#coming from a cello player of 6 years

[ccaerulys]

uh funny little thing im starting called “what aot characters look like they play in a symphony orchestra” by yours truly

first we have eren as a trumpet player

[robd-if]

✭ Rhapsody of Broken Dreams ✭ 

You were going to be rock stars!

And then suddenly you weren't.

That was four years ago, and since then things have not gone as you expected, as you said they would when you started the band with your friends in college, eyes full of hope and head filled with dreams. You're not sure how it all turned this way, how you ended up with a boring desk job of all things and a mortgage. But life was funny like that sometimes. 

Still, you’re missing something, a part of you incomplete.

But when a chance encounter with a band desperately looking for a replacement gives you a second shot at stardom, will you take it?

Highly inspired by INFAMOUS IF. Go read this masterpiece!!

✭ Customise your MC - general appearance, gender (he/she/they), personality and vaguely age (anywhere between around 25 and 35 though it will always be in comparison the other characters and not a fixed number).

✭ Choose between being the new vocalist, guitarist, bassist or drummer.

✭ Help your new rock band win America’s S Factor and keep the morale up.

✭ Survive allegations, injuries, blackmail and the stress of stardom while cameras follow you everywhere.

✭ Choose how you want the public to perceive you, a pacifist or a troublemaker.

✭ Go full Pam & Tommy and have your sex tape leaked (accidentally and optionally).

✭Was stardom all you ever thought it would be?

You can't change MC's past a lot - MC finished an unnamed college, got a good-ish unspecified desk job and has a mortgage on a studio apartment in NYC.

MC has a good relationship with parents, I AM SORRY!

Trigger warnings: This story will be rated 18+...++ for sexual themes/content, alcohol and drug consumption, violence, strong language, suicidal thoughts (not MC's).

This is a romance story firsts! There will be some friendly platonic options here and there, but you'll be forced to lock in a romance around chapter 5 (out out 10). It will be a fairly short story, pretty fast paced and generally nsfw-ish, taking place over only 6 months, from slightly before the auditions in June up to the grand Finale in December.

All the things you should expect to come with being in a rock band, thrusted into the spotlight and tasting fame.

River Jones - (M/F) customizable-ish, same age as MC

Your ex best friend that you started your old band with. They did not take well the dismantling of the band and moved across the country without a word. Four years later, will you be able to rekindle the relationship that was once there? Or will the competition between your bands ruin any chance for it?

You can customise River’s general appearance (height -short/average/tall-, body type - lean/muscular/voluptuous -, skin, eye and natural hair colour) and gender (male or female). Otherwise, they are your former college classmate, turned best friend (optionally turned lover or who you harboured a crush on). They keep their hair short and spiky, a reminder of their mohawk days, and usually dye it in some unusual colour, vibrant green, blue or pink. They like to hide behind an assortment of oddly paired and always too large clothes.

River is a talented musician, being both a song writer, vocalist and playing the keys and guitar. They are classically trained to play the cello, though it’s not something widely known. They are currently the keyboard player and backing vocalist of Vicious Lovely.

Alex “Silvertongue” Arisaka - M - 1,95cm / 6′ 5″ - 38yo

One of the judges and your eventual mentor on the show. He’s one of the biggest rock stars of his generation, a typical troublemaker that comes with the territory of his profession. Or is he? Going through a messy divorce from his highschool sweetheart and mother of his child, will he be able to resist the gruelling months of filming for the show?

Alex is half Japanese and half Dutch. Tall and broad shouldered he seems to fill the room with both his presence and his stature. He keeps his long black hair in some type of messy bun, that’s always on the brink of untying. He is covered in weird tattoos in black and red, depicting various Japanese monsters. He was discovered when he was still in highschool and has been in the spotlight ever since.

Alex is the vocalist of the famous rock band Samurai and father to a 17 year old daughter that seems to hate him.

Morgan Williams - M/F -  1,80/1,70cm/ 5′ 11″/5′ 7″ - 2 years older or younger than MC

Initially a stranger you meet at the bar (or not), they turn out to be the drummer of the band you are in direct competition with. Intimidating at first, covered in dark leather, piercings and chains, they are a charmer at heart and real sweetheart with their heart on their sleeve. You can see why they have become close friends with River over the years.

Morgan has dark skinned and warm brown eyes. They are lean and fairly tall, and keep their hair in shoulder length box braids, usually decorated with a few silver loops. They prefer dark clothes and are never missing a chain or two on their belt loops. Piercings? Yes, they challenge you to discover all of them.

Morgan is the drummer of Vicious Lovely and usually the pacemaker of the group.

Hazel Sloane King - F - 1,60cm/ 5′ 3″ - 25yo

Assistant producer and former host of the show, she is, in her own father’s words ‘an angry old man in the body of a petite woman’. Heads turn when she walks by, but she needs none of that. She’s all work and no play… unless it’s her rare day off. 

Hazel is short and lean, her figure a perfect hourglass. She has luscious copper hair and vibrant green eyes, but it’s the mischievous smile that gives her an air of mystery. She’s always dressed to impress on set, not a hair out of place, in an assortment of expensive looking pantsuits and dresses.

Hazel was born into the industry and will become a full time producer like her daddy even if it kills her. Scratch that. Even if she needs to kill her way through. You better not throw a wrench in her plans!

Levi "Leviathan" Lawson - M/F - 1,90cm/ 6′ 3″ - 2 years older or younger than MC (same age as Morgan as they were classmates)

Vicious Lovely singer and de facto leader of the band. And the bane of your existence. When you first meet Levi you think they look like an angel, with an innocent baby face and charming smile. They also have the voice to back it up. You’ve never seen anyone do a 180 so fast though.

Levi has pale ivory skin and light blue eyes that look almost grey. They have luscious curly blonde hair, male Levi keeping it ear level short and female Levi letting it grow past her shoulders. They are tall, with male Levi being more athletic and female more Levi curvy. They have sharpened their canines for a more menacing look, but otherwise, their body is piercing and tattoo free. They wear eccentric outfits for their performances, but you often see them in sweatpants and a T-shirt when the cameras are not rolling. Wears glasses in their off time, contacts when on stage.

Levi is confusing and manipulative and will sacrifice anyone in the name of winning the show. Even you, darling. Don’t fool yourself.

Kai Vela - M/F - 2,06cm/ 6′ 9″ - 34

Kai is an ex-military who was honourably discharged after suffering an injury. They worked various jobs in the private security industry until they ended up as a regular bodyguard on America’s S Factor. Despite their status as a civilian, their good looks and stoic personality generated quite the fandom, with various blogs and even fanfiction written about them.

Kai is tall and muscular, with tan skin and wavy dark brown hair that barely touches their shoulders. They have hooded slightly downturned brown eyes that look stuck somewhere between bored and menacing. As per their contract, they have to wear a suit when filming, but they find it all kinds of inappropriate for the job, usually preferring black cargo pants, T-shirts and boots.

Kai is the silent and brooding type and has a no-bullshit approach to life. They enjoy being a bodyguard and the pay is definitely a bonus, but they are weirded out by the cult like following some stars have.

Bonus RO -> romanceable for female MC only, with a more choice restricted route. Read more about it here.

Seth - M - 1,85cm/ 6′ 1″ - 32yo

Born Sebastian Shaw, Seth is one of your new bandmates, who is going through a messy breakup with the band member you are replacing. He has the boyish charm of the rocker next door, always soft spoken and polite despite his dishevelled hair, leather jackets and distressed jeans. He is a rule follower to the very bone, but you sometimes wonder if there’s really no darker side of him.

Seth has lightly tanned olive skin, wavy dark brown hair styled in an undercut and piercing blue eyes. He is tall and athletic, “his body a temple” and other similar quotes that earn him a laugh from his friends. He loves his bike and will take any excuse to ride around town.

Seth is the guitarist/ vocalist of your new band, but lately he’s been thinking the spotlight is not for him.

✭Other notable characters✭

Jude - MC's current bff (she/he/they).

Zain - Seth’s brother and your band’s drummer/ vocalist (and Jude’s future husband, probably).

Dannika Brown - your new band’s bassist/ vocalist.

Mr. King - Hazel's father and the owner and producer of the show.

✭DEMO coming soon

[thalialunacy]

[a wee character sketch interlude for the @calaisreno May Prompt Party]

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15) (16) (17) (18) (19) (20) (21) (22) (23) (24) (25) 26: manipulate (27) (28) (29) (30) (31)

-440-

Orchestras always tune to ‘A’ on the oboe, because every string instrument has an ‘A’ string. Oboes can play sharp or flat, just like any other instrument, but modernly every oboist uses a little electronic meter to ensure that their ‘A’ is exactly right.

As a child, his violin instructor had made him start every lesson by vocalising A4 out of thin air. Or, at least, attempting to do so; Sherlock has always had excellent intonation, but perfect pitch -- the ability to name the frequency of sounds one hears and vice versa -- is not on his resume.

So the exercise always felt fruitless, and aggravatingly so, because of course he never actually got the correct pitch. Close, and closer with time, but never close enough.

Years later, watching a tiny human named Rosamund drag herself to her feet just to fall back down time and time again, it finally occurs to him: That was the point.

-415-

Baroque: relating to or denoting a style of European architecture, music, and art of the 17th and 18th centuries that is characterised by ornate detail.

He finds himself in a tiny overcrowded music hall watching a small early music ensemble (3 violins, 1 viola, 1 cello, 1 contrabass, 1 recorder, 2 bassoons, 1 trumpet, 1 harpsichord, and 1 very murderous theorbo player) and it takes him far too long to realise why he's uncomfortable. Why there is a little twitch below his left eye.

They are actually using a historically accurate tuning.

Sherlock blinks, feeling around his jaw to see if it could be something else, but no, a part of his overly-trained brain rebels against all the sounds being pitched slightly lower than modern sensibilities. It's like a phantom toothache.

It's like before, when Sherlock would glance up from his microscope and observe John feeling poorly. In those days, Sherlock had nothing to offer, really, so he'd just had to let John's unhappiness bury itself under his skin as something else to ignore.

Now, though. Now he can do something about it.

-432-

Some theorists and musicians claim that the 432 Hz tuning has better effects on the human body, but there are no scientific studies that support the hypothesis.

He brings an exhausted John a late night (and therefor unattractively decaf) cup of tea. 'What happened?' he asks quietly, settling in across from him.

John shakes his head vaguely. 'I couldn't… I couldn't convince a mother to respect her child's pronouns.' He coughs. 'I am an old man who is shit at not stumbling over such things, but… She wouldn't even try.'

He meets Sherlock's eyes over the rim of his mug. 'Please remind me of this when Rosie is a teenager and I want to throttle her for reinventing herself every two days.'

Sherlock pauses, then sets his tea down and leans in until he can palm the soft pyjama fabric covering John's knee. It's a small gesture, but it works-- the creases in John's brow lose a little of their severity. 'I have no doubt she'll try our patience and sanity severely. But, John… You are already a far better parent than yours were.'

John stares at him and breathes out heavily. 'Fuck.' His free hand comes down on top of Sherlock's, absently palpating his knuckles one by one. 'But you can't-- There's not exactly scientific evidence, is there, to support that.' 

Sherlock clears his throat. 'Yes, well. I'm confident there will be.' 

John's lips twitch. 'Sherlock Holmes, are you saying you have faith in something?' 

Sherlock tuts, then decides he doesn't care about propriety in this moment. He moves until he's kneeling before John, holding his face in his hands and focusing on the tiny freckle under John's left eyebrow, knowing John will understand.

'Yes,' he says simply. 'Just one thing.' And then he leans in. 

[❤️]

[music to which this was written: Britten's Violin Concerto, Op 15, which I'm certain Sherlock would hate, but he's wrong]

[allexei]

nicholas galitzine + he/him + cis male – have you seen alexei rakov around los angeles? the twenty five year old is usually jamming to nervous by the neighbourhood. word around the city is that they’re compassionate, yet, they can also be sensitive, but you didn’t hear that from me. they’re currently a veterinary science student and a librarian and are typically seen walking the streets of los angeles with a backpack filled with books. when i think of them, i think of crying over being so stressed about school, dying your hair back and forth as a secret coping mechanism, the playing of multiple instruments but a strong love for the violin and piano. let’s hope the city treats them good!

basic stats ;

⟶ full name: alexei antonis nikos rakov ( first name pronounced ah-lek-say, or click here for pronunciation ) ⟶ nicknames: likes alexei, doesn't like when people try calling him alex, but is too nice to correct anyone who does ⟶ three things he likes: instruments of any kind, summers in greece, books ⟶ three things he dislikes: people who just want sex, slow wifi, the instability he’s felt his whole life ⟶ gender: cis male   ⟶ height: 6 ‘ 0 ⟶ age: 25 ⟶ birthday: february 19, 1998 ⟶ zodiac: pisces sun ( aquarius - pisces cusp, known as the ‘cusp of sensitivity’ ), cancer moon, virgo ascendant   ⟶ right handed or left handed: left handed   ⟶ eye color: hazel, shooting more towards green, shifts depending on the lighting ⟶ hair color: naturally blonde, constantly dyes it from blonde to black and back and forth ⟶ piercings and tattoos: left ear pierced, no tattoos ⟶ languages spoken: russian ( father’s native tongue ), greek ( mother’s native tongue ), spanish and english   ⟶ sexuality / romantic orientation: demisexual / homoromantic  ⟶ place of birth: manchester, england ⟶ last five songs listened to: time by pink floyd, vitamin c by can, für elise by beethoven, méditation from thaïs by massenet, happiness is a warm gun by the beatles ⟶ five aesthetics: the intense feeling of feeling unworthy of being loved by anyone, shirts stained with black hair dye, a soft british accent, a stack of homework, crying over things you have no control over ⟶ character inspo: prince willhelm from young royals, charlie spring from heartstopper, adam groff from sex education ( season 3 adam )

background story ;

✘ alexei was born on a cold night in manchester to nikola ganos and sergei rakov, two twenty year olds who fell in love through music. his mother was a famous piano player ( think maybe like yiruma or ludovico einaudi ) while his father was getting more of a name for himself as a cello player. both classical musicians who fell in love and had alexei, very unexpectedly 

✘ his parents are both really well off. his mother’s side owns one of the the biggest olives and olive oil brands worldwide, originated in greece, while his father’s side owns plenty of alcohol brands ( mostly vodka ) originated in russia but sold all across the world as well. they were young, but they knew their son would be coming into the world very well off financially, planned to give him the perfect childhood, even got married when he was merely five months old

✘ and for the first six years of alexei’s life, that’s what it was. two parents who were devoted to him and wanted to give him the best life possible in england, even though neither one of them were british. but as he went from six to seven, all that love his parents had for each other seemed to dissolve more and more each day. his beautiful early childhood turned into him listening to his parents fighting constantly, and even though he was so young, he couldn’t help but ask himself – where did my parents’ love for each other go?

✘ and if you guessed it, they ended up getting a divorce when he was barely seven, but the thing is… his parents weren’t like normal parents. it wasn’t the typical case of custody with one parent while the other has visiting rights, or even shared custody of 3 days a week here, and four days a week there, or even complete custody of him to just one parent, no, his parents were determined to fight for him until the bitter end

✘ it turned into a game of who alexei liked more, they couldn’t even stand to be in the same room together, and it was really difficult to tell a little kid ‘who do you love more?’ or ‘who do you want to live with more?’ or ‘you have to pick’ or even just his father trying to put him against his mother while his mother did the same thing to him with his father. sometimes, alexei felt like they didn’t even really love him, but just wanted to prove to the other that he could love one or the other more

✘ eventually, they settled for custody in the worst way possible. alexei would live with his mother for six months, then he would live with his father for six months, and maybe this wouldn’t be so awful if they both decided to stay in england, live maybe a city or two away from each other, but no, definitely not. they immediately left his birth place, his mother going back and forth between greece and spain, while his father traveled from canada to russia repeatedly, and well… this is what alexei’s life became

✘ maybe to some people, it might sound ideal. not staying in one place for too long, constantly moving from one city, knowing you wouldn’t be staying there for longer than six months, perhaps to any traveler, this is the dream life, but that certainly wasn’t the case for alexei

✘ this going back and forth put a serious strain in every aspect of his life. he would enroll in a school, make a friend or two, only to be ripped away from that scene for the following six months, halfway across the world, for the same thing to happen to him, over and over again

✘ and the worst part was that his parents didn’t seem to understand that it didn’t make him happy, all the going back and forth. he was unstable, he didn’t even know how to really talk to people at one point, because he knew deep down, that there was no use in trying to make any friends if it would just be taken away from him sooner or later

✘ basically, a loner. he spent most of his childhood to early teenage years dodging conversations, definitely ate his lunch in the bathroom vibes. the only consistency his parents had was their love for music, which, is the one thing that did make alexei happy. he was a virtuoso. from the piano, to the cello, to the bass, even the drums, saxophone and viola, he loved it all, though his true love was in the guitar, piano, and more especially, the violin. he grew a real love for mussic, had multiple instruments at his mother’s and multiple instruments at his father’s, again, the one consistency in his life

✘ while he wasn’t big on singing, he basically had the voice of an angel. could switch from a soft tone to a rather loud one, a male soprano range… truly a gift, tried to break glass to see if it was true and it in fact, wasn’t a myth ( at least in his case ). pretty much any orchestra teacher’s wet dream, a typical band nerd

✘ he also had a huge fascination for books, his favorite genre being sci fi, horror, or a good coming of age, but honestly, he read it all. nothing could fuel him more than a good book

✘ anyways, when he was sixteen, he convinced his parents to enroll him in a boarding school in northern california, very pca from zoey 101 vibes, and they surprisingly agreed since it was neither with his mother nor his father, but a spot in between. for the last two years of high school, he had some type of stability

✘ though, during his senior year, he became the talk of everyone through the most unfortunate event. simply put, alexei met a guy. at this time, he wasn’t even really sure of his sexuality. he knew he wasn’t straight, but he didn’t think it was just that. he felt like there was more depth to what he liked and didn’t like, but this guy managed to charm him. he was good looking and alexei enjoyed the fact that he smelled good. this was his first relationship ever. prior to this, he shared his first kiss when he was fifteen with a random girl near his mother’s house in athens, and simply put, he didn’t like it

✘ this was different though. he enjoyed kissing him, but he didn’t feel like doing anything else but that, and the more the guy insisted they take it further, the less inclined he felt to give him what he wanted. he liked him, but he didn’t feel a genuine bond with him

✘ alexei, however, is a people pleaser. he didn’t want to have sex with him even though at this point, they had been dating for well over two months. he didn’t know why he didn’t want to, he couldn’t pinpoint why having sex was such a weird and touchy subject for him, but basically, he felt, in a way, guilt tripped by this guy. it was the constant questioning of ‘why don’t you like me?’ or ‘what’s wrong with you?’ or even ‘i promise i’ll make it worth your while’ and one day, they both get drunk at a hotel, and even though alexei has been drunk plenty of times before, well, he caves, instantly lives to regret it

✘ the following day, as he’s walking towards his first class, people are whispering about him, not so discreetly pointing, giving him looks, and it takes him a matter of fifteen minutes from getting to his first period before one of his friends sends him a text message with a link attached, much to his horror. the message reads ‘is this you?’ with a link to a video. the video is them having sex the night prior

✘ he had filmed it all and posted without his consent. they were both of age, but it literally made alexei sick to his stomach. for one, he felt really used, as he never gave him permission to record anything, let post what they did, and two, he hated the attention this was getting him. he’s always been one to fly under the radar, and now this was all anyone was talking about, lost count over how many times he’s cried over this

✘ the following months reaching towards graduation are literal hell for him. the video gets to his parents which is quite literally his worst nightmare become a reality. legal action is taken and they thankfully manage to remove the video from the web completely, but the damage has already been done, he’s miserable. worst graduation ever, doesn’t even walk the stage because he’s just so humiliated, and for once in his damn life, he wishes he would have been in that constant moving back and forth life. maybe then, he could’ve ran away from the problem the second it started, sad boy hours, really

✘ after graduation, he gets out of california. for about two years, he just travels. ironic considering it’s something he didn’t like to do when he was younger, but at that point, he just wanted to get away from everything

✘ he’s twenty when he moves back to california. crazy, but even though he has bad memories, it was the one place he felt stable. he permanently moves to los angeles, southern cali, which is far from the school he graduated in, tells himself that here, no one knows what happened. perhaps this is a good thing about being rich, that he never really had to worry about money, it’s just always been there. a paid off apartment, a simple call to his mother or father and bam, money in his account, but truth be told, alexei didn’t want to live off his family’s fortune forever. now that he was stable and had no intentions of moving, he wanted to do something with his life

✘ he’s a really smart guy. shy, quiet, but smart. he changed his major about three times before deciding he wants to be a veterinarian, is studying veterinary science, finished his bachelors and is moving on with his education. he knows he doesn’t have to do anything with himself if he doesn’t want to, he knows he doesn’t need a job as a library assistant, but he wants to make something of himself, without his family’s money. he knows he can do it, it’s just a matter of not giving up

headcanons ;

✘ natural blonde, but constantly dyes his hair black, then switches. dying his hair is almost therapeutic for him, has even gotten buzzcuts during times where he was really depressed, but he prefers longer hair

✘ he has a british accent, literally nicholas galitzine’s voiceclaim. not too strong, but it’s there

✘ speaks russian with his father in absolute shame, my guy is definitely free ukraine all the way, just wants peace and love

✘ because of his past relationship, he has a very difficult time trusting people, loving people, or even allowing people to love him. he’s had sex that one time… that’s about it. the whole idea of love really confuses him. it’s something he wants, but it isn’t something he’s sure he understands, and he hates not understanding things

✘ he has been confused with his sexuality his entire life! he’s always felt like an outcast around other guys his age because they all typically wanted sex, meaningful, meaningless, just a typical guy thing, and that definitely didn’t apply for him. for ages, he thought there was something wrong with him, but it wasn’t until he learned about demisexuality that he finally understood… kind of. he just wants it to be meaningful, wants to have a connection with the person, the idea of meaningless sex and hookups literally makes him super uncomfortable, but it’s what most people seem to want these days. he just wants real love, even though that terrifies him

✘ he doesn't really have a lot of social media, just an instagram that he barely posts on. he's that one user that made a post three years ago and has four posts in total, one of himself, the rest of books, one of food, and some type of landscape... he's this guy, he's a loser honestly, probably has like a hundred followers or something, doesn't care for social media

✘ his favorite things in the world are books, animals, comics, and music. he’s a major nerd, has a passion for literature and music even though this isn’t what he’s pursuing for his career

✘ he doesn’t really tell people his family is wealthy, just doesn’t really think it’s important. in fact, lots of people don’t know much about him. he likes to keep to himself, doesn’t like sharing information, and wants to keep his past in the past

✘ he can drink. call him a typical russian or whatever, but it’s crazy how much he can drink, can practically outdrink anyone, no one believes it but it’s very true, tolerance through the roof, doesn’t even get sick and rarely even gets hungover, but he doesn’t make this an everyday thing

✘ he’s a pescatarian! probably will never become a vegetarian because he loves salmon way too much, loves salmon in every form possible. meat and chicken gross him out and he doesn’t like eggs either, just fish, heavy seafood lover

✘ close friends of his roast him for this, but he’s an olive fanatic as well. greek olives, peruvian olives, spanish olives, any type of olives, he’s obsessed. when he was younger, there was always olives at his house, because of his mother’s company, and he would dead ass eat them out the jar, finish the entire jar in like five minutes, still does that to this day. at his house, you’ll likely find two large jars of olives, minimum, a snack he will never get tired of

✘ his social skills have somewhat gotten better. definitely not the best, but he was horrendous before. thankfully overcame his stutter when he was younger. he’s still really shy, doesn’t like being the center of attention, but he’s getting better… baby steps

✘ what you would call a typical pisces – very sensitive! he doesn’t show this publicly, but if it hurts his feelings, he’ll cry when he gets home. literally the type to cry over sad videos, movies or tv shows, very emotional. pisces sun and cancer moon combo, he’s a literal mess, he feels things a lot, feels things on a whole different level than most people, which makes him a very compassionate and understanding person, definitely a shoulder to cry on, a very loyal friend to have by your side

✘ he forgives a lot. he’ll forgive you time after time after time, but when alexei genuinely gets tired of your shit, you will never hear from him again. he’s very forgiving, but once he says ‘i’m done’ there is no changing his mind. it takes a lot for him to get to this level, but he can only be taken advantage of for so long before he gets sick of it. once you lose him, you lose him for good

✘ he has a bearded dragon named jake long and a beagle named pawl mccartney. he named the bearded dragon after one of his favorite shows as a kid and his pet beagle was named after iconic paul mccartney, of course. jake long is one and pawl is two, alexei adores both of them

✘ loves his parents, but still somewhat holds a grudge over them for his childhood, even though he isn’t one to hold grudges. they definitely messed him up one way or another. even if it wasn’t their intention, being so unstable for so long has kind of permanently scarred him. he has a very hard time getting genuinely close to people, whether it be friendships or romantic relationships, it’s hard for him

✘ super nice guy, but quite literally remembers every bad thing that has happened to him ever. his energy is crying over something that happened when he was a literal child that he had no control of at three in the morning, might as well have the memory of an elephant. he’ll forgive, but he won’t forget, like ‘you remember what you did august 15th, 2016 at 4:57 pm? i do too’ like… isn’t one to hold grudges, but if you thought he forgot, you thought wrong

wanted connections ;

you don’t know that i know: i’d die for this connection, but someone who maybe heard of his sex tape? whether they never tell anyone or act like a little shit about it is utp, but alexei doesn’t know that they know, you know?

you think you can outdrink me?: a muse who thinks they can outdrink him, but they never can, could turn into a whole little competition, could be really funny

classical music lovers: title says it all, two nerds passionate about classical music, bonus if this muse is a fan of his parents or has heard of them

slow love: a poor, unfortunate muse that likes him. they could like how nice and down to earth he is, alexei could even know that they like him, but considering how iffy he is about relationships, well… yeah

all my friends are fake: someone who doesn’t like him because they think his whole nice guy act is fake, or maybe doesn’t like him for whatever other reason

book nerds: a fellow book and comic lover like him, maybe they spend their time in the library being literal nerds

cry baby: another muse who is sensitive like he is, they’re just soft besties and want peace and love, very wholesome friendship

or we can brainstorm!

birthchart ;

[howdoyoufeelaboutmakingthesong]

How Lauren Martin Sees Music

Visual Thinking with Lauren Martin

From painting to singing to illustration to textiles to keyboards, and on!

Today we will take a closer look at a *key* member of Frankie Cosmos, Lauren Martin. That's right, she started out designing our t-shirts, and ended up as a bandmate playing keyboards, singing harmonies, and even some 2nd guitar!

Lauren and I originally met in MIDDLE SCHOOL when Lauren formed a band with my brother! I inserted myself into their friendship as annoying little sisters tend to do, and eventually she and I started playing music together too. We had a band which performed one "show" in Eliza's backyard for 3 of our friends, but we were both very shy performers.

Lauren ended up pursuing textile design, and was the obvious choice when it came to designing and printing the first ever Frankie Cosmos merch. She screen printed everything by hand in my parents kitchen, and we laid all the shirts out to dry on the ground (as pictured above). She filled in for some shows sporadically while in college, and when she finished school in 2016, she officially joined the touring band as our keyboard player.

[Close It Quietly Album Art Time Lapse]

Lauren continues to design merch for FC, and has found her own audience for her illustrations and design work. She sells her own prints, apparel, and more on her website, and posts lots of fun drawings on her instagram.

Q & A with Lauren Martin

How did you first find yourself playing music and performing?

I never intended to perform but always found myself performing anyway - usually because I’d be playing music with other people and they would encourage me (/drag me along) for the live element. I have really bad stage fright, performance goes against my nature. But because I keep ending up doing it, it’s clearly something that’s important to me in some way…even though it feels in conflict with who I am.

My first instrument was flute in elementary school. But my first ever musical performance was a cello recital in middle school (to an audience of parents). After that I was in my high school’s all girl rock band. I played rhythm guitar. I remember we played One Way Or Another by Blondie. I was also in the school chorus, we would perform for elderly people at retirement homes. I performed a surprising amount considering how shy I was.

During the pandemic, your illustration work really took off. With visual art being full time for you now, and touring still on hold, does playing music feel different for you?

I think having one part of myself that was really important (being a visual artist) — having that dream fulfilled in a way, makes playing music feel better. It feels like I’m not missing out on one half of myself energetically. Finding an outlet that allows me to be more wholly myself, it makes me feel more creative as a musician than I did before.  After years of having a very regimented relationship with visual art during and after art school, during the pandemic I’ve unlocked a new side of myself creatively, and established my own style as a visual artist, and a musician. Recently I’ve felt a lot more confident in sharing my musical ideas.

You're a huge part of the aesthetic of Frankie Cosmos as a grown-up band, and took FC from my janky AppleWorks 6 creations to the legitimate poster designs, cute merch, and album art we have now. Has music always encompassed a visual element for you?

I have always been inspired by album art, and intrigued by the branding that goes along with a band. Not to say that it informs anything about the music - but I do think there’s a visual element of a band that has always been intriguing to me on the same level as sneaker logos or car logos. I like simplicity and impactfulness in graphic design. And I think music and design overlap a lot. I would never claim to have synesthesia, but I do think if you asked me to paint a song I could do that. Not being a trained musician and not having the standard language to describe what I mean when it comes to music, allowed me to create my own visual language about music.

I’m realizing now, the bands that were really influential to me as a kid, like the first albums I bought, were Gorillaz, who were cartoon characters to me, and The White Stripes, who were also cartoon characters to me.

Before you got into textile design and graphics, you were mostly painting in a renaissance style, and at one point considered studying painting restoration. How did you find your various styles over the years and how have your artistic inclinations changed?

In a weird way, I would say my artistic inclinations haven’t changed that much, it’s more just the subject matter and the medium have changed a lot. I’ve always loved depicting reality as I see it. My portraits were never “accurate” to life, they were accurate to my imagination. And now, I’ll draw a still life of something I made up. I like creating my own reality. Growing up, I was really inspired by old paintings because I would go to The Met every weekend, and I loved seeing the Hans Holbein paintings and Giotto, because I just loved that it looked like a fucked up version of reality. It’s not photorealism, it looks like what you would close your eyes and picture a person to look like. I love the way art can look like a painting of the inside of an artist’s brain.

[Banana Split Poster]

Can you compare your experiences in analog and digital art?

I love both, but I tend to gravitate toward digital mediums. As a perfectionist, I love the idea of being able to do things over and over in order to get it exactly how I want. I used to work in oil paints but I would get really frustrated with myself when it wasn’t going right, because I felt I couldn’t start over. It would probably be good for me to try it again, because I don’t necessarily want to lean into my perfectionism forever. But it was really freeing for me to start working digitally, because I can do it an infinite number of times, I can get it exactly the way I see it in my head. Also, in terms of material used…when I was making physical art, I was surrounded by so many canvases and pieces of paper…I really like sparseness and neatness in my space, so having everything I’ve ever made in a pile doesn’t work for me.

What about your sewing and physical textile work? How does that compare to your other art forms?

Music and drawing feel in a way like luxuries, whereas sewing my clothes (and cooking) feel like practical ways to use my creativity.  Those are more purely joyous outlets for me. My art is work, music is work, but sewing and knitting is truly just for myself. I don’t do it as much as I used to, but I always like to have a chunk of my wardrobe be handmade. I get to turn my brain off and just follow a pattern, do this repetitive motion.

What inspires you recently?

I’m inspired right now by exercising. My latest hobby is playing tennis. Growing up, sports were extremely important to me, I wanted to be a professional soccer player. At a certain point I felt like I had to choose between being creative or athletic. I’m recently getting excited about being physically strong again.

[Love Love Tennis Club T-Shirt]

[Stay Sunny Tie-Dye T-Shirt]

Click Here for Lauren’s Website

[dustedmagazine]

Elijah McLaughlin Ensemble — II (Tompkins Square)

Elijah McLaughlin Ensemble II by Elijah McLaughlin Ensemble

The Chicago group, which features Elijah McLaughlin on 12- and 6-string guitars, Joel Styzens on hammered dulcimer, and Jason Toth on upright bass, returns two years after its eponymous debut with the descriptively titled II to deliver a fresh set of drones and overtones that seem to issue from some chasm deep in a forest. The emotion and excitement that these three players sustain over a taut 36 minutes are remarkable, with the individual tracks seeming to form a kind of suite.

Opener “Zodiac Rabbit” establishes the basic template: the combined plucking and hammering of the guitar and dulcimer blend in a wash of mid-range atop shafts and pulses of bowed or (somewhat less often) pizzicato bass. Pastoral passages build to crescendos, with all three musicians remaining fully engaged throughout and fading out together at the end. Similarly propulsive is “Spring,” which erupts in a flurry of notes through which the bass pulls a haunting melody. A lull in the mid-section creates the space for the tension to build again, and there’s a great moment at 4:00 when Toth, having switched to pizzicato, switches back to arco. 

Among the more meditative pieces, the atmospheric “Arc” floats slowly along on a bed of bass, and the vaguely country-ish “Viroqua” winds along like a trip through the hilly part of Wisconsin that the title apparently references. The stately “Effigy,” with strummy guitar and a lovely ascending and descending bowed bassline, hints at some dark mystery. 

Points of reference include, to name just two, the Powers-Rollin Duo, in which the hammered dulcimer is used to somewhat different effect, and Pelt circa Pearls from the River in the interaction between Jack Rose and the various drones—but nothing sounds quite like this trio. Styzens coaxes an amazing range of sounds from his instrument, which is suggestive, at turns, of a mandolin (“Interlude”), pipa (“Confluence”), piano (“Blind Valley”) or twin of McLaughlin’s guitar (frequently and effectively). McLaughlin for his part switches back and forth seamlessly between fingerpicking and flatpicking (or rather thumbpicking) arpeggios in the manner of Basho and Blackshaw, sometimes very rapidly (“Wheel,” “Spring”), while at other times he hangs back and plays chords (“Arc”) or provides supportive and/or melodic strumming. Toth’s bowing is notable for both the clarity of the tone, which is at times indistinguishable from that of a cello (“Spring”), and the strength of the sustain, which allows him to fill the spot of a keyboard or shruti box player as well as contribute melody. 

Where II represents a progression beyond its uniformly excellent predecessor is in the blending of the voices and the greater drive in the tunes. Styzens, in particular, has found a way of filling the space between his bandmates that makes the whole seem far more than the parts. Also, the emphasis this time around is even more on the “Ensemble”: tellingly, whereas the players enter sequentially on the opening track of the previous record, on the opener for this one, they come in in unison. 

In these respects, the title II, even if ironic, is unfortunate. Far from being more of the same, this release both refines the approach and suggests that much remains to be explored in the sonic landscape mapped out by this trio. 

Jim Marks

[strxnged]

AYO AYO IT'S TIME PEOPLE I HAVE BEEN PUTTING THIS OFF FOR LONG ENOUGH 😭😭 HERE WE GO WITH 25 THINGS IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER THAT MAKE ME HAPPY, STARTING NOW -

1. i really like COLOURS. i love them on their own or how they look different with different shades or how some colours are just so beautiful i would want to drown in them. i love how they blend and how they pop and i am so grateful that i can see colours like sea green, sunflower yellow, midnight black, oak brown, and hot pink. i love red, i love orange, i love all the skin colours in the world. warm colours and cool colours, energizing or calming, vivid or dull.

2. bts. bts makes me happy. shut up they're cute and their music slaps. crystal snow and film out make me cry but IN A GOOD WAY.

3. GREEK FOOD.

4. when people talk about something they're passionate about PLEASE MARRY ME. i don't care if i have no idea what you're going on about, PLEASE keep talking you're making my day. (my inbox is a great place to talk about things you love, do NOT hesitate.)

5. omg all the cute little aesthetics that have been come up with. dark/light academia FINALLY giving brown the love it deserves, omg the romanticizing of doing schoolwork late at night. COTTAGECORE/FAIRYCORE WITH ALL THE MUSHROOMS N FORESTY VIBES AND AUHH I LIVE FOR IT. mmm mm can we TALK about royalcore. PLEASE. 8 year old me is THRIVING. ALSO ALSO I LOVE HOW PEOPLE COME UP WITH THEIR OWN AESTHETICS THAT'S SO HOT PLEASE KEEP DOING THAT.

6. SCREAMS i love sharpies they're SO MUCH FUN i love the smell and THE WAY IT FEELS TO PUT PERMANANT INK ON THINGS OMG MARKING YOUR TERRITORY MUCH??

7. my brother. he's such a vibe. omg. max introversion but like he's a NERD and i love it. could talk about absolutely nothing with him for hours hehe <3

8. anything by jane austen, send tweet.

9. actually just books in general. imagine holding a world in your hands. imagine holding words someone thought out. fascinating.

10. glasses. square glasses, round glasses, sunglasses. and the people behind them. you lovely farsighted people, you gorgeous nearsighted wonders. your eyes suck but we love you.

11. umm uhh <3 there's this thing called <3 art <3 it's neat <3

12. also there are these people i like to call artists <3 they make art <3 i love them <3 pls keep going you're so talented stop comparing yourself to others <3 do art the way you wanna do art <3

13. WHEN PEOPLE WANNA CHANGE THEMSELVES SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY WANT TO BE BETTER AND NOT BECAUSE THEY'RE TRYING TO IMPRESS ANYONE. OMG YOU QUEEN.

14. minecraft youtube.

15. GLOBES>>> i have this plastic one from the dollarstore with japan facing me and it literally motivates me. also ironic memes like this:

16. LANGUAGES. I'M LITERALLY. i know that it was supposed to be a punishment but learning another language is literally such a cool idea, AND ALL THE NON-VERBAL WAYS PEOPLE COMMUNICATE?? BODY LANGUAGE? EYE CONTACT?? FACIAL EXPRESSIONS??? SWAAAAG KEEP TALKIN

17. omg people who sing whether they sound good or not. actually this goes for a lot of things, not just singing. IF YOU ARE HAVIN FUN THEN YOU SOUND GOOD TO ME IDSMFSDmk

18. musicals. y'all are out here breaking into song in the middle of the street. that's. that's amazing. what a mood tbh. me mentally everyday

19. actually music in general. musicians. music listeners. people who play the harmonica. people who play the FLUTE or the DRUMS or the VIOLIN or the CELLO or PIANO PLAYERS YOU ROCK OMG. and all the genres?? all the ways we express ourselves with sound? SONGS THAT MEAN THINGS TO PEOPLE. SOUNDS THAT MEAN THINGS TO PEOPLE. SWAG.

20. my moots and followers omg u guys u guys idk why you're here but you mean the world to me.

21. L Lawliet

22. OMG WHEN PEOPLE CAN QUOTE THEIR FAVOURITE SHOW. LIKE OMG WHEN PEOPLE RANDOMLY QUOTE DR. WHO OR LORD OF THE RINGS OR IDK B99 (or megamind, hana if you're reading this you make me happy hajSDHWEKAD)

23. kaillei love of my life you are everything to me

24. SCREAMs have i mentioned how happy people make me 'cause WTF. WHEN PEOPLE> >>>>

25. succulents. i will forget to water you if you are not a succulent.

(tagging the people who sent the asks: @sugurus-princess @lilies-and-rosies YOU ARE NEVER IN MY INBOX TOO MUCH @kailleis-sunshine @h-grangerstudies @bokubonk )

[ghchgc]

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Not to worry, we lead the Nation in welfare and are 2 in homelessness.. But, O! what meetings I have had, alone in the corner,—my Saviour and only me!” The smile with which these words were spoken was a thing to be remembered. Evangeline is an image of beauty and goodness which can never be effaced from the mind, whatever may be its prejudices. 60 votes were not needed in the Senate on this, as Democrats watched from the sidelines, while the GOP couldn get 50 votes, plus the tie breaking tally of the Vice President. If you're reimbursed for them in any way including reimbursing you for expenses then the tax free allowances don't apply.. To handle the additional cats and dogs, the organization fixed up two vacant warehouses next to the shelter into air conditioned kennels. The burning is a call to action.". I picked up the snuff-box and exclaimed:. The direction of influence also flows the other way, so it is possible for the position of our bodies to influence our thoughts and feelings. He had kin he might have sent in his stead. Classes will be offered, and students should check with their instructors regarding the status of their classes, university officials said in a statement. Himmelwright chaired the mummer judging for years when it was held on the corner of East First Street and Arch Street under the street light.. But knowing that Natasha and Anna Andreyevna would be worried if they expected me in vain, I decided to let Natasha know by post that I could not be with her that day.

[josephbarnes]

name: Joseph Barnes age: 25 gender: cis Male sexuality: Bisexual faceclaim: Rudy Pankow height: 5′9"

@villagestart​

​tw: abandonment, addiction, depression, homophobia

     Joe was born to a teenage mother in Tupelo, Mississippi and as soon as he was born, she started to spiral. When she should’ve been focusing on him, she was out partying, leaving Joe with her brother - Christopher - and things only got worse as time went on. At just over a year old, she offered Chris to take over full parental rights of Joe so she could continue living as she pleased, while keeping him safe. Except Chris couldn’t. Joe’s mother had a habit of losing track of what was up from down and had called the cops on Chris on more than one occasion for “stealing” Joe. On top of that, Chris was a gay man, and two gay men couldn’t adopt a child.

     At around 4 years old, Joe was given up (abandoned) and placed in the foster system. He had no way to contact anybody and seeing as his mother had dropped him several states away CPS became involved. All Joe really remembers of this time was bouncing around from home to home. Joe became less excited with each new placement because he knew he wouldn’t be there long and becoming attached to anybody was foolish. 

     Joe was 6, turning 7, when he was driven to Seattle, Washington with his small bags of clothes and a stuffed animal he now carted around with him. His hopes were in the dirt for this family despite all the positive things that people were saying. They had a few foster kids already, Jackson being the first one he met. Jackson was older, already almost 16 at the time, but he stepped into a big brother role in Joe’s life very quickly. Joe clung to Jackson more and more as time passed. His brother understood what it was like to be a foster kid, and even though the family was very kind to him, that was a different kind of bond.

     When Jackson moved out, it was sad, but he still came around a whole bunch. By that time, Joe knew it was fairly normal not to live at home anymore once you were older. Plus, he had a phone, they could text all the time. Right up until a few days before Joe’s thirteenth birthday, when Jackson no longer responded. Joe figured his brother was just busy, he was an adult after all, but Jackson didn’t show up for the birthday party. Nor any other occasion. In fact, Jackson never texted Joe again. He’d hear their parents frantically whispering about Jackson, but they never shared anything extra. It sent Joe into a spiral of his own. Abandoned by yet another person that was supposed to care about him.

     In high school, Joe dove head first into music. He played on the drumline and in the orchestra, had a few friends, but didn’t seriously date. That just seemed like another opportunity for somebody to fuck him over. Then college rolled around, Joe ended up at Texas A&M and played in the marching band. At TAMU, Joe would meet Llewellyn Reed, an ice hockey player, and despite himself, Joe would fall head over heels in love with him. It took a bit longer for Lyn to realize he felt the same way, but by junior year they were inseparable.

     After graduation, Joe didn’t have a lot of job prospects. He had a degree, but he wasn’t sure he really wanted to do anything with it. Lyn got drafted to the Islanders and suggested Joe come with him to New York and see if anything exciting popped up there. New York brought Joe’s love of the cello right back - he had never quit playing, just put it to the side. He’s now a member of a few New York city orchestra’s and hopes to make it to the bigger stages.

     Most recently, Lyn was traded to the Blackhawks, and seeing how their relationship is under wraps and hidden, plus Joe finally feeling like he has somewhere to call home, they decided to call it quits for now. Joe is heartbroken, and still leaves Lyn voicemails everyday so the other knows how proud Joe is of him. It’s stupid, but Joe doesn’t know how to let go.

[justforbooks]

McCoy Tyner, Groundbreaking Pianist Of 20th Century Jazz, Dies At 81

McCoy Tyner, a pianist whose deep resonance, hammering attack and sublime harmonic invention made him a game-changing catalyst in jazz and beyond, died Friday, March 6, at his home in New Jersey. His death was confirmed by his manager. No cause of death was given. He was 81.

Tyner was the last surviving member of the John Coltrane Quartet, among the most momentous groups in jazz history. Few musicians have ever exerted as much influence as a sideman. His crucial role in the group's articulation of modal harmony, from the early 1960s on, will always stand as a defining achievement: The ringing intervals in his left hand, often perfect fourths or fifths, became the cornerstone of a style that endures today.

But Tyner was always a more multidimensional musician than the sum of his mannerisms would seem to suggest. And he had a long, consequential post-Coltrane career as a composer and bandleader. Among his dozens of albums are a handful regarded as classics, like Reaching Fourth, The Real McCoy and Atlantis. A number of his compositions, including "Passion Dance" and "Peresina," have entered the common repertory.

"On all the recordings with Coltrane, and indeed on all his work of the '60s, McCoy's crisp, lightning-fast right-hand lines, set against the sheer power of his left, are a revelation," jazz historian Lewis Porter, one of Coltrane's biographers, wrote in an email NPR Music on Friday. "He came out of the tradition (he mentioned Thelonious Monk as one of his favorites), but he was one of those few who forged an absolutely unique style."

Because Tyner's work with Coltrane catapulted him to the first tier of accompanists, that style can be heard on some of the landmark jazz albums of the '60s. Among them are Page One, by tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, and Open Sesame, by trumpeter Freddie Hubbard – a pair of auspicious debuts on Blue Note — and Stick-Up! by vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson.

Tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter enlisted Tyner on a close succession of Blue Note sessions in the mid-'60s. One of these yielded the classic JuJu, which also had Elvin Jones on drums and another Coltrane associate, Reggie Workman, on bass. The title track to JuJu, which opens the album, bears Tyner's stamp from the first downbeat, with a cresting wave of chords in a shrewdly indeterminate key.

Alfred McCoy Tyner was born Dec. 11, 1938 in Philadelphia, the oldest child of Jarvis Tyner and the former Beatrice Stevenson. The oldest of three siblings, he began taking piano lessons at 13. His mother, who ran a beauty salon out of their West Philadelphia home, installed a piano there, because it was the largest room of the house.

This yielded unanticipated benefits, as Tyner recalled in a 1963 interview with Stanley Dance, in DownBeat magazine. "Bud Powell and his brother were living just around the corner from me in Philadelphia," he said, referring to the pacesetting bebop pianist, "but they didn't have a piano in their apartment, and Bud came to my mother's house to play." Powell — who, with peers like Charlie Parker and Max Roach, had redefined the language of modern jazz in the 1940s — remained a core influence for Tyner, even as he developed his own unmistakable voice.

Tyner studied classical theory and harmony at the Granoff School of Music, but also drew formative insights from personal instruction — including conga lessons with Garvin Masseaux, who was working at the time with Nigerian drummer Babatunde Olatunji.

By his high school years, Tyner was playing professionally in and around Philadelphia, as part of a modern jazz scene that was one of the most vibrant in the country. Among his more fateful appointments was a band led by trumpeter-composer Cal Massey, an associate of Coltrane; it was also through Massey that Tyner met his future wife, Aisha, whose sister was a vocalist in the band.

In 1959, Tyner joined trumpeter Art Farmer and saxophonist Benny Golson in a group they called The Jazztet; he made his recording debut on Meet the Jazztet, released the following year. That same year, 1960, Tyner played on Coltrane's album My Favorite Things; his tolling, meditative chords on the title track, a popular song borrowed from the hit Broadway musical The Sound of Music, were a key part of its allure.

The classic John Coltrane Quartet — with Tyner, Jimmy Garrison on bass and Elvin Jones on drums — formally coalesced in 1962. For the next several years it created at a prodigious pace, recording landmark albums like Crescent and A Love Supreme, and setting a fearsome bar for intensity on the bandstand. Recordings like Live at Birdland have been prized by generations of musicians and fans; in 2005 another live document, Live at the Half Note: One Down, One Up, left another major impression, 40 years after its recording date.

Tyner stayed with Coltrane until soon after that recording, as the music grew more cacophonous, rhythmically abstract and untethered from root tonality. His piano chair was passed on to Alice Coltrane, who quickly made it her own.

"I was so immersed in the music when I was with John," Tyner told me in 1997. "The influence was so great, and the roles we all played in that group were so powerful; you couldn't divorce yourself from it just because you weren't physically there. For a while there, all the horn players that were with me wanted to sound like John. So I deliberately started using alto sax instead of tenor, and other instruments, because I wanted to kind of try something different."

The scale of Tyner's output ranged from solo piano to big band, with some notable midsize efforts like the seven-piece band on Expansions, which enlisted Ron Carter on cello and Shorter on clarinet as well as saxophone. A similarly titled follow-up, Extensions, included Alice Coltrane's harp; Sahara, which followed, found Tyner experimenting on koto and flute.

The searching Afrocentrism of these albums carried on the intrepid tone and earnest spiritualism of Coltrane's music, without overt emulation. The critic Gary Giddins, reflecting on the 1970s in The Village Voice, once pegged Tyner "the most influential pianist of the decade," an assessment that could credibly be extended outside that frame. As he settled into the stature of an elder, Tyner worked meaningfully not only with peers like Hutcherson and Bartz, but also figures from successive generations, like saxophonists Michael Brecker and Joe Lovano.

Tyner was a 2002 NEA Jazz Master and a five-time Grammy winner — most recently in 2004 for his album Illuminations, featuring a band with trumpeter Terence Blanchard, alto saxophonist Gary Bartz, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Lewis Nash. He worked extensively in a trio format; one longtime working band had Avery Sharpe on bass and Aaron Scott on drums. Tyner's final album was a piano recital, Solo: Live From San Francisco, released in 2009; it includes compositions by Coltrane and Duke Ellington as well as his own songs, including "Ballad For Aisha."

In addition to Aisha, Tyner's immediate survivors include his son, Nurudeen; his brother, Jarvis; his sister, Gwendolyn-Yvette Tyner; and three grandchildren.

The legacy of Tyner's pianism can be heard far and wide, in the music of everyone from salsa legend Eddie Palmieri to Late Show bandleader Jon Batiste. His innovations in harmony, with their intimations of transcendence, form a standard proudly upheld by contemporary pianists like Nduduzo Makhathini, whose forthcoming Blue Note debut bears the influence unmistakably.

"I feel very honored, actually," Tyner told me about the legions of pianists who have emulated his style. "I really do, because I think that if I could make a statement that makes a difference, and the influence could be preserved through the generations to come, that means that my stay here on earth has a meaning."

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

[pocasu]

get to know mun better

thank you so much for the tag @prometheanglory​!!!

1) What do you prefer to be called namewise:

Giana! (if you really can’t remember or feel a need to shorten it just G is fine too but I really do prefer Giana)

2) When is your birthday?

July 26th!

3) Where do you live? (You can just give the country’s or state name if your not comfortable with sharing the city name)

I live in the yeehaw central of California, USA

4) Three things you are doing right now?

dressed to the nines for no reason, listening to classical music, meeting art deadlines

5) Four fandoms that have your peak interest right now?

Twisted Wonderland, Utapri, A3, and Black Butler!

6) How has this pandemic been treating you?

I lowkey feel hollow inside and I thank the heavens the grading system changed to pass/fail based on the third quarter

7) A song you can’t stop listening to right now?

The first movement of Winter by Vivaldi, and Not Flunky by DISH//

8) Recommend a movie:

You can never go wrong with Howl’s Moving Castle ahaha; it’s a really big comfort movie for me!

9) How old are you?

16!

10) School, university, occupation or other?

I really don’t know what I want in life, but after I finish my last year of high school I want to go to uni and major in sociology, I guess?

11) Do you prefer heat or cold?

I like the in-betweens (early spring and late autumn), but if I had to choose I guess heat! I like my flowy clothes ^^

12) Name one fact about you that others might find unusual:

I’m uhh how you say kinda boring but I guess one would be that I play both violin and cello,,?? Also my pinkies are very proportionally short while my thumbs are long (wait maybe this is why I’m a really good thumb rhythm game player hold on hold on--)

13) Are you shy?

I’m rather shy but if no one speaks in a room I’ll be the first to reach out

14) Do you have preferred pronouns?

she/her please!

15) Biggest pet peeves?

I have more than I’d care to admit but as of recent I suppose it’s:

imperial apologists, people who refuse to see the nuances in media and understand where the ideologies may have come from, and overly negative people

16) What is your favourite “-dere” type?

tsundere and kuudere kinda cute doe ngl

17) Rate you life 1-10. 1 being crappy, 10 being amazing:

5-7, it fluctuates day to day haha no I won’t elaborate

18) What is your main blog?

This one at pocasu! I don’t really use side blogs

19) List your side blogs and what they are used for:

gembastarde: my houseki no kuni art archive. to my followers there i am so sorry oh my god

20) One thing you think people should know about you before they become your friends?

I’m kinda fragile even if I don’t show it a lot, so please don’t be like,, relentlessly mean to me. Even if it’s as a joke I do have my limits :( Also if you’re a Japanese war crime apologist (which I doubt from anyone here but I’ve seen enough to be wary) :)))) why are you even here lol

uhhhhh if you already got tagged sorry in advance!! and ofc no pressure to do it @ratsuke @fratboyintraining @minoux @yuukyuu-no-uta and anyone else up for it!

[justanotherpiccplayer]

Just Amateur Orchestra things

As one who’s spent a year in a local amateur orchestra, damn, have I seen some strange things

1) flute spaces?!? AHAHAHA come join the queue of these 30 other flute players who are all at least twice your age waiting for the people in the flute chairs to literally keel over and die because that’s the only way a chair becomes free

2) no seriously, I am the youngest by at least 20 years

3) you see some strange sights at the back of the violins

4) @ the guy back of seconds who holds his bow backwards like a bass player how do you still have like a FUNCTIONING WRIST

5) why does everyone write literally everything in the music, like, Barbara, do we really need to know that there’s a slight rit then a tempo halfway through our SIXTY BARS REST, WHY ARE YOU NOT JUST WATCHING?!?!!!?

6) pretty sure the second oboist is from the Victorian era, he has the suit, the hair AND the beard, and his oboe is so old it has like 7 keys maybe

7) all the snobby “I’m so professional” not professional people who don’t know what being professional is actually like

8) like seriously, my desk partner moved forward a seat because someone was away and I was using her music. She asked me to write in stuff on her part and then proceeded to glare at me every time the conductor opened his mouth and wouldn’t stop until I’d written something.... I hope you enjoy that anecdote about the conductors baby son....

9) we did Beethoven 9 over Easter and I’m doing it this summer with the local youth orchestra and one of the violinists had the balls to say to the youth orchestra conductor “a youth orchestra???? Doing Beethoven 9???? They won’t be able to do that !!!” because of course you’re so professional that we can’t possibly play it in the youth orchestra (we’re a miles better string section)

10) there’s a dude back of seconds who’s so old that his hands are so shaky and he can only play fucking tremolo

11) why all the old ladies got to bring their handbags on stage every concert? Like you never open them, look at them or use them throughout the entire concert and it looks so stupid, just whyyy

12) it’s very fun making eye contact with the flute teacher across the way who’s playing cello because there’s no flute spaces and we wince when the flutes are particularly out of tune knowing that the both of us can play way better 😂

13) for some reason all the flutes have really blingy expensive instruments like I had a conversation with a lady who bought a 2 GRAND piccolo having never played piccolo because “it’s her hobby and she’s enjoying it !!!!” And like I’ve seen more gold flutes in amateur orchestras with incredibly mediocre players than I have in any professional circumstance, perks of having a normal job, eh?

14) no seriously what’s with the handbags on stage like what is that

15) everyone has at least 7 pencils each and haven’t lost any ever

(pls add your own or any more you can think of)

[afreesworn]

Get To Know Me Tag Thing

Rules: Always post the rules. Tag 11 new people you’d like to know better. Whoever wants to do it, I am tagging you! I am super late on answering some of these. But please tag me back so I can see!

Tagged by: @zhauric​ Thank you!

1. Dogs or Cats?

Dogs. I love cats too, but their dander does not love me.

2. YouTube celebrities or normal celebrities?

I couldn’t name any YouTube celebrities off the top of my head so...

3. If you could live anywhere where would that be?

Anywhere where there’s plenty of clouds, rain, and the colors of spring and autumn. Okay, so I guess that’s Oregon or Washington.

4. Disney or DreamWorks?

I know more Disney films.

5. Favourite childhood TV show?

I was really into cartoons. Sailor Moon, Robotech (yes I know it’s Harmony Gold but it’s the version that I came across first!), Transformers...

6. The movie you’re looking forward to most in 2020?

Wonder Woman sequel. 

7. Favourite book you read in 2019?

I am going to bury my head in shame and confess I have not had the time read a book. Do... comic book series count??? Player’s Handbook? Lore books?

8. Marvel or DC?

Marvel. X-men series were my first comic book love affair.

9. If you choose Marvel favourite member of the X-Men? If you choose DC favourite Justice League member?

Jean Grey, because I love the Phoenix storyline. Batman because I love the fact that he is no super human being but elevates himself to the team just the same.

10. Night or Day?

Day.

11. Favourite Pokemon?

I’ve never watched the cartoon, although I did download the Pokemon Go App but... I could not name any others beyond Pikachu.

12. Top 5 bands:

I don’t follow bands religiously, but these are the five bands that I’ve listened to certain albums/songs more times than I can count, and still love them today.

U2, Muse, Coldplay, 30 Seconds to Mars, Duran Duran

13. Top 10 books.

Hmm this is hard. I don’t like to rate books. Just gonna rattle off some books that come to mind in no particular order. 

Storm of Swords

Dragon Prince

Pride and Prejudice

Joy Luck Club

Les Miserables

Hamlet

Ender’s Game

14. Top 4 movies

I do watch way more movies than read books. I definitely have more than 4 but the top... hmm...

Fellowship of the Ring

Star Wars

Gladiator

Avengers: Endgame

15. America or Europe?

America is my home, but in the last few years, I longed for the sensibilities across the seas. Although with the latest election results in the UK... oh WAIT they are not going to be Europe for much long are they?! 

16. Tumblr or Twitter?

For art and writing, Tumblr. For mundane distractions and silliness, Twitter.

17. Pro-choice or Pro-life?

Pro-choice all the way.

18. Favourite YouTuber?

Uhhhhh... I watch Critical Role most reliably on YouTube. But that probably doesn’t count.

19. Favourite author ?

It fluctuated from time to time, currently it’s George R.R. Martin since I am WAITING FOR HIM TO FINISH THE SERIES.

20. Tea or Coffee?

Coffee. Egads I love the smell of coffee. I can’t start the day without it.

21. OTP ?

Where exactly? I have LOTS since shipping is fun! I won’t go into RP OTPs since... well... it’s obvious.

Tohru and Kyo - my favorite in Anime

Scully and Mulder - TV

Elizabeth and Darcy - Books

22. Do you play an instrument/sing ?

Played piano and cello when I was younger but fell out of practice years ago. 

[dustedmagazine]

Listed: Elkhorn

Jesse Sheppard and Drew Gardner joined forces as Elkhorn in 2013, Sheppard on 12-string and Gardner on 6-string. Together they’ve made a string of gorgeous duet albums on Feeding Tube and now Beyond Beyond Is Beyond records, while supporting the growth and scholarship around American Primitive guitar playing in a variety of ways. Sheppard, in particular, has been active in organizing the 1000 Incarnations of the Rose festival and documenting players including Glenn Jones, Nathan Bowles, Chris Forsyth, Ryley Walker and others in video. Their latest album, The Storm Sessions, comes from a snowed-in session in Brooklyn when a cancelled concert turned into a prolonged and graceful meditation on the possibilities of guitars and guitar-like instruments.  In her review, Jennifer Kelly wrote, “… a tribute to filling in the quiet spaces that have arisen unexpectedly out of chaos and disappointment, but which are, themselves, very peaceful and beautiful.” Drew Gardner contributed this list.

I put this list together with the thought of talking about some music that overlaps with elements of The Storm Sessions. There are several shared elements at play in these records: songs using longer durations that unfold in suites, improvisation, the blending of several genres-sounds-traditions, gradual development, the use of calm/blissful moods, and players who tend toward letting the music guide the playing.

Mary Lattimore —The Withdrawing Room, “You’ll Be Fiiinnne”

The Withdrawing Room, harpist Mary Lattimore’s debut album, unfolds beautifully with delay-soaked harp mixed with bubbly psychedelic electronic textures courtesy of Jeff Zeigler. Lattimore knows how to use patience to build a feeling of calm tranquility and often walks her harp figures beside a stream of contrasting ambient sound. She glides though different sound areas without trying to push the songs around, letting the music be. The results are lovely and dreamy.

Maya Youssef —Syrian Dreams, “Queen of the Night”

Maya Youssef is an expert player of the maqan, a traditional Middle Eastern plucked instrument in the zither family. She grew up in Damascus and now lives in England. Defying the tradition that only men could play it, she has innovated the maqan as a solo instrument beyond its conventional use in larger ensembles. The instrumentation on Syrian Dreams is maqan, percussion, cello and oud, the textures of which blend into sets of suites that seem to tell many stories. This is a record of original compositions of Middle Eastern music that seamlessly incorporate the sounds of flamenco and jazz. Somehow Youssef’s group also reads like a freak folk chamber band. She’s unafraid of the healing power of music, and she connects her compositions with both the ancient and the difficult recent history of Syria.

Sunburned Hand of the Man—Headdress, “Shitless”

Gloriously lo-fi collage-ist space jams, cohesive in their disjointedness. Like GBV, the low fidelity makes it more intimate. As with most of their catalogue this is a head-trip and also a lot of fun. This record puts all the myriad things they’re capable of into perfect balance: uniquely fried “Massachusetts dub,” comical Dadaist prank-chants, slow loose funk grooves with all kind of friendly space debris orbiting around. Each song has at least three different genres melting in and out of it, and it all sounds like a party. They don’t order the tunes around, they let what’s happening happen. There’s plenty of improvisation here, but without a big demand for the guitars to need to get anywhere—what a relief. They’re happy being where they are, floating over the rhythm section and soaking in the cascades of color, relaxed and weird-blissful.

NNCK—Qvaris, “The Doon”

NNCK went to great lengths to secure certain freedoms, especially freedom from fame and freedom from commerce. Those freedoms are put to great use here and the result is a floaty ego-differed collective texture and with a groove and a vibe. It feels like all the players are steering the boat. Everyone is thinking about the total sound and the overall flow. Everyone’s in charge and no one is. They improvise and move from zone to zone, sound world to sound world. There are trippy drones, ritual percussion, and calm, bizarre and soothing textures. The songs sound like they’re improvised in a way that allows them to be self-assembling/self-disassembling ensemble music. It sounds like life forms are evolving. The various combinations of different elements create a lot of variety as the landscape scrolls by. Need some dilating texture-walls shifting into a bonus of damp squishiness? You got it. Need some mescaline-fueled post-rock? You got it. Rustically glowing biomechanical insects morphing into autumnal haze? Yup. Malfunctioning alternate-dimension windchimes into Dada kabuki Muppet theater? Cannabinoidosaurus Rex chill out wedding music into Martian organ grinder swing winding up at third-pot-brownie-surf-rock? You get the idea. There’s something for everyone. All the song/soundscapes flow through these ecosystems with a “how did we get here?” effect. The players find different windows in the soundscape. It never feels crowed. Sonically occupying the space they’re in, they let the music become itself rather than trying to control it.

Joshua Abrams Natural Information Society—Mandatory Reality, “Finite”

I first heard this record last year in the Elkhorn tour vehicle while Jesse and I we were driving from the Milwaukee Psych fest to Chicago. It turns out that being stuck in a car for several hours moving at twenty miles an hour in a white-out is the perfect context for experiencing this music. There was something about the slow speed, the need for concentrated attention, and the monochromatically unfolding landscape that really enhanced the experience of the music. Abrams’ use of slow tempos, repetition, long durations, gradually shifting textures and cycles of chords and melodic figures was perfectly mirrored in the snowy drive. He allows the music to repeat and unfold without needing to rush in contrasting sections or motifs. It’s patient and languid and mesmerizing. Done in real time with no overdubs, it blends several sounds beautifully: minimalism, Gnawa music and modern Chicago free jazz. At times it feels like a radically becalmed Braxton Ghost Trance piece transmuted into something like the spacious Tabla Tarang playing of Pandit Kamalesh Maitra or the straight 8ths of Gamelan music with John Luther Adams-style long tones stretched over it. When we arrived in Chicago the snowstorm had abated after the long drive, and as I stepped out of the car into the slush I felt refreshed rather than exhausted.

Pauline Oliveros with Stuart Dempster and Panaiotis—Deep Listening, “Lear”

Deep Listening was improvised with no overdubs using just-intonation accordion, trombone, didgeridoo and voice in a cistern in Washington State that once held two million gallons of water. This space featured a natural forty-five-second reverb. As dolphins know, reverb is a kind of image—information about space in sound form. On this record the players, the environment and the instruments all combine to become intertwined into one system. I’ll let Oliveros say it: “The Universe is improvising and we have evolution, so improvisation is always happening.”

Cul De Sac—Immortality Lessons, “Blues in E”

Cul De Sac featured Glenn Jones on electric twelve-string guitar before he turned to solo acoustic music. The band played improvised instrumental rock that crossed over several genres: Krautrock, psych-rock, surf-rock and American Primitive. This record was recorded live at a college radio station in one take under less than ideal circumstances and it’s a great example of turning lemons into psychedelic lemonade. This music flows and develops in suites, using various groove/dissolve/solo patterns than unfold with an expansive vibe. Everyone in the band is thinking about the whole arrangement, not just the parts. It’s genre blending, full-band texturing and rewards repeated listening. One can only hope for a reunion one day.

Marisa Anderson—The Golden Hour, “In the Valley of the Sun”

The Golden Hour is a record of solo fingerstyle electric guitar improvisations recorded straight to tape. It sounds like she’s doing variations on open themes and the results feel modern/spontaneous and composed/traditional at the same time. She has a warm, woody guitar tone, often tastefully overdriving the amp in a lush manner, using a nimble rhythmic gait. This works as psychedelic guitar music and at the same time resonates with the old American music traditions she’s connecting with. Her blend of genres is country blues, country and western, and folk, put together in concise songs that always have a coherent flow of ideas with sometimes subtle hints of deconstruction. She’s not afraid of the pleasures of meandering. This is music that sounds like it’s dreaming through guitar history as a kind of meditation.

Shivkumar Sharma and Zakir Hussain—Rag Madhuvanti, Rag Misra Tilang, “Rag Misra Tilang”

Shivkumar Sharma plays the Santur, an Indian box zither, not unlike a western hammer dulcimer. Sharma is credited with bringing this folk instrument, normally associated with the Sufi music of Kashmir, into Indian classical music. Indian music involves several of the elements I’ve been discussing in this list: long duration, improvisation, and drone. There’s something about the cascading overtones of Sharma’s Santur playing that reads as especially psychedelic, unfolding in undulating patterns using his knowledge of tabla rhythms. He wasn’t afraid to risk innovation and prove that a folk instrument could be used for high art. This album is mesmerizing, beautiful, and rejuvenating.

[paradox-oflife]

album tag! (best of the album and why) @lememecollector

havent done one of these in a while so why not. I saw the one I did years ago and it’s crazy to see how my music taste has evolved lol. Went from a pop and rap scene to alternative rock. Always had some sort of rock though.

1) Sam’s Town - the Killers

Read my Mind but every single track is a high 10. Except for Uncle Johnny, good bass line but the lyrics are 8/10.

This album is just soulful. Got that American heart in it. Idk cowboys and something like that.

2) bury me at makeout creek - Mitski

First love/late spring or Drunk Walk Home. Every track is also super good. Underrated track is Jobless Monday.

This album might have been after Be the Cowboy, but to me, this album is so special. It’s like catharsis and really raw.

3) Trench - twenty one pilots

My Blood. Groovy bass line. What a bop. Every single track, once again, it’s pretty good. You don’t need to exactly dissect the song too much, which is kind of different from the usual.

This album had a really big bass presence, which is always fun to play with. This was probably their most mature album in terms of song writing.

4) Hot Fuss - the Killers

All These Things That I’ve Done. Hella guitar riff, bass in the back, catchy bridge. That bridge ascends my soul everytime I hear it.

Iconic album in general. It has a much different feel from the rest of their discography

5) Vessel - twenty one pilots

Hard to decide... like maybe Truce. It’s a good ending to the album.

I honestly hold this entire album dear to my heart. It got me through middle school and a good chunk of high school. Everything’s good!!

6) Be the Cowboy - Mitski

Once again, everything’s good but if I had to, I’d stick with Nobody. That’s the song everyone knows, and for a good reason too I guess

Has a bit more of a pop feeling to it compared to bury me at makeout creek. But I still love this album.

7) The Last 5 Years - Original Broadway Cast Recording

I don’t listen to a lot of musicals anymore, but The Last 5 Years has always stuck with me. Just the classic broadway feel. Most broadway shows are like, pop-esque, yknow? 

As a cello player, seeing such a big cello influence in the orchestral pit makes me so happy. AND they use a fretless bass!!! Yes!!

8) MM.. FOOD - M.F. DOOM

Beef rapp because that’s really what got me into the whole scene

I don’t listen to rap anymore either but sometimes I come back to this album when i’m trying to rhyme certain things. Dude’s a major inspiration when it comes to rhyme scheme.

9) Regional At Best - twenty one pilots

Kitchen Sink. Bruh the way he plays with the words. And the meaning. Everything comes together really well. Zach’s verse is crazy fast, but it makes sense at the same time.

This album’s pretty similar to Vessel, but like, there’s songs on here that make it so much different.

10) Day and Age - the Killers

Playful album. The lyrics could either be interpreted as the literal context, or it can go a darker route. Spaceman could either be about a literal alien abduction... or it could be a failed suicide attempt.

[sassyshoulderangel319]

Sleepover Date

I like the ASMR recordings so I figured I’d write 3,171 words of what led up to Kiro’s because... what can I say, I was wondering what would lead up to it and I love the guy XD He and Victor are my two favorites

Previous MLQC writings: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

My phone vibrated early Friday morning. I groaned with complaint and swatted around at my bedside table to find it. Once I found it, I peeked through my closed eyelids to see its bright screen with an even brighter smile and eyes on the Caller ID photo.

“Mornin’ Kiro,” I mumbled.

“Good morning, Miss Chips!” His happy tone was a little aggravating this early.

“What’s goin’ on?”

“Oh. Sorry. Did I wake you up?”

“Yeah but you only beat my alarm by four minutes.”

“Okay. Sorry again. I forget that you don’t have to wake up for a morning workout.”

“Thank the heavens,” I muttered. “So, what’s up? To what do I owe the pleasure of your call?”

He giggled like a schoolboy through the phone. “I was just wondering if you’d like to have a sleepover tonight!”

“Uh… what?”

“A sleepover! I’ll come pick you up after work and we’ll eat junk food and watch movies and just hang out, y’know? As friends. I haven’t done something fun like that in years.”

I blinked, brain slowly catching up to me. “Uh, Kiro?”

“Yes?”

“We’re, uh, we’re twenty-two,” I pointed out.

“So what? That means we can’t have a fun sleepover?” Kiro asked, sharper than I thought he’d be.

“Uh… I guess not.”

“So you’ll come over tonight?”

“Sure,” I said.

I could hear the celebratory tone of his voice as he cried out, “Yes! Text me when you get home from work. By the time I make it to your place from mine you should have enough time to throw an overnight bag together, right?”

“Probably, if you don’t mind me being super casual.”

“Mind? Why on Earth would I mind? Heck, I welcome it! I’m gonna be one-hundred-percent casual too! Oh this is going to be great! We can put the couch cushions on the floor like we’re little kids and just have a good time!” He sounded so happy that I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Okay. I’m excited now. I’ll see you tonight,” I said.

“See you tonight!” He giggled again and hung up.

I set my phone back on the bedside table and hopped out of bed. I pulled on a more casual outfit for a Friday and threw a few things onto my bed that I could pack when I got home after work.

Once I ate breakfast and finished getting ready, I rushed out the door and headed for the office. A sleepover. With Kiro. Oh my word. This was either going to be insanely fun, or a disaster. Probably the former, but sometimes stuff happened. I was really looking forward to a sleepover.

It was kind of amusing—thousands of die-hard fans only dreamt of having a sleepover with Kiro at his house and I actually got to do it. Because we were friends.

Real friends.

All day I could barely focus on work. Neither could anyone else—it was Friday—but I was too excited for tonight. Victor noticed in my over-the-phone report that I seemed distracted and decided before I could even explain that I was just looking forward to some plans for tonight he decided that we’d finish the report on Monday.

Even better. One less task and no berating.

The day passed quickly after that.

Before I knew it, my phone was to my ear.

“Miss Chips!” Kiro greeted brightly.

“Hey! I just walked out of my building, so I’ll be home soon and then packed. I just thought I’d give you a little extra heads-up.”

“Aw! So thoughtful! Text me when you get home so I know you’re safe and sound and home and then I’ll leave to come get you so you have time to pack!”

“Sounds like a plan. See you soon!”

“See you soon! Aw man, I am so excited for tonight!”

I laughed. “Me too. Thanks for the invite!”

“Of course!”

I was on Cloud Nine all the way back to my apartment. When I got there, I texted Kiro that I was home safe and packing up. I got back a string of emojis that seemed to be mostly of the happy and excited variety.

Once at home, I changed into a more comfortable set of clothes and got started.

While I packed my overnight bag, I listened to one of his albums in the old CD player I kept on the floor of my closet. There was something fun about CDs that I just didn’t get with my phone. They didn’t feel quite the same to listen to. Sure phone audio in my headphones sounded clearer than my slightly-fuzzy old CD player speakers, but with the CD player I felt like I was a kid again—before phones were so commonplace.

I sang along and giggled to myself as I packed. Pajamas, change of clothes for tomorrow, toiletries, some snacks, a book, a couple of my favorite movies, water bottle, hairbrush, all the normal sleepover stuff. I also threw in a pack of cards in case we wanted to play a card game.

Though I was positive that with money like his, Kiro probably owned a deck of cards. Still. I liked mine. They were soft and easy to shuffle after years of use.

I was in the middle of singing the chorus to one of Kiro’s songs when I heard an excited knock at the door. I shut the music off and rushed over to peek through the peephole. I figured only one person I knew would be that excited, but I imagined Gavin might also share some enthusiasm when he was in a good mood.

But no. A head of gold hair was standing out in the hallway. I yanked the door open. “Hi!” I greeted.

“Hey there, Miss Chips!” Kiro greeted brightly, giving me a hug. “You all ready?”

“Yup. Let me grab my bag—”

“Now. What kind of gentleman would I be if I let you do that?” Kiro teased.

I snorted. “That sounds like an excuse to go in my bedroom,” I joked. Kiro’s ears turned a vibrant shade of red.

“N-no! That’s—that’s totally not what I meant!”

But I just kept laughing, my own face going red. “I knooow. I’m just playing around. Let me grab it out of my room and then, if you really want, you can help me with it. But I can totally handle it on my own. There’s barely anything in it apart from the obvious sleepover supplies.”

Kiro laughed too, slightly more awkward than mine. “Oh. Okay,” he said.

I went to my room and grabbed my bag, hauling it off my bed and rolling it out into the main room. Kiro was standing just inside the doorway looking around.

“Is that a cello?” He pointed to the instrument near my window.

“Yup,” I replied.

“I didn’t know you played.”

I shrugged. “I’m better at piano but my cello tends to attract fewer complaints from my neighbors. I have a keyboard with headphones in my room for when I want to play piano.”

Kiro glanced at the door I’d come out of. “You can come play at my place any time you want, if you want! I have a real piano that you can play to your heart’s content!”

I smiled. “You’re sweet, Kiro. Thank you. I’ll probably take you up on that. Electronic keyboards aren’t the same.”

“I agree. Now come on.” He swiped my rolling bag’s handle from my hand and offered me his other elbow before I could complain. “Shall we set out on our grand sleepover adventure?”

I laughed, looping my arm through his. “We shall!”

Stepping out, I locked the door behind me—

And heard a familiar voice that wasn’t Kiro’s asking my name.

Once the key was out of the lock I turned around, other hand still on Kiro’s arm. “Hi Lucien! This is a friend of mine. We’re just going to, uh…” How was I meant to say “have a sleepover” without sounding like a kid? If I even brought up the word “sleepover” in Victor’s presence—heaven forbid—I’d never hear the end of it. Lucien was a little more understanding, but still, I liked to have some dignity.

“I’m a musician,” Kiro cut in. “We’re going to my place to record her playing the piano.”

I squeezed his elbow in thanks.

Lucien seemed vaguely curious. “Sounds like an enjoyable activity. I hope you have a good time.” That last sentence was directed entirely at me—like Kiro didn’t even exist. Since Kiro was usually the center of attention, I wondered if he was irritated or relieved that Lucien wasn’t paying him any attention at all.

“We will. Thanks. See you later, Lucien!” I said as Kiro and I resumed our walk to the elevator. I waved over my shoulder. Lucien waved back. The elevator doors closed and cut off our view.

I sighed in relief.

“Whew. Thanks. Lucien’s an understanding guy but trying to explain a sleepover to my neighbor when we’re both adults just seemed… awkward,” I said.

Kiro couldn’t help but chuckle quietly. “Yeah, that’s why I said we were gonna record and I threw in the piano because… I’ve never heard you sing.”

I made a face as we reached the ground floor. “I’m okay at singing but I’m a much better pianist.”

“Well, you’ll have to sing for me tonight and I’ll be the judge of that,” he teased as we left my building and got in his car.

The drive to his house took a while, but we laughed and chatted the whole way so it didn’t feel that long. Kiro drove markedly slower than Victor did. Victor always seemed to speed everywhere. Kiro didn’t appear to be in any sort of rush. He followed the speed limit signs anyway. And he didn’t needle me for looking at him a lot. Especially when he was talking. Victor would have needled—“You’re looking at my face. Why?” Or something along those lines.

Kiro was very different. Friendly, open, sunshiney.

When we got to his house—villa—he got the door for me and got my bag before leading me inside. He had a nice, warmly-decorated interior. Sure it was spacious—I could probably fit most of my apartment in the foyer alone—but it didn’t have a cold, minimalistic, white look to it that other fancy mansions I’d seen on TV and been in for work had.

His was decorated in pale yellows and other complementary shades, giving the atmosphere a warm homeliness.

“Your place is so pretty!” I couldn’t stop myself from blurting out.

Kiro just chuckled. “Thanks! I didn’t do any of the interior designing but I did say I didn’t want it to feel empty. So there’s stuff everywhere.”

I glanced over at him playfully. “And… where’s Key’s secret room?”

He laughed. “Oh, Key doesn’t need one,” he said. “None of Key’s electronics are suspicious enough that they can’t be stored out in the open. Because Key isn’t an amateur.” He ruffled my hair teasingly—then sobered up. “Okay, no, but seriously, I don’t keep much equipment. Don’t really need to.” He shrugged and changed the subject. “Anyway! Lounge is through here. I got out some snacks. I also thought we could order pizza or something.” He led me through a double glass door with gossamer curtains on the other side to a nice, warm-toned lounge room.

It was decorated in creams and with red accents like throw pillows. I smiled upon seeing it.

“Your house is so beautiful.”

The tips of Kiro’s ears went red. “Thanks,” he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

I smiled. “My pleasure.” I plopped onto the creamy sofa and looked around casually. “So. What movies did you have in mind to watch tonight? I don’t have any particular preference as long as it’s not gory or gross and it might be fun to go on a run to the store to rent one and—what? Why are you staring at me like I just stabbed a cake with a pencil?”

“You can rent movies?!” Kiro demanded.

I blinked, confused. “Uh… yeah. It’s cheaper than buying them and when you have no intention of watching a movie more than once it’s really the best option. You didn’t know that?”

“No!”

My posture slouched. “Oh. Well. Okay,” I said, unsure of how else to respond to that without sarcastic contempt for privileged lifestyles that allow someone to just outright buy a movie they’re going to watch once and then never again.

Kiro dropped onto the sofa next to me and grabbed my shoulders. “Let’s do it! Let’s rent a movie!”

His innocent excitement made me laugh. “Okay, okay. Let’s just make sure you don’t look like you so no one mobs you at a supermarket movie rental kiosk.”

“Definitely! Let me go get my disguise stuff!” He hopped to his feet and ran out of the lounge room.

“You’re not wearing a teddy bear costume to the supermarket, okay?!” I called after him.

“No duh!” he shouted back.

Shaking my head in amusement, I pulled out my phone and started looking up new movies we could rent. Somewhere else in the villa, I could hear Kiro bustling around in a hurry, knocking stuff over with quiet exclamations of, “Shoot!”

After a few minutes, he reappeared in the lounge room, wearing a pair of hipster glasses, a dark outfit, and a floppy beanie over his bright hair. “How do I look?” He beamed at me, spreading his hands out and giving me a spin like he was showing off a concert look to his stylist.

“Decidedly not like the Kiro that gets mobbed by fans the second he exits the door,” I teased.

Kiro pumped his fist in the air. “Bullseye!”

I laughed. “Let’s get going, you dork.”

“You know what will really throw people off from believing I’m Kiro,” he remarked as we headed out of the lounge. Before I could even open my mouth to ask what would make him look different, he reached out and took my hand. “Holding your hand. As far as the world knows, I am single as a Pringle, baby!” His giggle made me laugh as we wandered out of the door.

He opened the door to the car for me and helped me in before circling the car and ducking into the driver’s side.

We drove to the store, chatting and laughing all the way.

“I hope I can say this without sounding weird,” I began, “but I really love hanging out with you.”

Kiro shot me a quick glance before returning his gaze to the road. There was a sparkle in his eyes. As usual. “Me too. You’re, like, the only normal part of my life. And even then… we’re both Evolvers. But you’re rarely hustling me around sets or concert venues or nagging after me like my manager does. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate his hard work but I always feel like I can relax around you. And just be me. Not my public face. Heck, you even know about Key.” He gave me another quick look, this one accompanied by a sly smile. “I really love hanging out with you too,” he added.

I smiled at him. “I’m glad. Did I sound weird?”

“Not at all. I’d hope that at this point we’d be close enough friends that you could admit you actually like being around me.” He laughed at his own joke—prompting me to join in. “That’s kinda the point of being friends, right?”

I nodded. “Right.”

***

A pair of strong arms scooped me up from where I was half-dozing on the sofa cushions on the floor. A gentle rocking sensation alerted my brain that whoever had picked me up was walking. And by “whoever,” I mean Kiro. Because there was no one else in the house besides us two. My brain was just slow at processing when it was sleepy.

After a few moments of the rocking, I was placed gently on a soft mattress.

Footsteps moved away from me.

“Kiro… stay…” I mumbled. “Please?”

There was a pause. Footsteps returned.

“Still don’t want to sleep?” His voice was tired and soft, but I could sense his usual energy and enthusiasm behind it. “If you don’t want to sleep… how ‘bout we find something to do?”

My brain activity picked up enough to register the question. I nodded.

“Well… what do you want to do?”

I thought for a moment. What did I want to do? It felt like we’d done everything that classic sleepovers involved. Kiro continued before I could answer after a moment of silence.

“Wanna play games? Or… wanna hear me sing?”

I definitely didn’t miss the flirtatious tone to that second question, but was too out of it to be embarrassed.

“I always wanna hear you sing,” I said.

Kiro smiled, but then his expression fell. “But… we seem to do those pretty often…”

I hummed in agreement. There was a long pause between the two of us while we thought up ideas for what to do. It was late and we were both tired, but apparently not tired enough to sleep. Kiro perched on the edge of the bed he’d set me in and settled comfortably.

“How about…” he began. “Let’s do something else.”

“No duh, Sherlock,” I muttered under my breath. He didn’t seem to hear me.

“Oh I know,” he said, softly, as though a glimmer of light illuminated a perfect idea, “read poetry?” His face leaned in close to mine. “Do you want to hear some?”

I hummed thoughtfully. I’d really rather hear him sing, but if he was determined to do something else, poetry was the next-best thing.

“Sure,” I mumbled.

He smiled. “Okay, okay. Let me look…” He trailed off. I felt him get off the bed and walk over to the other side. I heard him pour a glass of water and set it on the bedside next to me before going to look at a shelf on the wall. I barely processed his noise as he looked for some poetry to read.

After a minute or two—time was hard to tell when I was so tired—he came back, sitting on the edge of the bed again. He flipped through a few pages, some faster than others, looking through the book.

“Oh! This one is good,” he said, enthusiastic but quiet. He giggled. “Okay! Ask me why I picked this one!”

“Why did you pick this one?” I mumbled.

“Because this poem… it expresses how I feel…” His voice went from speaking low to a whisper. He scooted closer and gathered me to him. “And now, holding you in my arms, I will read you this poem.”

He paused. Probably for dramatic effect, and took a deep breath.

“Let’s start. You may not believe I have often imagined you…”