed Skies [Hide Duo where Pac rescues Fit from Vaccus after being comforted by Phil]

19. You Are a Constant ; Always in the Edges, in the Sky, and That Makes Everything [Death Duo, one year celebration of the adoption of the original eggs]

20. This is Your Chance to Transform (The Moment You Confront the Storm) [Hide Duo fluff post-Vaccus rescue]

21. If There's Ever a Day Where I'm Not There (I'll Always Be With You Anywhere) [Alternate ending for the QSMP children & characters]

22. I Live in His Heart and He Lives in Mine [Alternate Hideduo ending]

23. Never Fade in the Dark (Remember You Will Always Burn as Bright) [Technoblade & Pomme]

24. Wedding Bells and...Explosives? (When You Finally Collide With Emotions You Can't Resist) [Alternate ending Hideduo Wedding]

25. A Phoenix's Ash in Dark Divine [BOLAS Rescue mission mixed with Phil's hardcore lore]

26. The Spaces Between My Fingers Are Right Where Yours Fit Perfectly [Hideduo fluff, a series of dates post-Vaccus rescue]

27. To Evolutionize One Must Crumble at the Seams [Foolish finds out Bad has been repeatedly killing Jaiden during Purgatory and gives into his rage]

28. The Spaces Between My Fingers Are Right Where Yours Fit Perfectly [Post-Vaccus Hideduo go on a series of dates and discuss their forevers]

29. I'm a Star That's Just a Black Hole Now [q!Morning Crew reconciliation & good ending for their characters]

30. In Your Eyes I Am Complete [One year ago from this publishing Pac gifted roses to Fit with Richas's heavy encouragement, so I wrote a fluffy date in honour of it]

Misc. Stories, Universes and AUs

01. Awaking in the Light of All the Stars Aligned [Ghosts & Mediums AU]

02. Blackbird Singing in the Dead of Night [Origins SMP]

03. Shine a Light in the Dark, Let Me See Where You Are [SMP Earth]

04. The Future That We've Left to Die [Twinsduo TLOU AU]

05. She shot me in the night. It’s what I would’ve wanted. [Sunship Duo Apocalypse AU]

06. You Make Sure I Always See the Daylight [SBI Cafe AU]

07. Sail With Us, and We'll Show You What It Means to Be Alive [Royal Duo Pirate AU]

08. You Don't Need to Turn Me Away [Traitor Duo Childhood Friends AU]

09. Gentleness in the Absence of Violence (Despite the Abundance of It) [Generation Loss AU]

10. You Took My Broken Melody (Now I Hear a Symphony) [SBI Grocery Store Trip AU]

11. One Bullet in the Chamber [Fireworks Duo Vigilante AU]

12. Everything You Thought You Knew Will Fall Apart (But You'll Be All Right) [SBI Witch AU]

13. You Won't Be Forgotten (Not Again) [Royal Duo Pirates & Sirens AU]

14. Stay With Me, Let's Just Breathe [Crimeboys Apocalypse AU]

15. Star Rosa Isle [Aimsey Stardew Valley AU]

16. No One Will Ever Know the Violence It Took to Become This Gentle [Hideduo Vampire/Hunter AU]

17. When the Waves Turn the Minutes to Hours [Hideduo Navy AU]

18. Breathe in the Air, Don't Be Afraid to Care [Emerald Duo SMP Earth]

19. I Had Been Lost to You, Sunlight (And Flew Like a Moth to You) [Death Duo raising their dragon shifter son, Techno AU]

20. Kick at the Darkness 'Til It Bleeds Daylight [Hideduo Demon & Angel AU with a splash of forbidden love]

21. I Believe It All is Comin' to an End (I Guess We're Gonna Pretend) [Life series!Etho fic, set in secret life about him being protective]

A very personal piece written the day after the news about Technoblade was released and his impact on those he left behind (heavy warning for grief and loss): Dear Technoblade

QSMP Fan ID

When you began watching: Day 1 [Philza POV]

Favourite arc / lore: Birdhouse, Happy Pills [q!Pac], Purgatory, Slimecicle Revenge then Jury, Hardcore Deities, Madagio, Regret

Favourite cubitos: Phil, Fit, Pac, Mike, Tubbo, Foolish, Cellbit, Etoiles, Charlie Slimecicle, Niki, Baghera, Jaiden, Missa, Bagi

Favourite eggs: Chayanne, Tallulah, Ramon, Richas, Empanada, Sunny, Leo, Pepito, Pomme, Juana Flippa, Bobby [I like the rest too <3]

Favourite duos & groups: Phil & Technoblade [Emerald], Phil & Cellbit [Archivists], Phil & Etoiles [Codebreakers], Phil & Fit [Veterans], Phil & Missa [Death], Phil & Foolish [Undying], Fit & Pac [Hideduo], BOLAS, Chayanne & Tallulah [Yin and Yang], Phil & Tubbo [Hardcore], Death Family, Fit & Pac & Mike [Hide and Seek], Pac & Mic [Tazercraft], Tubbo & Phil & Etoiles [Leaders], Tubbo & Pac & Fit [Morning Crew], The Order, The Resistance / Rebellion, Cellbit & Roier [Guapo], Cellbit & Foolish [Foolbit], Cellbit & Baghera [Chainsaw Killers], Tubbo & Etoiles [Crit], Charlie & Quackity [Dap], Foolish & Jaiden [Chaos Twins], Slimecicle & Baghera [Karoke], Badboyhalo & Foolish [Land], Badboyhalo & Phil [Coworker], Slimecicle & Mariana [Misclick], Cellbit & Bagi [Mystery Twins], Pac & Etoiles [Pacman], Jaiden & Roier [Parrot], Foolish & Tina [Star], Tina & Bagi [Teaduo]

[pearl-blue-musings]

Y’all I had a thought… okay well many but hear me out

Band AU Genshin Impact

Lead vocals/lead guitar: Childe. Like it just makes so much sense to me, especially with how he is and the charisma he holds. And I bet he has a beautiful voice and he ALSO helps with songwriting. I’m gonna get more into the songwriting thing but lemme get this out aaahhh

Backup vocals/rhythmic guitar: Kaeya Alberich. Now I know many people see him as a bass player but he’s not. HEAR ME OUT he has the looks, the charm, the talent, but he’s good at getting what he wants out of the band so he’s good support! Which is why he’s part of the songwriting duo Kaeyajax that write for the band and some other people they’re friends with. their producer really does enjoy working with them but at times wishes he was out there

Bass guitar/backup vocals: Diluc Ravingdir. He just EMITS bass player energy. Low key, good at what he does, sexy, always on time, and keeps everyone together. Sometimes he helps with the lyrics when their songwriters get stuck but that’s it. He wasn’t going to join but despite appearing to hate his brother, he wanted to look out for him and do something with him. How sweet. But don’t cross him or the drummer

Drums: Dehya. Listen. LISTEN. she SCREAMS drummer energy. She’s realizable, steady, goes with the flow, and can keep the band together. She has the experience being a studio drummer but when the band needed a replacement, their manager knew exactly who to call. She helps level the testosterone in the group and can provide good insight into who to hire, who to collab with, where to play etc.

Manager: Zhongli. He LITERALLY was meant to do this role. He’d always been fascinated by music and the world and culture of it. But he also knows how some members can be. And he wants the band to do as well as they possibly can while being treated well too. And he can make sure of that. With his experience in many fields, he can also provide advice and oversight. He suggested Dehya after Itto had some issues with getting in trouble and creating a bad image for the band. Itto totally understood and went home to help his family and friends while giving some lessons to local kids! He also maybe Childs’s babysitter

Producer: Xiao. He is a lover of music and everything about it. It’s his escape, he knows how to play quite a few instruments thanks to one of his close friends, but he never wanted to be in the spotlight. He preferred to help from the outside, despite how much he longed to be front and center with adoring fans. His fear and anxiety of being close to people takes over and he’s resigned to helping others achieve the dreams he wants. He’s one of the best in the business and he’s released some of his work under a fake name and gives insight to Kaeyajax for songwriting. He’s also sat in on some of their jam sessions but begs them not to record it. Even Zhongli thinks he’d be an incredible solo artist, and lets xiao know he’s not alone if he ever decides to pursue his music performance career

Producer/songwriter/collaborator: Venti. Usually known by his stage name Barbatos, Venti is a close friend of the band and does everything he can to help. Although he has a career of his own, he always finds time to help out his friends with whatever they need. He’s always the first one the band thinks of for a collaboration whether for producing, recording, or sharing a show. He’s also best friends with Xiao and wishes he would start his own musical career. He’s been on a few of his tracks as backup vocals and some instruments. He knows the best after parties and always has the best and silly ideas and hangouts

I have all this but NO IDEA FOR A BAND NAME

What do y’all think?? Don’t worry, I still have the Childe smau I’m thinking up

[hellonearthmetalzine]

Review: Motivik - Renouncement (2024)

Motivik is an American duo playing melodic thrash metal and heavy metal. Courtney Simmons handles the vocals, while Ryan Roebuck takes care of the instruments, except for the drums, which are played by “hired gun” Alex Emidio. The band previously released “Death Of The Gunman” in 2020. The sound on the band’s new album “Renouncement” is alright, but the songs are not very impressive. The melodies…

[silver-la-pixels]

Utau × Demon Slayer au notes

main characters are teto and tei, it's a teito fic and takes place before the main line of demon slayer with little to no interactions of the kny cast and more allusions and references

-Kasane Teto- protag of the story. She did not have a voice until she turned 13 and came from "a foreign country" to japan and lived as a cleaner in a bakery. She heard a strange noise one night and was partially turned into a chimera demon*, but gained her voice. Her appearance scared the shop owners and townsfolk though, so she fled. Teto became a slayer and found that she aged half as fast as regular humans, and worked alone taking odd jobs.

-Sukone Tei- Tei was a maiko and kunoichi with a vengeance. While she was still human, she fell in love with a boy named Len, who was already betrothed to the Hatsune clan. After she became a demon, it was rumored that she killed his family and the girl he was married to. Unsatisfied, she continued to train as a maiko and contract kunoichi by night (yes its extra. That's why it's her backstory.) She was well over her long-dead of old age crush hanging when she met teto, who had been hired by a singer of the hatsune clan to protect her as she felt she was being watched. Tei was very unpredictable and still killed humans to live, but teto bound some of her powers and invited her as a companion.

-Hatsune Miku- The hatsune clan was known for its craftsmanship in musical instruments and talented singers, but had a grudge against a demon. Miku was sent to apprentice playing the shamisen and singing away from her town for her safety, into Tei's old apprenticeship. She has pale green hair from her affinity for leeks. It was said that her voice could even stop demons**, but she felt unsafe and hired a wandering Teto to take out the suspected demons.

-Kagamine Rin and Len- Len was said to be the spitting image of his several great grandfathers, lone survivor of a demon attack. Rin was his cousin, and their antics involved often switching places with each other due to their almost identical faces. Since Tei really cant tell them apart, she protects them both. Theyre mostly side characters lol

Momo and Uta are children from workers of the same farm and have automaton legs, as a disease outbreak at the farm ruined their muscles when they were young and left Uta's voice weak, though they both love singing. However, their impoverished families sent them to work as maids at the mysterious butterfly estate for a better life. Uta received training as a sniper while Momo learned to sing in demon-halting breath.

-Rook and Yokune Ruko- A demon-slaying duo. Ruko was rumored to be a demon, as not only were their eyes were different colors, but they had "two voices" and study demon-halting under the sound hashira. Rook is an apprentice of the slayers "guard dogs" and has a fighting style similar to that of a wild dog, but is very loyal to ruko. He has an adopted little sister named Miko who was raised by wolves until she was 2.

-Sekka Yufu and Namine Ritsu- referred to as the mountain demons. Ritsu is a largely harmless demon who lives at the foot of the mountain and goes to drink with humans every now and then. He was turned when he was 6, but likes to shapeshift to be a young woman. He only kills people who dont like him or point out that his fake double d cups are actually bombs. Yufu is rumored to lure travelers into the snow-capped mountains with her voice into storms and avalanches, but most of the deaths aren't intentional. The two are loosely friends.

*(Yushiro accidentally turned her, but as he was almost completely free from muzans control, she was largely unaffected.)

**In this AU, demon-halting breath exists as a form of singing. It can be naturally inherited or taught.

[books-i-finished-reading]

(26)

City of Lost Souls - Cassandra Clare

( The mortal instruments - book 5/6 )

29th March 2023

Church was doing what he often did when dropped-lying on his back with all four legs in the air, pretending to be dead in order to induce guilt in his owners.

"He'd burn the whole world down till he could dig you out of the ashes. ..."

... she felt only half-there, most of her numb and the rest of her responding on autopilot.

"Basia coquum," Simon said. "Or whatever their motto is." "It's 'Descensus Averno facilis est.' 'The descent into hell is easy,' " said Alec. "You just said 'Kiss the cook." "Dammit," said Simon. "I knew Jace was screwing with me."

"Perhaps I did," said the Queen, ... "I've noticed the Fair Folk often say 'perhaps' when there is a truth they want to hide," Clary said. "It keeps you from having to give a straight answer." "Perhaps so," said the Queen with an amused smile. " 'Mayhap' is a good word too," Alec suggested. "Also 'perchance,' " Izzy said. "I see nothing wrong with 'maybe,' " said Simon. "A little modern, but the gist of the idea comes across."

Alec bit his lip. "What is this?" "It's a snuffbox," said Magnus, ... "Snuff? As in snuffing people out?" Alec eyed it.

"She wasn't very pleasant the last time I saw her. Of course that could be because I've got an eighteen-year-old boyfriend with a stamina rune and she doesn't." Alec sputtered. "As the person being objectified, I . . . object to that description of me."

Alec woke to Magnus's shaking his shoulder. "Come on, sweet pea," he said. "Time to rise and face the day." ... " 'Sweet pea'?" Alec said. "I was trying it out." Alec shook his head. "No." Magnus shrugged. "I'll keep at it."

" ... sometimes siblings understand more than parents. There's not the same weight of expectations."

Simon rolled his eyes. "It's a good thing we know the person who's dating Magnus," he said. "Otherwise, I get the feeling we'd all just lie around all the time wondering what the hell to do next. Or try to raise the money to hire Magnus by selling lemonade." Alec looked merely irritated by this comment. "The only way you could raise enough money to hire Magnus by selling lemonade is if you put meth in it."

"... I didn't want to be found. But I would have liked the idea that someone was looking for me ..."

"Saint Magnus's Home for Wayward Shadowhunters," he said in a deep voice. "Welcome." He threw an arm wide. "Spare bedrooms are that way. Wipe your boots on the mat."

"... I guess he wants their evil little duo to be an evil little trio." She shrugged. "Maybe he's lonely. Sebastian can't be the greatest company." "We don't know that. He could be absolutely fantastic at Scrabble," said Magnus.

... Magnus began, ... the phone rang. "I'll get that. Who knows who else might be on the run from the Clave and need a place to stay? It's not like there are hotels in this city."

"... So-if you want it in vampire language-it affords me great pleasure, my liege, to say to you now: Hell, no."

"No," he said. "No, it isn't." Clary sat back. "You don't just get to say no." "This plan involves me! I get to say no! No." "Simon-" Simon patted the seat beside him as if someone were sitting there. "Let me introduce you to my good friend No." "Maybe we can compromise," she suggested,... "No." "SIMON." " 'No' is a magical word," he told her. "Here's how it goes. You say, 'Simon, I have an insane, suicidal plan. Would you like to help me carry it out?' And I say, 'Why, no.' "

"... we're all drawn toward what's beautiful and broken; ..."

"I know about parabatai," said Magnus. "I've known parabatai so close they were almost the same person."

"To love as you choose, that takes strength."

"Blood isn't love,"

... as about as sexually threatening as a goldfish.

"Your parents aren't perfect, ... because no one's perfect. They're complicated people."

"... adversity tests one's strength of character. ... in dark times, some people shine."

"Dammit, woman, you read my mind," he said. "Is there no filthy wordplay you can't foresee?" "It's my special magical power. I can read your mind when you're thinking dirty thoughts." "So, ninety-five percent of the time." ... "Ninety-five percent? What's the other five percent?" "Oh, you know, the usual-demons I might kill, runes I need to learn, people who've annoyed me recently, people who've annoyed me not so recently, ducks." "Ducks?" He waved her question away. ... "Ducks?" she said again. ... "I hate ducks. Don't know why. I just always have."

"Well, not just any demon," said Magnus. "Azazel." Jocelyn's eyes blazed. "Azazel?" ... Simon just shrugged. "I don't know who Azazel is," he said. "Isn't he the cat from The Smurfs?" ... Clary? he thought. Her voice came through, tinged with alarm. What is it? What's happened? Did my mom find out I'm gone? Not yet, he thought back. Is Azazel the cat from The Smurfs? There was a long pause. That's Azrael, Simon. And no more using the magic rings for Smurf questions.

Simon glanced up from his hand and saw Magnus looking at him quizzically. "He's not a cat, Sylvester," he said. ...... "I have an idea," Simon said. He was sitting next to Magnus, ... "But you're not going to like it." "I have a feeling you're right, Sherwin." "Simon. My name is Simon." "Whatever." Magnus waved a slender hand. ...... Magnus's eyes went back to Alec. ... "Not my favourite topic, Smedley." "Simon," said Simon. ..... said Magnus ... "All right, everybody. Get over here. Sheldon's had an idea." "Who's Sheldon?" said Isabelle. ......... Magnus closed the book he was holding. "That's not a bad idea, Seamus." ... Magnus said. "I say we leave early afternoon. Sherlock-sorry, Simon-call and see if you can... ........ Magnus nodded... "Ready, Simon?" "Hey," said Simon. "You remembered my name."

... Alec, his eyebrows raised. "You slept in Isabelle's room?" Isabelle waved a hand. "No need to worry, big brother. Nothing happened. Of course," ... "I was totally passed-out drunk, so he could really have done whatever he wanted and I wouldn't have woken up." "Oh, please," said Simon. "All I did was tell you the entire plot of Star Wars." "I don't think I remember that," said Isabelle, ... "Oh, yeah? Who was Luke Skywalker's best childhood friend?" "Biggs Darklighter," Isabelle said immediately,...

"There's something appealing about the idea," ... "Of losing all your control. ..."

"... If I cannot have your loyalty, I will have your fear. ..."

"Special destinies and special torments,"

"I'm not used to you loving me,"

"I'm not trying to make you feel better. I'm trying to tell you the truth."

... opening the refrigerator and staring into it to see if anything worth eating had appeared.

... the music swelled louder. ... And sore by dawn were her dainty feet, But all the boys were gay. Isabelle snorted. "All the boys are gay. In this truck, anyway. Well, not you, Simon. "I think of myself as a freewheeling bisexual," added Magnus.

"It's not like a stab wound you can protect me from. It's a million little paper cuts every day."

Too much of anything could destroy you,... Too much darkness could kill you, but too much light could blind.

"... there's nothing stopping me from calling you up again and again, now that I know you can't kill me. Think of it as me leaning against your Heavenly doorbell . . . forever." Raziel, incredibly, seemed to chuckle at that. You are stubborn, he said.

... she raised her hand and slapped him across the face ... His eyes were all black, no pupil, like tunnels. "What's wrong, little sis? You look upset." She could barely catch her breath. "Cracked . . . my . . . nail polish slapping your . . . worthless face. See?" She showed him her finger-just one of them.

"... 'If I cannot move Heaven, I will raise Hell.' "

"Speaking of hope, did you see that shot Alec got off with his bow? That's my boyfriend." He beamed and wiggled his fingers; blue sparks shot from them. He shone all over. Only Magnus, Simon thought resignedly, would have access to sequined battle armor.

... love given without free will or truthfulness wasn't love at all.

"I saw you fall," Alec said quietly. ... "I thought you were dead." Magnus smiled crookedly. "What, from that scratch?" He glanced down at the reddening jacket in Alec's hand. "Okay, a deep scratch. Like, from a really, really big cat." "Are you delirious?" Alec said. "No."

... between them they held the light of a star.

"... You go charging into every situation without knowing how the hell it's going to turn out, and then you get through it on sheer guts and craziness."

"How's Jordan?" ... "He and Maia are definitely together now. They're in that ooky stage where I feel like I should be giving them space all the time." ... "When she's not there, he frets about how he feels insecure because she's dated a bunch of dudes and he's spent the past three years doing military-style training for the Praetor and pretending he was asexual." ... "You know men. We have delicate egos." "I wouldn't describe Jace's ego as delicate." "No, Jace's is sort of the antiaircraft artillery tank of male egos," Simon admitted.

Forever does not make loss forgettable, only bearable.

"... We're meant to protect each other, but not from everything. Not from the truth. That's what it means to love someone but let them be themselves."

"I fell in love with you," ... "because you were one of the bravest people I'd ever known. So how could I ask you to stop being brave just because I loved you?"

"... there's always been a piece of my soul missing, and it's inside you, ..."

[ao3feed-crimeboys]

superache

by xtinytiger

Tommy, the lead singer and guitarist of CMYK, sincerely doubted that the Angels of Death, his favorite band ever, would like his music at all.

Fast forward about two minutes and Wilbur Soot, the lead singer of the Angels, is hiring them for their tour. ---

“What if— what if I’m not good enough for them? They’re my favorite band in the world. In my opinion, they make the literal best music in the world. What happens if they don’t think I’m good?”

“Then they’d be idiots.” Tommy turned to look at Purpled, who was looking away. “Tommy, I’m only gonna say this once, so listen up. You are the most talented person I know. You work your ass off, and you’re a part of a pretty popular and successful band right now. You deserve this job more than anyone else, and the Angels are stupid if they don’t see that.”

---

or: after becoming the opening band for the angels tour, tommy learns that maybe he isnt as bad as his manager says he is, and maybe friends arent just pawns, and maybe, perhaps, he could possibly have a family. (spoiler alert: he gets one).

Words: 2567, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Minecraft (Video Game), Dream SMP

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: Gen

Characters: TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Grayson | Purpled (Video Blogging RPF), Toby Smith | Tubbo, Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF), Wilbur Soot, Niki | Nihachu, Jschlatt (Video Blogging RPF), Alexis | Quackity, Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Shelby Grace | Shubble

Relationships: Grayson | Purpled & Ranboo & Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit, Ranboo & Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit, Ranboo & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit, Grayson | Purpled & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit, Wilbur Soot & Technoblade, Niki | Nihachu & Wilbur Soot, Jschlatt & Wilbur Soot, Alexis | Quackity & Wilbur Soot, Niki | Nihachu & TommyInnit, Technoblade & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF)

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Bands, Band Fic, Alternate Universe - Music, Touring, Singer TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Guitarist TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Guitarist Grayson | Purpled (Video Blogging RPF), Drummer Toby Smith | Tubbo, Bassist Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF), Pianist Wilbur Soot, Guitarist Jschlatt, Bassist Niki | Nihachu, Guitarist Alexis | Quackity, Drummer Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), fireworks duo where they bond over the drums guys guys GUYS, Hurt/Comfort, as always, Concerts, TommyInnit is Not Okay (Video Blogging RPF), sometimes it seems like hes alright but if you squint close enough then he never is, until he actually is, Pianist TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), he plays basically every instrument, Other Additional Tags to Be Added

[justforbooks]

Vangelis, composer of Chariots of Fire and Blade Runner soundtracks, dies aged 79

Vangelis, the Greek composer and musician whose synth-driven work brought huge drama to film soundtracks including Blade Runner and Chariots of Fire, has died aged 79. His representatives said he died in hospital in France where he was being treated.

Born Evángelos Odysséas Papathanassíou in 1943, Vangelis won an Oscar for his 1981 Chariots of Fire soundtrack. Its uplifting piano motif became world-renowned, and reached No 1 in the US charts, as did the accompanying soundtrack album.

Mostly self-taught in music, Vangelis grew up in Athens and formed his first band in 1963, called the Forminx, playing the pop music of the time: uptempo rock’n’roll, sweeping ballads and Beatles cover versions, with Vangelis supplying organ lines.

They split in 1966, and Vangelis became a writer and producer for hire, working for other musicians and contributing scores for Greek films. Two years later, he struck out for Paris to further his career, where he formed the prog rock quartet Aphrodite’s Child with Greek expats including Demis Roussos. Their single Rain and Tears was a hit across Europe, topping the French, Belgian and Italian charts and reaching the UK Top 30.

After they split – Vangelis deeming the world of commercial pop “very boring” – he returned to scoring film and TV. Turning down an invitation to replace Rick Wakeman on keyboards in Yes, he moved to London and signed a solo deal with RCA Records: his LPs Heaven and Hell (1975) and Albedo 0.39 (1976) each reached the UK Top 40, the former also used to soundtrack Carl Sagan’s popular TV series Cosmos. The connection with Yes was finally completed later in the decade, when he teamed with the band’s Jon Anderson for the duo Jon and Vangelis, whose debut album went Top 5.

Vangelis had continued his film score work throughout the 1970s, but it was in the 1980s that this reached its commercial heights. Chariots of Fire became inextricable from Vangelis’s timeless theme, and the music became synonymous with slow-motion sporting montages. “My music does not try to evoke emotions like joy, love, or pain from the audience. It just goes with the image, because I work in the moment,” he later explained.

His score to Blade Runner is equally celebrated for its evocation of a sinister future version of Los Angeles, where robots and humans live awkwardly alongside one another, through the use of long, malevolent synth notes; saxophones and lush ambient passages enhance the film’s romantic and poignant moments. “It has turned out to be a very prophetic film – we’re living in a kind of Blade Runner world now,” he said in 2005.

Later in the decade he scored the Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins drama The Bounty, and the Mickey Rourke-starring Francesco. He worked again with the Blade Runner director, Ridley Scott, on 1992 film 1492: Conquest of Paradise, and elsewhere during the 1990s, soundtracked Roman Polanski’s Bitter Moon, and documentaries by Jacques Cousteau.

Vangelis drew on Greek instrumentation alongside the typical orchestras used in film scoring on Oliver Stone’s 2004 classical epic, Alexander.

His most recent score is for El Greco, a 2007 Greek biopic of the Renaissance painter. The Greek artist, who moved to Spain and acquired his nickname there, was much admired by Vangelis, who composed albums in 1995 and 1998 that were inspired by and named after him.

Continually celebrated for his evocative Chariots of Fire theme, he was also commissioned by sporting bodies to soundtrack major events, including the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, and the 2004 Olympics in Athens. He also wrote ballet scores and music for stage productions of Medea, The Tempest and other plays.

Solo releases remained steady alongside his commissioned work, and occasionally included collaborations with vocalists such as Paul Young.

A fascination with outer space found voice in 2016’s Rosetta, dedicated to the space probe of the same name, and Nasa appointed his 1993 piece Mythodea (which he claimed to have written in an hour) as the official music of the Mars Odyssey mission of 2001. His final album, 2021’s Juno to Jupiter, was inspired by the Nasa probe Juno and featured recordings of its launch and the workings of the probe itself in outer space.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com

[abybweisse]

I can’t wait for Finny and snake story, first because Finny is a sunshine and Snake is so mysterious to me, like at first I thought he was just a shy boy but then reading some posts saying he could be a demon or smth, tbh I don’t think he’s an experiment subject like Finny because he was shown inside a circus cage like he doesn’t have any memories of being a test subject, maybe he never met his demon parent he was in a circus environment since little. And also I have to add that the interaction between Finny and snake is really cute and I feel like they can be genuine friends, Finny is more like an older brother to Ciel imo, and Finny and snake had similar childhoods being neglected and abused.

Norfolk flashbacks

I think the main idea of Snake being an experiment is one in which Snake is born as an experimental genetic cross between human and snake… or something like that. Not like how Finny was given injections. Still, it’s a stretch. It’s actually easier for me to believe Snake might be part demon, and I’ve posted a time or two about that.

I don’t know which one of them we will get the major flashbacks from. But I say it’s probably Finny, since he was the first servant to be hired after our earl’s return to the manor, and because he’s so completely loyal to our earl. We have hints about his life at that research facility, and we have hints regarding how he escaped, but that’s about it. We don’t know how long he was there or how he got there, but I have a theory he’s the son of the researcher who was sent to kill the subjects. I take special note of how the guy kills the other two subjects first and then still hesitates on S-012. I see Finny and Sieglinde as having very similar situations, growing up in military facilities where they are lied to and forced to do as they are told. And it’s their own parents, who should be protecting them, who get them involved. We know that’s the case with Sieglinde, but I theorize it’s similar for Finny, except that his father didn’t want to kill him, whereas Sieglinde’s mother was perfectly willing to sacrifice her own daughter to keep the military’s secrets. And Sieglinde leaves with the knowledge her own mother set her up. If that researcher is Finny's father, he might have escaped without learning the truth.

I would love to see Finny's story, because details are definitely missing from the snippets we've seen. I wonder if the guy (if he's Finny's father) ends up confessing this to his son... and then takes his own life. We don't actually know who kills this guy; is it Finny or himself? I'd previously assumed it was Finny, but now I'm not sure. Either way, this guy has a reason for hesitating to kill S-012, when he shows no such hesitation towards killing the other two kids. Even more interesting if the guy calls him by anything other than S-012 before he dies.

We could get some more background on Snake, but I don’t think it matters quite as much. Plus, we saw him join the Phantomhive household, so Yana-san doesn’t need to cover that again. It’s quite possible Snake doesn’t even know whatever particularly interesting truth there is to learn about him, like why he looks part snake, why he can communicate with snakes, why the pungi (snake charming instrument) affects him, etc. Reminds me of the first kuromyu, Friendship, in which the demon, Kirito, is fatally injured by Yuuki playing this special flute that exorcises spirits and demons. I see that musical as a huge parallel to Agni's later death. He's not a demon, but he can go toe to toe with one, thanks to the Right Hand of Kali. In the link just above, there's a discussion about this.

And here's another post on the topic... making parallels between these dynamic duos: Yuuki and Kirito, our earl and Sebastian, and Soma and Agni. Kirito and Agni each become better people, and they both end up dying to protect their masters. Could Sebastian, particularly if he learns to become a better person, end up dying, too? Even if Snake isn't a demon/part demon, he has very special non-human abilities, while Finny, though "fortified", is still apparently 100% human. And even though Finny isn't Snake's master, Snake could end up dying trying to protect him... or dying trying to indirectly protect our earl. Whatever the exact scenario, if we lose Finny or Snake in Norfolk, I envision us losing Snake.

[3raaaachachacha]

All members x female reader / 2.5k words / angst / fluff / suggestive

Warnings: dirty thoughts, heated make out sessions

⊱ ──────────────────────── ⊰

Bang Chan

Chan was extremely excited to meet you when he heard that the company had hired a new female producer that was well-known throughout the entertainment industry. You were one of the top producers in Korea who had helped produce many songs with big artists like BTS, Black Pink, and EXO. He was amazed that you were finally coming to JYP to help him expand his knowledge on producing. When you entered his studio for the first time, he swore he felt sparks rush through his heart just from the sight of you. He thought you were going to be all business-like and maybe even a bit mean looking, but you were the opposite. You had soft features and were very girly. You were very friendly, yet a bit shy at first once you dug into the business material more. Chan thought you were the most adorable human being he had ever met, if he was being completely honest.

It wasn’t long until the two of you created an unbreakable bond that turned into a flourishing relationship with one another. It was filled with love, laughs, and helping one another with projects. You were a dynamic duo to say that least. He was always amazed at the work you did and how you went about creating these amazing masterpieces. He was a bit jealous of you if he was being honest, but he knew that you were simply talented in this field and it was your main job, where he was a singer, producer, and dancer. You were on a different scale than him, and he knew that was fine. He loved working with you on projects, especially if they were for Stray Kids to use for their upcoming album. Chan would always include Jisung and Changbin into the process as well, but he loved learning more and more from each time you worked together. He was honestly so grateful to have met you since you helped to improve his groups content as well as finding a lifelong partner to call his own.

Lee Minho

When he first met you, he thought you were already so beautiful and sweet, but once he got to further know you, you revealed your profession of being a multi-instrumentalist for SM Entertainment. Minho thought it was the coolest thing ever and would love to talk about the different instruments you could play, while on your dates. You explained to him that you had been playing instruments since you were 5 years old after your mother introduced you to the piano one holiday night. You were curious as to what the instrument laying in your mother’s room was, and your mother thought it was quite enduring that you were so eager to learn about it. After that, you became obsessed with instruments and after you mastered one, you went onto another one to learn it. It was a vicious cycle that only fueled your curiosity of the many different instruments in the world.

You got hired to help SM Entertainment create unique beats for their songs through different instruments massed together and turned into the back up beats. It was a fun job, considering you were still in college, but the director really liked your style and attitude, which kept you there for longer than you had expected. Minho was so interested in learning about your job and how you use your talent to do your job. It was fun to show him the many instruments you could play now that you were older. You could play the piano, percussion, and guitar, and were learning how to play the drums currently. Minho couldn’t even walk properly, let alone, play three to four different instruments perfectly. It truly blew his mind and he was so thankful that he was dating such a talented and sweet girl.

Seo Changbin

If he was being honest, he really didn’t like you when he first met you. He was jealous that you were so multi-talented. You were a highly talked about producer that the company recently hired after you wanted to gain more creative freedom and you were known for making creative beats from the many instruments you played. You could play the guitar, electric and acoustic, as well as the piano, and drums. He was definitely impressed by your high level skill set, but he was envious that JYP had decided to have you begin to help his group learn different ways to go about producing new songs. Stray Kids were always known for their unique and unusual beats and lyrics that would break through the standard that idols were held to. It wasn’t until about a month or so of you working with them that the two of you finally began to get along after the two of you had a small fight that led to a steamy kiss, while it was just the two of you in the studio late at night.

He didn't see it coming and honestly, he didn’t even realize he had feelings for you until the two of you kissed. It was the sexual tension that had brought the two of you closer and closer, until finally, you both couldn’t resist one another anymore. It would lead to a long talk between the two of you being honest about your feelings towards one another and would help to clear the thick tension. You would begin to date in secret, hoping it would not affect your jobs, but soon, your relationship would become public and most would be thankful that you finally were together. Changbin would love to go to the studio and see you there already working on the next demo for their upcoming track. It was always something new and the beats you would create would always help to convey the message behind the lyrics further than they thought was possible. It would really please him that the two of you were happy with one another now, rather than bickering all the time.

Hwang Hyunjin

Hyunjin had always seen you around the building at JYP Entertainment, but he never realized that you were such a vital key to their song beats. At first, he just thought you were a pretty face, maybe working here as a receptionist or part of the management team, but actually, you were the mysterious multi-instrumentalist they had hired. As most know, Stray Kids are known for their experimental music and breaking the boundaries of what music is defined as. That didn’t change, but only intensified once you were added to their team. Hyunjin immediately gravitated towards you and soon, the two of you became close. That closeness soon turned into more, resulting in the two of you secretly dating with only the members knowing your little secret.

One day, Hyunjin was curious about how you became so talented and how you learned so many different instruments in a short time span. That’s when you explained to him about how your father was actually a very famous artist who sang as well as played many different instruments while on stage. It was definitely a surprise to him and was probably the last thing he would have thought of. Regardless, he was amazed that you had learned how to play the guitar, electric and acoustic, as well as the flute, violin, and percussion. He thought it was insane that you were so dedicated to keep your father’s history alive that you followed in his footsteps of learning all these instruments and began working for a huge entertainment company. He was deep down proud of you, even though he thought it was too early in your relationship for him to express that to you.

Han Jisung

Deep down, the fact that you were a talented producer and professional pianist, turned Jisung on more than he could fathom, but he suppressed his urges to fuck you on the recording chair right then and there. He knew that work was a bit more important at the moment, but he wouldn’t be able to stop watching you in the most subtle ways. You also loved that your boyfriend was a talented rapper, singer, and producer. He was a serious triple threat, and he was all yours. It was so much fun being able to work together once in a while when you would help JYP Entertainment out with needed unique beats. You actually worked for Big Hit Entertainment, but they always encouraged collaborations with other famous artists. Creative freedom was a huge thing when it came to your company, and that was the whole reason you signed with them in the first place.

Jisung loved when you came to see him since it could indicate a possible collaboration or just a simple visit from his gorgeous girlfriend. The two of you would be very understanding and always listen to one another when you were in the studio, figuring out what beat would go best with the song lyrics or what lyrics needed to be changed since the pronunciation sounded off while recording. You got to work with the rest of 3racha as well, which was exciting for you since you knew they were well praised producers. Jisung loved how professional you were, even around your boyfriend. He was just as hardworking as you were and truthfully, that’s why the two of you worked so well together. You understood one another and the pressure that was placed upon your work. He loved dating his best friend and business partner. Jisung couldn’t ask for more.

Lee Felix

Felix thought about learning how to play different instruments at times, but then he remembered that he was always so busy. After the two of you had been together for a few months, Felix finally brought up the random conversation about your professions. You explained to him that you were a multi-instrumentalist hired by SM Entertainment to help their artists with their more sentimental and slow songs. You loved seeing the amount of passionate and emotion artists would put into the song that you helped produce. It gave you a small amount of joy every time you hear them play over and over again. Plus, you got a lot of credit for creating more of the beats from scratch, rather than using computer generation. EDM was becoming the past at this point and there were new trends going around. The next move was towards the live instrumental sound that most artists shied away from.

You were given the natural ability to learn a new instrument within five days and being able to master an instrument within two weeks. It was something that your mother was talented in as well, but you were forced to learn by yourself after she suddenly passed away of a heart attack at a young age. You wanted to continue to learn new instruments and contribute what you could to music nowadays to show your mother that she raised her child right. It also helped you to connect more with her, even if she wasn’t physically here anymore. Felix loved how passionate you were about your job and how you always wanted to pay your respects to your mother. You loved instruments that were a bit softer to the touch like the flute, the piano, and the cello. These all helped to show your emotions of the song as you played them. Felix would be blown away that his girlfriend was so talented and that she could casually alternate between playing the cello to playing the flute like it was nothing.

Kim Seungmin

Seungmin would be very interested in you after you randomly were hired into the company. With wanting to get to know you, he would ask you to get coffee with him at the local coffee shop since you were planning to work with him and his group in the near future. You would explain to him your profession of being a multi-instrumentalist. He knew what the profession was about, but he wanted to know more as it began to pique his interest. You would explain to him that you were previously in a professional orchestra that traveled all around the world for shows in luxurious music halls. You were gifted in being able to play multiple instruments as well as being able to learn new instruments in only a few days. You knew how to play the violin, percussion, piano, and the clarinet. You were basically your own mini orchestra, but your main instrument was the violin.

Your grandfather taught you it from a young age and ever since, you were obsessed with it as well as learning different instruments. Seungmin really liked how passionate you were about music as well as how family oriented you were. You shared many of the same interests and values as he did, which is what prompted the two of you to go on secret dates with one another. They would be at random times after recordings or producing news beats for upcoming songs, but they usually were never planned since Seungmin was always so busy with some kind of schedule. You didn’t mind it though since being spontaneous was fun and exciting for you. Everything in your life had always been planned out and organized, so having something different was a good change in your lifestyle. The dates were usually very simple, but special and dear to your heart. It was crazy how your life changed so suddenly after meeting Seungmin, but honestly, you weren’t complaining one bit.

Yang Jeongin

He knew that a new producer was going to be added to their group when helping them in the recording studio, but when you entered to introduce yourself to the boys, he was stunned. You were so young and so pretty. He was expecting a guy or someone who was a bit older. Surprisingly, you were close to his age and it took him back a bit, until you began to talk more with the boys. He would feel very close to you right away as you gave off this comforting and loving vibe that he couldn’t resist. Jeongin would try his best to keep your relationship professional, but he wouldn’t be able to contain himself and would end up asking you out on a date. It took you off guard, but you were happy to accept his request. It was a simple dinner date in a private room, wanting to avoid any rumors going around as well as give the two of you some privacy.

He would learn that you had been producing music since you were ten years old and were scouted by a smaller company to work for them when you were only seventeen. After finishing high school, you enrolled into college to continue to learn and grow about music. It amazed him how you were doing this hard full-time job, while being a full-time student as well. You loved it though and neither seemed like work to you since you were expanding more on your passion in life. That’s what caught his eye in you. The passion that burned into your soul and radiated off to express to others. He thought it was so enduring and he was proud to be able to take you out on these secret dates until he finally asked you out. It was an easy, yet loving relationship since you would see each other frequently, but would understand that both your jobs were important. This helped the two of you last so long and continue to love one another.

⊱ ──────────────────────── ⊰

- Admin 🦋

[antebunny]

Parent Trap AU 5

It’s a Parent Trap AU, plus on-the-run hacker!wwx and celebrity!lwj. Full series here.

-

At first, Lan Wangji finds writing songs to be extremely challenging.

He’s all but quit his job, and his son is gone. He’s alone in the house he once shared with his family, while his brother tries to keep quiet about pitying him and supporting him, and his uncle demands to know why he has no interest in searching for his son. He’s the one that files the kidnapping report, in the end. Not that it does much; they’re already searching for Wei Ying, since he escaped from prison.

All Lan Wangji really does, during this time, is cry by his piano, and sing.

The melodies come naturally to him. He’s been writing melodies for years, and these songs are no different. He has a thousand things to say, so some are angry, so fast he thinks he might tear his fingers on the guitar strings, some are soft with only piano accompaniment. All too soon he has dozens of recordings of phrases that can be put together into full-length songs. The only one he doesn’t record is the one he wrote for guqin, years ago.

But the lyrics, the lyrics he struggles with for ages. Not Lan Wangji finds himself at a loss for what to say. He doesn’t speak much, it’s true, but when he does he always finds precisely what he wants to say. Rather, Lan Wangji finds he has too much to say.

One Friday afternoon, he sits down on his couch and plays the same ten-minute ballad on his guitar, trying again and again to find a way to shorten it without feeling like he’s ripping a part of his already shattered heart out of his chest. While suppressing the urge to write more verses. He knows he can’t leave them all in; it’s too repetitive. He wants these songs to be good, though he doesn’t really plan on marketing them. A large part of him thinks it’ll always be like this. Just him and his instruments, alone in the living room, mourning over a love long lost, making himself cry over his own lyrics.

Still, Lan Wangji is a perfectionist at heart. He has to do something about the ten-minute ballad. It’s longer than two songs put together.

What if I made them two separate songs?

The thought comes to Lan Wangji suddenly, and he sets down his guitar to pick up the notebook containing the lyrics. This could work. He becomes convinced of this the longer he looks at the lyrics. He’ll never run out of things to say about Wei Ying, but if he separated each of those things into one song–that could work.

He chooses a different melody, edits the lyrics to fit it, picks out a theme, an aspect of Wei Ying to sing about, and suddenly he has a whole discography, and not a single published song.

Lan Wangji goes to his brother.

“Are you sure about this?” Lan Xichen asks, his brows pulled together in a small, worried dip.

“Mn.”

They stare at each other without speaking, because Lan Xichen knows that every concern he might think of, Lan Wangji has already over thought.

“Even if he hears them?”

Lan Wangji will never be famous enough that Wei Ying, wherever in the world he might be, will hear his songs. But if he does, then all the better. “Mn.”

Lan Xichen sighs. “I just don’t want to see you hurt anymore.”

Lan Wangji doesn’t think that’s possible. “Hm.”

Lan Xichen sighs again. “Okay,” he says. “If that’s what you want. I’m sure A-Yao knows someone. I’ll ask.”

It’s a while before he finds someone who’ll actually produce his music, but he’s happy with the person he ends up with. Luo Qingyang emails him back almost immediately after she listens to his demo.

I need you down here yesterday, she says. This is getting produced right now.

His first song, When We Were Young, is released as a single less than a year after the scandal that took Wei Ying from his life, under the stage name “Hanguang-jun.” He’s not sure it fits, but he wants to.

And suddenly, it looks like Lan Wangji might actually be that famous.

Of course, it’s still years in the future, so Lan Wangji carries on like he’s not. His second single, At First Glance, does even better than When We Were Young, and his manager starts bothering him about a music video. Apparently it’s expected of him, but Lan Wangji rejects all of the ideas that the directors Luo Qingyang finds for him come up with. They end up renting a house for a week and filming there, then going to a studio with lights and a piano. Lan Wangji dresses up for that and plays his heart out, and that’s it, that’s the music video.

His third single, Under Moonlight, is somehow more popular than his previous two combined. He has fans now, or maybe it’s just that he’s only now realizing it. He’s not quite sure what to do with that. The video this time takes place on the very bridge the song talks about. He doesn’t do much, since he rejected the idea of hiring actors to play the “counterpart,” so he’s confused as to why it continues gaining views on YouTube. Apparently he looks young. He’s not sure if this is insulting or not, but the internet would probably be shocked to learn he has a five-year-old son.

Lan Sizhui is too young to listen to music by himself, so Lan Wangji hopes that somewhere, there’s a radio playing one of the new hit songs by Hanguang-jun, and a father-son duo walking past.

Luo Qingyang bullies him into exactly one interview before his first album is released. On it, he accidentally confirms that all the songs on the album are about one person, and panics after that, not wishing to reveal anything about Wei Ying or even Lan Wangji’s own name on camera.

Apparently the mystery helps? Lan Wangji understands fame less and less the closer he comes to it. He thought if he just wrote good songs, enough people would listen to him that Wei Ying would hear it. Wei Ying is spotted in Thailand, and Lan Wangji ends up naming his first album Oceans Apart.

It sells, and it sells, and still, Wei Ying and their son are nowhere to be found.

-

Wei Wuxian is lying on a roof the night of his wedding anniversary.

Purple, white, and red fireworks explode in the black sky above him. There’s some celebration going on in the city, and Wei Wuxian takes advantage of it to pretend it’s in celebration of his anniversary.

Not that there’s much to celebrate. He doesn’t think it’s typical to celebrate the anniversary of a marriage which no longer exists, but their marriage didn’t end in the typical way either.

And he still loves Lan Zhan. Loves him so much that the sight of rabbits brings him to tears. So much that he feels like a traitor whenever someone so much as smiles in his direction, so much that he can’t imagine himself flirting with someone. So much that he cries on the roof when the fireworks light up the sky.

“Papa?”

Wei Wuxian looks to the right, and there’s Wei Sizhui, who is sometimes the only thing keeping Wei Wuxian going on his darkest nights. He’s nestled up with Wei Wuxian’s arm around him, small face peering earnestly at him from the dark. “What?”

“Why are you crying?”

Wei Wuxian raises one hand instinctively to rub the tears away. He’d forgotten about that. He’s thrown himself fully into caring for his son, making sure that he has clothes and good food to eat, which is hard when they never stay in a place for long and Wei Wuxian is paranoid of anyone who stares at them too long. Sometimes he wonders if he’s really doing any good, keeping Wei Sizhui away from his other father and uncles and aunts, from a happy childhood with friends and a school. And every time, he blinks back to the moment he woke up in the prison having narrowly avoided being murdered, and knows that Wei Sizhui is still safer with him than he’d be if he was still there, within the Jins reach.

“Nothing,” Wei Wuxian says. “It’s nothing.”

Wei Sizhui frowns. “But Papa is sad,” he declares.

Wei Wuxian presses the back of his hand over his eyes. Fireworks crack so loudly it muffles his shaky inhale. Tears stream down his cheeks and around his ears. Red lights flash across his eyelids.

-

White lights flash through the stage, focusing on the solitary grand piano, and Lan Wangji, in his white suit, seated on the piano bench. A hush falls across the massive crowd. He adjusts his microphone slightly, and places his fingers gently atop the keys. The cameras zoom in on him.

And Lan Wangji sings.

-

“I’m just remembering,” Wei Wuxian whispers. “Someone I used to know.”

“Is it Dad?” Wei Sizhui asks timidly.

Wei Wuxian inhales shakily again, then wraps his arm back around his son. “Yeah,” he admits. “It’s your other father.”

He hasn’t looked back since he ran away. Countless times, he’s thought about Googling the Jiangs in an internet cafe, just to check on how they’re doing. They have social media profiles, so he could. He could. But even the slightest hint of connection could ruin what Wei Wuxian has managed to salvage. The Jiangs would fight for him. Would drag their names in the mud for him, and he can’t let them do that to themselves, so he cuts all ties and doesn’t look back.

Wei Wuxian hasn’t dared to search Lan Wangji since he ran away.

-

“Hello,” Lan Wangji sings, and the crowd cheers.“It’s me. I was wondering if after all these years you’d like to meet, to go over everything. They say that time’s supposed to heal you, but I ain’t done much healing.”

Before he knows it, there’s tears streaming down his face. They drip onto his nice white suit, but the music doesn’t pause.

-

Hello from the other side

“Will we ever see him again?” Wei Sizhui asks plaintively.

I must have called a thousand times

Wei Wuxian tries to shake his head, his shoulders pressed against the dusty brick roof. “I don’t know, baby,” he says.

To tell you I’m sorry for everything that I’ve done

“But why not?” Wei Sizhui pushes. It’s far from the first time he’s asked, but each day it gets harder and harder to answer.

Hello from the outside

“Because he’s very, very far away,” Wei Wuxian replies this time, and tries not to think of Lan Zhan as he last saw him, sleeping peacefully in their bed the night Wei Wuxian broke in and took Wei Sizhui with him. “Oceans away.”

At least I can say that I tried

Eventually, the fireworks stop, and Wei Sizhui falls asleep, head resting in the crook of Wei Wuxian’s arm. Wei Wuxian raises one hand to the midnight sky, pretends he can reach through the vast expanse to wherever his family is. “Happy anniversary, Lan Zhan,” he whispers. “I miss you.”

To tell you I’m sorry for breaking your heart

Eventually, the song ends, and the cheers deafen the stadium. The lights go out long after Lan Wangji has gotten up from his seat and stepped away from the microphone. The tears on his face are invisible until the cameras focus in on him walking.

“Happy anniversary, Wei Ying,” he whispers, before he picks up the microphone to thank the crowd. “I love you.”

[rootsrockweirdo]

The September issue of Honky Tonk Times is available now at thehonkytonktimes.com. This month I interviewed Mario Carboni and Norm Hamlet, who served as Merle Haggard's bandleader and steel guitar player for over 49 years. These interviews are a dream come true!

Carboni, Hamlet carry on Bakersfield tradition of music and kindness

Mario Carboni might be the nicest guy you’ve never met. From the start of our half-hour-long interview, Carboni exhibits the personality traits not of a traveling musician but of a man who genuinely concerns himself with the happiness of those around him. The 35-year-old piano and trumpet player extraordinaire is driving across Alaska in a van purchased specifically for runs in The Last Frontier. A mix-up has caused him and his lone bandmate to miss their hour-long set at the state’s largest festival. Instead of dogging the head of the event, Carboni simply says: “They’re busy. They have so many acts in there it’s understandable.” It’s not the reaction I expected, but as our conversation continues, it becomes clear that perhaps his heroes have not only influenced his music but his attitude toward life as well. A native of Oregon, Carboni’s lifelong affair with music began at 9 months old when he started playing the piano (yes, you read that correctly). By the age of 10, he added the trumpet to his repertoire. “I started out playing ragtime and improvising,” he says. “I ended up playing the trumpet in various school bands, then figured out how to play the two of them together when I was about 20. I ended up going from there, starting to play shows – I did a year of college, and it was not at all what I wanted to do – so I went over to Bakersfield and started meeting folks I considered to be my heroes and met Red Simpson in 2015.” One of the originators of “truck driving country,” Simpson rose to popularity as both a recording artist and songwriter in the mid-1960s, scoring hits such as “Roll, Truck, Roll” and “Hello, I’m A Truck.” The Bakersfield native remained a permanent fixture in the area's music scene, coming to the aid of many aspiring musicians until his death in January 2016. “Red was always helping younger folks and kids,” Carboni says. “He’d record a record with somebody in their little home studio, mention them in a radio interview or tour with them. He toured with me; he didn’t have to do that. The two of us recorded two records together; they were the last two records he ever recorded.” Following Simpson’s death, Carboni received an invitation to play at Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace, where a chance meeting with Norm Hamlet would change the trajectory of his career, forming an unlikely duo billed as “The Rebel and The Stranger.” As a member of Merle Haggard’s Strangers, Hamlet served as bandleader and steel guitar player for nearly 50 years, playing on more than 30 No. 1 hits and performing in some of the most recognizable concert venues in the U.S. Upon Haggard’s death in April 2016 and despite his age at the time, Hamlet too found himself wondering what would come next. “We were both hired to play in a band at Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace, and we started talking that night,” Carboni recalls. “I asked him if I could have his number and eventually called him up and told him I’d like to shoot a video of the two of us playing three songs; I’d pick my three favorite songs that he’d recorded on. We filmed this series of videos and put them out. I think there was one of ‘No Reason To Quit,’ another of ‘The Roots of My Raising,’ and it was really special to me because he’d played on the original hit with Merle in the ‘70s. I told him I could never afford to pay him what it was worth, and he was very nice to do that for me. “We put them out on social media and turned around a week later, and they’d hit 600,000 views each or something like that. I called him up and said, ‘Hey, this is significant. We should start a project.’ We started talking a little more about it, touring a little bit more and more dates started coming our way. It seems like the more stuff that we do, the more stuff people want to hire us for, and it just snowballed from there to the point where we’re touring the country.” For 86-year-old Hamlet, whose career began nearly seven decades ago and whose resume also includes working with Rose Maddox, The Farmer Boys, and once as part of a band opening for Hank Williams, the decision to return to the road

seemed like the natural course. “Mario had such a charisma about him,” Hamlet said. “When he played music, everybody loved his singing and playing, and I thought the same thing. It had been a long time since I’d seen a piano player that plays as good as he does, so I thought, ‘Well, I might still try to go out there and play a few things.’ This turned into a good job. At my age, I didn’t know how long I’d be able to go out and do it. As long as I can do it health-wise, we’ll keep going out there.” In addition to their busy tour schedule, the two recently completed their debut album, "Hello Heartache," a collection of 10 songs recorded aboard Carboni's tour bus, affectionately dubbed "Ol' Red," on the streets of Bakersfield. Of the 10 songs, eight were written by Carboni and Hamlet. “Most of the songs are upbeat in the Bakersfield sound, traditional style, with a slight twist of the piano being the rhythm and bass instrument instead of a traditional instrumentation,” Carboni explains. “. . . The album also features dobro played by Norm on one track called ‘Miss the Mississippi and You.’ We brought the instrument out of the museum in Nashville to record the album. The last time it was on a recording session was in 1969 on Merle Haggard’s ‘Same Train Different Time’ album.” For now, the album is only available at the pair's live performances, which Carboni says features a mix of songs made famous by some of Bakersfield's heavy hitters, including Haggard, Buck Owens, and Simpson. "They call it a second career when somebody does what Norm's doing, I guess," Carboni says. "He helps me out by playing with me; we help each other out. I get to be his rhythm section, and he lends his incredible reputation to what we're doing, and that's a really special thing, that's important." The pair has several dates scheduled for September. To view their complete schedule, visit www.honkytonkrebel.com. As for the aforementioned festival performance, Carboni and Hamlet were given a time slot for the following day, proving once and for all that nice guys don't always finish last. At least not the ones from Bakersfield.

[groovesnjams]

“Will I See U?” by Mamalarky & Benét

DV:

Wistful and swooning, “Will I See U?” is an easy contender for my favorite duet of the year so far. Part of this is how well Mamalarky and Benét’s vocals work together, and how closely the song braids them together: this isn’t a case where the verses simply trade off, but one where the singers seem to be vibing off and responding to each other. The rest is how lush the song sounds, an advertisement for reverb deployed effectively and gorgeously. I’m reminded of the apocryphal story about Spiritualized hiring an entire orchestra for Let It Come Down so they could replicate the Wall of Sound, only to discover that the “wall” was really just a room with good acoustics and a whole lot of reverb. Sometimes sounding bigger is really just smoke and mirrors, tricks old enough  to have retired and been reborn multiple times over. Mamalarky don’t use a lot of instrumentation on “Will I See U?”, but their straightforward sound, awash in reverb, is rich enough to fill an auditorium. It suits the subject: a simple plea lent weight by its plaintive, perfect delivery.

MG:

Maybe reverb is always having a moment or maybe it’s the cavernous echo of shrinking grey matter. Regardless, last night my husband played Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb” and it was like hearing them for the very first time -- because it more or less was. (Don’t ruin Pink Floyd for me, I was never young.) Where Spiritualized, with their more garage rock roots in Spaceman 3, are a clear touch-point for the fuzzed out lo-fi of Mamalarky & Benét, Pink Floyd’s fingerprint heavy, precisely controlled studio work is not. I think about this a lot -- when we say we want wall of sound or Motown or girl groups back, what exactly are we asking for because none of those things ever went away. “Will I See U?” seems closer to what we desire than other recent highlights in reverb (Beach House, Soccer Mommy) but also kind of hard to take seriously as even sitting in front of your laptop and recording in a single take will have cleaner production than this duo. It may not have the sound of Pink Floyd, but Mamalarky & Benét are every bit the tinkerers, the engineers, and neither does “Will I See U” sound like a simple filter wash. Maybe what we want to hear is a new product so meticulously composed and recorded that it’s mumbly and scratchy in only the way an old record can be.

[shewhoworshipscarlin]

George Walker (1872 or 1873 – 1911) was an American vaudevillian, actor, and producer. In 1893, in San Francisco, Walker at the age of 20 met Bert Williams, who was a year younger. The two young men became performing partners. Walker and Williams appeared in The Gold Bug (1895), Clorindy (1898), The Policy Player (1899), Sons of Ham (1900), In Dahomey (1903), Abyssinia (1906), and Bandanna Land (1907). Walker married dancer Ada Overton, who later also was a choreographer.

George W.  Walker was born in 1873 in Lawrence, Kansas, the son of a policeman and his wife. He began his career as a child performer, touring in black minstrel and medicine shows.

Walker and Bert Williams became two of the most prominent figures of the minstrel era and a famous duo. They met in 1893 in San Francisco and formed a vaudeville act when Walker was 20. Bert Williams had come to the United States as a child with his parents from the Bahamas, and became a vaudeville entertainer. 

The two men decided to subvert vaudeville stereotypes and play against their appearances. With lighter skin expressing some European ancestry, and a fine voice, by the expectations of the time Williams would have performed as the "straight man" in comedy routines. Williams was very talented, and he played all instruments very well. Walker had darker skin, and was a great comedian and dancer. He would be expected to play the fool. The two realized that they were much funnier when they reversed their roles, so "...Walker became the straight man--dressed a little too high-style and spending all the money he could borrow or trick out of the lazy, careless, unlucky Williams--and Williams became the blumbery, sorrowful, comical-in-spite-of-himself patsy."

Bert Williams's first ambitions had been to attend Stanford University and become an engineer. Since he could not afford to go, he had worked as a singing waiter in hotels in San Francisco. George Walker had performed in traveling medicine shows before ending up in San Francisco and joining up with Williams. Once they became organized, they needed a selling point to get their names out in the theatre world. Their act grew popular in West Coast theatres, where the minstrel shows were being called vaudeville.

At the same time, white performing duos were billing themselves as "coons" (a disparaging term for blacks) and performing vaudeville in blackface.  Williams and Walker decided to market themselves as the "Two Real Coons." In 1896, they appeared in a New York City production called The Gold Bug at the Casino Theatre. It was a short run and the production did not receive good reviews, but they were hired by another theatre for a record run of twenty-eight weeks. During that time, they popularized the cakewalk. This dance became very popular in high society in New York City and spread throughout all classes of whites.

Williams and Walker worked very hard to produce quality theatre. They wanted their sets and costumes to be just as extravagant as those in the white theatres. They also had great lighting and elaborate props. Walker was the more business-savvy of the two and handled most of the management responsibilities of their productions. Walker's goal was to elevate the professionalism in black theatre. By 1906, Williams and Walker were active in organizing an African-American actors' union called The Negro's Society.

In 1908 Walker founded The Frogs, an organization for African-American professional entertainers. It was a place for black entertainers to get together and socialize in order to get to know each other and to create a support base. His organization held events that included black acts, dining, and dancing. They encouraged young performers to achieve a standard of excellence in their stage work.

The team produced and starred in two more successful plays, In Abyssinia and their final show, Bandanna Land (1907). Walker was taken ill and forced to retire from show business in the middle of the 1908-1909 season.

While touring with Bandanna Land in 1909, Walker began to stutter and suffer memory loss. They were the symptoms of syphilis. He died on January 8, 1911, and was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery, in his hometown of Lawrence, Kansas. In the early 20th century, other notables such as Scott Joplin and Louis Chauvin also died of syphilis, which was an incurable disease before the advent of penicillin. Many African-American performers contracted the disease. By 1911, most of the small, close-knit group who had managed to bring their artistry to Broadway were dead. African Americans did not return in numbers to the stages of the Great White Way for eleven years.

After Walker died, Williams had a hard time keeping their company operating. He was approached by Florenz Ziegfeld to perform in his Follies. Williams agreed and signed a three-year contract.  The white actors threatened to walk out because they did not want competition from a black actor, but changed their minds when Ziegfeld said he could replace any of them except for Williams, because he was unique and talented.   After his contract was up, Williams performed for another three years with the Follies because of his success.

By 1913, Williams gained success as a recording star.  He starred in two short, silent films, Fish and Natural Born Gamblers, in 1916.

In 1920, he appeared in the Broadway Brevities of 1920, followed by Shuffle Along, in 1921. This seemed to reopen Broadway to black musicals. He produced an all-black show called Under the Bamboo Tree, which was not a great success. His health began to fail, and Williams died on March 4, 1922.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Walker_(vaudeville)