#medieval lute core <3

[medsfag]

this song im listening to is like y1k baddie aesthetic

[holly-fixation]

For the full On the Sea of Crises OST for @birdblacksocialclub I genuinely tried to nail the medieval vibe, mostly tavern rather than epic music because as you can see in the fic here, being stuck in jail fits more of the tavern vibe than the grand scale of epic battlefields and such.

This is the break down of my fan made piece for OTSOC.

Going into this I knew two (2) things about pirate music:

Everything is in the key of D minor. Why? I have no idea. Even The Pirates of the Caribbean's main theme follows this sacred law.

6/8 time is your best friend for pirates. This gives more of the rocky boat feel (but again, I do not know the history behind it). Technically drinking music follows this too! Only with 3/4 time. Fun Fact: The Star Spangled Banner is actually one note off from a British drinking song.

Okay back on topic.

I used those two laws for both piano pieces I made for the OTSOC a while ago. Messing with time and key signatures is fun! It changes the entire mood of Crisis Core's main theme and even Those Chosen by the Planet. So, after researching how to make medieval music through a couple of youtube videos and too much googling for appropriate instruments, I went off.

0:00 - I started with just a drum, tambourine, and a couple of strings playing a basic rhythm to build up. In OTSOC, the first thing you see is Tifa yelling at a guard. I couldn't go straight into Crisis Core's main theme without the man of the hour, Genesis Rhapsodos, appearing in frame. (or the frame equivalent of a comic... a panel?)

0:18 - The melody of Crisis Core's main theme/The SOLDIER Way finally kicks in on violin! But ALSO (what I learned from my many youtube videos), medieval music likes to have counter melodies/harmonies. So though the violin takes the reigns, the flute is playing Roaming in the Afternoon Sun, a song most CC players will recognize from the 3,000 side missions in this game.

0:53 - I give into antient peer pressure with a motif from the final boss theme by giving it to the LUTE. The almighty medieval instrument many know due to its popularity in fantasy settings as well! Taverns always love a good lute! (And so do prisons I guess) The moving baseline on the harp and cello was just for fun. This quiet drop and BEING the final boss theme is (supposed to) line up with Genesis's introduction! He likes his drama and DRAMA means Dynamics must Change!

1:25 - The flashback to Shinra Tower in flames. A bad memory for most, a big moment for our crimson boy. Many walked away injured, but despite the chaos and victory, Sephiroth disappeared some unexplained time after. I can't imagine the news painting that in a good light, and Tifa received this information second hand.

1:36 - A combination of CC's main theme on the flute and Roaming in the Afternoon Sun on the violin, before changing the violin to The Price of Freedom. Obviously Genesis is in Jail now, but he looks like he's having a fun time flirting with the girl he is now stuck with. This continues throughout their flirting.

2:21 - Uh oh. He is coming.

2:27 - The opening of One Winged Angel. Except with the instruments I chose, it sounds more like the rail road crossing alarm when a train goes by (note: this comment has nothing to do with the fic). This is where Genesis (or really his mind) is sucked into the 'Other' World.

2:33 - Obviously this Other World should feel, well, OTHER. So I hope you enjoyed your time with real/pirate instruments, we are now in synthesizer and piano territory, with a couple of other instruments for that tasty flavor. Genesis is in another world. He has absolutely no control. He clearly hates this Other!Sephiroth but can't prevent the Cecaelia from slithering his many tentacles around him as restraints. Other!Sephiroth is toying with Genesis, but it's always smooth, never harsh, always alluring and dragging you (yes you the reader) in. Lastly there is a motif of J-E-N-O-V-A underlying just enough to remind you/Genesis that she's watching. And if I may assume, always watching in this world.

(side comment: 2:33 the One Winged Angel section gives me vibes of FFXV's dungeon theme Unsettling Aura but that's only because of the constant piano driving throughout the rest of the piece)

2:55 - Other!Sephiroth is clearly speaking to something else as well as to Genesis and that should set off some RED FLAGS (or more rail road warnings). This is to make you concerned and feel the OWA again. Interruptions are so distracting, aren't they?

3:00 - J-E-N-O-V-A takes over and you hear it through the end. Everything is uncomfortable and dissonant and wrong and perfect. The last note doesn't resolve because this quest is far from over. The threat is far from over.

"...For you are beloved by the Goddess. And it is almost time to come home to her, Genesis." - Other!Sephiroth

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...Bottom line, I had a lot of fun making this! This was just a fun little project for one of my favorite fics and writers. It gave me a chance to expand my horizons and hopefully put a smile on said writer's face.

Please check out basically any work by @birdblacksocialclub because she is fantastic!