#When Mobile Phones Became Popular

[mobilerepairingcoursessimar]

When Mobile Phones Became Popular: Know in This Blog

The mobile phone has become an indispensable part of our lives. From making calls and sending texts to browsing the internet and playing games, these devices keep us connected and informed. But when exactly did mobile phones become popular?

The journey of mobile phones from a bulky, expensive novelty to the ubiquitous pocket computers we know today is a fascinating one. This blog will delve into the key moments that marked the rise of mobile phones, and how this technology revolutionized communication.

If you're interested in a career in mobile technology, consider enrolling at a mobile repairing institute in Delhi like Hi-Tech Institute, established in 2004, have trained over 3 lakh students in laptop and mobile repair. Their comprehensive mobile repairing courses equip students with the necessary skills and knowledge to troubleshoot and repair a wide range of mobile devices. With a flourishing mobile phone industry, qualified mobile repair technicians are in high demand, offering the potential for a lucrative and rewarding career path.

1. The Brick Phone Era (1980s):

The 1980s saw the birth of the first commercially available mobile phones. These early devices were large, heavy, and incredibly expensive. The iconic Motorola DynaTAC 8000X, released in 1983, weighed a hefty 2.8 pounds and boasted a talk time of just 30 minutes! Despite their limitations, these brick phones were a status symbol, signifying wealth and power.

2. Cellular Networks and Shrinking Sizes (1990s):

The 1990s witnessed a significant shift in mobile phone technology. The introduction of cellular networks allowed for wider coverage and improved call quality. At the same time, advancements in miniaturization led to a decrease in phone size. The iconic Nokia "Cityman" model, released in 1992, was a significant step forward, offering a more compact and user-friendly design.

3. The Rise of SMS and The Texting Revolution (Late 1990s):

The late 1990s saw the emergence of a game-changer: Short Message Service (SMS), commonly known as texting. This new feature allowed users to send and receive short text messages, revolutionizing communication, particularly among young people. Texting became a quick, convenient, and affordable way to stay in touch, leading to a surge in mobile phone usage.

4. The Feature Phone Boom (Early 2000s):

The early 2000s saw the rise of feature phones. These phones offered a wider range of functionalities beyond just calling and texting. Features like polyphonic ringtones, rudimentary cameras, and basic games became commonplace. Popular models like the Nokia 3310 and the Motorola RAZR became cultural icons, defining an era of mobile communication.

5. The Dawn of the Smartphone (Mid-2000s):

The mid-2000s marked a turning point in mobile phone history with the introduction of the smartphone. The IBM Simon Personal Communicator, released in 1994, is considered an early precursor, but it wasn't until the arrival of devices like the Blackberry and the iPhone in the late 2000s that smartphones truly took center stage. These devices offered a plethora of features, including touchscreens, mobile internet access, app stores, and powerful processors, paving the way for a new era of mobile computing.

6. The App Revolution and Mobile Dominance (2010s - Present):

The 2010s witnessed the explosion of mobile apps. App stores like Apple's App Store and Google Play Store became flooded with millions of applications catering to every imaginable need, from productivity tools and social media platforms to games and entertainment. This app revolution transformed smartphones into multifunctional pocket computers, further solidifying their dominance in the communication landscape.

7. The Future of Mobile Phones: Always Connected and Evolving

As we move forward, mobile phone technology is constantly evolving. The focus is now on faster connectivity with the rollout of 5G networks, increased processing power, and advancements in features like artificial intelligence and augmented reality. We can expect even more seamless integration between mobile devices and our daily lives, blurring the lines between communication, entertainment, and productivity.

The ever-increasing demand for mobile phones has also created a growing need for skilled professionals in the mobile repair industry. If you're interested in a career in mobile technology, consider enrolling in a mobile repairing course in Delhi. Institutes like Hi-Tech Institute, established in 2004, have trained over 3 lakh students in laptop and mobile repair. Their comprehensive mobile repairing courses equip students with the necessary skills and knowledge to troubleshoot and repair a wide range of mobile devices. With a flourishing mobile phone industry, qualified mobile repair technicians are in high demand, offering the potential for a lucrative and rewarding career path.

Hi-Tech Institute offers a variety of mobile repairing courses in Delhi, catering to different skill levels and career aspirations. Explore their website to learn more about their programs and take the first step towards a promising future in the exciting world of mobile technology.

[aropride]

(ID: a poll by @scribblecate, with 48,214 total votes and 2 days 6 hours remaining. the title is: "I remember people in high school burning through 3 cell phones a year, so I'm curious: How many mobile phones have you had in your lifetime?" The options are 1 to 3 (with 31.2% of votes), 4 to 6 (with 50.7% of votes), 7 to 9 (with 13.9%of votes, and 10+ (with 4.2% of votes). I voted for the first option so my profile picture is next to it. end ID)

this poll made me curious so im making one with age specific answers!

also this is counting both smartphones and flipphones and any other phone that's not a landline, even if it doesnt have cell service

i'll probably try to make graphs once the poll ends if it gets enough votes bc it'll be hard to see what's most popular for each age group at a glance but !! and for the record im breaking the ages up this way because a) i only have 12 option slots and b) someone in their mid 30s and someone in their mid 70s were both alive in the 90s/early 2000s when cell phones became popular

[octuscle]

Alpha Jackass

Since a few pieces of equipment for an outdoor gym had been added to the playground in the neighbourhood, more and more young people from the neighbouring social housing flats had been hanging around there. Most of them were young men with roots in the Balkans or the Middle East. Since then, Robert liked to sit on a bench with a book and watch the fellas working out. Even though no one in his family or circle of friends had had a problem with his coming out, he couldn't tell anyone that he was into this kind of young men who celebrated their cult of brotherhood and masculinity. In his family, people were not macho, but tolerant and open-minded. In his family you didn't lift iron, you went to yoga, did power walking or played golf. Of course, that was the world he had grown up in. And that world wasn't bad either. Still, he got a boner when a group of teenagers walked close enough to him after practice that he could smell their sweat. Robert occasionally hated himself for not being able to stand by his sexual fantasies at 18. He hoped that once he graduated from school, once he was at university, it would be easier for him.

It was a warm evening in late spring when he sat on his bench again. The last lads had just gone home. And one of them had obviously left his sports bag behind. Robert looked around several times. There was no one else around. He went to the sports bag and opened it. The stench that wafted towards him was breathtaking in every way. Robert made sure once more that no one was around and undressed. And got into the still warm and damp training pants. The feeling was overwhelming! He took the sweaty training shirt, the smelly socks and the trainers and put everything on. He reached for his mobile phone and took a selfie. With his curly blond hair and his still baby fat, he looked ridiculous. But he felt great. He wanted to be sweaty every night, he wanted to feel his muscles burning every night. For the last few weeks he had been watching closely how his secret idols worked out. Theoretically, all the procedures were available to him. But practically, he had no experience. He started with a rowing machine and was surprised how quickly he became familiar with it. And how quickly he broke a sweat. He loved the feeling.

After a few sets on the various machines, he took off his shirt. He was sweating like a pig. Now he needed a few pull-ups. For that he took a heavy chain from his bag as a weight and went to the bar. Just as he finished his last set, his phone rang. Or rather, it was playing his current favourite track by a gangsta rapper who was very popular with him and his bros at the moment. "Yo Fey, where are you?" asked one of his homies. "Your shisha is waiting!"

Shit, Feyzullah had completely lost track of time during his workout. As he usually did. He could forget about showering. He pulled on his hoodie, stuffed the rest of his clothes into his bag. As he walked to the bus, he checked the selfie he had taken before training. He really was an alpha jackass! Let's see how his followers on Instagram saw it.

Realised at the request of et12317. I hope you like it!

[iwaoiness]

Oikawa's problematic phone case

Without any doubt, Iwaizumi is the only person in the world who is able to look so fucking hot in his ID picture without even trying. His golden skin, his hair in that natural state of spiky, his forehead relaxed without any wrinkles, that piercing in his eyebrow that he got in his first year at Irvine and that Tooru still shivers over, his eyes staring at the camera with an intensity in their greenish hue that takes breath away, his lips curved in a small lopsided smile, a shadow of dimple on his cheek, his jaw well marked by the lights, his chin slightly elevated.

Hajime sent it during one of his video calls while telling him about his day; the soda Oikawa was drinking at that moment shot out of his nose when he choked while opening the picture. Early in the morning, he stood in the nearest copy shop to his house to request eight copies, still blushing, heart racing, and ears still ringing from Iwaizumi's deep-playful-stupid-hot laugh and his Do I look so hot that it makes the great Oikawa-senshu this nervous?

One of those copies ended up in his grey silicone case (which actually matched Iwaizumi's, his with a chubby dinosaur drawing in the bottom corner asking What are u doing?; Oikawa's, with another smiling dinosaur hugging the rest of Iwasaurus missing tail, answering Miss you, hug me!), accompanying him everywhere for months along with a small family photo with his parents, sister and Takeru.

However, one night, during an interview on a popular and prestigious TV show, Oikawa completely forgot that he changed his usual cover for a transparent one and took out his mobile phone in the middle of the interview to show the presenter a really embarrassing video of Matias, his friend and San Juan's starting blocker.

And, of course, Tooru's loud and intense fandom erupted the minute they noticed (thanks to damn high-definition cameras that might as well show gaping pores in close-up as reveal a years-long relationship with a really hot athletic trainer) Hajime's photograph on his IPhone case.

Social media was abuzz with dozens of screenshots from different angles, threads about conspiracy theories (Hanamaki's favourite was that Oikawa had the wrong phone and used the phone of a technical member of the programme; Matsukawa's that Hajime was Tooru's older brother), civil wars between fans over who was more right until only a day later it was revealed (thanks to one Suna Rintaro) that the strange boy was Iwaizumi Hajime, the hot athletic trainer of Birtwistle University and the Japan Men's National Volleyball Team.

And there was no shortage of hashtags like #IwaizumiHajime27AthleticTrainer, #LGBTooru, #BiRighToorus, #IwaOi that became worldwide TT and the grotesque rise of followers on Hajime's official account and also Oikawa's own.

"You had to use a fucking transparent case" Hajime speaks when it's finally his turn to come to Argentina. He's sitting on the bed with Tooru propped up next to him, blinking at the memes that continue to pop up on his TL even though it's been a month of what Oikawa's fans have already dubbed IwaOi National Day. "You have a drawer full, full, of ridiculous phone cases and you pick the one that's transparent."

"I already said it was unintentional, Iwa-chan! Unintentional!" Oikawa protests, crossing his arms as he makes a pout that Hajime finds truly endearing. "I'd better have kept the picture that auntie took of you when you were nine years old and got stuck in the cat flap," he mutters, but Iwaizumi hears him clearly and Tooru squeals as a pillow hits his face, nearly knocking him off the bed.

...

the cute phone case inspired this drabble

as always thank u sm and u can find me on my ao3 🍉

[thethirdromana]

I have a big clump of thoughts that have been prompted by reading the LOTR newsletter and Dracula Daily at the same time. I haven't quite figured them all out yet, but I'm going to see if writing them out helps.

Specifically the thing I'm interested in is how these books relate to the time at which they were published.

Let's start with the Lord of the Rings. No matter how much I know that the Lord of the Rings was published in the 1950s, there's always a record scratch moment when I'm reminded of it, for instance by discussion of connections to World War II or even World War I.

Because it feels older, right? That's not just me? It feels like it could plausibly have been published in the 1850s rather than the 1950s. A tweet that I now can't find claimed that the Lord of the Rings is among the only exposure that people today have to non-modern ways of thinking. It's a story that Tolkien consciously crafted as mythology. It should feel old, it's supposed to.

But there's also a relationship between this and the response to Tolkien. There's a quote which I also now can't find, which could equally plausibly have been from Ursula Le Guin or some random tumblr post, which says - to paraphrase - Tolkien is the father of all fantasy, and fantasy writers either accept that (Robin Hobb, Brandon Sanderson) or yell "you're not my real dad!" and write in conscious opposition to him (NK Jemison, George RR Martin, in very different ways). But there's no escaping him.

[Edited: @elven-child suggests this could have been Terry Pratchett, who said:

J.R.R. Tolkien has become a sort of mountain, appearing in all subsequent fantasy in the way that Mt. Fuji appears so often in Japanese prints. Sometimes it’s big and up close. Sometimes it’s a shape on the horizon. Sometimes it’s not there at all, which means that the artist either has made a deliberate decision against the mountain, which is interesting in itself, or is in fact standing on Mt. Fuji.

... which I like better than the Oedipal Tolkien-as-father version.]

Game of Thrones was published in 1991. Assassin's Apprentice in 1995. And those are just the examples I chose from books that I can see from where I'm sitting right now. The all-consuming influence of the Lord of the Rings happened very fast after its publication - again, being published in the 1850s would feel more reasonable for the depth and breadth of its cultural impact. It feels like that should take longer!

Then there's Dracula. Which is as consciously modern as the Lord of the Rings is consciously... historic? Medieval? It's remarkable how little effort it would take to move the story of Dracula to the modern day - if Dracula's castle has no wifi and dodgy mobile phone reception, the rest of the story can play out pretty much as-is, with WhatsApp messages standing in for the telegrams and emails for the letters.

(The only bit I would struggle to believe is that Van Helsing could travel back and forth to Amsterdam that often on the Eurostar or Ryanair without once being delayed.)

That's fascinating to me because Dracula is also a call-back to an older mode of writing, just as Tolkien drew on Norse sagas and Old English literature. An epistolary gothic novel is very 18th century. Even in terms of the late 19th century gothic revival, Dracula came along pretty late - Carmilla was 25 years earlier. But instead of the weight of the history of gothic literature dragging Dracula backward, it feels like Dracula drags the rest of it forward instead.

In some ways, I think this is literally what happened. The horror tropes of Dracula became the horror tropes of 20th century cinema, and the result is that the content and themes of gothic literature are familiar to us. We understand most of what Northanger Abbey is parodying even if we've never read the Mysteries of Udolpho or any of the other novels that Austen satirises. The effect of Dracula's popularity has been to keep itself current in ways that Bram Stoker could never have anticipated or planned.

I'm not sure I've figured out exactly what my point is here, but it was fun to think about anyway.

[wonhosmistress]

Aphrodisia;Prologue

(NSFW)

Word Count: 1,196

Warnings: Slight mention of Kinks, sexual BDSM themes, sex work, and lastly, TW! toxic-ish relationship mentions. Think I missed some? Lmk and send me a dm, I'll update this.

A/N:I have no IDEA how long this took for me finish because I’ve been teasing this series for a couple months with the only two teasers I mentioned of Hyunjin. Seems I have a lot of sub!Hyunjin enthusiasts because same y’all. 😩I promise to finish the Hyunjin before June ends and after that I’ll focus more on other members.

Anyways! This is the prologue enjoy this unfiltered, unedited, there will be hella grammar mistakes and I don’t plan to edit it because it’s too much work and I honestly just want to post ASAP. It’s been far too long since I’ve written and had any sort of inspo to write. Thanks to my dear mutual @nirvanawrites111 she gave me hella inspo with her amazing works!! I’m obsessed with her writing please go do me a favor and read her amazing stories/fics.

Also I tried to add the read more on mobile but I’m a dumbass and idk how to work tumble mobile sometimes lmao. So I apologize for anyone that will see this and doesn’t want to see it.

As a result of unsuccessful relationships and partners being concerned about where she went or what she was doing, she became more secretive about her whereabouts. Even though she wanted to be honest and open with them, she hesitated on many occasions; if she were to be bold and unapologetic they would go insane and ask questions like, "Why did you choose this job out of all the others?", "Are you cheating on me?", etc.

Those tiresome scenarios were one of the reasons she was always the one that broke it off with them, and so she took it upon herself to take a break from her dating life to focus on herself.

She had a job that wasn't just any regular job.

OnlyFans? No

Camgirl? No.

A phone Sex worker? No.

Feet pics? No.

Used panties? No

For her working at night was ideal because her sleeping schedule only allowed her to be a night owl. Even before any partner appeared in her life she was still in the process of discovering a whole new part of herself that she wasn't aware existed, and here she was in a dungeon that she had been hired at over a year ago and was one of the few popular dommes among the clients.

"How are you feeling?", She stood next to the man sitting on the loveseat.

"I'm good, Mistress." He smiled at her.

"Would you like some water?" He nodded in response.

She walked towards the room next door and back to the playroom to hand him the bottle.

She crouched down to his level to face him as well to check in with him, "How are you feeling? Was it too much?", she asked curiously as to how she could improve. What she should've done is saved that question for the head domme but she didn't and took the risk.

"No. Not at all. It was perfect, I enjoyed every second of it."

He faced her smiling at him and held her hand realizing he shouldn't be doing that.

"I'm sorry...may I?" She smiled warmly at him not pulling her hands away from his grasp.

"I just wanted to say thank you."

While she had not broken skin or drawn blood, she still left a few red welts on him. She grabbed the first aid kit in the corner and treated his wounds, trying to be as gentle as possible.

"No need to thank me. You went out of your way to give it a shot when you could've easily backed out and I would've still respected your decision. BDSM isn't everyone's cup of tea and so we've learned to respect everyone's decision."

She applied a first-aid ointment to every single red mark on his back; he hissed at the lightest touch, "I'm sorry, I know it hurts I'm just trying to make sure these heal quickly and nicely."

"I know and I appreciate it."

"Done." She stood up and handed him his T-shirt. "Make sure to take a warm bath or shower after you get home and keep applying ointment on the marks afterward.

He smiled at her making his way toward the exit.

"Will do.",

She smiled at him and nodded, seeing him off.

That was one of the roughest BDSM scenes she had done in a while. She would like to take time to make sure her submissive didn't go into a sub-drop, but sadly she couldn't. If it were her, she would go out of her way to remain with every submissive for a bit longer. However, her boss had to remind her that they only came here for a service nothing more. Because of this, she couldn’t be there for more than ten to fifteen minutes with her clients after their sessions ended.

~~~~~

"See you tomorrow night!" Her boss told her as they both headed in different directions.

She silently walked for the next couple of four blocks by herself and finally got closer to her apartment. She walked up the stairs and opened the door to her place. The second she got in she took off her shoes left them at the entrance and hung her purse on the rack.

Exhausted and couldn't even begin to explain how she felt after handling four subs back to back today. It was not an ideal situation for her couldn't handle more than two subs a day because her anxiety and insecurities kept creeping back up on her.

She meditated, journaled, exercised, and even set days apart for self-care plus, she detoxed from her constant electronic use. She ate healthily and did her best to keep her homey environment clean and organized. However, regardless of what she did something inside her told her she couldn't keep doing this.

She craved something new and stable.

She loved domming but maybe because of all her ex-partner's insecurities of themselves as she hid her true identity was reflecting on herself.

Could it be that deep inside she was ashamed of her job and what she did?

Years ago when she discovered the person she truly was glowed with confidence. How could she even be a dominatrix if she wasn't sure of herself and her current job?

Oh no.

She was experiencing not only her anxieties but also a dom drop.

Telling her boss; she was fine could've been a mistake because she was responsible for taking care of her dommes since half of them didn't have a partner to take care of them.

Fuck.

~~~~~

Two years Later:

Two years and a half of learning Korean were a big help during the entire process of her moving across the world. She wasn't fluent yet but could manage conversations with her neighbors, classmates, and strangers. And so here she was, sitting inside a cafe shop a couple of blocks from the Korean class she had just finished attending.

It seemed like only yesterday, she was experiencing the worst anxiety and burnout from only a year of working as a domme which was odd considering that she had never once felt like that before. But it made sense since she kept getting the gnawing feeling that she shouldn't have gotten into the dominatrix world way too early and so she took it upon herself to resign to take time for herself; and continue her future as domme by researching more information about the career, lifestyle, and possibly a new business.

The grueling work of research, language learning, space vacancy, furniture shop, etc made her take a step back and reconsider if she could do this all by herself. Thankfully, after taking a couple of weeks to continue her research she found herself posting on an exclusive adult site looking for dommes to work with her.

After returning calls and doing interviews she had successfully found four dommes who wanted to continue their careers in the kink community and so never once she thought, that she out of all people would be involved with any of Korea's music industry. Especially the ever so sexually frustrated men of Kpop that had an image and reputation to uphold in the industry, their companies, and not to forget their fans.

[emeraldtart]

TWST X Digimon

So, in mobile Digimon games (Linkz, ReArise), you can trade special currency for Digieggs or use special tickets for certain gachas. I'd like to imagine that Yuu get some digital tickets for special gacha pulls. This one is special, though.

Because the Digimon pulled is based off one's personality, essentially became their Partner Digimon. Although, since Yuu already has Impmon as their partner they don't really want to use it.

That doesn't stop the others from using it. Either out of curiosity or by accident.

Heartslabyul

Riddle Rosehearts

• He was in Ramshackle since Yuu want some help for their homework. He then saw their phone laying on the floor. When he goes to pick it up he accidentally pushed the button.

• And that was how he come face to face with an anthropomorphic rabbit.

• Symbare Angoramon is a polite one. He follows rules, but is not afraid or break it when necessary.

• One such occasion is when he verbally berates Ms Rosehearts (from across the phone) for her treatment towards Riddle.

• Riddle appreciates it but also, "Symba. Symbare- Oh Great Sevens put that knife down-"

Ace Trappola

• Thought it was a game on Yuu's phone. Pressed it without a second thought.

• Lo and behold he now has a White Pawn Chessmon that will fight for his new 'king'.

• He's small but has a lot of fight in him. He tries his best in everything but always thinks that it's not enough.

• Gets a confidence boost thanks to Ace.

•Sees Deuce as his friend... Until he, too, summoned a Digimon.

Deuce Spade

• Happened literally a day after Ace summoned White.

• Nobody knows if it's some sort of cosmic joke made by the Great Seven or the Digital Gods, but Deuce now has Black Pawn Chessmon as his partner.

• Black is like Deuce. Quiet and reserved but is fiercely loyal.

• Black and White does not get along, being enemies on both board and out of board. Whatever that means.

• Thankfully, Trey got an idea and said to the two pawns that their 'kings' are friend. And you won't attack a friend of their king, right?

• They now get along with each other and sometimes spar. Even though it looks like they're just clumsily swinging their weapons at eachother.

Trey Clover

• Trey doesn't even know what happened. He picks up the Prefect's phone and now he's ended up with... A sentient shortcake?

• Shortmon doesn't know where they are. All they know is that this young man in front of them is their partner.

• Unsurprisingly, Shortmon is great help in the kitchen. Due to their cute appearance, they are pretty popular, even though they don't realize it.

• Trey feel hesitant to eat a shortcake now because... Does it counts as cannibalism for Shortmon?

• It doesn't, thankfully.

Cater Diamonds

• Puts his hand on the phone while he's sitting on Ramshackle's bed.

• He now has a hungry Armadimon following him around.

• Cater and Armadimon clicks the moment they sees eachother. Cater liking Armadimon due to his sheer roundness and photogenic appearance, and Armadimon because of Cater's excited energy.

• Armadimon enjoys rolling around with the hedgehogs, much to Riddle's amusement.

Savanaclaw

Leona Kingscholar

• Also on accident. He was looking for a place to sleep, sees Ramshackle empty and laid on the bed without a second thought.

• When he wakes up, he came face to face with a Saber Leomon.

• Freaks out, realize that the giant lion means no harm, then continue to fall back asleep.

• It took Yuu a while to get Saber Leomon out from the dorm.

Ruggie Bucchi

• Was curious about the gacha and thought that it was the one for the food.

• Congrats, he is now the proud Tamer of a Fangmon.

• Saying that Fangmon is sneaky is an understatement. He is a downright menace. Ruggie turns his head to yell at Leona and when he turns back Fangmon already nabbed about five to seven wallets from other students.

• He helps Ruggie with his chores sometimes.

Jack Howl

• His fingers accidentally tapped on the screen when he was putting the phone on a safer place.

• Wolfmon/Lobomon is a loyal Digimon with his heart on the path of justice.

• Getting along was hard since they're both lone wolves. But obviously, they kinda get along somehow.

• Wolfmon likes a good run, and Jack starts with that. Being a Digimon, Wolfmon is one of the few that can keep up with Jack's stamina.

Octavinelle

Azul Ashengrotto

• He accidentally puts his finger on the phone, unaware of what was on screen.

• Now he's in the middle of bargaining with a Phelesmon for his soul.

• Thankfully they get into an agreement. Azul let's Phelesmon eats whatever he wants in Mostro Lounge, free of charge. In exchange, Phelesmon helps Azul with his contracts and keeping Mostro Lounge tidy.

• Phelesmon also introduces the rest of the Digimons to human disguises.

Jade Leech

• Was also going to give Yuu's phone back but ended up summoning a Digimon.

• Ends up with Captain Hookmon.

• They're both gentlemen and polite, but Captain is obviously againsts threat.

• When he's the one threatening people however, Jade have to reel him back.

• He was going to shoot someone with his revolver leg.

Floyd Leech

• Was curious about Shrimpy's phone.

• Ends up summoning an Octmon, and by extent, Fujitsumons.

• Floyd simply adores Octmon. He's fun to squeeze, and reminds him of Azul.

• Unfortunately, Floyd's partner doesn't get along with Jade's. Octmon keeps stealing Captain's hat, and it always ends up with the two having a verbal fight.

• Phelesmon is in task of keeping the two separated. Because whenever their fights went out of hand it turns into a sword AND gun fight.

Scarabia

Kalim Al-Asim

• Was going to give Yuu their phone because they had left it behind in Scarabia after a study and party night.

• Doesn't realize what his fingers are touching and ends up with a Löwemon.

• Löwemon is rather reserved and shy. He hid in the shadows until either Kalim or Jamil calls him out.

• He enjoys teaching Kalim in his studies however, and his methods are very effective.

Jamil Viper

• The Prefect left their phone in the kitchen? Boom. He ends up with a Duskmon.

• Duskmon is a very rebellious Digimon. He doesn't listen to orders from anyone. Except, maybe Löwemon sometimes.

• Jamil is frustrated because his Unique Magic, doesn't work on Duskmon.

• Snake Whisper requires Jamil to look into the target's eyes, however the eyes on Duskmon's eyes are real. It bugs Jamil out when he learns about that.

• Although, Jamil sometimes find thatnthe vegetables are neatly chopped and the food all seasoned to perfection.

• Within the shadows, Jamil swore can hear a huff of pride.

Pomefiore

Vil Schoenheit

• The potato left their phone laying on the couch. Seriously, that child really need to learn to care for their own personal items.

• He ends up with Splashmon.

• The two gets along instantly, as they are both individuals in pursuit of beauty.

• Although, Vil is somewhat bothered by Splashmon's clothes. So, one day when he tries to unzip Splashmon without his consent, the Digimon unexpectedly lashes out. He would have killed or brutally harm him if Vil didn't get down in time.

• They apologized later on, and Vil learns that Splashmon hates his true form. Vil doesn't know how but he became an emotional support human.

• Splashmon is a menace that transforms into other people for fun. His favorite is transforming into Leona and going to class.

Rook Hunt

• Curious about the Digimon summoning and ends up tapping the phone when Yuu left it behind.

• Fitting for a hunter, Rook ends up with Dobermon.

• Dobermon enjoys hunting his prey, so now Savanaclaw has to board up every window they have.

• Splashmon doesn't like dogs, and Dobermon is scared of Splashmon for unknown reasons so they both steered away from each other's way.

Epel Felmier

• Is curious to see what he'll get, so with Yuu's permission he summoned a Digimon.

• Was a bit upset he ends up with Meicoomon. Colour him surprised when he heard how deep Meicoomon's voice is.

• Was shocked to learn that this small cat is actually an Adult level.

• This Maine coon Digimon is obsessed with Epel's family's apple juice. Epel is smiling proudly at his new friend's taste.

• Splashmon occasionally grooms Meicoomon. Although, he does get in some weird looks when he's doing it in his human form.

Ignihyde

Idia Shroud

• The Prefect came to him to find some spare parts for their computer. Ends up taking their phone by accident.

• Because he now has an Aegiochusmon in his room. And just his luck it was the Dark variant.

• Aegiochusmon doesn't seem to mind Idia. Even though he looks creepy he's actually a pretty sweet guy. If you look past the three scythes and the grinning half mask.

• When that is settled, Idia introduces Aegiochusmon to games. He can't really hold a controller properly so they settled on board games.

• Azul and Phelesmon are both frustrated. How in the deep sea and the pits of hell did this guy managed to roll a perfect number everytime!? It's always a high number, and he never get into jail (if said board game have a jail system).

• Aegiochusmon is worried about his little brother that he left behind, though.

Ortho Shroud

• Was curious about Digimons in general. So he uses Yuu's phone to search for Digimons, with their permission, of course.

• He came across the special gacha where the Digimons are summoned from. Just when he was scrolling through the list of Digimons that can be summoned through it, he misclicked and ends up summoning a Digimon.

• You can imagine Aegiochusmon's joy when he is reunited with Aegiomon.

• The little satyr Digimon is full of joy, he even offers to teach Ortho how to play his pan flute and make one himself. Although, he sometimes put people to sleep when he plays it.

Diasomnia

Malleus Draconia

• Was going to give the phone back to Yuu but ends up summoning a Digimon.

• Vamdemon reminds him of Lilia a lot.

• Vamdemon meanwhile, is curious about Malleus. That is clearly no human being. But he didn't mind. Malleus is still his partner.

• Malleus is happy that he has a new friend. Vamdemon always brings Malleus to any Dorm Leader meetings after finding out he was never invited.

• History and gargoyles nerds. Vamdemon is tempted to sign under a false name just to join Malleus' Gargoyles Appreciation Club.

• The bat familiars are spoiled rotten by Lilia.

Lilia Vanrouge

• Is curious about Yuu's phone that has the ability to summon Digimon.

• Which is how he ends up with Matadrmon.

• Vamdemon and Matadrmon seems to know each other, which is quite surprising.

• Lilia's partner also took on the mantel of being the chef to the rest of Diasomnia's dorm.

• He is a blessing from god because now nobody has to suffer the hellish abomination that Lilia calls food.

• Although, Silver does finds some black bottles filled with something red and smells metallic inside the fridge.

• Both Vamdemon and Matadrmon grabs those bottles and said that he doesn't need to know.

• Silver can and will live the rest of his life not knowing what's in that. And most importantly where they get the contents inside from.

Silver

• Accidentally sat on Yuu's phone, and when he stand up in surprise he saw a pink creature that looks like a combination of a sheep and a pillow.

• Pillomon doesn't do much. He just sleeps wherever and whenever.

• Silver gets strange dreams whenever he sleeps now.

Sebek Zigvolt

• Was borrowing the Prefect's phone to call Lilia because Malleus is gone. Again.

• It's on Yuu this time though because they forgot to close the page that has the gacha.

• Now Sebek has a Runnermon as a partner.

• He's bold, he's brave, and most importantly, he is fast.

• Sebek doesn't know what to do with Runnermon, honestly. So he just treats it like how Yuu treats Grim. A friend and occasionally a dog that can talk.

• Runnermon loves belly rubs, and the little static of electricity kinda relaxes Sebek too.

[awakeningking]

Awakening King | Chapter One: Gyroaxia Reborn

Finally, it was time.　

Near Susukino Station sat a small underground studio. In front of the studio’s heavy metal door, Sakaigawa Miyuki took several deep breaths. His handsome face became tense with nerves.

“I feel like I’m breaking into someone’s house and challenging them to a duel,” Miyuki thought to himself. He wasn’t entirely wrong either. Today, he had come to test his power and talent.

Just thinking about how Gyroaxia, one of Sapporo’s increasingly popular bands, was practising right behind that door was enough to excite him. Especially when he considered that he could very well be joining them as a member today.

His friend had invited him along to one of Gyroaxia’s lives where he promptly became a prisoner to their explosive style of performing music. He wanted to be a part of the vocalist’s melodies, his lyrics and the intense, dominating outlook of the world they formed through their vigorous performances. Fortunately for Miyuki, the band’s line up hadn’t been fixed into place just yet. As of late, they had been going through a number of substitute drummers and when Miyuki heard that they were accepting applicants, he did a mental air pump. It was fate, he thought.

Miyuki had picked up drumming as a means to gain popularity with women. He had formed a band with some of his seniors at university and while the fun had lasted a while, it no longer felt like enough to him. Something was missing, and it was Gyroaxia who had been able to fill that gaping hole in his heart and show him what he needed. With a sound brimming with ambition and passion, it was clear to him that they were aiming for endless heights. Like them, Miyuki wanted to see how far his ability and music could go.

Consequently, he was there that day to see whether or not he had what it took to become a member of Gyroaxia. With the amount of practice he had packed in, there wasn't anything to worry about. Reading himself, he took one final deep breath and like ripping off a bandaid, he quickly grabbed hold of the door knob.

“I’ve got this!” 

Miyuki opened the door to his fate.

It seemed that he had entered the room right as they were having their break.

Nayuta stood in front of the microphone, scribbling away at a sheet of music with a knitted brow. He recognised him as the genius vocalist that mesmerised crowds with his overwhelming skill and charisma. 

Further back, tuning his guitar was their rhythm guitarist, Reon. Time and time again he would fascinate people with his thrilling ad libs during live shows.

Simultaneously using both a laptop and a mobile phone was the lead guitarist, Kenta. He didn’t show off as much as Reon did, but some would say that his unparalleled accuracy during performances was vital to their songs.

Their bassist, Akebono Ryo, was counting something on his fingers while staring absentmindedly at the ceiling. His deep sounds supported Gyroaxia’s strong performances and his reputation said that he'd practically been born to play the bass.

Miyuki felt a thrill seeing what the members were like off stage. Gyroaxia was really right before his eyes. As he stepped foot into the room, everyone’s gaze turned to Miyuki.

“Who’re you?”

The vocalist, Asahi Nayuta, turned to him with daggers in his eyes. Miyuki tried covering up his nerves with a friendly smile.

“I’m Sakaigawa Miyuki. I hear you guys are looking for a drummer? I’m pretty sure I spoke to your leader, Satozuka-kun, about it.”

“...Hmph.”

Instead of returning the smile, Nayuta slumped down in a chair and crossed his legs. Taking his place, Kenta approached him with a greeting.

“Ah, yes of course. I’m glad you could make it Sakaigawa-kun.”

“Sorry for showing up late. It seems I got the times all mixed up.”

“Don’t worry about it, Sakaigawa-kun. If you’d have gotten here earlier we would’ve been in the middle of practice.”

“You woke me up this morning and told me to be here in five minutes! That’s just crazy,” Reon said with a pout. Nayuta shot a glare at him.

“If you’ve got complaints then you can leave at any time.”

“Something like that’s not enough to make me quit!”

“Then shut up.”

A dangerous atmosphere grew between Reon and Nayuta. Averting his gaze, Reon silently stepped away. Unlike their unity on stage, it seemed that they didn’t get along in ordinary life. Breaking the cold air the two had created, Kenta addressed Miyuki.

“Sakaigawa-kun, you were in a band with some other university students, correct? I’ve seen some of your performances. Your drumming was quite powerful.” 

“It’s an honour to hear that coming from the leader of Gyro.” 

“Your band...what happened to it?” Reon asked with a puzzled tilt of his head. 

“Most of the members were third years. We disbanded so that they could search for jobs. Well, originally we actually formed a band to try and get more popular. I still want that but...more than anything, I want to start being more serious about music,” Miyuki explained with a charming smile.

“You’d definitely become more popular being in this band.”

“Leave.”

The temperature in the studio dropped within an instant.

“Woah woah, Nayuta! You’re making a decision way too soon?!” Like second nature, Reon rebutted Nayuta’s immediate rejection. However, he turned to Miyuki with a displeased look.

“But, if that really is your motive then you honestly should just leave now.”

“I’ve never heard that before. That’s why you want to join Gyro?” Even Ryo, whose voice rarely portrayed much emotion, carried a hint of irritation to it. Regardless, Miyuki refused to give up and lightly waved the drumsticks in his hand.

“I’d never gain popularity if I sucked. I’m quite confident in my skills.”

Reon and Ryo still seemed unconvinced. Nayuta had quickly lost interest and began fiddling with his music sheets. Seeing the member’s attitudes, Kenta shrugged his shoulders.

“I’d still like to see how you play. You had me convinced so you’ll deliver what I expect of you, won’t you?”

“Of course!” Miyuki responded to Kenta’s question with a confident nod.

“What do you think, Nayuta? Our next live will fall through if we don’t have a drummer,” Kenta asked, turning to Nayuta.

“...You get one try. No second chances,” Nayuta said, carelessly throwing the score Miyuki’s way. That was his cue to begin.

After hearing that Gyroaxia was looking for a drummer, he had begun practising with more enthusiasm than ever. He stopped attending parties and cut back on the number of dates he went on.

The song he had been given was one he’d seen them perform live. He’d thought that the drums had been lacking but he’d be able to play the song, even if it was only for his trail. Miyuki thought about the sound he heard that day as he swung his drumsticks. 

Finishing off with one powerful final strike, Miyuki lowered his arms, body dripping with sweat. He’d never felt so nervous about a performance before, not even at his old band’s first live show. Regardless of how confident he claimed to be, he had played with every ounce of his power. Now, he just had to see what the other members thought.

A silence so heavy that a pin drop could be heard fell over the studio. No one uttered a single word. As the silence dragged on, Miyuki grew more and more antsy. Had he failed? Just as he was about to reach that conclusion, Reon hesitantly opened his mouth.

“So…”

“Be quiet,” Nayuta immediately cut him off with a glare. Reon looked like he was about to protest but held his tongue. They were apparently the same age, yet it appeared that Nayuta held far more power over Reon. Miyuki unconsciously straightened out his posture as Nayuta turned to him with a calculating gaze. 

“...Take this music sheet. Get into place, everyone,” Nayuta angrily hissed .

“At least tell us what you think first! I thought you didn’t like this guy!”

“Shut up. Stop yelling,” Nayuta coldly replied to Reon who was stammering like a puppy. Ryo abruptly plucked a string on his bass and the deep sound momentarily echoed throughout the studio.

“I can see the day when I return to the stars just on the horizon.”

The stars? Taken aback by Ryo’s words, Miyuki made a noise of confusion. Well, Ryo was said to be a genius bassist, so he was bound to be a bit of an oddball.

“You’re always acting like this, aren't you? If you could just be less confusing…”

“Hurry up and get ready.”

“Do you even listen to anything anyone says!?”

Nayuta and Reon were in another quarrel. Or rather, it was more of an one-sided argument on Reon’s half.

“Uhh…”

Miyuki had still yet to hear how his tryout had gone. Amidst his confusion, he tried to get a grasp on the situation when Kenta gave him a pat on the shoulder.

“Looks like you’ve passed. Good luck from here on out,” he said with a pleasant smile.

For a moment, Miyuki didn’t comprehend what he was saying.

It was only when Nayuta stood before his microphone and said, without even looking his way, “Hurry up and get to it. We’ll do the same song as earlier,” when Miyuki was able to understand.

It finally hit him—he’d made it.

“Alright!” Miyuki said, raising his drumsticks above him and punching the air.

Gyroaxia proved to be more demanding than he thought.

“...Drums, do it with more power.”

“G-Got it.” 

After two weeks of being in the band, Miyuki had become accustomed to Nayuta solely addressing him as ' drums' . However, in all that time, he was still unable to deliver the sound that Nayuta asked of him.

“No, you went overboard this time! You can’t play without restraint!”

“M-My bad.”

It wasn’t like Miyuki was inexperienced, in fact, he was quite confident in his abilities. He wouldn’t have knocked on Gyroaxia’s door in the first place if he didn’t think he was capable. Yet every time he tried to keep up with Nayuta, he was reminded of how much he still had to learn.

“I think it sounded fine. The stronger the sound is, the bigger of an impression it’ll leave,” Reon interrupted.

“Are you deaf?”

“Excuse me!?”

Another argument began to brew as Nayuta shut down Reon’s opinion. Miyuki intervened between the two, feeling guilty for being the inciting factor. 

“Hey, calm down you two. I’ll hold back a little more next time so let’s just give it another go.”

“Fine. Hurry up and start,” Nayuta ordered, grabbing the microphone. With deep concentration, Miyuki began to count.

Exhausted and full of nerves, Miyuki lowered his arms once the song ended and waited to hear Nayuta’s verdict. The vocalist slowly looked over his shoulder with eyes as cold as ice.

“If you’re going to get in the way anymore, then quit.”

“...!” 

He’d messed up again. They didn’t have much time left until the day of their live performance. He’d made a show of flaunting his confidence when he first joined so he knew he couldn’t start falling behind now. In the end, he still couldn’t produce the sounds Nayuta demanded from him. 

“Satozuka, I have no intention of delivering half-assed music. We might have to cancel the live,” Nayuta said, looking at Kenta.

“Wait!” Reon interrupted. Naturally, he refused to stay silent in the face of such tyranny. “You want to cancel…? That’s so irresponsible! Isn’t Sakaigawa-san good enough for the time being!?

“Don’t make me repeat myself. I won’t settle for just ‘good enough’, ” Nayuta said, throwing a cold glare at Reon. “If you have complaints then get out. It’s not like your guitar is irreplaceable.”

“What…?” 

“You’ve got time to be worried about others, do you? My songs aren’t an opportunity for you to mess around with the guitar. Don’t get in my way.” 

Reon stared dumbfounded as Nayuta bluntly shut him down. The tense atmosphere gave Miyuki chills. Shit, this was all his fault.

“Alright, let’s leave it here for today” Kenta said with a clap of his hands before Reon could lash out at Nayuta again. “We can see if the venue will allow us to cancel another day. For now, let’s switch over to some individual practice.”

“But Kenta-san, isn’t the live coming up soon? We won’t be able to get everything in sync if we don’t practice together.”

“Reon, you made some mistakes during the second verse. Have it perfected next time.”

“That’s because Nayuta goes too fast…”

“Didn’t you agree to the change in the current arrangement? Is it too hard for you after all?”

“No, I can do it! I’ll have it down perfectly next time!” 

Grumbling to himself, Reon put down his guitar and began looking over the marked spots on his music sheet while Ryo and Nayuta started packing up. 

“Sorry, I’ll be sure to have everything polished up by next time,” Miyuki remorsefully apologised to Kenta.

“Please do. It’ll be a pain if we have to cancel,” Kenta encouraged him with a light pat on the back. Miyuki could sense the crushing weight beneath his touch.

Nayuta and Kenta didn’t stick around once they’d left the studio.

“Well then, I’ll be accompanying Nayuta to his vocal training.”

“Satozuka, let’s go already. I haven’t got time to waste.”

“Okay okay, we’ll get going. I’ve booked the usual studio.”

Nayuta walked off in a hurry with Kenta following after. They looked like a master and his loyal servant. Reon looked at Miyuki, sensing his unease.

“So, should we head to the train station?”

“Y-Yeah. Let’s do that.”

Their usual practice studio in Susukino was about a twenty minute walk from Sapporo Station. When practice ended, Ryo, Reon and Miyuki would often walk back to the station together. At the station, the three of them would head to the bus terminal and catch a bus home. There was also an underground train that went from Susukino to Sapporo but it was too much trouble to catch the train for just two stops.

Miyuki had always enjoyed exercise but Ryo and Reon both had their own reasons for favouring walking over riding the train to the station. Ryo, for example, liked looking at the sky so he preferred walking above ground rather than under. Occasionally, Nayuta and Kenta would join them but it seemed that today Nayuta was off to another studio with Kenta in tow.

“Let’s go, Ryo-san.”

“Okay,” Ryo looked up from where he was crouching on the ground, playing with a stray cat. Ryo stood up and the three of them silently set off down the narrow alleyway, side by side.

Although they were in Hokkaido, the nights during July could get a little warm but despite that, there seemed to be a cold air between the three. Usually, Miyuki would talk to Reon and he, in turn, would indulge in his small talk but there was none of that today. Nayuta’s words from earlier haunted Miyuki’s mind.

“If you’re going to get in the way anymore, then quit.”

Nayuta was completely serious. He hadn’t known him for long, but he'd learned enough to get a good grasp on Asahi Nayuta's character. No one took music more seriously than Nayuta. He was always the first one at the studio and never sounded anything short of flawless. On top of that, he had no problem doing a piece over and over again if he wasn’t happy with it. Even if everyone else agreed upon a sound, if Nayuta wasn’t satisfied with it, they’d do it again. ‘Compromise’ wasn’t a word that existed in the Emperor of Music’s dictionary. That’s just how Asahi Nayuta was. 

Despite joining Gyroaxia full of confidence, Miyuki had yet to receive Nayuta’s approval even once. In truth, he was beginning to question why they even let him in in the first place. Was it just on a whim? No, it couldn’t have been. Nayuta wouldn’t do that. He had certainly approved of his performance when he initially tried to audition. Even if it was just barely, a pass was still a pass. It pained him to think that he was betraying the hope that Nayuta had held for him.

“...Hey, Sakaigawa-san? Do you want to grab something to eat?”

Before he’d realised it, they had arrived in Tanukikoji Shopping Arcade and were surrounded by several signs for various bars. Pointing towards a more suitable restaurant, Reon shyly looked at Miyuki.

“Ah...I’ll pass. I’m not that hungry.”

“...Alright then.”

With his head crowded full of thoughts on how to produce a sound that Nayuta would approve of, his appetite had escaped him.

“Oh, but don't worry about me, Misono-kun, Akebono-kun. You guys can go get something to eat if you want. We can just part ways here,” he quickly followed up when he noticed Reon's embarrassed aversion of his eyes.

“No, I’m honestly not that hungry either… By the way, you don’t have to address me so formally. Just Reon is fine. You’re older than me anyway, Sakaigawa-san.”

“You’re a third year in highschool right? Two years isn’t much of a difference. Besides, you’ve been in the band way longer than I have, which makes you my superior in a way. You can just call me Miyuki too.”

“Then...I’ll call you Miyuki-san.”

“...You can call me Ryo too. I’m younger than you, Miyuki-kun,” Ryo said, jumping in on Miyuki and Reon’s conversation.

“S-Sure. Ryo...you’re a first year in university right?” Miyuki asked, ever confused by Ryo’s peculiar behaviour.

“Yep. I came to Earth when I was nineteen.”

“Earth?”

“I’m a criminal, so I joined Gyroaxia to atone for it.”

“O-Oh…”

Miyuki was only trying to make small talk but he felt like he’d just heard something he shouldn’t have. Reon patted Miyuki on the shoulder as if to say, “Don’t worry about it.”

“Don’t think about it too much, Kenta-san is the only one that gets Ryo-san anyway.”

“Kenken...my friend.”

“O-Okay then.” 

Like Nayuta and Ryo, Gyroaxia had many strange members. He was honestly impressed that Kenta managed to act as their leader.

“It feels like he favours Nayuta a bit much, though…”

Kenta never disagreed with Nayuta. While he had pushed discussion of cancelling their live show to ‘a later date’, he ultimately didn’t have any objections. Perhaps if Miyuki couldn’t meet Nayuta’s standards then Kenta really would cancel the live. The pressure felt like enough to drown him.

In Gyroaxia, there was no regard for healthy relationships between the members. Miyuki began to realise that from Nayuta’s continuous angry outbursts during practice. He knew that to some extent, the band was entirely focused on Nayuta. If they couldn’t produce music that passed Nayuta’s judgement then they couldn’t stay in Gyroaxia. 

He couldn’t shake the urge to get back to the drums. He knew it was impossible, but he wanted to run right back to the studio and start practising again. 

“Hey...don’t worry about it too much.”

“Huh?” Miyuki lifted his head, meeting Reon’s concerned gaze.

“Nayuta’s always like that. I mean, he does go a bit far, doesn’t he? We’ve finally found ourselves a drummer but he’s still being a shithead,” Reon complained while kicking at the ground. It was clear he held a lot of resentment towards Nayuta.

“No no, I’m still a newbie in Gyro so I’m gonna be a problem until I can get in sync with everyone. I’m sorry for causing so many arguments and interruptions during practice...”

“Ah, no actually...we’ve always been like that.”

“Really?”

“It’s because of Nayuta’s massive ego! I practiced really hard on a guitar riff for the hook of that song we’re working on, but then he cut it out! Don’t get me started on what else he’s done…” Reon grumbled, his brow creasing. 

“Nayuta is a first magnitude star,” Ryo muttered to himself, walking a little ahead of the other two.

“He’s a first magnitude star…?” 

In a way, Ryo’s comment was awfully fitting.

The night sky peered through the glass panels in the roof of the shopping arcade. The bright lights of downtown Sapporo drowned out much of the starry sky but… there was one star that outshone the city lights. It shined as brightly as Nayuta did.

“I get what you mean. I wanted to join Gyro after hearing Nayuta’s music, after all.”

“I thought you joined to become more popular?”

“If I can be part of a performance like that, I’ll be popular regardless.” Miyuki looked up at the sky and reached out towards the lone radiant star. If only he could be like it too. “So I’m going to give it my all to get Nayuta’s approval.”

“Wow, this has to be the first time ever that someone normal has joined Gyro...” Reon clamped a hand over his mouth and trembled with emotion. Reon enthusiastically grabbed Miyuki’s hands, clasping them in his own. “Miyuki-san! Please don’t ever leave Gyro! I’m rooting for you!”

“S-Sure. Thanks”

Through that burst of passion, Miyuki felt like he could see what Reon’s position in Gyroaxia had been until now. He must have gone through a lot.

He was still unsure of how he could improve his abilities to meet Nayuta’s standards…he didn’t have the answer yet, but for now he’d fight tooth and nail to keep his place Gyroaxia.

“I’ll put in everything I’ve got into some extra practice until our next rehearsal. I can’t give up yet.”

“I don’t think any extra effort is necessary,” Ryo said, having appeared beside him without him noticing.

“Huh? What do you mean?” 

“All you have to do is listen to Nayuta’s sound.” 

Miyuki grew irritated by Ryo’s carefree advice. He always had a cool aura to him and played with an incredible accuracy so he was rarely ever the subject of Nayuta’s anger. While hard to understand, Ryo was undoubtedly a genius, although a different kind than Nayuta was.

Miyuki felt that despite all the sweat, blistered hands and hard work, he still hadn’t done enough to please Nayuta.

“I thought I was listening closely.” 

Maybe there was something Ryo knew that Miyuki didn’t.

“Then you’re already doing enough,” Ryo said, seemingly having lost interest and walked off with his eyes glued to the sky. “A constellation can’t be made with only a first magnitude star.”

Miyuki titled his head, growing annoyed by Ryo’s way of speaking in riddles.

“What’re you even trying to say!?” Miyuki pressed, hurrying after him when Ryo tripped over something. In a panic, Miyuki rushed to catch him by the arm.

“Thank you.”

“Ryo-san, I’ve told you how dangerous it is to stare at the sky while you’re walking! You walked into a telephone pole just the other day,” Reon scolded with a heavy sigh. Unbothered, Ryo took one last look at the sky before lowering his gaze down to the ground.

“I see…if you only look at the stars, you’ll miss what’s at your feet,” Ryo said, staring with unreadable eyes. Miyuki wondered if that was also meant to be advice.

“At my feet…? Is that something else I should be taking another look at?” Miyuki asked, eager to know what Ryo meant. However, Ryo slightly tilted his head and pointed towards the train station.

“We’ve arrived at the station…”

Amidst all their talking, they had reached their destination.

“Ah, I’ll be catching the bus. I’ll see you later then! Good luck with everything!”

“Me too… see ya.”

The pair ran off towards the bus terminal. Left on his own, Miyuki stared at his feet.

“There’s nothing there…?” 

Kenta may be able to decipher the meaning behind Ryo’s words but he couldn’t disturb him while he was at Nayuta’s vocal training. He couldn’t see an answer yet but if he sat around twiddling his thumbs until the next practice, he’d only disappoint Nayuta even more.

“For now, I should head home and work on my training.”

He couldn’t play on his drum set at home because of how loud it was, so he’d just have to practice using a drum pad. For now, all he could do was grow stronger, little by little. It was how he’d always gotten what he wanted. He’d gained popularity with women, his appearance, muscle and drumming skills all from continuous hard work and it’d be the same with his current situation. He’d do whatever it took to get Nayuta’s approval. 

Miyuki walked away with clenched fists, the stars twinkling overhead as if cheering him on.

The blue punching bag swung with a loud bang as Miyuki slammed his toned leg into it. He exhaled deeply and slowly lowered his leg. With his brows furrowed in displeasure, he readied himself once again. This time he’d aim for several lighter, continuous kicks. A rhythm began to form from the sound of the short and repeated bangs.

Kickboxing—like music—was a hobby that Miyuki had picked up for the sake of gaining popularity. Even when he began focusing on band activities, he still went to the gym near the north exit of Sapporo Station three times a week in order to maintain the stamina and physical strength needed to be a drummer. In his wireless headphones, he listened to Nayuta’s singing, matching up his kicks to the punching bag with the rhythm. He was growing impatient.

Gyroaxia had a rehearsal that afternoon. He wondered whether he’d be able to play to Nayuta’s expectations that day…his problem still hadn’t been resolved but he was confident in his skills. He’d even gone over his music sheets so thoroughly that they’d been tattered with his writing. On top of that, he’d booked a studio the day before and spent all day practicing.

But...it still didn’t feel like enough. Nayuta was going to reach far away heights and Miyuki wasn’t sure he’d be able to follow him.

Plagued with anxiety and impatience, Miyuki had come to the gym. He felt awful not indulging in his usual habits and besides, if he missed one day of training, he’d have to do three times the amount of work to make up for it. His muscles and endurance required a lot of work and he couldn’t give up on them. Despite his flirtatious appearance, Miyuki was self-disciplined and had the will-power to put in the hard work. However, he felt that he’d reached a dead end. 

“What am I supposed to do...dammit!”

Overcome with frustration, Miyuki violently kicked the punching bag. He felt a dull aching in his leg and Ryo’s perplexing words from the other day echoed in his mind.

“All you have to do is listen to Nayuta’s sound.” 

 “A constellation can’t be made with only a first magnitude star.”

“If you only look at the stars, you’ll miss what’s at your feet.”

Ryo would often say strange things like, “I can hear the sounds of space,” or, “I want to return to the stars,” but what he said that day felt different somehow. Miyuki wanted to know the truth behind Ryo’s advice so he tried asking Kenta about it, however his reply wasn’t of much help.

“...I see. I know what Ryo was trying to say, however, I wouldn’t want anyone that can’t understand that to be a member of Gyroaxia.”

“Huh...?”

“Find the answer before our next practice session. It’ll be too much trouble if we have to cancel the live. Nayuta isn’t listening to my suggestions.”

That was the jist of what he’d been told.

“That bastard...he thinks I’m just a tool that can be replaced whenever he sees fit,” Miyuki thought to himself. 

To be truthful, Miyuki wasn’t the only one the sentiment extended to. In fact, he’d say it was likely that Kenta saw everyone but Nayuta that way. It was aggravating. Miyuki felt himself flaring up with anger.

“I won’t be thrown away like all their other drummers!” Miyuki thought, violently swinging his leg in time with Nayuta’s shouts.

“Ah, shit…!”

With all his focus honed on kicking his leg, he'd neglected his pivot foot. He lost his balance, almost falling over, but managed to regain his footing. It was against Miyuki’s aesthetic values to show himself in such an unsightly manner.

“No matter how much I’ve been thinking about it, now’s not the time. I know this stuff like the back of my hand, right?”

The pivot foot was essential during a kick. Without firm footing, a kick would have no power. You’d make a fool of yourself if you lost your balance and risked a tumble to the ground like Miyuki just had. In a band, the pivot foot could be compared to the rhythm unit, like the bass and drums. With a sturdy foundation, you could achieve incredible feats and aim for greater heights.

“...Oh.”

He felt everything click into place. He’d been so intent on playing to gain Nayuta’s recognition that he’d made a huge mistake.

“All you have to do is listen to Nayuta’s sound.” 

The true meaning behind Ryo’s words seeped into his heart. Nayuta didn’t need a sound that would overcome him, he needed one that would support him. His duty was to uplift a genius like Nayuta so that he could soar as high as possible.

The moment he realised that, he couldn’t stay put. Right away, he contacted a member from his old university band.

“Hey, it’s me. Sorry about this, but do you think you could lend me your studio? I’m itching to go drum.”

After ending the call, he recklessly wiped off his sweat. With one last flowing, clean, roundhouse kick to the punching bag, Miykui left the gym.

“...Don’t tell me what to do.”

“I’m just saying you could make it a little easier to understand!”

“It’s your fault if you don’t get it. Are you really that stupid?”

“You littleー This is what I’m talking about…!”

Nayuta and Reon were already arguing when Miyuki arrived at the studio.

“Sorry for being late.” Reon shook his head at Miyuki’s apology.

“You're not late. Nayuta just always comes early.” 

From the looks of their light sheen of sweat, it seemed that they had already begun practising. Kenta shrugged his shoulders as he tuned his guitar.

“Well, the studios here are quite reasonable with allowing us additional use of their space.”

“Kenta-san, you pamper Nayuta way too much!”

“It’s not that I’m pampering him, I’m only ensuring that he can deliver the best performance possible.”

It hadn’t been long since Miyuki joined Gyroaxia, however he’d witnessed this kind of exchange more than enough times. As always, if it was for Nayuta’s sake, nothing was too much trouble for Kenta. To Miyuki’s knowledge, he’d even negotiated with several studios, including the one they were currently using, so that Nayuta was free to use them whenever he felt like practising. On the outside, he came across as a good guy who’d go to the effort of negotiating with live houses for them, butー

“More importantly, Reon, haven’t I reminded you plenty of times that we’ve cut that guitar riff out? Instead of talking back, do as you've been told,” Kenta said to Reon, indifferent and cold. 

While always addressing people in a composed manner, there was something about the way he treated all the members save Nayuta that pissed Miyuki off. He didn’t view them as anything but replaceable tools. All that he was concerned with was having people to follow Nayuta.

“But…”

“It’s unbearable to listen to. Quit it,” Nayuta interrupted, cutting Reon off before he could argue any further.

‘Huh…? If that’s the issue, then I’ll just work on it until it sounds better!”

“That’s not the problem.”

“You’re the only one who doesn’t like it!! The crowd from our last show loved it!”

“...Then do it alone. It has no place in my music.”

“Why don’t we just give it one more try and see how it sounds? I’d like to hear it too,” Miyuki intervened, never one to simply stand by. 

“No, Nayuta made his decision so there will be no further discussion. Cut it out, Reon. We’re wasting valuable practice time,” Kenta retorted before Nayuta had the chance to.

“Come on now, don’t be like that. We’re all in this band together. Performing a live is a group effort amongst all the members, so…”

“...Shut up,” Nayuta interrupted Miyuki. “If you’re going to waste any more of my time with useless things then I’m leaving.”

Reon reluctantly stepped down, knowing he was on the verge of losing his patience. “...Fine. Sorry, Miyuki-san. Let’s start rehearsal.”

“I’m always ready to go,” Ryo said, raising his hand from where he was scribbling on a music sheet. Miyuki wanted to check in with Reon but ultimately decided that any further conversation would have been futile. Besidesー

“More importantly, don’t you have something to say? The answer, did you find it?” Kenta asked, cutting straight to what Miyuki had been worried about. “Do your best today. It’ll pose a problem if we don’t begin arranging ticket sales soon. Whether it be finding a substitute drummer or even cancelling the show, we have a lot of work to do.”

Miyuki felt the pressure piling onto him with every second that Kenta’s heartless gaze sat on him. That feeling of being viewed as nothing but a tool returned. He could sense the calculation behind those eyes, evaluating whether or not he was useful.

“I won’t waste anymore of your time.” 

As irritated as he was, Miyuki didn’t leave the house that day without any hope for success.

“Let’s get to it. We don’t have enough time as is,” Nayuta ordered, pointing his chin towards the drum set with a scowl.

“Understood.”

“...Will you be alright?” Reon whispered to him with a worried look.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be getting a gold star today,”  Miyuki replied with a reassuring nod. Truthfully, he wasn’t one hundred percent sure he’d pass. What if the answer he had come to was wrong…? His hands sweated with nerves at the thought. 

Besides...he couldn’t give this position up to anyone else. He didn’t want to give it up. There was nowhere else that he could watch Nayuta’s back and uplift his music in such a way.

“Hurry up,” Nayuta snapped, quickly growing impatient. There could be a thousand meanings behind the look Kenta gave Miyuki. It irritated him being stared at with such a condescending expression.

“Just you watch. I’ll knock that deadpan look off your face!”

With a deep breath, Miyuki started counting and the song that would determine his fate began.

Reon caught on as soon as he started to play—there was something different about Miyuki’s drumming. Not being a drummer himself, it was difficult for Reon to put his finger on how he’d managed to completely alter his sound. 

But…it was easier to play alongside, more so than Miyuki’s previous self—or any of Gyroaxia’s drummers—ever had been. Bouncing off of his rhythm felt incredible. Rather than harshly dragging them along, it felt like he had laid out a firm road for them to run endlessly upon…with this play-style, no matter what arrangement they settled on, he knew Miyuki would be just fine.

The strength of Miyuki’s drums remained prominent and their powerful sound remained alive and healthy, but somewhere in that thundering, something had changed. 

It was full of intensity and vigour…but mingling within was a gentle sound that provided an unbreakable support for both the ferocity and delicateness of Nayuta’s voice. 

That’s when Reon heard it. Swept away in the rhythm, Nayuta’s voice flooded the room like it never had before.

As soon as the song came to a close, Miyuki cast his head towards the ceiling and was overcome with a wave of drowsiness. After releasing his stress, even his lower body that he had always been so attentive towards formed a warm, dull pain. He felt a throbbing heat in his calves and the top of his thighs.

It wasn’t the arms that would give the audience a performance that was easy to follow, but the legs. He had changed the way he stepped on the bass drum to better comply with Nayuta’s voice. He wondered if Nayuta had noticed…or if that sound had met his expectations.

Body tense with nerves, he awaited Nayuta’s verdict. Without ever looking back at Miyuki, Nayuta slightly raised his hand.

“We’re not wasting anymore time. Do it again.”

Again. 

He hadn’t been terminated. Miyuki’s heart beat faster at what he considered high praise from Nayuta. Finally, he had gotten his approval. As he trembled with overwhelming emotion, Nayuta turned around and shot a glare at Miyuki.

“Didn’t you hear me? We don’t have time to waste. We’ll run through that last one three more times and then start work on the other songs.”

In the euphoric aftermath of earning Nayuta’s approval, the merciless decree made his cheeks twitch. He had just played with everything he had. Without having amassed much practice with his new play-style, perfecting it was still a nerve wrecking process. While he was confident in his physical strength, that wasn’t the part of him that consumed so much of his energy. If he was being honest with himself, he could really do with a break, but—

“Show us that you don't just run on luck,” Kenta challenged, killing off any complaints he had.

“Yeah, I’ll show you why Gyroaxia’s only drummer is me,” he flung back and pushed up his sleeves. Looking at Miyuki, a triumphant smile broke out across Kenta’s face. 

“I’m sure you will. Now then, why don’t we get all the songs on the setlist finished off by the end of the day, hm?” 

…He’d make that bastard cry someday.

As his temples twitched with fury towards Kenta, Miyuki raised his drumsticks.

Finally, the day of their live show arrived.

In their green room, Miyuki looked over their set list for the day while the other members of the band killed time in their preferred ways before the performance started.

Nayuta had his eyes closed and listened to music with his earphones, Reon was busy perfecting the tuning on his guitar, while Ryo looked at a picture book on astronomy… As for Kenta, he was occupied elsewhere, meeting with the staff of the live house. From the sounds of it, they were doing amazingly on ticket sales and could expect a full house.

Miyuki’s thoughts drifted to the practice he had dedicated himself to everyday. With a big stretch, Miyuki let out an emotional sigh at how far he had come. Once Nayuta had approved of Miyuki’s performance, they had undergone days of hellish rehearsals. Even though Nayuta hadn’t called for the live to be cancelled, the tensions remained tight and even the smallest of mistakes would lead to shouts of anger and a complete restart. 

He’d say that he and Reon received an equal share of grating critiques but in Reon’s case, he wouldn’t take the criticisms without lashing back at Nayuta, often leading to the two of them arguing amongst themselves. Kenta was also the subject of Nayuta’s anger a fair amount, but he would only ever obediently follow his orders, never once talking back. Whenever Reon and Nayuta got into fights about music, to a fault, Kenta would always take Nayuta’s side. Miyuki would often take it upon himself to intervene and comfort the sulking Reon. Although he could understand in some respects why Kenta held Nayuta in such superior regard, it still gave him a weird feeling.

Nayuta had an undeniably sharp sense for sound but his relentlessness when pointing that out could hurt even someone as mentally strong as Miyuki. The ever tranquil Ryo potentially wasn’t bothered by any of it…but in Reon’s case, it seemed that he had been hampered with a great deal of gloom. 

“It’s not balanced at all…”

Kenta had a pleasant facade that he used with people outside of the band—such as studio or livehouse staff—and he didn’t think it was unreasonable to wish he’d show even a little of that to his fellow bandmates, or to wish he’d at least check in with the people that had been slashed apart by Nayuta’s blade. 

Nayuta was a sword that had been sharpened beyond comparison, and that was just a part of his charm. But that sword had to be sheathed by someone, a feat that Kenta wasn’t capable of. Instead, he was a whetstone whose only goal was to sharpen Nayuta’s blade even further.

“There’s nothing I can do, I just have to keep trying my best.”

If he could just make it through this live show, he’d officially be able to call himself Gyroaxia’s drummer. What followed after would depend on his own efforts but he had no intentions of handing over the position to anyone else. 

He liked Nayuta. Despite his arrogance, sharp tongue and curtness, his musical talent made for ample compensation. No matter his personality, Nayuta was still young. Along his journey to becoming a pro, the people he’d meet could lead him to change. They were sure to hit some bumps along the way but Miyuki would be there to patch things up. Kenta…wasn’t very reliable, in that aspect. 

“Well, that’s my job as an adult, isn’t it?"

Miyuki’s train of thought was suddenly cut off and he turned his head with a look of suspicion. Ryo was braiding Miyuki’s long hair.

“...Hey, what do you think you’re doing?”

“I call it the Bellatrix Parade. I did a good job, I think.”

A look in the mirror revealed that his hair had been done up in some kind of strange hairstyle, with twin tails and a generous amount of colourful clips.

“You little~!! Why’re you doing this when we’re about to go on stage!? Are you serious!?”

He rushed to undo it all but the braided portions had already formed into subtle waves.

“Wax, I need wax…”

“...But all my hard work.”

“Shut up! I can’t go out there with hair like that!”

Miyuki ignored the way Ryo’s shoulders sagged with a look of disappointment and continued looking for his hair wax. Although he’d been thinking about taking over for Kenta and supporting the other members himself…Ryo might be a lost cause. He never had a clue what that man was thinking.

Reon held out a towel and hairdryer to Miyuki.

“Miyuki-san, wouldn’t it be faster to wet your hair a little and then dry it?”

“Yeah, you’re right. I’ll go with that.”

Miyuki took the items from Reon’s hands but the moment he stood up to rush to the bathroom—

Suddenly, the door to the green room was violently flung open. 

For a moment, he thought that Kenta had come back—but he was wrong.

“Nayuta…”

Even after being addressed, Nayuta made no move to raise his head. Just as Miyuki was about to do something, thinking there must have been a mistake, Reon uttered a name.

“Shinya-san…”

The man standing before him was one Miyuki didn’t recognise. He seemed to be around the same age as him and bore a plain face.

“You know this guy?”

Reon met Miyuki’s question with an affirmative nod.

“He was one of the first members of Gyroaxia…or I mean, we used to be in an old band together, but he dropped out as soon as we became Gyro…”

From Reon’s vague explanation, he gathered that he had been driven out in usual Nayuta fashion. Reon casually put himself between Shinya and Nayuta.

“S-Shinya-san, did you come to watch our show? It’ll be starting soon so please go wait in your seat. Hey, Nayuta, he was nice enough to come see us so the least you could do is say hello!”

Nayuta cracked open his eyes and without even removing his earphones, he addressed him with a hellishly cold voice.

“...You’re being a pest. Leave.”

“Oi…”

Reon’s expression changed, but it paled in comparison to the way Shinya’s mood shifted. He looked at Nayuta with a look of absolute despair.

“...Why? Even though I chose you. Even after I dropped out, this whole time I’ve been practising all so that I could earn your approval. I sent you all those clips of me playing, right? Why won’t you even reply to me!?”

“...”

“How many drummers have you gone through? After this, you’re just gonna kick out the one you have now too anyway, right?  So just put me back in again! I’ll do exactly as you say this time! I’ll become a drummer worthy of you, Nayuta!”

Miyuki’s chest ached seeing Shinya desperately ramble on. Shinya had the hands of a drummer—of a man that had undergone endless practice. Like Miyuki, he had poured out all of his efforts for Nayuta’s sake.

Shinya was a reflection of a person Miyuki could have been. Just another discarded tool.

But still, he had refused to give up.

Nayuta could have at least offered him a response. Of course, Miyuki had no intentions of stepping down as their drummer, but just a word or two couldn’t hurt. At the very least, he could mention those videos he sent—

“Don’t make me repeat myself…get out.”

“But…I’ve gotten better…”

“Don’t care. Out.”

It was hopeless. Shinya’s face was as white as paper and until the end, Nayuta never even spared him a glance.

“I’ve been through so much, all for you…!”

Shinya tightly clenched his fists.

“NAYUTAAAAAAA!!” he yelled, and raised his fist. Without a second thought, Miyuki rushed to put himself between Nayuta and Shinya.

“I’m not going to let you do that!”

Before his fist could make impact with Nayuta, Miyuki kicked his long leg towards Shinya. He gasped as the precise kick headed towards him and within an instant his body had frozen solid. Miyuki’s foot had stopped right before his eyes.

“Ah…” 

Miyuki started at Shinya, who was scared stiff. 

“Stop it. Hitting him won’t change anything. Don’t hurt your precious fingers like that.”

Miyuki’s words made Shinya’s face contort, as if he was about to burst into tears.

“Why are you saying this…? You stole my place from me…so why…”

Shinya slumped to his knees. It seemed that someone had called for help, as the clamorous sound of staff rushing down the hallway headed towards them.

“Wonderful work.”

Miyuki shot a glare at Kenta’s unconcerned face as he clapped him on the shoulder. After receiving a message from Ryo, Kenta and the live house staff had quickly made their way to the scene. The staff had restrained both of Shinya’s arms and with no will left to resist, he rose to his feet without objection. With eyes filled with a lingering remorse, he turned to Nayuta.

“Nayuta, I’m sorry…but…if I could play with you…just one more time…”

Fed up, Reon grabbed Nayuta’s shoulder and pulled out his earphones.

“Nayuta! Fucking say something! He used to be our comrade, dammit!”

With a look of irritation, Nayuta shook off Reon’s hand and snatched back his earphones, not even attempting to hide his awful mood.

“...Don’t tell me what to do. You’re ruining my focus.”

“Nayuta, you prick…”

Even Miyuki, who had only just met Shinya, couldn’t stand to watch from the sidelines and jumped in to intervene. 

“Can’t you just quickly say something to him…?” he wanted to say but was stopped by Kenta before he had the chance. 

“Let the grudge go. Nayuta doesn’t need to say anything to you.”

Miyuki was outraged as he watched Kenta nod at the staff as if to signal for them to take Shinya away.

“This isn't right! I know Nayuta’s tough to convince but can’t you just—”

“...No, it’s fine,” Shinya himself interrupted, “I couldn’t become what Nayuta deserves. I’m sorry for causing a scene right before you go on stage.”

Parting with those final words, the staff took Shinya away. Reon accompanied him, perhaps unable to leave things as they were. A heavy atmosphere dominated the room as Miyuki turned to question Kenta, hit abruptly with an unpleasant hunch. 

“Don’t tell me you had something to do with those videos he was sending Nayuta…”

“I disposed of them. They weren’t anything worth troubling Nayuta’s ears with.”

With such a cruel response, the blood rushed to Miyuki’s head.

He understood now. Miyuki and the other band members weren’t the only ones that Kenta viewed as tools, but Nayuta too. He didn’t see Nayuta as a human—all he saw was his music. 

He would never mediate between the members of the band. It was Nayuta alone whom he worshipped, and Nayuta alone who he obeyed. Nothing else mattered as long as Kenta had Nayuta’s voice.

“I can’t stand that part of you…!”

Without thinking, Miyuki grabbed Kenta by the collar of his shirt. Kenta remained perfectly composed and readjusted his glasses.

“It’s time to go on stage. The audience is waiting for us,” he replied plainly. He was right. There was nothing in that moment that Miyuki could have said to change Kenta. 

“...Just you wait. I’m not going to let you just do as you please.”

“As long as it doesn’t hinder Nayuta in any way, you’re welcome to act freely. All I want is for Nayuta to create only the most supreme music.”

Miyuki released his hold with a sour look. At that moment, Reon returned with some members of the staff in tow. 

“Are you ready?” one of the staff asked with concern.

“Yes. We’ll head out now,” Kenta replied. His gaze shifted to land on Nayuta. “Nayuta, there’s no problems, right?”

Nayuta raised an eyebrow and slowly rose to his feet.

“Who do you think you’re talking to? Obviously there’s no problems.”

Throwing on his jacket, Nayuta made his way over to the door.

“This is my moment now.”

He walked away with arrogance in his stride, as if he hadn’t nearly been hit just minutes before. It was the presence of a king.

Miyuki’s worries began to set in once he stepped foot on stage. Although it wasn’t a large venue, there wasn’t a single seat that hadn’t been filled. The only thing reflected in his eyes was Nayuta’s back as he faced their audience.

From what he could tell, the situation that suddenly broke out earlier hadn’t affected him at all. Nonetheless, Nayuta was still only seventeen years old so it wouldn’t have been surprising if he had been even a little taken aback. It was possible he was only putting up a front of strength but regardless, he was furious with Kenta for sending him on stage without checking in on him first. What was up with his attitude of, “It’s Nayuta, he’ll be fine,” ? 

He would make Kenta cry one day. He would absolutely make him cry. 

As his rage towards Kenta burned inside him, Nayuta quickly glanced in Miyuki’s direction. With that signal to begin, Miyuki’s readiness settled in. They were already on stage, he didn’t have time to be caught up in his anxieties. 

Miyuki raised his drumsticks and began to count. The moment the first lyrics left Nayuta’s mouth, Miyuki’s worries vanished.

“Damn…I actually made it this far!”

During their rehearsals, he thought he had a good understanding of Nayuta’s excellence but it was clear to him now that when Nayuta took the stage, he became something entirely different. The strength, intensity and element of delicacy that the core of his voice held teemed with passion. That passion infected the audience and lit up the small live house like a smothering fire. The wild enthusiasm intensified with each passing song, dragging in not only the audience, but the other members of the band too.

Higher and higher. Further and further.

With Nayuta beside them, accompanied by his voice, there was nowhere they couldn’t go.

Caught up in the frenzy, Miyuki frantically rushed to regulate himself, concerned that his own sound was demanding too much attention. He couldn’t allow himself to lose control. He knew his job was to support Nayuta’s sound but the fire in his body refused to simmer down. 

Nayuta had a voice that turned people mad. That sound, that voice, it fed him an illusion that even he could grow wings. Even if the Sun turned him to ash, he wouldn’t stop soaring across the skies with Nayuta.

Gyroaxia existed for Nayuta. He thought he understood that sentiment, but his naivety became all too clear in that moment. He realised why no matter how many times Reon had been beaten down, he had never once quit—and why Kenta prioritised Nayuta to such an extreme extent.

 He knew that all kinds of people had been wounded by Nayuta’s blade. Shinya certainly wasn’t the only one with a grudge against Nayuta.

But it was hopeless. There was nothing that could be done. Once you heard that voice, you had no choice but to worship the vocalist Asahi Nayuta. 

Nayuta’s songs couldn’t be sung by anyone but him. No one but Nayuta could make that kind of sound. To the lone God of Singing, Miyuki, Reon and Kenta were entirely mundane. As for Ryo, he might be a slightly different case.

“Playing music alongside this voice is something I’ll never be able to give up.”

Dammit, his body was already moving on its own. He couldn’t stifle the euphoria of being able to perform alongside Nayuta’s voice. After discovering this exhilaration and incredible sensation, he lost all interest in playing for any band that wasn’t Gyroaxia—he felt that more strongly than ever now. He vowed that he wouldn’t give this spot up to anyone else. He couldn't give it up.

Reon strummed his guitar like he had been overwhelmed with emotion. Ryo’s base resonated pleasantly in the core. As much as he hated to admit it, Kenta’s guitar was…flawless.

The audience’s frenzy climbed to its apex. The band’s instruments melted perfectly together with Nayuta’s voice to give life to an unparalleled sound. Miyuki was entirely drunk on the sensation.

“Shinya…I’m sorry. No matter how hard you try, the position of Gyroaxia’s drummer belongs to me.”

He wouldn’t give it up to Shinya, or to anyone else.

“It’s me…Gyroaxia’s drummer is me!”

To make his declaration known, Miyuki hit his drums with strikes full of power.

“I’m totally beat…”

After their live show came to a close, Miyuki had found a place to lie down in their green room when a towel suddenly landed on his face.

“...Huh?”

Miyuki raised his head to find Nayuta looking back at him. He must have been the one who threw the towel at him then. Miyuki dried off his sweat, albeit puzzled by the strange gesture. The towel was a piece of merchandise Gyroaxia was selling in commemoration of their live, but it was surprisingly soft and absorbent.

“...Play a little better next time,” Nayuta said as he wiped off his own sweat and averted his gaze, “I don’t care what happens before a live show. I won’t tolerate a messy performance.”

Nayuta’s unforgiving comment caused Reon to bite back immediately.

“This stuff only happens because you go around making enemies!”

“...Don’t care”

As Reon loudly yelled his complaints at Nayuta, Miyuki felt slightly moved. It felt like…Nayuta throwing a towel at him was his own way of expressing his concern…but that could just be his imagination. Besides, that ‘next time’ Nayuta had mentioned meant that he’d been approved of as Gyroaxia’s drummer. He hoped that was the case. 

He knew that the character Nayuta had developed over the past seventeen years wouldn’t change overnight…but a force like Kenta that only further enabled that personality was out of the question.

Miyuki raised the towel in celebration and finally let out a laugh.

“Next time, I’ll show you a flawless performance.”

“Good.”

“But I’ve gotta say, I’m kinda worried about what happened today. Please try not to get on anyone else's bad side from now on. You’re our precious vocalist, and all,” Miyuki warned nonetheless. By no means did he expect an immediate change but every marathon begins with just a single step.

“Even if Nayuta is a king, he’ll still face danger. I’ll support him in those areas too, not just in music.”

After all, Kenta certainly wouldn’t.

In exchange for the towel, Miyuki threw a water bottle Nayuta’s way. A suspicious look flashed across Nayuta’s face before he gave in and gulped it all down in a single go. 

Kenta smiled faintly watching Nayuta drink the water that Miyuki had given him. It seemed that their drums had finally been stabilised. Now, they would be able to progress.

Gyroaxia’s rule had only just begun.

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[quickscaleup]

Best Ecommerce Website Designing Company in Patna

The website design is a really important tool for creating an appealing website that attracts users and customers. These ecommerce website designs represent your product, and what you are selling.

Thus, you need to make sure your website is relevant to the services you’re providing and can make a lasting impression.

Now, being said that, are you looking for some inspiration for your website designs? If yes, you’ve stumbled into the perfect solution, the website designing company in Patna, Quick Scaleup is your one-way stop. 

Ecommerce website designs 

The best ecommerce website design examples are those that can benefit you in boosting your sales and communicating with the brand and products. Some of the ecommerce website examples are the following,

Theseus is an online shoe store that promises customers the best online shopping experience. It has options such as shopping and return policy and even gives the users the opportunity to pay in installments.

Welly is a band aid campaign and website supplying catchy, funky, and aesthetic band aids. Children die for such cute band-aids and it comes with cute packaging too.  

Hebe’s website is mind blowing in terms of beauty. Its photography stands out compared to other websites. The high-quality photos ensure grabbing the customer’s attention and increasing the sales. 

Now, the ecommerce website examples in India are 

Amazon tops the ecommerce website list considering it is one of the country’s best ecommerce players since it rolled out in 2013. It has grown its market by covering everything from groceries to toys to furniture. 

Flipkart comes second on the list, always competing with Amazon in terms of quality and prices. It was founded in 2007, and is now acquired by Walmart. 

Meesho is a social commerce platform wherein the small business or merchants can deal with the users directly showcasing their products. 

Myntra is the one-stop online fashion destination that supplies with all the brands like Mango, H&M, Chemistry, Allen Solly etc. Myntra was acquired by Walmart making it a live commerce site with a lot of Indians depending on the site. 

OLX has products from cars to electronic goods and even real estate. People can buy or sell on this website according to their preferences. 

Snapdeal was a sinking company ready to be acquired by Flipkart in 2017. But, they did the needful surviving the takeover, and now focuses on products for fashion and home and personal care. 

Jio Mart is an online player that launched in 2020. It became known quickly in over 200 cities in India. 

Shopsy is a social commerce platform launched by flipkart. It’s a marketplace selling jewelry, grocery and home goods. 

Realme store is an online shopping site of the chinese smartphone brand realme. It even sells other electronic accessories.  

Mi store is another chinese smartphone brand Xiaomi selling mobile phones and other products. 

FirstCry is India’s shopping platform for baby products such as diapers, tous, cribs etc. Everything that can be termed a baby is being sold by them. 

Top 10 ecommerce websites 

The best ecommerce website design 2023 comprises of the following ecommerce website list and companies like 

Amazon tops as the world's best retailer and website designs. 

Ebay is the best marketplace with all the best features and products available. 

Aliexpress is the site offering the funkiest and catchy products with cheap prices. 

Walmart consists of an unlimited supply of organic products.

Wildberries is a popular Russian site known for clothes and household products. 

Ozon is like Russia’s Amazon, offering all kinds of products. 

Flipkart is an Indian ecommerce site dealing with all products like clothes, furniture, electronic devices. 

Samsung is the world's leader when it comes to electronics.

Etsy is another one of the popular sites specializing in handmade, vintage and unique goods. 

Rakuten is another one of the ecommerce sites dealing with cashback programmes.

The ecommerce website design templates that work well with any kind of website design such as apparel, fashion, jewelry or other ecommerce products. These templates create responsive, flexible and retainable online stores. Following is the list of best ecommerce website templates 

Pillowmart can be used for business purposes.

Capitalshop for fashion and accessories.

Fashi’s templates are available for fashion 

The Coza store is for business and ecommerce. 

eCommerce websites are the people’s go to sites for business and online shopping. People don’t like going around comparing products from shop to shop.

For such individuals, these websites are a piece of heaven.

To make sure that your website designs and products are appealing enough to the customers, you can take help from the website designing company, Quick Scaleup.

They have one of the best services available tailored to your customer’s needs.

[enarei]

it's funny because e-readers occupy this category of computer that currently fills a use case niche enough that not many people mind its limitations, but that statement is circular, people accept that this device will only ever be able to fill a small niche, in this case, serving as a compromise between a physical book and a full-blown tablet/computer w/ touchscreen, because there hasn't been any effort into expanding what that compromise means. and imo this sucks because it really limits the potential of people leveraging the things e-readers were originally touted for, namely the non-LCD screen and its relative robustness compared to a traditional smartphone.

part of it could be attributed to how the primary drawback of the screen technology only made it suitable for a few things smartphones didn't excel at around the same time, it became stagnant as something that solved a few problems (LCDs) with something that solved a lot of other problems with something else (desktops). despite a phone or a tablet being a lot more practical than a book, they're also inherently distracting to a lot of people, there's always a dozen apps running in the background, it rings, it flashes notifications, it vibrates, and of course, the screen causes eye-strain after long periods. e-readers were popularized as something that married the "dumbness" of paper, and the practicality of digital media, online connectivity, storage, weight, and so on. in its infancy, there was legitimately no point in making a device capable of handling complex media or applications that would make it more comparable in function to a smartphone or tablet, because the screen simply couldn't refresh quickly enough to display it. marketing those limitations as something that aligned it further to a real book made perfect sense, as if you tried to use it for anything else, you would be frustrated by its sluggishness, but more importantly, it helped to distinguish it further from things people already owned.

but like, 15 years on from when the first Kindle was released, the hardware limitations that might've prevented them from having some manner of flexibility that might've brought them closer to other mobile devices at the time, the ability to browse the web, or install third party applications, are mostly irrelevant. the relative uselessness of most e-readers is not because e-ink technology is still too finicky to make consuming anything other than ebooks a pleasant experience, but because the concept of the "e-reader" itself has shifted from a media device with a specialized screen, designed for document reading in general, to solely being an entry-point to a particular storefront.

(like, I realize the tone of this may sound almost conspirational, but consider the first e-readers also doubled as music players. sure, the resolution was SHIT, but they often had more features than what is available today, more than two decades later! it would only be more recently that them being "dumb"/exclusively capable of one thing would be touted as a feature.)

even if more people might be interested in the devices themselves if they were capable of more, say, downloading manga scanlations, reading dynasty-scans without hassle (telling that this is the demographic I first think of), if they allowed more user freedom, easier connectivity and means to fetch files from the internet; treating it more like an actual computer, which it is, might harm long term sales on the proprietary storefront. to Amazon, which practically holds a monopoly on e-readers, the Kindle is a medium for selling books, it doesn't need to be capable of any more than that, the user interface being incredibly anemic, the browser still being experimental after a decade, the inability to export highlights, the laughable epub/cbz support, these are conscious design choices, rather than technical compromises. and they unfortunately exert enough influence on the concept of what an e-reader is supposed to provide that the drawbacks of using Kindles for reading comics, PDFs, or other non-DRM documents aren't apparent for most people, and this is reflected in nearly every other manufacturer (Kobo is barely better)

and it doesn't have to be that way. obviously. obviously this is the point of the post. e-ink is such a cool technology. there are android based e-ink tablets but they cost like $600 dollars for no reason. but more importantly, a middle ground between a full-blown android OS and a lightweight linux interface that doesn't suck is totally possible. please hack your Kindle if you can. install Koreader. read yuri doujin for hours without getting headaches. do it now.

[puddingthestar-pts]

So my dear undertale fandom

Here we have some of my art from puddingtale Charakters 🫶

The stars of neutrality

Thier leader well pudding pudding was firstly an OC and the guardian of kindness/friendship but than I found some drafts from _____ which was an old AU of mine started in 2017 and pudding became an Charakter of mine AU the name is well pudding because it fristly was an OC and I was to lazy to make a new name I think I'm going to post thier lore and disinge from the past on a extra post

(if I only knew how to underline things so they can get ya to an ohter post)

Thier Co leader the sans version I used to give him the nick facey but now I think it is very uh- stupid and so In his jacket pocket (chest) he has always a pen for what ever reason i'm thinking about making his short longer and/or grey

Rippy our papyrus version Their youngest member here i'm Not sure whit the disinge clothes but whit the accessories except for the gloves he well manages to be rude and mean at the same time because When I focused on creating him I always felt sad and happy,mean and nice,tall and short and popular and unpopular at the same time

And here we have handy the Mufft version Yes I want to change that name because handy already is a word and a word in my languge that means mobile phone,this mufft Version is light blue because of the line "why so blue dear" in spider dance she also has scars and ohter than ut mufft, Puddingtale mufft has a puplic cafe and has 6 cats that are based on Minecraft cats,for which she takes care of, puddingtale mufft got the lowest rang in this team because pudding didn't Likes her in the begin The tukise ribbon is there because handy is very Patient Compared to some of my other Charakters I'm pretty unsure on the disinge but for the colors I want that colors

Here we have An ancestor of puddingtale muffet I didn't thought much about the dinsge since I did It quik for my comic

Here we have nai the river of Relationships nai actualy has long black hair whit grey,pink and green akzents this akzents she has all over her body/clothes she has no legs and actualy No physcal from after end of comic one later she has a physcal from again and also legs

If someone wants to draw them there is one rule

Do not cover/delet the pudding part!

[sohailmastan]

Digital Marketing Tools

Digital marketing: What Is It? The use of digital channels to promote goods and services to customers is referred to as "digital marketing." Websites, mobile devices, social media, search engines, and other channels with a similar function are used in this kind of marketing. With the introduction of the internet in the 1990s, digital marketing gained popularity.

Emblix Acedemy is the best training institute and provides best Digital Marketing Tools to get professional.

Digital marketing is frequently seen as an additional strategy by businesses to reach customers and comprehend their behaviour. It has some of the same ideas as traditional marketing. Traditional and digital marketing strategies are frequently combined by businesses. However, unconscious prejudice is one of the unique issues that face digital marketing.

KEY LESSONS Marketing to consumers via digital channels, including as websites, mobile apps, and social media platforms, is known as digital marketing.

Internet marketing, which only takes place on websites, is distinct from this type of marketing.

Digital marketing deals with luring clients using email, content marketing, search engines, social media, and other channels. How to stand out in a world that is overrun with digital marketing advertisements is one of the main issues that digital marketers confront.

Implicit bias is one of several problems with digital marketing.

How Does Digital Marketing Function? Marketing is the term used to describe the activities a business engages in to advertise its goods and services and increase its market share. It takes a mix of sales prowess, advertising knowledge, and the capacity to deliver items to end customers in order to be successful. Marketers are experts who perform these duties either internally at businesses or externally at marketing agencies.

Traditionally, businesses concentrated their marketing efforts on print, television, and radio. These choices are still available, but the internet caused a change in how businesses interact with their customers. Digital marketing became useful in this situation. Websites, social media, search engines, and apps—anything that combines marketing with consumer feedback or a two-way connection between the business and its customers—are all used in this type of marketing.

Companies were driven to alter their marketing tactics by emerging technologies and trends. In the early years of digital marketing, email rose to become a common marketing technique. The focus switched to search engines like Netscape at that point, which enabled companies to tag and keyword products to stand out. Companies are now able to track data and respond to consumer trends because to the growth of websites like Facebook.

Nowadays, businesses can sell themselves, their goods and services, and themselves to consumers more easily thanks to smartphones and other digital gadgets. People prefer utilising their phones to access the internet, according to studies. In fact, a Pew Research Centre research found that more than 75% of American adults frequently use their phones when shopping.

1) Interactive digital marketing is frequently utilised to target particular client base groups. Receivers and Sources Advertisers are frequently referred to as sources, and the people who get customised advertisements are known as receivers. As McDonald's did with shift workers and travellers, sources frequently target very particular, well defined receivers.

The business used digital advertisements since it was aware that these customers constituted a sizable portion of its late-night business and used digital gadgets. McDonald's targeted them with adverts displayed at automated teller machines (ATMs), petrol stations, and websites that its consumers frequently visited, encouraging them to download the Restaurant Finder app.

Channel Types for Digital Marketing

As previously mentioned, print (newspapers and magazines) and broadcast (TV and radio) advertisements were the traditional methods of marketing. These channels are still in use today and still exist. Digital marketing platforms have changed and are still changing. The eight most popular digital channels that businesses can use to strengthen their marketing efforts are listed below. Remember that certain businesses could employ many channels in their endeavours.

Website Promotion

All digital marketing efforts revolve around a website. It is a very effective channel on its own, but it also serves as the platform for a number of different web marketing efforts. A website ought to convey a brand, a product, and a service in an understandable and memorable manner. It should be quick, simple, and mobile-friendly.

Paid-Per-Click Promotion

Paid advertisements can be used by marketers to target internet users on a variety of digital platforms thanks to pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. Advertisements for goods and services can be displayed to users who are conducting searches on Google, Bing, LinkedIn, X platform (formerly Twitter), Pinterest, and Facebook using PPC campaigns set up by marketers.

These ads can target users specifically based on their hobbies or geography, or segment users based on demographic traits (including age or gender). The two most widely used PPC systems are Google Ads and Facebook Ads.

Content Promotion

Reaching potential customers by using content that appeals to them is the aim of content marketing. The typical process for promoting content is to publish it on a website and then use social media, email marketing, search engine optimisation, or even pay-per-click campaigns. Blogs, ebooks, online courses, infographics, podcasts, and webinars are some of the content marketing tools.

Email Promotion

One of the most successful digital marketing methods is still email marketing. Email marketing is not the same as spam email, despite the fact that many people think it is. Companies can connect with prospective customers and anybody else interested in their brands and products with this sort of marketing.

Many digital marketers add leads to their email lists using all other digital marketing methods. They then develop client acquisition funnels employing email marketing to convert those prospects into paying customers.

Use of social media

A social media marketing campaign's main objectives are to increase brand recognition and foster interpersonal trust. As you learn more about social media marketing, you can employ it as a channel for direct marketing or sales as well as lead generation. Twitter and promoted posts are two instances of social media marketing.

Affiliate Promotion

One of the earliest types of marketing is affiliate marketing, and the internet has given it new life. Influencers who use affiliate marketing to promote other people's products are paid every time a lead or sale is generated. Millions of dollars are paid out each month to websites that sell products from numerous well-known corporations, including Amazon, through their affiliate programmes.

Video Advertising

One of the most well-known search engines in the world is YouTube. Before making a purchase decision, many internet users visit YouTube to learn something new, read a review, or just to unwind.

To launch a video marketing campaign, marketers can choose from a variety of platforms, such as Facebook Videos, Instagram, and TikTok. Integrating video into SEO, content marketing, and more extensive social media marketing efforts helps businesses use it most effectively.

Text Messages

Companies and nonprofit organisations use text messaging, also known as SMS or short message service, to tell clients about upcoming sales or to provide them with possibilities. SMS marketing campaigns are another tool used by candidates for political office to promote their platforms. With the development of technology, many text-to-give initiatives now enable donors to make a direct payment or contribution by sending a short text message.

Digital marketing is distinct from internet marketing. Digital marketing can occur through mobile devices, on a tube platform, in a video game, or through a smartphone app. Internet marketing is advertising that only appears online.

Digital marketing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

It's important to keep in mind that key performance indicators (KPIs) are used by digital marketers just like they are by traditional marketers. KPIs are quantitative means for businesses to assess the effectiveness of their marketing over the long term and gauge how they stack up against the competition. Corporate plans, financial objectives and successes, operational activities, and even marketing efforts are all areas that can be measured.

Some of the most popular KPIs that marketers can utilise to assist businesses in achieving their objectives include the following:

Blog Posts: This KPI can be used by marketers to determine how frequently a business publishes blog posts each month.

Clickthrough Rates: Businesses can use this KPI to determine how many email deliveries result in clicks. This covers the quantity of recipients who open emails and click links to complete transactions.

Conversion Rate: This metric concentrates on call-to-action marketing campaigns. These initiatives solicit people to take specific activities, including making a purchase of a good or service prior to the expiration of a deal. By dividing the total number of requests made by the number of successful engagements, businesses may calculate the conversion rate.

Social media traffic measures the volume of interactions with business social media pages. Likes, following, views, shares, and/or other quantifiable activities are included.

Website Traffic: Marketers can monitor how many people visit a company's website using this indicator. This data can be used by corporate management to determine whether the layout and style of the website influence sales.

Challenges in Digital Marketing

For its practitioners, digital marketing presents unique difficulties. Digital marketers must stay current with how these channels operate and how users interact with them as they proliferate quickly. To effectively sell their goods or services, marketers must be knowledgeable on how to leverage various channels.

Because recipients are being overwhelmed with more and more competing advertisements, it is getting harder to hold their attention. It can be difficult for digital marketers to analyse the enormous amounts of data they collect and then use that data to create fresh marketing initiatives.

The difficulty of properly acquiring and utilising data emphasises the need for a marketing strategy based on a thorough comprehension of customer behaviour in digital marketing. For instance, it can be necessary for a business to employ various methods, such as website heatmaps, in order to understand the customer journey and emerging patterns of consumer behaviour.

Even when marketers and businesses take every precaution to prevent it, implicit bias still manages to find its way into digital marketing. The term "implicit bias" describes attitudes and preconceptions that are formed unconsciously.

Algorithms are crucial when businesses create their marketing plans since they form the basis of digital marketing. These algorithms are frequently developed with the goal of being objective. However, the outcome isn't always what was intended.

This is thus because different people, such as engineers, developers, data scientists, and marketers, all of whom have implicit biases, code algorithms. This implies that they might unintentionally programme, input, and modify data.

Even adding stock images or videos to a campaign can introduce implicit bias. Companies could accidentally utilise photographs and films of heterosexual White people while ignoring Black people, Native Americans, and people of other colours, as well as persons with varied body forms and abilities.

A digital marketing agency: What Is It?

A company that specialises solely in marketing to consumers via digital platforms is known as a digital marketing agency. This include developing and implementing campaigns for business clients across a variety of platforms, including social media, pay-per-click marketing, videos, and websites.

What Does SEO Mean in Online Marketing?

Companies can use search engine optimisation (SEO) to drive more traffic to their websites with the aim of having their names and websites appear at the top of any search results page. This can happen while using editorially chosen or organic search results. Companies' names and websites are more visible to customers when SEO is successfully integrated into their digital marketing plans.

Internet marketing: What Is It?

Any form of marketing that only occurs online is referred to as internet marketing. This indicates that it only appears on websites. It is distinct from digital marketing, which also encompasses internet marketing, social media marketing, and mobile app marketing. Mobile phones, digital gadgets, and other platforms can all be used for these marketing campaigns.

Why Should I Work in Digital Marketing?

Along with data analytics and social media expertise, digital marketers need to have good writing abilities. For the majority of jobs in digital marketing, a bachelor's degree is required. These jobs can be found in business-related fields like marketing or closely connected ones like communications. You might also choose to enrol in bootcamps or courses for digital marketing. Additionally, it may be beneficial to complete an internship while still a student.

[stillunusual]

Small Axe (issue #1) YEAR: 1978 CREATED BY: Ray Hurford LOCATION: London SIZE: A5 WHAT'S INSIDE.... Small Axe was a zine created by Ray Hurford in 1978 with the aim of promoting reggae music, and the first issue features lengthy articles about Gregory Isaacs and Augustus Pablo, as well as reviews of recent releases by Bob Andy, Enos McCloud, Ken Boothe, The Heptones and The Meditations. The Augustus Pablo article raves about the groundbreaking "King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown" album (produced by Pablo and engineered by the legendary King Tubby in Tubby’s own studio), which was released in 1976. I can still remember hearing the title track for the first time on John Peel's evening show on BBC Radio 1 all those years ago, and decades later I still use a sample of it as the ringtone on my mobile phone.... Using very basic equipment, Jamaican dub pioneers like King Tubby, Lee Perry, Errol Thompson and others somehow managed to invent the art of remixing by deconstructing existing reggae tracks - stripping out most of the vocals, boosting the bass and drums, applying echo and reverb, bringing individual instruments in and out of the mix and sometimes adding various sound effects on top. These dub “versions” initially just appeared on the B sides of reggae singles - for example, "King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown" was originally the B side of a single by Jacob Miller (featuring Augustus Pablo’s Rockers Allstars) and is King Tubby’s masterful remix of the song on the A side, which is called "Baby I Love You So". However, dub soon became a vibrant sub-genre of reggae in its own right, and by turning their mixing desks into instruments, King Tubby and his peers also became artists in their own right. Removing most of the vocals meant that DJs could talk and sing over the B sides of popular tracks – adding their own unique take on the song - which led to the rise of what became known as “toasting”.  To say that dub has been a big influence on hip hop, techno, EDM, drum & bass, trip hop, dubstep and other genres of music would be an understatement.... Back in the late 1970s there was also a natural affinity between reggae and punk rock. Bands like The Clash, The Ruts, The Slits and Stiff Little Fingers played reggae covers or incorporated elements of reggae into their sound (with varying success) and when London’s first punk venue, The Roxy, opened in December 1976, house DJ Don Letts mainly played dub and roots reggae records in between band sets. From 1976 onwards, the Rock Against Racism organisation promoted gigs, carnivals and national tours all across the UK that featured punk, post-punk, reggae and ska bands, and brought black and white musicians and fans together with the explicit aim of discouraging young people from embracing racism. Bob Marley even wrote a song called "Punky Reggae Party".... On the other hand, issue #1 of Small Axe also includes some scathing criticism of the BBC for its lack of coverage of reggae. It was very rare to hear reggae - or punk - records during prime time, even though John Peel did play a significant role in popularising both genres. Another source of discontent was that reggae records were mainly sold via specialist shops and often didn't make it into the BBC's official music charts even when they sold more copies than some of the records that did. And as the punk rock explosion inspired the creation of independent record labels, shops and distribution channels, the same became true of many punk, post-punk and indie records. Click on the title above to see scans of all the zine's pages.... Ray kept the zine going until the late 1980s. Issue #11 (which also features a lengthy article about Gregory Isaacs) is in my box of 1980s fanzines. my box of 1970s fanzines flickr

[debong29]

“REMEMBER”

BY DAVE AERON D. PILOTIN

A transitive verb that can be used in a variety of contexts. An eight-letter word, a simple word with a profound meaning, has changed the way I think. Many of those things are about the two years I couldn't leave the house to try new things because of the lockdown. I am not yet ready to forget all of the memories, whether positive or negative, that have occurred over the last two years and still remember every significant event that has happened during that time. As a result, I'll be here, taking my time as I go over everything I can remember.

Remember is to keep a piece of information in your memory, a verb. For the first few months, I was in denial; I was scared, alarmed, and upset. I was alarmed because I had no idea how serious COVID-19 was, until the lockdown took place. I was scared because I was concerned about how long the pandemic would last and whether we would survive it or not. Finally, I was upset that the lockdown would prevent me from doing what I enjoy. Basketball is my all-time favorite sport. Basketball is like a safety blanket to me. I treat it as my best friend, whom will never abandon me or judge me. When I'm playing basketball, I feel like I don't have to care about anyone else but just shoot the balls in the ring, as if every ounce of stress coursing through my veins is instantly released.

But I lost hope as a result of the pandemic's lockdowns and restrictions. I assumed that having that feeling while playing basketball would not occur for a long time, and that most people, especially those who are not athletic, would not understand my desire for basketball. Those times when I couldn't walk straight or stand because my legs and body were so tired from playing, or when I was desperate to catch my breath because of all the running and sprinting inside the court, or even when I'd rather play on the court than hang out with my friends. I miss it, I miss being free.

Remembering all of my Basketball memories makes me feel so many different emotions; it's a rollercoaster ride. It makes me happy to remember those days, but it also makes me frustrated. I was at my peak. I worked twice as hard to be a good basketball player, and I was doing well and playing better than everyone else until the pandemic struck. Why did the world have to be so cruel? I was back... to zero once again.

I did a lot of things to keep myself busy because there is nothing I can do to escape the chaos that is happening in the world, and I believe that the least I can do is not be a liability, especially to my parents. I try my hardest to help my parents at home, such as doing every chore they assign me, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't swallowed deep in my mobile phone. I downloaded almost all of the popular online games, such as Mobile Legends and Call of Duty Mobile. I even became addicted to those games because they were the only way I could entertain myself since I couldn't go out and hang out with my friends, which made me remember something, how me and my friends used to spent most of our allowance playing in a computer shop with a keyboard and mouse that weren't really for gaming, headphones that smelled like sweat mixed with rotten eggs, and a laggy monitor, it was indeed the good days before the pandemic.

Looking back on the two years of quarantine due to the pandemic, I realized how much I had grown and how much I had come to enjoy things that I used to find ridiculous. It was loving your own company; I never imagined that having your own business would change everything. It was like a drug; using it can have life-changing effects and is highly addictive. Learning to enjoy your own company can help you recharge your mental and social energy after a long day; it gave me more confidence than ever and made me stop listening to other people's inappropriate comments about myself because I know myself better than anyone else.

When I looked at my girlfriend, I was reminded of something. It's as if I'm in a romantic cringe movie where the guy spends most of his time annoying his crush and his crush is always getting mad at him, which is funny because that's exactly how we are. I used to look forward to going to school because I knew I'd see her, even though she's so annoyed by me that just hearing my name and voice makes her blood boil. Moving on, despite the fact that so many negative things happened in my life during the lockdown, it gave me the opportunity to be closer to her. We began playing online games together and, over time, we became good friends. She was there for me when I needed a shoulder to cry on, a rant buddy, and someone I could go to for help, especially with school activities. Although I hadn't had much experience with girls, I realized that they are like a broken stoplight, where the red light is on but also the orange and green lights are on. My girlfriend is an enigma; the way she thinks and moves has always been a puzzle to me; it's always unexpected, but I don't mind because I love puzzles and her. I know she always has good intentions.

Ala-ala. It's one of my favorite Filipino words, though I'm not sure why; perhaps it's because of how you say it? Or perhaps because of its deep meaning, which meant to remember. I used to dislike remembering, especially memories, because I believe there's no point in going back on something that's already happened because you can't change it anyway, but as I was writing my kabataan essay, an idea just popped in my head. Remembering isn't always a bad thing; it's a part of who you are. Maybe every experience is a lesson, but sometimes if you don't want it to be a lesson, then don't, but never forget because, as I said, it is part of who you are, so laugh, cry, be angry at the memories you could remember, even the memories of you making dumb decisions because we are human, we will always remember things, even the shameful and bad ones, it's not a switch that you can just pick the good ones and forget all your bad ones.

[oral-history]

WHY AUDIO NEVER GOES VIRAL Is This Thing On? (One of the Best Pieces Ever)

Stan Alcorn

· Jan 15, 2014

With a community of creators uncomfortable with the value of virality, an audience content to watch grainy dashcam videos, and platforms that discourage sharing, is a hit-machine for audio possible? And is it something anyone even wants?

Skip Dolphin Hursh

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Last October, several dozen audiophiles gathered in a basement auditorium for an all-day conference about “the future of radio in a digital age.” Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian finished a talk he’s been giving to college campuses about the Internet and the transformative power it can unleash when it mobilizes a mass of people around an idea, a video, a website, a tweet. When he took questions, I asked: Why does the Internet so rarely mobilize around audio? What would it take to put audio on the Reddit front page?

Ohanian leaned back, contemplating the question, apparently for the first time. “That’s interesting,” he said. “I’m thinking of a lot of the viral content.” You could practically see the memes and GIFs pass across his brain. He started to point out that most viral videos are under three minutes, while the best audio storytelling was usually longer, but interrupted himself with a story about Upworthy.

When the founders pitched him on their plan — to make “socially good content” “go viral” — Ohanian invested “out of passion,” not because he thought it would work. Now Upworthy is one of the fastest growing media properties on the Internet. Sure, sound may not go viral today, but Ohanian is optimistic. “Probably someone here in the audience is going to show us all wrong,” he said, “and a year from now we’re going to look at the Upworthy for audio."

“So go make it.”

Easier said than done.

Cat Video Vs. The Cat’s Meow

Bianca Giaever has always been obsessed with radio. As a child, while she biked her newspaper delivery route, she listened to an iPod loaded exclusively with episodes of WBEZ’s “This American Life.” At Middlebury College, she stalked her classmates, dragging them to her dorm room to record interviews she edited into stories for the college station and smaller audiences online. “I was fully planning on working in radio,” she says. “My whole life.” That is until, the day after graduation, she became a viral video star.

When she painstakingly crafted moving audio narratives, her parents and brother listened. When she added video to her final college project, “The Scared is Scared” — a 6-year-old’s dream movie brought to life — “It just. Blew. Up.”

“At first I was like, ‘Wow. A lot of people are sharing this on Facebook,’” she recalls thinking, “‘I have such nice friends!’” Then it was friends of friends. Then strangers. By the time websites like Mashable and CBS News picked it up, she could only picture the audience as a number. Waiting on the tarmac for her post-grad vacation to begin, she watched on her phone as that number spiked into the thousands, then hundreds of thousands, seemingly crashing the site that hosted it. “These French people were yelling — because I had my phone on as we were taking off — that I was going to kill them,” she recalls. “They were like, ‘Is whatever you’re doing worth our possible death?’ And I was like, ‘Maybe? This is the biggest thing that’s happened in my life!’”

Of the 100 most-shared news articles on Facebook, three were from NPR, but none included audio. Two of these were reblogs of YouTube videos.

I’m a public radio reporter and this doesn’t happen in my milieu. There is no Google Sound, no BuzzFeed for audio, no obvious equivalent of Gangnam Style, Grumpy Cat or Doge. If you define “viral” as popularity achieved through social sharing, and audio as sound other than music, even radio stations’ most viral content isn’t audio — it’s video. A 17-minute video interview with Miley Cyrus at Hot 97 has nearly 2 million views. An off-the-rails BBC Radio 1 video interview with Mila Kunis: more than 12 million. In June 2013, the list of the 100 most-shared news articles on Facebook included three from NPR, but none included audio. Two of these stories were reblogs of YouTube videos (this one and this one), found on Gawker and Reddit.

“Audio never goes viral,” writes radio and podcast producer Nate DiMeo. “If you posted the most incredible story — literally, the most incredible story that has ever been told since people have had the ability to tell stories, it will never, ever get as many hits as a video of a cat with a moustache.”

It’s hardly a fair fight, audio vs. cat video, but it’s the one that’s fought on Facebook every day. DiMeo’s glum conclusion is an exaggeration of what Giaever reads as the moral of her own story: “People will watch a bad video more than [they will listen to] good audio,” she says.

Those in the Internet audio business tend to give two explanations for this disparity. “The greatest reason is structural,” says Jesse Thorn, who hosts a public radio show called “Bullseye” and runs a podcast network called Maximum Fun. “Audio usage takes place while you’re doing something else.” You can listen while you drive or do the dishes, an insuperable competitive advantage over text or video, which transforms into a disadvantage when it comes to sharing the listening experience with anyone out of earshot. “When you’re driving a car, you’re not going to share anything,” says Thorn.

The second explanation is that you can’t skim sound. An instant of video is a still, a window into the action that you can drag through time at will. An instant of audio, on the other hand, is nothing. “If I send someone an article, if they see the headline and read a few things, they know what I want them to know,” a sound artist and radio producer told me. “If I send someone audio, they have to, like… listen to it.” It’s a lot to ask of an Internet audience.

For some radio makers, social media incompatibility is a sign of countercultural vitality. Thorn has called his own work “anti-viral,” and believes that entertaining his niche audience is “still so much better than making things that convince aunts to forward them to each other.”

“That’s A-U-N-T-S,” he clarifies.

But when I suggest the situation doesn’t seem to concern him, he interrupts, “To say that it doesn’t concern me — it concerns me profoundly. I think about it all the time.” In his view, social media warps our consumption patterns, and not for the better. “It’s a serious problem in my life. And not just in my media-making life, in my day-to-day life.”

After Giaever’s video went viral, she turned down an internship at “This American Life” — “my dream since I was nine” — to become a “filmmaker in residence” for Adobe. She gets paid to make her own movies, which she still approaches as radio stories with added visuals. It’s the proven way to get people on the Internet to listen. “The entire concept of what I’m doing seems problematic to me,” she says. “What’s so beautiful about radio is you can’t compete with what people are imagining in their heads, right? And yet I still continue to do it.”

Because audio doesn’t go viral.

Except that sometimes, it does.

Kids Say The Darndest Things

Most viral audio wasn’t intended for the Internet. Recordings made for some other purpose are excerpted and uploaded: voicemails, speeches, and calls to 911 and customer service hotlines.

One category of viral audio is the document, bits of audio that serve as evidence in a news story. It’s easy to imagine text transcripts being distributed in audio’s absence: Bradley Manning’s testimony, the 911 calls of the Trayvon Martin case, Obama’s oft-quoted “clinging to guns and religion.” The primary advantage of audio over text is that it lets the listener confirm a quote with her own ears and determine if meaning is altered by nuances of emphasis or emotion.

Another category of viral audio is the rant or comic diatribe, where emphasis and emotion are the entire point. For instance, an irate San Francisco Chronicle reader chewing out the editor for referring to a “pilotless drone,” or a voicemail becomes an increasingly laugh-filled narration of the aftermath of a car crash. A transcript of these would be like lyrics without a melody.

Somewhere in between these two is a subcategory that could be called “celebrities gone wild”: Alec Baldwin cursing out his 11-year-old daughter, Christian Bale cursing out his director of photography, Mel Gibson cursing out his ex-girlfriend, etc.

These brief, emotional, sometimes-newsworthy clips of people speaking have cousins in viral video. In fact, the two are sometimes difficult to distinguish. Mitt Romney’s infamous “47% comment” was captured and distributed as a video featuring blurry donors’ backs. A recent viral “video” titled, “Potty Talk! [Original] 3 year old contemplates the effects of his diet on the toilet” is merely a shaky shot of a bathroom door. When documenting a primarily auditory event from the vantage point of a single recording device, adding a video camera to the microphone gives slightly more information, and the advantage of keeping the eyes occupied.

But these amateur, one-shot videos are a small and shrinking section of the viral video pool. “We’re seeing a lot more professional work in [the viral video] space, and I don’t just mean advertisers,” says YouTube trends manager Kevin Allocca. The “top trending videos” of 2013 were all intentionally shot and edited for an Internet audience: music videos (“What Does The Fox Say?”) and ads (Volvo’s “epic split” with Jean-Claude Van Damme) but also low-budget productions like the Norwegian army’s “Harlem Shake.” They all have had over 90 million views.

Analogous audio — deliberately constructed and virally distributed — is a rarer and more recent phenomenon.

Ask a public radio journalist for an example of viral audio, and one piece comes up again and again: “Two Little Girls Explain The Worst Haircut Ever.” It’s two minutes and fifty seven seconds of cute, as five-year-old Sadie and three-year-old Eva tell the story of an ill-advised haircut to their patient interviewer and father, WNPR reporter Jeff Cohen. For public radio, Cohen has covered gangs, unemployment, and the aftermath of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school. He won a magazine writing award for a story in the Hartford Courant about Connecticut’s first Iraq war widow.

“I’ve done a lot of work as a reporter that I’m pretty proud of,” he says. “I will never be recognized for anything for the rest of my life, except for this.”

It, too, resembles a viral video: it’s short, self-contained and driven by cute children. But not only does it lack any images of said children, it isn’t a straightforward record of what unfolded in front of the microphone. Cohen recorded two interviews, one with each daughter, and then carefully edited them into a fast-paced, seamless whole. Unlike Alec Baldwin’s voicemail, “Two Little Girls” is a showcase of audio’s power to create what appears to be an unedited version of reality, but is in fact a tightly constructed story, with a beginning, middle and end.

To explain why millions of people have listened to “Two Little Girls” — and why this is still so exceptional — you have to look at its convoluted path to fame.

What We Mean When We Talk About ‘Viral’

Taken literally, “viral” brings to mind an infectious agent bumping around inside its host, spreading accidentally by breath or touch. When “viral marketing” emerged in the 1990s, the medical referent was apt. The disease vector typically took the form of email and “virals” — as such ads were then called — that lived in the inbox. Invisible to the wider world, they spread from individual to individual, as when Hotmail stuck a sign-up ad beneath its users’ signatures. Or when the movie “American Psycho” sent compulsively forwardable emails from its psychotic main character, Patrick Bateman.

Today, those seeking to “go viral” have the same essential goal — to increase their audience by reaching the audience’s audience (and their audience, ad infinitum) — but the web has changed beyond the dynamics of disease transmission. Instead of invisible, one-to-one emails, today’s Internet infections spread by a cascade of publicly visible, one-to-many “likes,” “shares,” “tweets,” and “reblogs,” accelerated and amplified by an expanding web publishing industry. “Sharing” implies a deliberate effort, but social media sharing skews toward a mix of self-representation and what Tumblr creative technologist Max Sebela refers to as “speaking in content”: You might share Rebecca Black’s “Friday,” not because you want people to watch the video, but to make a joke about the fact that today is Friday.

“How does it happen,” YouTube’s Kevin Allocca asked in a 2011 speech called “Why Videos Go Viral.” “Three things: tastemakers, communities of participation, and unexpectedness.”

Tastemakers are like virus broadcasters, picking up outstanding, or “unexpected,” Internet phenomena that might otherwise never spread beyond their initial communities, and spraying their spores onto larger followings.

For Cohen’s “Two Little Girls,” the key tastemaker, without whom it may well have languished in Internet obscurity, was Gawker’s Neetzan Zimmerman. (Note: I spoke with Zimmerman before he announced his plans to leave Gawker to become editor-in-chief of a social network startup called Whisper.)

Zimmerman is the closest thing to a one-man embodiment of what he calls “the viral industry.” When Gawker hired him in early 2012, his boss A.J. Daulerio approvingly called him, “a total freak” for his ability to methodically scour the corners of the Internet for the video, memes, and Internet ephemera that would grow to popularity after being seeded with Gawker’s audience. “Before I used to do basically 20 hours a day,” Zimmerman says. “Now there’s a night shift, so I don’t have to worry as much.” In the last three months of 2013, his posts were responsible for more than half of Gawker’s pageviews and two thirds of the site’s unique visitors — nearly 40 million in total — according to Gawker’s public stats. For comparison, that’s more than 1/3 of the traffic of the entire the New York Times website.

Zimmerman’s work is a more extreme version of the new, upside-down dynamic of web publishing. Instead of the publisher’s megaphone guaranteeing its articles an audience, the publisher only has an audience insofar as the articles “go viral.” Tens of thousands of readers see most of the dozen items Zimmerman posts each day, but millions see his blockbusters.

For those hits, the content and the clickbait headline are as important as the timing. He describes “going viral” like surfing: boarding a wave at the earliest possible point. “You don’t want to wait too long because you’ll miss that initial cresting,” he says. “It’s a race against everyone else.”

Zimmerman chooses what to cover by scanning for signs of that wave rather than looking deeply at the constituent molecules of content. “The way the system works is I keep a mental note of instances of occurrence on a certain tier of sites,” he says. This lets him identify “viral momentum,” even when his personal judgment might suggest otherwise. “The purpose of the system is to override my biases and to override whatever personal feelings I have.”

Sometimes this lets Zimmerman not only beat the competition, but also popularize something that might otherwise never bubble into the mainstream from a less-trafficked corner of the Internet. But the system — Zimmerman’s and that of the “viral industry” more generally — has an obvious bias of its own toward content that is already being shared on the Internet.

For Bianca Giaever’s “Scared” video, first college and radio friends shared it on Facebook, then Vimeo made it a “staff pick,” then major media websites like CBS News, BuzzFeed, Jezebel and Mashable blogged about it. Within three days, hundreds of thousands were watching.

For Cohen, it took four months, and a lot of luck.

‘Invisible As the Radio Waves Themselves’

Jeff Cohen had interviewed his daughters many times, in the same way other fathers shoot home videos. “I’m sappy that way,” he says. But he thought enough of the haircut piece to play it for colleagues at the radio station. “It was about five minutes long, and my boss and friends said, ‘Cut it down to three minutes and put it on PRX.’”

PRX is the Public Radio Exchange, and as the name suggests, its website is a marketplace where station managers shop for stories. After Cohen uploaded his new, tighter version of “Two Little Girls” in February of 2012, it was discovered and licensed by a handful of local stations: KOSU in central Oklahoma, KUT in west Texas, KSJD in southwest Colorado.

But to the Internet, all this was invisible as the radio waves themselves. “PRX is designed as a business-to-business marketplace,” says PRX CEO Jake Shapiro. “We’re not designed for listeners… yet.”

The circuitous route that “Two Little Girls” took to Gawker didn’t start with PRX, but at a monthly event called “Ear Cave” hosted by one of Cohen’s colleagues at a coffee shop in Hartford, Connecticut. “I call it BYOB, BYOE,” says the event’s creator Catie Talarski. “Bring Your Own Beer, Bring Your Own Ear.” She dims the lights, sets up chairs, and projects a photograph of an old radio, so the audience has something to look at while a chosen curator presses play on a laptop. That April, “Two Little Girls” was the grand finale.

“It was just a huge hit,” recalls Adam Prizio, an insurance auditor who was in the audience that night. Two months later, Prizio, with the voices of Eva and Sadie bouncing around his head, decided to google it. Finding the audio on PRX, he posted a link to community blog MetaFilter, with no description other than a mysterious quote (“It happens three times in every life. Or twice. Or once.”) and the categorization “SLAudio,” a riff on “SLYT” (Single Link YouTube).

Overnight, the comments swelled. “Amazing.” “Adorable.” “Better than the Car Guys.” “OH MY GOD THIS IS FUCKING BALLER.” There were fewer comments than a link published ten minutes later — “Fundamentalist Christian schools in Louisiana will soon be citing the existence of the Loch Ness monster as proof that evolution is a myth” — but they were comments of single-minded delight. The next morning, Zimmerman saw the thread in his morning Internet regimen, and within an hour had put up his own post that would go on to gather some 1.3 million views entitled, “Public Radio Reporter Interviews His Two Little Girls After One Gives the Other the ‘Worst Haircut Ever.’”

“It didn’t really matter that it was audio,” says Zimmerman. “It was more about how it was being received online.”

In one sense, it followed the same trajectory as all viral content, or what YouTube’s Kevin Allocca has defined as a combination of “community participation” and “tastemakers.” Something becomes popular in a niche community, whose public enthusiasm attracts the notice of a tastemaker, who then repackages it to suit a larger audience, where the entire process repeats on a larger scale.

But really “Two Little Girls” succeeded in spite of its immediate community. Cohen first had to be convinced to put it online at all, and even then it was on a website searched only by public radio station managers. While Cohen says it made the rounds of his Facebook friends, it only took off after audio enthusiasts heard it at a coffee shop.

Compared to other media, even young, tech-savvy audiophiles are less likely to share audio on a weekly basis, and when they do, they’re more likely to use email instead of social media.

The barriers that nearly blocked “Two Little Girls” from finding a larger audience are a mix of culture and technology. While home videos make the leap to YouTube all the time, audio makers tend to keep their scraps to themselves. When I took an unscientific poll (n=60), it backed up what I heard anecdotally: Compared to other media, even young, tech-savvy audiophiles are less likely to share audio on a weekly basis, and when they do, they’re more likely to use email instead of social media.

Several echoed the sentiment of occasional radio producer Laura Griffin, who said, “I tend to assume that most people don’t have the same patience and appreciation for audio that I do, so I am selective about what audio I share and with whom.”

Others pointed to technological limitations. The files themselves are large and often forbid downloading. Audio-hosting websites employ an inconsistent potpourri of players, many of which disallow the embedding that has helped make online video ubiquitous. (Some PRX audio can be embedded, but Gawker had enough trouble with its player that they uploaded the audio into their own.) “I often don’t share NPR audio because their player isn’t embeddable and requires going to another website to listen,” notes multimedia producer Will Coley.

There is one standard format for distributing digital audio, but rather than resolving these barriers to sharing, it may be their most perfect expression: the podcast.

The Podcast Problem

If you don’t know what a podcast is, you’re in the majority.

Technically, it’s an RSS feed containing links to files (“podcast” typically implies an audio file). Using podcast-listening (formerly “podcatching”) software, you can “subscribe,” setting your computer or smartphone to automatically download the new and get rid of the old.

It’s hard to appreciate in 2013 the enthusiasm with which this simple idea was met by the mid-2000s media.

“I haven’t seen this much buzz around a single word since the Internet,” computer programmer Carl Franklin told the New York Times in 2004.

By letting everyone become broadcasters (or really “podcasters”), it was supposed to disrupt radio in a way that was predicted to parallel that other online media format with a horrible portmanteau name: blogging. In fact, the name “podcast” was tossed off by the Guardian's Ben Hammersley between the alternatives “audioblogging” and “GuerillaMedia.”

It wasn’t all hype. Anyone can start a podcast, just as anyone can blog. The podcast did close the loop, in its clunky way, between where people download and where they typically listen. And aficionados can point to a long list of programs, especially covering technology and — more recently — comedy, which never would have existed otherwise.

12% of Americans listened to a podcast in the last month, the same percentage as three years ago.

But while much of online publishing now takes the form of the blog, interest in podcasting seems to have flatlined. According to Nielsen Audio (formerly Arbitron), 12% of Americans listened to a podcast in the last month, the same percentage as three years ago. It is a substantial niche, but smaller than the percentage of people who create online videos, and less than a sixth the number who watch them.

“There was a huge wave of initial excitement around podcasting changing and disrupting and turning upside-down radio seven years ago, or longer,” says PRX’s Jake Shapiro. “And then it kind of just petered out.”

While the number of podcasts has proliferated, the vast majority of episodes have audiences in the double or triple digits, judging from the experience of podcast hosting giant Libsyn. “If you want to do the average, our mean podcast? Now you’re looking at like 200, 250 downloads per episode,” Libsyn’s Rob Walch told NextMarket Insights's Michael Wolf. The majority of top podcasts, far from being grassroots disruptors, are major public radio shows: “This American Life,” “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me,” and “Radiolab.” It’s the dominant way of finding an on-demand audio audience on the Internet, but it’s more Hulu than YouTube.

The absence of disruption is, in part, baked into the technology. “It’s clearly the number one barrier to wider listenership,” says Jesse Thorn. Apple gave the format a big boost when it brought it into the iTunes store in 2005, but that walled garden of a market has come to delimit the podcast’s reach. To watch a YouTube video, you click play, wherever it exists on the web. With another click you can immediately share it by putting a player in the feed of your Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, or even LinkedIn accounts.

To listen to a podcast, however, you have to search for it on an app or in the iTunes store, sign up for it, wait for it to download. (Of course there are other ways to download podcasts, but the majority of podcast downloads occur through Apple.) Click “share” on Apple’s podcasting app, and you’ll be prompted to post an RSS feed, which is a bit like trying to share a new Tom Junod article and instead passing on a password that readers can use to subscribe to Esquire.

These hurdles don’t hamper podcasts that are already well known. Thorn’s podcast audience has been growing steadily by approximately 50% each year. “Radiolab” and “This American Life” — public radio shows that are among the most popular podcasts and the aesthetic guiding lights for young public radio producers — are both approaching a million digital listens for each new episode. For these shows, the occasional episode will get shared more than others, but that “viral” bump is on the order of 10 to 20 percent, and even that seems driven less by social media than old-fashioned word of mouth. “Google is a much bigger referrer to any given episode [than Facebook],” says WNYC’s Jennifer Houlihan Roussel. In other words, podcasts don’t go viral. Nor are they designed to.

As the Guardian’s technology editor, Charles Arthur, points out in the Independent back in 2005, “Podcasts take content and put it into a form that can’t be indexed by search engines or be speed-read, and which you can’t hyperlink to (or from). A podcast sits proud of the flat expanse of the Internet like a poppy in a field. Until we get really good automatic speech-to-text converters, such content will remain outside the useful, indexable web.”

A Cloud Atlas?

If there is any company attempting to create a modern web alternative to the podcast, it’s SoundCloud.

“Podcasting: It’s a fairly old school method of distribution,” says its co-founder and CTO Eric Wahlforss. “We are certainly of the opinion that SoundCloud is the superior way of broadcasting your show across the web.”

If you’ve played audio from Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr, you’ve likely seen it: the slow crawl of orange across a gray waveform. This omnipresent, embeddable player is what has most clearly attracted the moniker “YouTube for audio.” Hoping to make sound as sharable as video, SoundCloud delivers this content via a streaming player instead of a dressed-up file download.

In a Facebook message, data scientist Lada Adamic told me: “Soundcloud does seem to have a lot of sharing activity (everything is dwarfed by YouTube but soundcloud is holding its own) [sic].” SoundCloud was the 11th most commonly submitted domain on Reddit as of March 27, 2013, according to Reddit data scientist Chad Birch, above the Huffington Post, the Guardian and Vimeo. The number of YouTube domains submitted was almost 22 times as high.

But the SoundCloud content accumulating most on social media isn’t what the company calls “audio.” “In our world, in terms of viral content, the real viral content is actually music,” Wahlforss says.

For non-music “audio,” SoundCloud lets broadcasters and podcasters have it both ways, encouraging them to make their shows available on SoundCloud’s platform, while also creating a podcast-ready RSS feed. “We are trying to blur that distinction a little bit,” says Wahlforss.

“We’re on SoundCloud because they have a nice player for sharing on Facebook and Twitter,” says Seth Lind of “This American Life.” But the total plays of their hour-long episodes on SoundCloud peak at roughly 3% of its digital listenership, and are usually under 1%, hovering around 5,000. A look at SoundCloud’s “trending audio” page presents a similar picture: podcast episodes and radio shows, with listenership in the hundreds or low thousands.

Clearly, technology alone doesn’t ensure the virality of an hour-long show with a headline designed for consistency rather than clickability (e.g.: “#513: 129 Cars” from “This American Life”). “It’s probably not going to be as popular as a Gangnam Style,” Lind notes, dryly. The audio that has gone viral takes a different tact: short, tailored specifically for SoundCloud, and providing a near-immediate pay-off that fulfills the headline’s promise.

Much of it is some mix of rant and newsworthy document, like AOL’s Tim Armstrong firing Patch’s creative director, or Charles Ramsey’s 911 call after he helped rescue three kidnapped women in Cleveland.

But the most heard, and most truly social example of SoundCloud’s viral audio is a New Zealand radio host’s dramatic reading of a series of text messages from a one-night stand gone unhinged: “This Is What Crazy Looks Like Via Text Messaging.” “Fletch & Vaughan” host Vaughan Smith found the texts on BuzzFeed and performed them as part of a four hour-long drive-time show. He then uploaded it to SoundCloud and shared it on Facebook to appease callers who wanted to hear the skit — but only that one skit — again.

“At the end of the weekend it hit a million plays,” says Smith. “It was mental.” With more than six million plays to date, more people have heard the version from “Fletch & Vaughan” than have read the BuzzFeed article it was adapted from — a triumph of sound over text.

It couldn’t have gone viral without a player as sharable as SoundCloud, but perhaps more importantly, it couldn’t have gone viral without the active unearthing of comedic gold buried within a longer broadcast. “In public radio, only within the last few years has there been a big value seen in disaggregating content from shows,” says PRX managing director John Barth. “And there’s still a pretty big debate about that.” These concerns echo the now-largely-obsolete resistance of other media to the Internet. They want listeners to experience the whole enchilada, not take the ingredients and re-contextualize them.

As for creating a whole new audio cuisine — work cooked up specifically for a SoundCloud audience — the successful examples are elusive. “We mostly use it as a promotional tool really,” says Smith. “We use it to promote the podcast.”

The Message Is The Medium

Last October, Reddit's Alexis Ohanian told a basement full of audiophiles to go make "the Upworthy for audio," but in a sense, we already have the Upworthy for audio: Upworthy. With its scientifically-selected, clickbait headlines, it  is the reason nearly two million people have heard the future president of Ireland Michael Higgins dress down rightwing talk show host Michael Graham (“A Tea Partier Decided To Pick A Fight With A Foreign President. It Didn’t Go So Well.”) It’s the reason hundreds of thousands have heard Geoffrey Gevalt tell a small poignant story, set to music, about his daughter (“A Toddler Gets Totally Profound In a Way Most Adults Don’t”) and Summer Puente about her father (“Every Night This Dad Falls Asleep in Front of the TV. There’s a Beautiful Reason Why.”)

The Upworthy sector of the Internet economy isn’t just healthy, it’s insatiable and omnivorous in its appetite for content it can coax people into clicking and sharing. “Whether it’s audio, whether it’s video, whether it’s still images, whether it’s text: my system remains pretty much the same,” says Neetzan Zimmerman. “For me it doesn’t really matter.”

The viral industry can help solve audio’s skimming problem, but only if it can find the content in the first place. “Radio doesn’t do a very good job of marketing itself to the viral industry, for whatever reason,” says Zimmerman. “Maybe it thinks too highly of itself, or thinks of ‘viral’ as a cheapening of its content. I really disagree with that. I think there’s a lot there to be mined, and a lot that gets ignored.”

“Marketing” makes it sound like radio makers simply need to do a better job of drawing attention to their work. And it’s true: active, public sharing directed at non-audiophiles is how Zimmerman found “Two Little Girls.” If there were a website that showed what audio was “trending” in some smaller community, Zimmerman says it would become part of his system. “One hundred percent. No doubt about it.”

There are also plenty of short podcasts and single-serving radio stories that are poorly labeled on obscure web pages or presented in unembeddable players. “Nobody that I’ve seen, even the best of them, spends time thinking about how to create the metadata or the descriptions: the things that might actually catch your attention,” says PRX’s Jake Shapiro.

More fundamental than marketing is the question of where audio makers see a market. “So far nobody is producing audio, really, for an audience that might be scanning for things to enjoy,” says Shapiro.

“It’s somewhat of a chicken and egg thing,” he says, “Until producers have any kind of confidence that there’s an audience or some money to be made — or preferably both — they’re not really targeting it.”

“If it can’t be used for pornography it’s never going to be the most popular thing.”

Perhaps Facebook will tweak its algorithms to favor audio. Perhaps SoundCloud or PRX or Apple will make a social alternative to podcasting. “It’s possible that someone will make this app that’s all about sharing audio that will be the next Snapchat,” suggests Seth Lind. “That’s obviously not going to happen,” he quickly adds, to make sure I know he’s joking. “If it can’t be used for pornography it’s never going to be the most popular thing.”

But Jeff Cohen and “Fletch & Vaughan” demonstrate that audio makers don’t have to wait for a deep shift in technology to court a viral audience. They would, however, have to create audio not for already-dedicated radio and podcast listeners, but for the distracted, impatient crowd that is the web. Audio enthusiasts would have to evangelize on that work’s behalf, not just in coffee shops or emails to each other, but online, loudly, with the same manipulative, click-chasing techniques wielded by the rest of the web.

The day “Two Little Girls” went viral, Jeff Cohen tweeted: “I fear I may disappoint new Twitter followers once they realize that I mostly write on Hartford, government, and healthcare. Not my kids…” That is still more or less his beat, though he does also have a children’s book (“Eva and Sadie and the Worst Haircut EVER!”) due out this summer.

“I don’t know anything about the Internet, really,” Jeff Cohen says. But the way he sees it, although he got lucky, he also made his own luck.

“I didn’t cut anybody’s hair. But when you see an opportunity, you take advantage of it.”

Stan Alcorn is a print, radio and video journalist based in New York City. He regularly reports for WNYC, Marketplace and NPR and is a staff writer for Fast Company's Co.Exist.

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[designdust8]

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