yi city trio musician au? what genres would they be in, what would their fandoms be like?
Awww yeah, love a musician AU!
I have thought about the Yi City quartet as a literal string quartet before: Xiao Xingchen on first violin, A-Qing on second, Song Lan on cello, and Xue Yang on viola (lol). But in terms of more popular music?
Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan made a name for themselves as a duo, playing melody-driven indie pop/rock with poetic but thoughtful and socially conscious lyrics. Their later work included more love songs. Xiao Xingchen plays synths and does most of the lead vocals, and he tends to bring a dreamy, almost shoegazey quality to the music, but he also is known for artful, complex electric guitar work. Song Lan also plays guitar, as well as bass and other string instruments as necessary; favorites are erhu and cello. He'll sing backup with the occasional feature vocal, but they also have a fair number of solid instrumental tracks.
They got quite famous (at least within their genre) but refused to sign to a major label. Fans actually ranged a fair amount in age. The most vocal fans did skew younger, and the most annoying of these were the hipster crowd and music snobs ("they're so intelligent/progressive/underrated," "they were better before they got popular") as well as the obsessive, borderline stalkerish ones who also loudly shipped them. (Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen were a romantic item eventually, but that was not public knowledge.)
Unfortunately, they had a messy personal and professional breakup, and they both sort of dropped off the map for a while, to an honestly impressive degree. Song Lan went back to school and would occasionally put out a stripped back, broody single on his personal page with zero promotion, but Xiao Xingchen disappeared.
Xue Yang, meanwhile, works thousands of miles away, and he's an underdog, loud punk rocker, guided less by any political philosophy and more just stirring up a reaction. Main instrument is electric guitar. He's performed with a handful of other artists over the years, but the stints tend to be short. His fanbase is small but dedicated, including a lot of angry young people who resonate with his "message" and/or his looks.
And then, he has a new band, and they're putting out music that is a little less screaming, a little more melodic, with a more consistent, left-leaning message? Sometimes? The drummer is an energetic teenage girl who was busking with a set of buckets on the street before the bassist/guitarist took her under his wing and they both eventually joined Xue Yang's act. The guy hangs around at the back of the stage, sunglasses indoors and mostly not facing the audience, playing bass to complement Xue Yang's guitar most of the time -- and Xue Yang and A-Qing have enough stage presence that he can fade into the background just a little. But especially when he's on guitar, shredding a fancy solo, he's impossible to overlook, and the rumors that Xiao Xingchen is playing seedy clubs with a punk group begin to seem less and less like conspiracy theories....
AU ask game
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Music Band AU
So, whilst I wait for my writer's block to go away, I am delving properly into this AU.
@felinesomnambulist might appreciate this one in particular, but I hope y'all do <3
Under cur because it's longer than anticipated :')
So, let's start from the Lan clan.
The Lans are classically trained and their Gusu Lan music conservatory is famous for being the best one and also expensive af. You must have the money or, in alternative, several high level recommendations and talent.
The teachers, LQR, LXC and LWJ, are also the best ones and trained in both chinese traditional instruments like the xiao, the qin, the erhu etc, and western instruments like the piano, the strings, the clarinet etc.
The Lans also have a generations long friendship with the Nie family, whose last heirs, NMJ and NHS, inherited the music production studio from their father, dead in mysterious circumstances, probably linked to the boss of the underground Nightless City Wen Ruohan.
I will come back in a bit to Nightless city, hold onto this for a moment.
The friendship between the Nie and the Lan surprises everyone until you understand that the Nie production studio is for Power/Epic/Symphonic metal, a kind of metal that uses a LOT of classical instruments.
On top of this NMJ is also the founder of a metal band thus composed:
Vocals: Meng Yao
Guitars: Nie Zonghui
Bass: Nie Huaisang
Drums: Nie Mingjue
Spoken/poems: Nie Huaisang
Classical instruments: Lan Xichen
The Nie music studio is in a constant struggle not to be annexed by the famous Jin Studio, promoter of the AU equivalent of stuff like X-factor, The Voice and so and churning out pop talents out of capitalistic greed masked as "caring for the music".
Their most famous pop sensations are sweet cute and lively pop idol Jiang Yanli and alternative rap pop rage Wei Wuxian. They tried doing the same with Jiang Cheng, but Jiang Cheng really doesn't have the cheerful tones of a pop singer, in spite of having the best voice outof the three.
I did mention that JFM and YZY are one of those who are like “yeah, my child is so gifted and talented, let’s ruin their life forever by forcing them in the music industry” and the Jin studio just did help them achieve that exactly.
Spoiler: this will come back to bite their asses somehow. In fact, the original plan was to have only JYL and JC, but JFM HAD TO let in WWX, son of the legend of music Cangse Sanren, ho had been already the daughter of the myth, Baoshan Sanren.
And LWJ is an avid listener of WWX's music, he is propery enamoured, but neither shufu nor xiongzhang kno because god forbid the Lans listen toanything BUT classical music. This is another thing I will come back later on.
YZY is legitimately furious at the fact that her children's thunder has been stolen that way, but neither JFM nor YZY see that regardless the three do love each other dearly.
And then JGS decides to renew the contracts for JYL and WWX because they are his golden egg geese, but NOT JC's, because his pop album did not make as much money, as in, not being allowed to do anything but pop music, his voice suffered a bit and being the family disappointment did not really help.
Anyway, JFM and YZY fight, he decides to leave in the middle of lunch (a further sin in such a family), JYL and WWX try to convince him not to go without any success at all.
And so he roams the city, trying to find some motivation to go on.
In the meantime JGS has successfully poached out Meng Yao from the Nie, and the band is in need of a vocalist, but who would like to be the vocalist of a symphonic metal band tiedtoa studio barely making it at the end of the month?
NMJ is out of wits. And the amplificators just broke down so he has to finally admit that he needs new ones and so he goes to the Yao&Ouyang music shop to buy some new ones.
In the meantime JC has also reached the same music shop and Mr. Yao has convinced him to try a mic and when JC is asked what he would like to sing he's like "yeah I am angry enough for a cover of 'we're all to blame' by Sum41" and NMJ is casually there too and he listens to JC sing and he feels the doors of heavenly music open right in front of him, has 16 epiphanies and by the end of it he's like:
Anyway. NMJ approaches JC after the performance and he is like:
"nice one, my name is Mingjue, I loved your vibes. What do you say about joining my band?"
He hands out the business card, proves that he is not, in fact, just a creep but an actual person who actually enjoyed JC's voice and is actually trying to convince him to join a metal band.
JC is kind of taken aback, as in "someone just PRAISED me? ME? A RAT? for my VOICE? The same voice everyone I know thinks it's actual CRAP?"
JC my beloved, how about we work together on our self esteem issues?
*coffcoff* Anyway, NMJ makes sure to point out that there is no pressure, he is welcome to try out a session and then if it doesn't work out nothing happens, no one is going to hound him etc. Somehow JC feels better, like the choices he has been given make him feel free to decide for himself for the first time.
And he says yes, I want to come and do this music session with your band, it does sound great if the people there are all like you.
And NMJ is left wondering what kind of hellish situation this one has been living in.
Anyway JC comes back all happy and content, BUT makes the mistake of telling JYL and WWX what happened. They in turn let JFM and YZY know and they basically laugh in JC's face.
JFM: well, at least that lousy studio will finally get annexed to JGS's and disappear.
YZY: you are going to ruin everything,you don't understand anything! You'd better stay here, at least all you'll ruin is us.
*uuuhhhh just a sec, this hit home for me, the author, let me cry in a corner for 5 mins*
*coffcoff* JC, full of dismay and with an ego completely crushed once again, calls NMJ to tell him he is not coming, but NMJ KNOWS that tone. Has NMJ just sensed a shitty family and all of the parental disappointment? Has he just heard JC trying to hold a faint sob from behind the phone? This does NOT happen, not on NMJ's watch! And he is like, look, I am sending my brother, the least menacing person on earth so no one is scared to see me, a 6ft tall buff man with enough piercings and tattoos to scare even the strong of heart. You are going to go with him, let him buyyou a coffee and then decide.
And so it happens. Providence has made it so that the house is empty because JFM and YZY had to take JYL and WWX to the studio to register their new albums, so JC is alone.
And NHS arrives, JC lets him in, NHS assesses the situation, asks a few questions that hit right where it hurts and then he is like: JC, my newly acquired friend, I am not saying you should pack everything you own and come with me, but I am saying exactly that. You do NOT have an independent bank account, you do NOT have a space unless someone grants it from the gracefulness of their heart and you MUST sing crap just to be granted a sliver of sympathy from those who claim to love you. My brother has offered you an space in the band, but really, even if you do not join you are welcome to stay as much as you wish until you know what you want to do in life.
JC: are you offering me this out of pity?
NHS: not pity, I don't have enough of that. It's out of friendship.
And so JC is convinced once again. Maybe staying away from his family will make him assess things better.
NHS calls the whole family and they help JC pack everything. They help him set up his own bank account. He will withdraw some cash at the nearest ATM so that he can then put the funds in the newly opened bank account.
JC leaves a message as in "do NOT look for me atm, I am reassessing my priorities".
And with all of that done JC goes with the Nie and starts living under their roof. He does the first music session as a vocalist and - surprise - he actually has fun, he smiles,he finally can let his voice out freely and everyone now understands why NMJ wanted him as a vocalist.
And as a surprise for everyone NMJ manages to get a contract to be the opening band of a major symphonic metal band - spoiler: it is a success, NMJ's band and studio are launched into the stratosphere, everyone loves the band and especially the new vocalist JC.
But how are the Jiangs faring now? Well, JC's message has prompted the divorce between YZY and JFM, so not great in that sense. JGS has used that to force JYL into an arranged marriage with his son JZX - it's not that the two don't like each other, it's the opposite actually, but they would have loved to come together in different circumstances. In any case, they both do not want what their respective parents had so they work together to make the best out of the shitty situation. They will eventually get married, but on their own terms.
And where is WWX? Well. In his quest to find JC, because the message "do NOT look for me" for him was apparently just a guideline, he stumbles into Nightless City and its many wonders and horrors.
As mentioned, Nightless city is an underground city where crime reigns above everything. He lets himself get lost in the City, he gets tattoos, piercings and a penchant for alcoholism and hedonism.
In any case WWX disappears from the scene, the tabloids will talk about it like a meteor bound to fall. JC wants to look for him, JYL too, but no matter what WWX cannot be found.
This until LWJ, who is still the no. 1 fan of WWX, finds him loitering by a shop. And WWX has changed a lot. His eyes are swollen, he looks like he's not been eating properly and has a hand secured around a bottle of an unspecified alcoholic beverage.
It turns out he has been captured by Wen Chao who - surprise - was a great fan and then forced to sing for him. Which at the time catered to his willingness to have free everything, but then it turned out to be another cage and now that he was spent he had been thrown away like trash.
And now WWX finds himself with a whopping case of trauma and alcohol addiction.
In any case, LWJ cannot stand the fact that the person he has been enamoured with for the past few is now at that point. And so he offers him a meal, he offers him to stay at his house, asks xiongzhang if he could help him speak to shufu.
And shufu is not truly convinced until NMJ and band drops by, JC included, and JC launches himself towards WWX. "Where were you bro, a-jie and I were so worried!"
"I wanted to find you bro"
"I was fine, I wrote to mum and dad that I was fine a few days later, did they not let you know?"
"No?"
"Oh, for fuck's sake."
NMJ interjects: "That shows you ho shitty your parents are,my love"
Yes, in the meantime NMJ and JC got together, NMJ properly courted JC and are now very close to an official engagement.
Anyway, JC lets Yanli know and his prompts her decision to detach herself from JGS's brand. JZX has started his own with some help from MY, now called JGY, ho has in the meantime realized how much of a scumbag JGS actually is.
MY has in fact been exploited for his talent in composing songs and lyrics, he has even been called JGY in a vain promise of being finally recognized as a legitimate son, which has never happened and will never happen, but guess WHO has been treating him like proper family? JZX and JYL, hence his loyalties are all for them.
And so,to recap:
JC is now about to be engaged to NMJ and they both are in a famous studio and an equally famous band andeveryone loves them.
JYL and JZX are marrying and having a child, JZX has hsi own studio which is totally unaffiliated with his father's and everybody loves them for basically being the healthiest and most loving relationship in the whole industry.
LWJ is working with LXC to convince LQR to give WWX some support and maybe having him direct a singing/voice coaching workshop so he has something to lean onwhilst he recovers and decides what to do next
JFM and YZY are permanently divorced and not in speaking terms anymore. I am kind of leaning into YZY finding comfort in WZL's arms, hich will involve more drama when she finds out ho WZL actually is.
I wonder what could go wrong. JGS is not happy, he might even think to go to WRH and get involved in shad stuff to ruin everyone's life, but at this point my brain is failing and IDK, I kind oflike this open ending, but I feel something is missing.
Suggestions are more than welcome here.
For the moment I will peace out.
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