#feel like a brass instrument kinda guy

[sandwichboiscum]

Alright listen up peoples

I am hopped up on two energy drinks and I have like no caffeine tolerance and I'm in marching band so here's some head canons about how the TF2 mercs might go about being in a marching band + the instrument they would play. Also, keep in mind this is only my first year in marching band so take this crap with a huge grain of salt

Scout: Snare drum. Literally one of his taunts is just him pulling out a bucket of chicken and drumming on it. He would play the music quite well, but I feel like he would suck at marching, especially the slower songs because he's just used to going super fast.

Soldier: Trumpet, you know why. I think he would be at least decent at marching (literally what do soldiers do) but he would struggle with directional changes because I struggle with directional changes and it's funny to project.

Pyro: Bass drum because he can't really play a woodwind or brass instrument for obvious reasons. He has NO clue what tf s going on because he sees everyone else as little floating babies so it's hard to march. Also, like come on, it's Pyro.

Demo: Clarinet because I said so. Also he'd just be too drunk to march most of the time, but when he's sober he'd be really good at it.

Heavy: He seems like a flute kinda guy because it's funny to think of the biggest man in TF2 playing one of the smallest instruments in marching band. But if we're being serious, bass drum because it's the only one he wouldn't completely crush. He'd probably be ok at marching, but he'd also probably struggle with directional changes, especially going backwards.

Engie: Trumpet. Idk why, but it just feels like he'd do trumpet. He'd probably be amazing at forwards marching but the second he had to do hip shifts and backwards marching he'd quit.

Medic: He seems like a saxophone. (Help my brain hurts) He'd also probably be very good at marching because it's very repetitive a lot of the time and he seems like a person who likes repetitive motions like marching (or in some cases stabbing someone because he got hit in the head by a trombone. No, I'm not saying this because it happened. Not the stabbing part I mean).

Sniper: Also saxophone. Obviously. He'd be ok at marching, but he'd also be very focused on everything he's doing right he forgets to check what he's doing wrong and then develops bad habits like stepping off with the wrong foot.

Spy: Flute, idk why but it just makes sense. He'd probably be pretty good at marching, but he would hate it especially it he has to march in someplace that's really dusty because even if he's wearing a marching uniform and not his regular suit he'd still be really picky about making sure that it doesn't get dirty, so he'd always find some way to sit out whenever he's marching in a parade or something.

(Notice I didn't put trombones as a head canon for any of them. That's because the trombones suck. Jk, I love y'all but I have been hit in the head with a slide one too many times.)

Just wanna also say, when I say hip shifts, I mean feet face either the left or right of the audience but the chest is still facing the audience. I hate them, they are uncomfy (especially going backwards) and make me want to die and this year my halftime performance is like nothing but hip shifts.

Thank you for reading my caffeine fueled post and have a lovely day. If you don't have a good day I will force you to have a good damn day

[carnagesaw]

i would really really really really Greatly like to hear your morikaze and takahashi headcanons so much that im willing to very briefly get over my fear of sending asks to people. I wanna hear it theyre both very dear to me

mmnbvjklslm.........skl/./.....n starts cackling maniacally twisting twisting twsiting turning wriggling in the fdirst like an earthworm.

MORIKAZE;

-SOMEWHERE IN HIS MID 30S-LATE 30S he seems like a really tired guy who just wants to do his job. the fact he gets to be a bitch is just a plus to it. workaholic maybe since he was kinda pushed into working for mdcr. stays hours after the workday is over to fix and look over stuff

-if i had to describe him itd be standoffish and loyal, even if he doesnt want to be. i think hes definitely a coward when it comes down to it though

-does not like working for mdcr too much, but the benefits are insaneee and also jungle makes it bearable

^-otherwise, morikaze doesnt like kirimi at all. they have a little work place rivalry but manage to keep it civil since theyre higher up. also because morikaze is petty as helllll

^^-morikaze resents working for someone so young, and is also oddly a little terrified of jeraldy just cause of his sheer anger. its what keeps him in line

-probably workplace besties with ven, and i use that term loosely. they have a sort of camaraderie. after ven leaves mdcr for good, he envies her escape from the company, but in the end sticks with mdcr cause where else would he go?

-jungles the executive, but morikaze mostly carries out jungles duties ( assistant executive ? ) for him since jungle gets bored working after like 5 minutes. hes definitely the backbone of the company, and he doesnt hate it since it makes him feel important to mindy

^-aside from ''assistant'' executive, i like to think he does tech ( diagnostics , etc. ) stuff and money management for the company

-when he was younger he learned how to master a ton of brass instruments. i dont think hed be the kind of guy to play in a band or live solo, but hes probably dreamt about it. trumpet was his favorite but i like to imagine he was also a big tuba and saxophone guy

-ive said this before but hes a big ska fan. jazz too but i think moreso noir jazz. i cant decide whether hed like fast paced stuff or slow so its a bit up there for me

-definitely a frequent to places that play jazz though, and even concerts

^-morikaze is fat mostly but hes definitely got a little muscle there

-CARES GREATLY for how he presents. 40 step skin care routine and he always irons out his clothing. has like insanely good hygiene its kinda scary

-hes def a real sour guy. if youre tryna have fun at a work outing with him youve gotta get some alcohol in him for him to start lightening up, otherwise hes not budging

-big fucking fan of spicy food.

-not a natural born ice elemental numa unlike koritora. he had to learn how to curate and harness ice himself. i imagine this took years and he only really got the hang of it by the time mo4 takes place, but hes pretty skilled with it regardless

^-as such, i think his body would have scars and visual damage from the ice depending on where and how hed use it. even if he can create ice from himself, it definitely takes a toll on his form after a while, especially in battle if he doesnt have his mech or a weapon. the more power and force he uses the more it kinda nips away at him

-wears makeup. not all too much, just stuff like eyeliner and mascara. i also think hed draw in his eyebrows since i feel like hair in the numa eye is a symbol to be respected

-i think even if he is a little cold, a lot of employees at mdcr still look to him for guidance

-obviously, he has a very hard time differentiating limerence and love, as he has not experienced the latter due to how much work he buries himself in

^-honestly i chalk this up to kirimi experimenting on him in several unethical ways without his consent or knowledge but this also could just be how he is its anyones guess but the former is more fun than the latter

-aware of jeraldy and kirimis corruption, but compared to the two, he cant do anything

JUNGLE;

-older than jeraldy ( only by a couple months id say maybe 18 at the time of mo4 ? but very freshly. imagine dying right after u turn 18 fuckkkkk ) , but also a bit more immature than him. while he tries to act like an adult, he always seems to fall flat

-whatever is the numa equivalent to being indigenous, jungle is that. the markings on his head and face are a family community tattoo. got them a couple years after the massacre to honor his family. each of his relatives had different tattoos, probably got the same as his ma when he was younger to honor her but probably stands for the natural process of life ( birth, growth, death )

-even for a numa hes terrifyingly skinny and tall ( about the same height as kashikin who stands at around 5'2" ) , doesnt eat a lot unless he needs to, oddly agile and freakily flexible, you put him in a tight space and he could easily be out in seconds

-often seen jumping around mdcr often. youll see him in one room one second and then 6 floors up he'll be there too somehow. hes probably wandered through mdcrs rafters a time or two lol

-he didnt like anyone at mdcr aside from jeraldy and kirimi for a very long time. i think hed have issues trusting people and feels like he can only rely on the two for anything

^-after vens recruitment i think hed slowly start backing away from the two out of concern, and morikaze talking about the two would just reaffirm what jungle feared to be happening. while he cared deeply for kirimi and jeraldy he realized the path they were going down wasnt exactly healthy or the solution. even with the space however, hed always remain loyal to jeraldy

-i think somehow he managed to avoid kirimis mistreatment, whether kirimi saw him as bait or just another thing to watch, he was definitely not a concern for him, so he got out of it by a hair

-minimal nocturnal ability, he cant see too far in front of him however. definitely needs glasses but refuses to even consider it in the end lol

-sees morikaze as more of the weird distant father, but its still the closest thing aside from kirimi and jeraldy he has to family. in a way i think he looks to morikaze for assistance ( bad idea ) but doesnt like to ask for it. as such it kinda comes off as jungle berating or using morikaze for his own profit, whatever that may be

-he has his own room in the mdcr building, as do jeraldy and kirimi. the closest he'll get again to having a home would also end up being the place hed be killed

-bare minimum of idea of what it means when it comes to self care and hygiene. also hes like the average guy on malelivingspcae when it comes to shit like that hesso bad at it i promise you. funny but also terribly sad to the point you can only give like a nervous chuckle before remembering

-the phone is a replica of his moms

^-hes very obviously a huge mommas boy

^^-any topic relating to parents or the such if you bring up or try and jestwith the guy he will breakdown. Angrily.

-tries to keep himself busy with a lot of stuff that isnt mdcr related, cause he gets super fuckin bored and eventually hell just start thinking about everything going on again. im saying he likes to try and remain blissfully unware but hes certainly very Painfully aware of the demise incoming

-worlds worst posture goes to jungle, even worse than sigkin and arakawas probably, but i think itd be a tie

-his puppies were a gift from jeraldy............ smiles

-got a little too attached to the robot of his mom. jeraldys probably walked in on jungle napping on it at some point beneath mdcr. hes never brought it up to jungle

-this guy will purposefully piss people off at mdcr to spar with them, doesnt matter in meeting, lunch room, etc etc always looking for a fight to dominate

^-despite this, hes definitely gotten his ass whooped by kirimi and morikaze, but thats because their moves can directly counter or overwhelm jungle, especially with how cocky he can be. only reason he fought kirimi was because kirimi likes to push buttons and knows exactly how to get jungle mad

^^-i dont think hed have the heart to try and spar jeraldy

-hes one of the rare cases of characters where i dont think he cares for music. regardless hes definitely a breakcore / noise guy. just any type of loud noise. hed listen to construction metal if it meant there was background noise

-his powers are wayyy too strong for him to fully control since hes not exactly using an object to try and concentrate the power ( ill compare this to how fukurou has the book and marikin has his cards, or how any other mo4 character has a weapon they can channel something into ) , which has led to a bit of destruction around the building

^-id also like to mention i think his powers revolve around raw energy. as such he can collect and transform the energy into anything ( those mostly being chemical, thermal, etc. ) he needs, unlike the other numa who can channel these into only one or two types of energy

-in conclusion, hes a big ball of ( potential ) energy that could go off at any second depending on the situation and hes always seeping energy from the surroundings

^-this would have been of use to kirimi theres no way to control it since even jungle cant. no way of using it, for good or bad, so there isnt a point in trying to harness it if the main user doesnt realize the potential ( and may never )

[ankiebitez]

very random unorganized marching band related obey me hcs because im sad i can't do marching band this year

lucifer would definitely be able to play literally any instrument but i would definitely be able to see him playing flute, soprano sax or french horn for some reason

mammon does percussion i could not see him playing anything else, would absolutely wear his sunglasses to practice too

levi would play something thats in the brass section i get trumpet feels from him maybe trombone or both

asmo would probably do colorguard or maybe flute but i can 10000000000% see him as a color guard captain and he would be so excited about the costumes, makeup and flags

satan would probably play saxophone, like any variation, alto, tenor, bari, soprano, probably some ones that a lot of people wouldn't know of too but he read about all the different kinds and wanted to learn them all (am i probably biased because i play sax and he's my favorite? maybe)

beel i feel like he would play sousaphone or barri saxophone because he thinks he has to play a big instrument but would want to play like a clarinet or something

belphie would probably play clarinet or percussion just so he could hide behind the percussion equipment and nap during practice/ warm ups

diavolo would probably play trombone me thinks he just seems like a trombone kinda guy, might also do colorguard with asmo

barbatos would probably be able to play any and every instrument but would be amazing at playing the piccolo and i could see him doing bass for jazz band but thats unrelated

simeon would play flute and piccolo, maybe even french horn

solomon would either play trumpet or percussion no inbetween

luke would play the recorder

[mothmags]

Neil Hartfiillia

Im going to be honest boys are not my strong suit when it comes to writing but I had a lot of fun with this one so it's super long

It's been a while so heres the link to the masterpost <3

Him and his mom are close

Mommas boy and all that

Kinda a loner like how his dad was before lucy came along but enjoys people's presence

But motherfucker needs atleast one person around him at all times or he will explode

He might be a loner but he doesn't enjoy being alone if that makes sence

Is besties with a newcomer to the guild who has a voice based magic. (I havent figured him out fully yet so I'll leave it at that but they are attached at the hip)

Is the epitome of "boys will be boys" and instead of heinous shit he's like playing a cello in the boys bathroom at the guildhall or just being an in general weird teenage boy

His magic is music based btw :)

My guy was put into piano lessions at like 7 because he was - and I quote - "setting too many things on fire when he was mad and needed to find a better way to cope with big emotions"

Mind you he does not know fire magic

He would steal matches from the guildhall and hide them in his pants

He wanted to be like his dad and be a fire based mage but it didn't work out :(

Unlike a lot of his family, magic didnt come naturally to him

Instruments didn't come naturally to him either at first but early on Lucy mentioned how much she liked classical music and missed playing piano as a kid and he was determined to play something for her

For a while, his parents didn't even know if he could be a magic user and kept trying to tell him that, that was ok

It's very rare for someone to just not be able to do magic at all since everything has magical energy, but it's still a possibility

He has a huge inferiority complex about his magic because of it, even though he's very talented (and works very hard)

after his first concert (with went very well btw) he decided to keep learning more and more. He started to pour his soul into his music and that's when his magic manifested

He plays a lot of string instruments and is starting to branch into brass (heavy trumpet kid vibes)

His mom gave him her Lyra silver key for his 10th birthday since he would constantly ask her to summon her to play music with him

His magic has some attack based stuff but is mostly illusionary and emotions based

He can make illusions that help tell the story that his music is trying to portray

Think of a mix of Anastasia once upon a December and the chariot magic show from little witch academia

Unlike his sister, he's a lot more imaginative when it comes to storytelling and writing

His go to instruments are violin gutar, and the piano but the motherfucker goes hard on the organ

He plays for the church on weekends he doesn't have a job. (Hes not religious he just enjoys it)

It started out as a volunteer thing when because they needed someone until they could hire a new organist when the previous one had passed

They kinds just hired him when more people would go to church to see his illusions before and after mass

He writes his own music and practices it in the main guildhall

He mainly sticks to a corner near the back, and a few people sit nearby to talk to him or enjoy his music and illusions

On Fridays, he plays for the dinner hour on the stage with a few other guildmates

He mainly takes on ambiance based jobs and a few places specifically ask for him to play at their resterants if they have an event. (He becomes very well known both locally eventually all across Fiore and beyond for this)

He pays for a lot of his instruments himself by now but at first his parents were really exited to pay for literally everything but he started to feel bad when he would pick up a new several hundred thousand plus jewel instrument like several times a year

When he gets older he gets sponsored by the Magnolia Institute of Music and he goes to college there, and eventually teaches there

He is very much for the theatrical and art based part of magic that many people push aside for more practical stuff

He asked Erza to teach him requip magic so he can store all of his instruments there instead of in his room (he ran out of space) and for when he's out on jobs so he doesn't have to carry the heavy ones

It took his a while to get the hang of it but he got there!!

She was very excited to teach him and in return he would write music just for her :)

he had a concert at the guild hall dedicated to those songs as a thank you (half of the songs were intense battle ballads, and she was so proud)

Erza, Wendy, Mira, Gajeel and Nashis friends are his biggest non direct family supporters and show up at every concert to hype him up (they also are the main ones to visit his little music corner as the guild started to call it)

Erza and Mira cry every time so he consciously plays happy songs when they visit him

When wendy and the little kids visit he makes little creatures for them to pet and she gushes over them

Gajeel and more of the next gen ppl help him get out of his comfort zone and play different genres outside of classical and classical adjacent music

He gave him a electric guitar once out of the blue once because he wanted to "hear him shred" - and he did just that (it's one of his favorites and plays it frequently)

Happy likes to sit with him a lot, and eventually, the other exceeds join him because they find it soothing

They like to sit on or close to his bigger instruments when he plays them, and they frequently fall asleep when this happens

When he is on a job everyone would say that it's weird that there isn't any music and mira had to put something on the loud speaker because the "silence" (if fairy tail even had that) would make people uneasy

This was mainly on slow days, tho and doesn't happen often

Neil was surprised when he found out since he really didn't think that many people would notice or care, especially since he didn't talk to some of them much, if at all

Like a half year ago he went to bother his sister at her apartment at like 3am and she was helping Odessa dye her hair

They mixed too much black so he said fuck it and slapped the rest on his head, stole a piece of pizza and went home (hair unwashed btw)

The next say all his pillow cases were covered in black splotches, and his mom was not happy about it

I have more to put but that’s for a future post ;)

[abraxosissilly]

Throne of Glass Characters and the Instruments I Think They'd Play. This is kinda a weird thing, but it's been running through my mind for a while now so I have decided to post my opinions. Aelin: Well she canonically plays the piano so yk... Dorian: I feel like it'd be some weird royal thing to learn violin or piano, idk Chaol: Well, originally I thought he might play the trombone, but I saw a Chaorian headcanon where he plays the violin for Dorian, but he seems more like a cello kind of guy Rowan: I feel like all the members of the cadre would play some type of saxophone, and I was gonna put Rowan on tenor, but it kinda fits Lorcan better in my mind so he's getting alto Lorcan: Well I kinda spoiled this one but Lorcan gives tenor vibes, the baritone is a bit too big for him ig, but like it could also work? they both fit Gavriel: Probably bari, I was gonna give him soprano, but bari didn't really fit Fenrys, and I also realized that the low instruments kinda bring everything together, and that seems to be his role in the cadre. Fenrys: I literally don't know that much about this man, (Almost done Empire of Storms) But with his teleportation, soprano fits him best? *Side Note: As I'm only on EoS, and I'm bad I'll both forget characters, and leave out ones I don't know about lmfao

Manon: I really wasn't sure what to give Manon, and was thinking maybe trumpet (She has similar vibes to my trumpet player friend ig) but then I remembered guitars exist, so yea, probably electric guitar, and can probably play bass Elide: You can probably guess, she'd play the flute or another "softer" instrument, well YOU'RE WRONG She plays the drums and she can play with Manon bc they're gay and married sorry not sorry Aedion: When making this I never thought this far, but probably a brass instrument. My mind goes to euphonium, trumpet, or trombone, but electric bass could also work Lysandra: as a courtier, she would probably know an instrument, probably flute, violin, or piano, but IMO she would be a BANGER harp player. Maybe she can be a multi-instrumentalist Evangeline: I feel like Lysandra would teach her the instruments she knows, but would def let her choose what she wanted to play Nesryn: I feel like Nysryn would like classical instruments, but I could see her definitely playing acoustic guitar/classical lute. *I really wanted to add Yrene, but other than The Assassin's Blade, I know nothing about her Maybe she'd play the lyre? Like ancient Greek vibes or smth BONUS: Fleetfoot & Abraxos can play every instrument

[rubykgrant]

If all of the Reds and Blues and Freelancers played instruments, what do you think they'd all play? All I can think of is Doc/O'Malley on violin (probably gets really into it like Devil Went Down To Georgia), Sarge on trumpet (cuz bugles but can actually play it nice too), Florida on ukulele, and Maine and Locus taking up classic guitar and cello respectively for therapeutic reasons and ending up getting really into it.

Those all sound really good!

Hmm... it depends on what kind of music they're going for. I think in general, most of them haven't had the chance to really practice much music, but in season 15, we saw some of them formed a band! Carolina sings (so good), and it looked like Grif and Tucker were both on guitar, while Caboose did drums (if I remember right).

Sarge is certainly musically inclined, in regards to how much he likes to make up songs about killing stuff he doesn't like. I'm gonna say he knows how to play guitar, generally classic-rock/folk/country with what he does, but he surprises people by listening to wide range of musical genres (he's got a big collection that includes heavy metal and hip-hop). Oh, and he rocks on the harmonica!

Grif is good with guitar, and he'd probably be good on drums as well, but I'd like to think he secretly hides a gift with piano. Like, he can just naturally do really amazing/complicated pieces with ease (but when he was younger, little jerks he went to school with called that "sissy music", so he was awkward about sharing it with anybody). He's good with a uke too, and a very nice singer (again, if he's not feeling embarrassed)

Simmons WISHES he could play something like the violin or cello... but he just doesn't have rhythm, and gets too frustrated to practice properly. He doesn't have a bad voice, but he's a nervous mess if he tries to sing in front of people. He's able to get decent on the piano (with some help from Grif), and since he's a tech guy, he finds his own niche with electric keyboards (nothing too extravagant, but still very good)

Carolina is the one who had fancy music lessons when she was younger, but she's out of practice (she used to be good on clarinet and violin). She gets back into music and singing, picking up some guitar and piano... but surprises everybody by randomly deciding to get REALLY good at the harp (just to show off, haha)

Doc and O'Malley would certainly learn to play violin and fiddle, but I think they'd also practice different kinds of unique instruments; the kalimba, the tabla, the veena, the dholak, the balafon, and various types of flutes (they both also know how to make small little instruments with woodcraft; various things that Doc knows from his own traditions and heritage). They also are very good singers, Doc being especially into acapella/using voices to simulate instruments (though, O'Malley tends to ham it up for "villain" songs~)

Kai is more into mixing music, creating beats, maybe making something new with samples, and she is a killer DJ (dance music, electronica, techno remixes, and all similar variations. she's pretty good at changing up the "tone" of a song, but still keeping the melody strong)

Church is kinda-sorta good at a few things, but nothing he's invested in/practices often. However, he's pretty good at writing songs when he can focus on it (the Fragments all help, and they have a variety of musical genres they are into)

Tex is also OK with certain instruments, but not especially passionate to play anything often (she can sing though, but is the opposite of Carolina, who tends to lean toward more energetic songs. Tex will sing lower and slower)

Wash learned how to play the recorder in middle school. He can also play a kazoo, and can shake a tambourine on the beat. That's about it... with some help, he's OK on drums (he likes to back-up sing/harmonize with other people rather than sing solo)

Caboose is good on drums, he can put all his energy into making a strong rhythm! He's also good on various horns/brass and woodwinds, and really vibes with free-form jazz

Donut gets more caught-up with performing, he loves two come up with songs, sing and dance. He mostly likes pop-rock, but gets into other genres occasionally (he knows how to play the melodica very well). His big dream is to write a bunch of musicals~

Tucker is very good at different kinds of guitar, and he's a great singer as well (he didn't think he'd be into it, but just for practice, he tries out some classical/opera, and he's actually VERY impressive, he can project his voice very well and change the tone/pitch easily, and so he plays around merging old-school stuff with newer themes of music)

Locus hasn't had time for music in years... but he learned how to play different things as a kid; quena, siku, and some percussion instruments

Lopez can play basically anything he wants. People outside the loop will think it is just because he's a robot, and is therefore "copying" music that is already recorded... but Lopez will combine two completely different instruments and use them together in ways most people couldn't think of (he also leans toward very sappy loves songs, inspired by his adoration for Sheila~)

I don't have too many thoughts for the Freelancers... but if they could have had a different life path, York would probably have done well in a boy band, and South would have been a punk-rock star~

[frankyweeny]

Hello all. A little known fact about me is that I've been playing the trombone for over five years, and, as you could probably assume, I am a band kid. As such, I am going to assign Undertale characters the instrument I think they would play in a band

Getting the obvious ones out of the way, Sans is trombone and Undyne is piano

Frisk is clarinet. Why? Because I cannot name a single clarinet player I feel like I've never met one. I've seen them in band but I swear to god they just don't talk or something

Flowey would play flute. It seems like such a kind gentle instrument/section but some flute players are VICIOUS y'all

I feel like. Toriel would play the euphonium. I can explain why she just feels like a big low brass gal. Like I can picture her on the euphonium so clearly. Also almost every euphonium player I've met is super polite and nice

Blooky plays the trombone. Trombone players are either quiet and kinda nerdy or batshit insane and they fall into the former category (as do I)

Papyrus is trumpet I can't deny it. He's loud, he's boastful, and also it matches with Sans cuz they're both brass 👍👍

Alphys is a clarinet girl. I don't know why it just makes sense. Don't ask any more questions

Mettaton plays the sax. Probably like a tenor idk. This one feels like low hanging fruit but if I said anything else I'd be lying

On that topic Maddie plays Bari sax. It just makes sense to me

Muffet is percussion. She has six arms cmon. I think she'd stick to mallet instruments like uhhhh. The marimba and uhh. Glockenspiel?? Can you tell im not a percussion guy

Asgore is tuba. He's big and he's very nice. As tubas tend to be. Also he matches with Tori

Asriel (god of hyper death version) is percussion. He would go crazy on a drum set I'm telling you

Chara is flute. I don't know why don't ask me

[emilyblame]

overall impression: obviously a masterpiece, didn't expect anything less from Set It Off tbh. i mean, not to wave off their talent, but we all know they’re underappreciated as fuck and they deserve more recognition because they’re so fucking good.

before i jump into the song by song i wanna say that i love how this is the minimalistic era. song-wise. like, i feel like as far as sound goes, they really left a lot of silent spaces so that the instruments could breathe throughout the whole song, you know what i mean?

another thing that i really love (not just about this album but about SIO in general) is that the verses are just as catchy as the choruses. like, typically, in songs you have that one hook that you can't stop singing (which is usually either the pre-chorus or the chorus.) and i don't know if Cody sets out to write vocal melodies like this, or it just happens, but it feels like the verses are just as out to get your attention as the choruses are. and i find myself humming verses just as much as choruses.

i love that i don't feel any particular pull towards either the first half of the album or the second. like, it feels pretty consistent throughout. love that for the boys.

favorite song (so far— after only 3 listens): Why Not Me. close call Loose Cannon. closer call Playing With Bad Luck. do not judge me. i can't choose.

Skeleton

i've said this before but: the last chorus goes so hard! and that bass (beware, i'm gonna say this a lot). please. also, Cody’s vocals. also also the drummsssssss… i (still) need a playthrough of this.

Projector

this bridge is my favorite thing in the entire universe. Cody's vocals in this song are out of the chart. also the guitar riffs. hi Zach, i see you.

Cut Off

not one of my favorites. but i do really like the bridge, how they overlapped it with the chorus and that build-up is awesome. also, love the whistling.

Loose Cannon

this is a good example of what i was saying earlier about the verses being just as catchy as the choruses/pre-choruses. also the good use of silence. that bridge boi. please. the belt panned left. YES. also the ending guitar riff— i’m looking at you, Zach —, very Santana (if you know you know i’m not talking about Glee btw.) Cody’s manic laugh too.

Why Do I

lyrics are sad af, but this song sounds so Summer at the beach i can't help but dance. lowkey kinda hate the try-ah-ah-ay (but that’s a personal thing.) that acapella bit with the clapping. yes. love Cody belting himself out of the song.

As Good As It Gets

guys... the bass in this song. also, that chorus did not go as expected. i mean, it never goes as expected because i didn't write it so but it feels like the song does a 180º turn there, you know what i mean? in the best of ways, obviously. i love how it’s mostly bass and drums (go Maxx!)

Who's In Control?

when it first came out, this was my least favorite of the three. but bitch this pre-chorus is so good. also the strings. also the goddamned brass section in the bridge. Cody, thank you so much. also x2, harmonies. i love love love that they use the pre-chorus as an ending to the bridge the same way they do in Projector.

Taste Of The Good Life

again with the strings. there are so many layers of harmonies. i mean, there always are, but in this particular song i feel like they're more spread out, so it's more noticeable. or maybe it's just me idk. the strings at the end!!!

Why Not Me

i said this before about N.M.E., and coming from me is the highest of praises, trust me: this song sounds like it could be a Backstreet Boys song ('Black & Blue' era.) and let me tell you: i fucking LOVE that. i mean, obviously not the lyrics, i’m talking about the music and the vocal melodies. like, if they ever decide to call it quits with Set It Off, Cody can write songs for boy bands and it’s gonna be amazing, just saying. and i’m living for the abrupt ending.

Dangerous

this song is goooood. i love that when Cody sings My hand out the window just riding the wave / My cares in the mirror just fading away, it literally feels like being in a car, warm sun on your skin, wind in your hair, hand out the window. and i fucking love that. i love that. also love the kiss, that was a nice touch. and i’m living for the abrupt ending, part 2.

Cordial

one word: theatrical. this song screams Cinematics so loud. but like, with the guidance of Midnight as an older sibling. like, it’s angry but controlled. like, you having a meltdown in the middle of work but having to keep a straight face because you can’t just lose your shit in front of everyone.

The Magic 8

Cody and his fucking harmonies. i mean, i shouldn't be surprise at this point, but... he's such a fucking good singer. creepy ending. creepy all of it, actually. i'm into it tho.

Playing With Bad Luck

again with the damn bass. also the guitars on the chorus. hi Zach. the drum fills too. i see you too, Maxx. that whole section from when in the bridge they bring back the pre-chorus on top, and then how it hits the chorus. the harmonies at the end... !!!

Peekaboo

i found the 'peekaboo's kinda adorable. and the whispered Hide, you can hide / You can run, but you can't hide... chills. the acapella 'nah's are everything.

Catch A Break

i love how the guitar riff complements the drums in the verses. clapping. love that.

Better Than This

such a sweet song to end the album with. i was sorta expecting the first chorus to explode but i'm glad they held back. again, strings, weakness. please stop. but not really. don't.

this has nothing to do with the album but— i’m lowkey… i would't say disappointed, exactly, but i feel like it’s a pity they didn’t use the website (welcome2elsewhere) more. i feel like they did the big reveal with Skeleton, which was fun. then the whole thing changed with Projector’s release which was pretty cool too. but then it just stuck like that. i mean, we got the artwork for Who’s In Control? later on but it pretty much stayed the same. like, they could’ve explained more of the lore. i’m not talking twenty one pilots Trench era level because that was insane. but i feel like we still don’t know anything about the whole story around 'Elsewhere'. maybe it’s just me but i thought that by the time the album was released, most things in the music videos would make sense, but i feel like they still don’t? which is not a bad thing necessarily, i’m just pointing it out.

[untraceable-ace]

Thoughts on “In case I make It” as I listen:

Gonna be a long one folks, I’ll put it under the cut

Tomcat Disposables: Tomcat Disposables my beloved you make me cry every time “What’s the moon made of?/Meet me there after I’m gone” SOBBING

Becoming the Lastnames: The piano gives me the same vibes as the piano in the Camp Here and There full songs (like MBYT and Venetian Blind Man) I love it

Cicada Days: Tied w Tomcat Disposables as my favorite single, literally so in love, forever happy that the intro is just kinda white noise mimicking cicadas and not actual cicada buzzing my spd is happy “and then my sponsor said do nothing, nothing works/and then my doctor said dont do that if it hurts” feels like a weighted blanket directly on my chest it’s wonderful

Euthanasia: Instrumental intro reminds me of a Days n Daze song; main verse melody is literally so haunting I love it

Falling Up: WOAH that felt like a curveball after Euthanasia oh DAMN the chorus slaps the acoustic makes the song feel really like, full bodied? Oh god after the falling up lyric it temporarily becomes a country song I’m not sure how I feel about that I just kinda had the mental image of a dude falling up the stairs the whole time during the chorus and tbh it’s a good one to have

That’s Enough, Let’s Get You Home.:  Oooh, I have a feeling I’m gonna love stim singing to this one once I get a chance to listen to it a lot more; OH I KNOW WHAT THIS REMINDS ME OF it reminds me of Cecily Smith from Fly By Night!!!

Um, it’s Kind of a Lot: I’d been thinking this one might have some sampling from Everything is a Lot (the song, not the album), but from what I’ve heard, there’s not any sampling from the song, but I think the piano parts are inspired by the album? Or at least it feels that way The piano def reminds me of the album piano vibes. Damn, Mr Wood has an obsession w tourniquets oh SHIT bridge/breakdown hits HARD hell yeah. Also, first appearance of brass so far on the album I think?

Half-Decade Hangover: omg guys he said the name of the song that’s the name of the song!!!/j OH SHIT SELF-ish REFERENCE This feels like something you’d hear at a bar w a piano on the stage for people to go up and play on

Vampire Reference in a Minor Key: Same thought process as Um, it’s Kind of a Lot; the title got me thinkin “o shit vampire culture reference?” But again I think I was wrong; Guitar do be bangin tho OOH he just did like a lil riff that reminded me of 6up 5Oh I wanna do a tango in a tight fitting red dress to this song

You Liked This (Okay, Computer!): it’s.....it says things??? Uhhh good commentary on society ig?? LMAO its not a song sorry yall

The Main Character: JAZZY AS FUCK WOAH I already wanna dance to this I think this might be my favorite song from the album “So god forbid I’m seen as an average human being” fuck man r you coming for me or what

Against the Kitchen Floor: FUNKNY ASS BASSLINE OH DAMN this one is literally so fun? I wanna swing dance w someone to this LMAO the end spoken bit I love when songs do that

Sex, Drugs, and Rock ‘n’ Roll: I feel like I’d listen to this one when I’m sad, feels like a good one to listen to when I’m crying

Big Fat Bitchie’s Blueberry Pie, Christmas Tree, and Recreational Jell-o Emporium a.k.a. “Mr. Boy is on the Roof Again” (Feat. Pasta by Sneakers McSqueakers) [From the Motion Picture ”B.F.B.’s B-Sides: Bagel Batches, Marshmallows, and Barsh-mallows]: LMAO we’ve made a brief return to 30-word long song titles for this one fellas okay wait what the fuck is this LMAO wait okay okay vibing vibing 48 seconds of song for a 34 word long song title lets mcfucking go LMAO

Willard!: Feels like the main character’s power ballad in a musical; Wow yeah actually this is like- SUPER musical theater vibes damn oooh and I love the piano version of the Tomcat Disposables melody at the end

White Noise: The vocal melody on the chorus is muah muah chefs kiss This was a really good one to be the closer tbh AND OH OH the build up to the second chorus?? GOD that goes hard

Don’t worry everyone I’m sure I’ll be shitposting about at least one of the new songs later this week when I get a chance to hyperfixate on one or two

[midasinc]

🎼, 🔮, 🫂 for Combeferre and/or Feuilly, please!

i will do all for both bc i love them <3 if something doesnt make sense i am sorry i just got home from work and took melatonin and im so sleepytired rn

combeferre:

🎼 - he's a major key. i think combeferre would be e major, specifically because of its chords. i think it might sound like a basic scale at first but its chords are just so... hopeful. i think combeferre is like that. he isn't just another member of les amis, i think his hope for the future and his support of the revolution despite preferring peaceful tactics is really smthn. e major chords kinda hit like that. idk what im talking about, anyway i think he'd be a string instrument. aint no way this fool isn't a bass. he's a bass. if he was a woodwind brass he'd be a tuba. but if he were to play something, i think it would be a trumpet bc he kind of gives off band geek (affectionate). i dont think combeferre would be in a school orchestra

🔮 - i feel like it's too easy to assign him to be either a cleric or a wizard, but i also feel like that's just something combeferre would like. i can also see him being a druid. believe it or not i dont think combeferre would be a dungeon master, i think he prefers to play the game then tell the story. i also think he wants to be something "cooler" at times but is too scared to make a new character that isn't just magic-based because he thinks his friends might judge him for it or make a weird remark. so he likes wizards and clerics, but he's thinking about making a ranger or a paladin character !

🫂 - combeferre is close with both his mom and his sister but once again, with my own hc of their family configuration i imagine him to be very sullen and angry and closed off after losing his dad. he acts out a lot in frustration and grief and it caused a ton of him yelling and slamming doors at his mother, and then ignoring his sister. he calms down after a few years, though, and now the three of them are very close. i imagine him and his sister to write each other quite frequently in canon era- they're both very smart individuals and look forward to each other's letters. it makes their days when they see that they have mail

feuilly:

🎼 - i think as a scale he would be c-minor. he's close to that c-major sound, that happy and typical sound. feuilly is close to being like some of the other members of les amis, but he misses a lot of happy attributes that the others might have due to growing up in vastly different circumstances. his chords are still pretty, but there's something sad behind them. as an instrument i see feuilly being woodwind. i think he could be a brass instrument, like a trombone or a french horn. however i think he'd play the viola as a musician

🔮 - i think he's a ranger at heart. he sometimes plays monk and barbarian, but he's a ranger. all of his characters are sort of the same angsty background with trauma because feuilly definitely doesn't project onto his little guys. but he's definitely a fighter, so he mostly plays as a ranger. when he's feeling more weak irl he plays barbarian bc it makes him feel a little more capable of doing hard things

🫂 - ......well- okay. in canon era? i dont think he has any family, or anyone he remembers. but there was this older woman in the village he grew up wandering around in who would sometimes leave little pieces of food out for this feral child, and he was very emotionally attached to her. there were times when she would give him things and they'd talk for a little while and he made a mental note to pay her back one day. he doesn't get to. in modern era, i think one of his foster parent families werent awful. feuilly is another one of my certified Problem Children growing up and he rarely got along with a/o stayed for long with families because either they couldnt stand his attitude or he was "unfixable". one family that he lived with for a few months when he was fifteen were really nice, though. the only reason feuilly had to leave was because they got a job offer in japan and couldn't bring him with. he still emails them sometimes and they send him christmas cards and a little gift on his birthday. they're the people he would consider to be.... some form of loving. other than that, he isn't close with any relatives or any other foster parents

[sandu-zidian]

Blabbing about this Musician!au I started last summer that has now also turned into a marching band!au because I got sad and nostalgic because despite how shitty it could be, marching band defined my high school life and social life and I couldn’t had asked for anything else.

I also don’t have every single prequel character (because this au is surrounding the prequel characters) in Star Wars smacked into here, and I gave up halfway through a couple of months ago in terms of brainstorming. Anyways, this is hella long so check everything out under the line if you’d like! don’t want to spam everyone with something that’s like, 4 pages long

Now, you might be asking. What instruments are these characters playing, or what are they doing in marching band? well, boy oh boy do I have some lore for you.

Anakin Skywalker: alright lets start of with the “Chosen One”. Now, I gotta say. He’s got some intense brass vibes, specifically high brass. But I don’t know. He didn’t really mesh well. And given his natural talent with the Force in canon, I thought that Anakin would be a sort of prodigy. And we all know the two instruments associated with that: the piano and violin. He’s more of a piano dude, so here we go! piano prodigy Anakin Skywalker. He also gives mad drumline vibes, and I can see him as either the lead snare, setting the tempo, or the main quad player. He’s brash, slightly obnoxious, but damn is he fucking good at what he does.

Obi-Wan Kenobi: I literally started this AU on the idea that Obi-Wan would play the cello. One of the defining quotes for him is that fucking “infinite sadness” quote. And we all know that cellos play some of the saddest pieces out there. (see: Elgar cello concerto) However, I can’t see him as a marching band dude. He doesn’t really give off color guard vibes (since that’s where most non-band people go to) so I have him as the resident student helper who everyone tolerates because he brings ice cream after band camp.

Ahsoka Tano: Ahsoka is a flute player. As a flute player, I have intimate knowledge on this. She’s like the chill flute player who’s competitive enough to keep her position as principal, but is also chill enough to not have a big ego that butts heads with everyone. She also gives mad color guard vibes. Also speaking about that from personal experience (am I lowkey projecting my own experiences on her? you didn’t hear that from me). She seems like the type to love swing flags and sabre, and is 100% captain by senior year.

I have Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka as siblings in this AU because I say so. Qui-Gon is around here somewhere as the resident hippie dad who lowkey smokes pot and will support his children while giving a big ‘fuck you’ to Dooku. 

Yoda’s also in here somewhere, and I love the idea that he’s an old Chinese/Asian man who refuses to speak english and will only do so with the most backwards grammar so his grandchild (Qui-Gon) and great-grandchildren (the trio) are forced to speak Mandarin/Cantonese to him (pick your poison). He just spends his days cutting up fruit and also might pull out his erhu if everyone asks nice enough. (I want to say he was a Peking Opera musician, but immigrated during Mao’s reign after he lost opportunities during the cultural revolution)

So, I know that it doesn’t make sense for a family to have 3 sets of twins and one triplet set, but fuck that I do what I want.

Cody Fett: okay so, Cody 100% plays the french horn. I don’t know, he just, he does. He’s got that air of sophistication because he can play the hardest brass instrument, but at the same time, he’s incredibly good at it and is matter-of-fact about it. He also would be the mello section leader (I was playing with the idea of drum major, but for now, leaving him as a section leader for now). He’s a bit uptight to be a low brass player, but cool enough to still be associated with the general brass group.

Rex Fett: I got Rex and Cody as the eldest Fett twins. Rex feels like a string player, so I have him on violin. I can see him be very hardworking and practicing diligently to the point where he easily sweeps through to concertmaster in high school and the local youth orchestra. He also gives of mad drum major vibes. I can see him copying music, handing out drill charts, and hauling the met around. Also, just think about Rex doing a fancy ass salute at competitions. Yes.

Next round of twins lets gooo

Jesse Fett: You could say Jesse has brass vibes. I see him as a reed person though. In concert band, he’s on clarinet. I used to think clarinets were as stuck up as us flutes but no they’re literally balls of chaotic energy ready to be unleashed. Just imagine Jesse blaming everything on his reed. I see him as the guy who switches to saxophone for marching band, though. He’s got the energy of the clarinet and the saxophone harnessed. Also, wouldn’t be surprised if he knows how to play the sousa.

Kix Fett: Y’know, when I originally made this AU, I had Kix as a musician as well. I’m gonna scratch that. He’s going to medical school, or at least, he’s planning to. He’s on the pre-med track and is dying in organic chemistry and wishes there weren’t so many pre-requisites. However, in high school, he definitely played the oboe. Of course Kix chose one of the hardest instruments to play. Also, just imagine him trying to make his own reeds. I don’t see him as a guy who’s in marching band. He’ll come to competitions and maybe football games if he’s bullied into it. Kix is the guy who’s classes are all AP and he’s dying inside.

Next round of twins yeet:

Fives Fett: shit, I forgot I gave them all real names. If I remember correctly, Fives is Frank. Anyways, trumpet vibes. Need I say more? He’s on the trumpet in marching band as well and he’s the dude who’s obsessed with DCI and always tries to play as high as he possibly can and absolutely demolishes his chops. I would say he’s section leader as well. He also hangs with the drumline at the back of the bus and always plays meme songs on blast and sends weird pictures to people’s phone via open airdrop.

Echo Fett: I think his birth name is Ethan??? I’m spitting thoughts not checking my old documents. Anyways. Echo feels like a string person. Specifically, low strings. So, he plays the bass. Upright bass. Whatever. You get what I mean. He sleeps in the case after school and hates hauling it everywhere. He was in marching band as a mello player (the easiest brass instrument to pick up for the activity so) but he was in a car crash that left him paralyzed from the hip down, and had to quit to recover. He never stopped playing, and found ways to adjust. (I do not know how exactly this would work, since I’m able bodied and also don’t play the bass, but I know he’d at least have a stool to sit on in order to lean his body on. let me know if you have other ideas i’d love to hear them!)

Finally, we got the triplets:

Dogma Fett: Dogma plays the bassoon. He’s a low reed kinda guy and between the bari sax, bass clarinet, and bassoon, he fits the last one the best. He and Kix moan over making reeds and he’s on the quieter side. He just vibes and plays all the low notes and has fun whenever he’s got some moving part. I see Dogma as someone who is only casually into marching band. He uses Jesse’s old student clarinet as his instrument and he’s always on time, knows his sets, and his technique is on point. He always finds himself roped into his brothers’ shenanigans though.

Tup Fett: Tup plays the harp. I like to think he met Shaak Ti (we’ll get to her in a bit) when he was young, and she was playing with an orchestra. He met her backstage and she offered to give him lessons. Tup’s not really a part of high school orchestra but sometimes he’ll be brought in. He’s more involved with solo work and the youth orchestra more than anything. Tup’s another on where I don’t think he’d be into marching band. Though I can see him being in winter guard as the dude who just shows up and is lowkey rip and therefore is a hunk on the rifle. His technique’s good but they’ve never been able to saddle him into fall guard.

Hardcase Fett: (i’ve given up on remembering the birth names so i’m just gonna not) Hardcase is 100% low brass vibes. He can’t be anything but a low brass. I see him as a tuba player. He’s chill, laid back, but also reliable for being the foundation of the band sound. He plays the sousaphone in marching band and always blasts either Seven Nation Army or some other popular show tune right after rehearsals. Hardcase also can play the bari sax and no one knows when he learned how to. 

OKAY we’re done with the Fett’s! Jango and Boba are in here somewhere but honestly I don’t have enough brainpower to come up with what their roles are. Jango’s gonna be a good dad though. Maybe he was a musician and that’s why most of his kids are going into music. Or maybe he’s just a supportive father. Boba’s the youngest though, that’s for sure. And he’s a little shit. Don’t know if he plays an instrument (probably) or what it might be.

Now lets get into some other characters! There’s a lot. And I wasn’t even halfway done with the characters I wanted to include. What the hell was I on last summer?

Padmé Amidala: Padmé is a flute player who quit after freshman year of high school and started taking music production and music theory classes. She loved it so much that she decided that composing was her jam. Now, she’s highly successful and often works with well known pianist, Anakin Skywalker, on piano concertos. Also, she may or may not be dating said pianists but you didn’t hear that from me.

Satine Kryze: twosetters don’t shit on me but Satine feels like she’d play the viola. She and Obi-Obi-Wan definitely dated in high school but after a year broke up on mutual terms and are just good friends now. A lot of people feel like she’d have been a better political science/international studies major than a music major but she’s good so no one complains (until she gets into a fighting match with someone and wins smugly)

Bo-Katan Kryze: shes Satine’s younger sister and is a mad athlete. She doesn’t play any instruments but she’s deeply active and is on scholarship for college, on the pre-med track with Kix. She’s very scary and most people are too intimidated by her to approach.

Plo Koon: I originally had him as an asian man, but I can see Native American as well. He plays the euphonium and he’s just a sweet man. He helps out a lot with private lessons at local high schools and is often brought in to help with low brass during marching band.

Wolffe Koon: Wolffe and Gregor (get to him in a bit) were both adopted by Plo when their parents died when they were very young. Plo was their godfather and he took them in like they were his own. They’re cousins to the Fett brothers (though don’t ask me how I have no idea). Wolffe is an engineer and works close to home.

Gregor Koon: Gregor is Wolffe’s younger brother and had a short stint of musical interest in middle school but quit after he entered high school. Gregor was in a serious car crash during college that left him amnesiac for a year before some of his memories returned. He now owns a restaurant and sticks close to home. Wolffe often comes around to check up on him because his brain injury still impacts his current life in small physical and emotional dips

Kit Fisto: Kit gives off mad trombone vibes and it’s mostly because he seems incredibly laid back. He’s one of those brass players who’s just a nice guy and while jokes around, never got pulled into jokes as a student.

Shaak Ti: like I said above, Shaak Ti is most definitely a harpist. She has that ethereal quality I think is common in harpists. She’s a tall Indian woman and she loves her job! She’s a private lesson teacher and instructor at the conservatory on top of her job in the orchestra since she’s not called in often to play. She loves all her students and gives good hugs.

Mace Windu: Mace is the director of the Jedi Symphony, the orchestra which almost everyone is involved with. He is a bass player and he likes his more classical pieces over contemporary music. He’s good friends with Yoda and sometimes the old troll has to wack some sense into Windu and have him take on newer pieces. Windu 100% gives off unhinged director vibes because mistakes and lazy musicians definitely don’t end after high school/college is over.

Quinlan Vos: this lil shithead definitely is the obnoxious, slightly arrogant, but kind of deserving of that, percussionist. He loves his snare drum and is also in the drumline. He’s the same age as Obi-Wan and the two are close friends. Quinlan is definitely slightly unhinged and is always at the back of the bus causing havoc after competitions. He’s the guy that I (OP) hate but also can’t help but respect cuz yeah he’s annoying but at least he’s good.

Aayla Secura: Aayla is Quinn’s half-sister, and plays the French horn. Again, like Cody, she’s got this air of professionalism that I associate with French horn players and like, we gotta represent the girls in brass somehow. She just fits it really nicely.

I feel like now is the time to list who’s still in conservatory and who isn’t: Obi-Wan, Anakin, Rex, Cody, Jesse, Quinlan, Padmé, and Satine are all recent graduates. Ahsoka, Aayla, Fives, Echo, Tup, Dogma, and Hardcase are still in conservatory (at varying years of course). Kix and Bo are entering med school/frantically applying and banging their heads cuz MCATs. Wolffe and Gregor are older and have been in the field for quite some time now. Plo, Kit, Shaak, and Mace are all faculty/seasoned professionals.

Somehow, I was gonna bring in The Skiratas (with proper research cuz I know very little about them), Dooku, Ventress, the Oppress siblings, rest of Domino Squad, Cut Lawquene, the other CCs, and more. I designated a page out of my sketchbook for this and my oh my the flow chart was hella confusing. How I thought I was gonna handle that in the summer before my first year of college, I have no idea. Maybe I’ll brainstorm more in the future but for now, this is all I have :]]]

Also excuse some of my slightly unhinged language I started writing this a few days ago while slightly unfocused and tired and stressed so my language is a product of that

[symphonicmetal101]

OM as B99

Holt- Lucifer: obvi, this guy calls the shots, he does not appreciate interruptions, has a soft spot for the "idiot", does not convey emotions well

Jake- Mammon: lovable idiot, doesn't usually try to piss the guy in charge off because they don't want to deal with the consequences, n o m o n e y, contradicts their own feelings towards someone the could/would be their S/O

Amy- Levi: Hyperfixates on a subject, if you touch them or their stuff without permission, you will get beaten, puts a lot of effort into what they find important, musical (both play high brass instruments....low brass is better😎)

Wunch- Satan: Is vey cunning and intelligent, will do whatever it takes to knock their competition out or to spite them, has a burning hatred towards Holt/Lucifer

Gina - Asmo: is distracted by their own beauty, very confident outwardly, large internet influence, very dramatic, makes things about themselves, too fabulous for you

Terry- Beel: Buff, intimidating physique, is really a giant teddy bear, loves his family, loves his yogurt/pudding.

Hitchcock- Belphie: this man knows how to get out of work, will slack off, very messy, proves to be useful once in a blue moon, so they haven't been kicked yet. Usually doing or up to something questionable.

Charles- Simeon: Innocent boi, (most of the time), is doin his best, just wants what is best for everyone.

                    ■  Nicolaj- Luke😁

Rosa- Barbatos: very closed off and emotionally unreadable, takes a lot to get a reaction, easily the toughest/most powerful out of everyone.

Doug Judy- Solomon: Idek, just a shady man that kinda just pops up whenever he feels like it.

Kevin- Diavolo😏

Masterlist

[gwen-tolios]

Trumpet Wars

There were always rivalries in band. The clarinet section hated the flutes, the saxes the trumpets. Tubas were the cool people that got along with everyone, the rest of the low brass feeding off their coolness just enough to not be ignored while still being shuffled aside. And then it was all the winds versus percussion.

But that was normal school stuff. While the rivalries had been heated and fun during middle school and high school, by the time Ken hit university it was just an inside joke that only showed up in prank Christmas gifts and happy hours. Okay, and maybe the occasional jokes on the blackboard, but that was the professors doing.

But animosity towards a fellow player, trumpet or not, he hadn't felt until his senior year.  The Dungoo Symphony Orchestra announced a search for new members. Ken and others from around the country sent in audition tapes and all those who passed in the tri-state area had been informed to show up at the music department. 

While he would have traveled across three state lines to the audition, Ken was happy he only had to cross three streets and a rather large grassy hill.

Ken was surprised at how many people were there warming up. He thought the process would be more selective and that he wouldn't be going up against more than fifteen other trumpets. Sure, this location was only one of seven in the country for DSO auditions, but really, 60 others? More actually, as he signed in on the 60th line and more came in after him. 

With such a wait time ahead of him, Ken decided to put off warming up. They had been told ten minutes per audition, but he suspected things would fall behind. He grimaced. Hopefully they wouldn’t cut later additions short due to time.

Ken pulled out his trumpet, propped his sheet music up inside the case, and went through fingerings after he finished greasing the values. He got lost in his head, imagining the sounds he’d create. A vibrato on this whole note, double tonguing that run, circular breathing during that ballad-esque passage. It was only when one of the professors came in to announce four names to follow her did Ken figure he should start blowing wind through his trumpet.

As he fitted his mouth piece on, felt a harsh glare on the back of his neck.  He turned around to see a Hispanic man, maybe late 20s, looking at him through narrow eyes.  Something about Ken obviously riled him up, and now that Ken looked back he thought that same thing. His uncombed hair, the stiff color of his shirt, and, oh man that trumpet! Hadn't the other guy heard of polish?

Ken tried to shake of the sudden violent dislike and blew air through his instrument to warm up the metal before settling into a range of scales. Wanting to show the other guy he might as well pack up and go home, Ken made sure to use his best tone and went slightly faster than normal. Ken turned, looking out of the side of his eye at the other guys in a challenge.  

When he paused for breath the Hispanic took over, playing with the complementary minor scale. No, the blues complementary scale with its skipped notes and accidentals.

Ken did two octaves.

The other man did it double tongued.

On the same brainwaves, they each took a deep breath and started playing C, trying to not be the first to let the sound die.  Even with circular breathing, Ken was running out of air, but he held out for one half of a second longer.

He sent a cocky smile to his new found rival.

The other man looked murderous. Carefully, he put down his trumpet, and then stood up looking as if he was going to sock Ken.  

But, as he was standing, the other's face smoothed out, his desire to start a fight fading. In fact, he looked as if he didn't actually know why he wanted to start a fight to begin with.

That grated Ken.

“What, not man enough to do anything?”

The other man flopped a hand at him. “I've got better things to do.”  And with that, he sat in his chair again. But as soon as he touched his trumpet, something strange happened. It was if the metal burned him. He looked up at Ken.

“What?” Ken snarled at him.

Still looking at him, the man took his hand on and off the trumpet. The behavior was so odd Ken's dislike of the other faded to confusion. What was he doing?

Before he could think of an answer, his number was called. Goodness, he was so caught up in competing he hadn't actually played any of his trouble sections. Too late now. It wasn't like he hadn't practiced the piece a billion times.

To his surprise, his new found rival was called too. The professor indicated they were to each stand outside a different door. There was already another trumpeter standing at each one.  Shortly after they took their places, a girl walked out of Ken's assigned room. A voice barked out 'next!'. The already waiting player stepped inside and Ken scooted closer.

Ken spent the time fingering. Glances at the Hispanic man showed him doing the same. Eventually, two more trumpets arrived and stepped into line behind each of them, and then Ken was called into the room.

Deep breath, he told himself. Think of it as an S&E competition, you rocked at those.

The room was one of the small, not much space for more than a stand and the panel of three judges five feet away.  

He said hello and gave a little bow.

“Let's start with scales. Play C minor.”

Half way through the scale, he realized he could hear sounds from the other audition room, and he knew exactly who was playing.

In hindsight, he doesn’t really remember playing for the three DSO representatives. His entire focus was playing better than the other player. He didn't care if he didn't land a job, as long as he was better. He had never felt so passionate about playing his best. He had also never played as good. Tone, breathing, color, technique, he had never gotten this close to perfect playing.

Once dismissed, Ken looked toward the other room. It was still shut, so he walked toward the warm up place. He sat and gave his trumpet a quick polish.

As Ken closed his case, he looked up and watched the other auditioner enter the room. As he passed Ken figured he should be friendly despite everything. He didn't know what sparked the animosity he felt towards the other player, but maybe getting to know him would help.  Ken held out his hand. “Hi, I'm Ken Price.”

The other trumpet sneered at his hand and quickly went to put down the instrument. As soon as he did so, his face relaxed and he turned around to offer his own hand just as Ken was pulling his back. “Conor Caraballo.”

They shook.

“Look man,” Ken began. “I felt extra competitive today. Not sure why, but I just wanted to let you know it wasn't your fault.”

Conor nodded. “No big deal. Hey, try something for me?”

Ken shrugged. “Sure.”

“Look at me without touching your trumpet, and then while you are.”

It was a crazy suggestion, but Ken figured there was a reason for it considering Conor had done just that earlier. He sat on a chair and pulled his case onto his lap. With a snap, he released the catches. With his hands hovering over the trumpet, Ken looked at Conor and thought about what he felt about the guy.

Okay, kinda friendly and maybe a little bipolar, but a pretty darn good trumpet player.

Ken placed his hands on the trumpet.

Conor was a no good show-off who shouldn't be because he had no skills to show off in the first place. He smelled, cheated, manipulated others to gain ranks in groups, he -

Ken took his hands of the trumpet.

Conor zipped his own case closed. “See what I mean?”

“That was...weird.”

“You're telling me.”

“So...our trumpets hate each other?”

“Did you hear yourself? That's crazy.”

“Yeah, but...” Ken trailed off, looking at his instrument before slowly closing the case. “You have any other ideas?”

“No. Just that I'm gonna ignore it and hope I never see you in a situation like this again.  And now, to make up for all that anger I felt towards you I feel like I should buy you a beer.”

“I know just the place.”

[maticide666]

my eurovision top 39 songs (finally)

anyway i finally got my top 39 completed. under a read more because it can get kinda long with the commentary i added klfdja;sflk (and by that i mean VERY long, maybe a wall of text if i have a lot to say about the song.)

none of this takes rehearsals into account.

basically, 39-37 i don't like, 36-35 are meh, 34-25 are decent, 24-18 are good, 17-12 i enjoy listening to a lot, 11-4 i love, and I would pay for votes for top 3 if i could.

39. Azerbaijan - Efendi - Mata Hari - Honestly, I kinda want to like this song. The instrumentation is nice, especially with the Azeri instruments. Efendi's vocals are ok during the verses. However, her vocals during the MA-MA-MA-MATA HARI part makes this song utterly unlistenable for me. It is just so distracting and ear-grating. Not great for my sensitive ears. And that is without taking anything else into account.

38. Estonia - Uku Suviste - The Lucky One - For some reason reminds me of a boring modern country song. Bland af. At least the melody of the chorus is nice.

37. Cyprus - Elena Tsagrinou - El Diablo - Discount Lady Gaga at the best points of this song. Feels like three songs at once. Also, the lyrics seem like they just went all "What Spanish-sounding words sound spicy? Taco? Tamale? Mamacita?" As a Spanish speaker and as someone of Mexican descent who enjoys those foods, this annoys the living shit out of me. At least I can make El Diablo/Fallen Angel memes out of this. (Honestly, I don't mind the gratuitous Spanish with the words El Diablo.) Also, this song got real old real quick.

36. Slovenia - Ana Soklič - Amen - The gospel vibe is nice, but there is just too much Christianity in it for me to enjoy this song. Sorry, Ana.

35. Moldova - Natalia Gordienko - Sugar - Sounds like a sugary version of Siren Song by MARUV. Kinda boring, but enjoyable in the right circumstances.

34. Georgia - Tornike Kipiani - You - Good to listen to when mind feels blank. At first I kinda liked this song, but nowadays this song has lost its charm. This won't sound out of place alongside boring 70s slow classic rock songs.

33. Austria - Vincent Bueno - Amen - Not something I would listen to regularly, but still nice. For me, easily the biggest downgrade from 2020.

32. Greece - Stefania - Last Dance - Pleasant to listen to, not much else.

31. Portugal - The Black Mamba - Love Is On My Side - Good song, but not my cup of tea. Unfortunately, some great songs have to be near the bottom of my ranking.

30. Germany - Jendrik - I Don't Feel Hate - A fun song to listen to. The novelty wears off after a while. The feel good vibes and ukulele are nice.

29. Israel - Eden Alene - Set Me Free - the song release version was bland and boring, but the revamp. Now THAT is good stuff. The song doesn't seem so empty anymore. I miss the key change from the original, though.

28. Spain - Blas Cantó - Voy A Quedarme - A very emotional and beautiful song from Spain. Again, not usually my cup of tea. However, the melody somehow gives me a nostalgic vibe.

27. North Macedonia - Vasil - Here I Stand - DAMN Vasil has a lovely voice. Nice that he's showing it off here. Too slow of a song for me to enjoy regularly, though.

26. Albania - Anxhela Peristeri - Karma - I don't have much to say other than this song is nice.

25. Bulgaria - VICTORIA - Growing Up Is Getting Old - Pleasant to listen to, but depending on my mood I think this is a beautiful song but not my cup of tea or a complete snoozefest.

24. Serbia - Hurricane - Loco Loco - Fun song, but it feels like something is lacking, and I can't quite put my finger on it.

23. San Marino - Senhit - Adrenalina - Once the initial hype from Flo Rida being on the song died down, this became another typical Eurovision bop.

22. Sweden - Tusse - Voices - At first I thought the song was completely unremarkable and couldn't understand how this won Melodifestivalen. Nowadays it's a nice song to chill to. I gotta respect a perfect televote score from the national final.

21. Ireland - Lesley Roy - MAPS - nice.

20. Croatia - Albina - Tick Tock - Grew on me slightly. Shoutout for including a verse in Croatian.

19. Switzerland - Gjon's Tears - Tout l'Univers - Another grower for me. Doesn't hit as hard as his song from last year, but I dig it.

18. France - Barbara Pravi - Voilà - Lovely chanson right here. I wish it didn't take forever to pick up, though. I was about to completely give up on this song in the middle of my first listen. I'm glad I didn't.

17. Belgium - Hooverphonic - The Wrong Place - Classy. Not much else to say.

16. Ukraine - Go-A - Shum - I'd definitely go rave to this song. I kept finding this song hard to rank due to the white voice. I couldn't decide if I absolutely adored it or if I found it grating. Maybe I just wasn't feeling well when I first thought about it.

15. Lithuania - The Roop - Discoteque - Lots of fun, doesn't have the charm that On Fire had last year. I would dance to this song.

14. Poland - RAFAŁ - The Ride - I actually kinda like this song???? Even with Rafal's vocals??? I know he has political controversies, but I can't help but think this song is nice. A better, less controversial singer would benefit this song, though. I'm not counting the revamp just yet since it was released too recently.

13. Latvia - Samanta Tīna - The Moon Is Rising - This song gives me nostalgic mid to late 2000s hip hop vibes. The guitars in this song are lovely.

12. Romania - ROXEN - Amnesia - Definitely something that can put me in a trance if I'm in the right mood.

11. Czechia - Benny Cristo - omaga - Nice, catchy, I would dance to this.

10. Malta - Destiny - Je Me Casse - Damn, Destiny has a lovely voice! And the song itself is wonderful. I'm not a fan of the amount of Swedish talent being used instead of Maltese talent, but I really do enjoy listening to this.

9. Denmark - Fyr og Flamme - Øve Os På Hinanden - another really fun song! This really grew on me. Nowadays if I want to listen to a Eurovision song, this is one of the first songs I think of.

8. The Netherlands - Jeangu Macrooy - Birth of a New Age - I can vibe with this. You can hear the passion in this song. I wish I could let my body do the talking right now, but y'all can't see that with just a tumblr text post.

7. Russia - Manizha - Russian Woman - I was NOT expecting this to come out of Russia when it won the national final. I wasn't expecting to like this either. The message is great, the instrumental is great, everything about this is brilliant.

6. United Kingdom - James Newman - Embers - A funky song. I LOVE James's voice. Massive upgrade from last year in my opinion. I'm a sucker for brass in an upbeat song. Unfortunately, I have had the staging kinda spoiled and I am VERY skeptical about this coming out of bottom five. I'm done with the BBC.

5. Australia - Montaigne - Technicolour - There is a Lot happening in this song and I am all in for it. I'm kinda terrible at parsing lyrics, but it's a non-issue when I can follow Montaigne's voice and forget about the lyrics. Ironically enough, it's Montaigne's voice that also worries me this Eurovision season - mostly whether she was able to pull off her live on tape performance off.

4. Iceland - Daði og Gagnamagnið - 10 Years - I didn't think Daði could pull it off against this year, but he did it. I like this just a little more than Think About Things, which was my favorite song last year. I'm still a little gutted that this pandemic robbed him of a probable victory, but I've made peace with it. I still need to learn the dance moves, though.

3. Italy - Måneskin - Zitti E Buoni - FUCK YEAH A KICKASS ROCK SONG IN EUROVISION! This song gave me massive rock en español vibes on my fist listen, and honestly this is something I would bang my head to if I had the same body I did when I was 15.

2. Norway - TIX - Fallen Angel - I was not expecting to like this song much, let alone becoming THIS obsessed with TIX. In fact, he wasn't even on my radar for winning MGP. I listened to Ut Av Mørket for the first time and thought something like 'this is boring af, but at least it's in Norwegian'. And then he changed it to English, which I wasn't a fan of at first. And then one day the lyrics clicked - especially with my own struggles with mental illness. To this day this is one of only two Eurovision songs to actually make me cry. Even now he still isn't my MGP winner (that honor goes to JORN), but he has definitely won my heart.

1. Finland - Blind Channel - Dark Side - To say that this song kicks ass would be an understatement for me. This song has just the right mix of rock, pop, and even metal. Ever since I found out that this song would be in the national final, I knew that it would be my favorite this whole Eurovision season regardless of who won UMK. Yes, my jaw dropped when I saw the lead Blind Channel had in UMK. I literally cancelled my plans to watch the MGP final live because of these guys. I am not disappointed. Even Måneskin couldn't bring these guys down in my ranking. And while the lyrics might be a bit iffy, they did get me through rough times. I hope these guys are able to bring rock music back like they want to. But for now, I will give them my (useless tbh) douze points.

[amydancepants-peralta]

For the most recent prompts, no. 35 with peraltiago?

I’d love to!  🌟 Here’s a little something for 35: “Your stray red item turned my whites pink.”

love, in full colour 

Today was turning out to be a pretty great Sunday for Amy, as she stretches her legs out on her boyfriend Jake’s surprisingly comfortable couch and presses play on the documentary he had so sweetly recorded for her.  Weekends off had always been a favourite of hers, but if there’s anything that the past nine months has told her, it's that weekends off when you’re dating Jake Peralta are just so much better.  

She had woken up this morning to Jake’s familiar sleepy cuddles, morning stubble scratching against her skin and sending tingles up and down her spine as his arms wrapped around her waist, convincing her in approximately 2.3 seconds that sleeping in definitely wasn’t such a bad thing (especially when it eventually leads to … other things).  It had been a long week; made all the longer by a perp that had decided to play cat and mouse with the detectives of the nine-nine, and even after they’d stumbled out of bed and toasted bagels for breakfast, Amy genuinely didn’t have any desire to have a day any more productive than TV, blankets, and (most importantly), Jake.  

It had been close to half an hour ago that he’d slipped out of the apartment for the second time, basket in hand as he’d headed back down to the laundry room to collect the washing he’d put on earlier.  Rebuffing her offers of help with a swift kiss to her lips, he’d simply reminded Amy of the program ready and waiting for her, throwing out a “Love you!” as he’d headed for the door, and honestly if Amy’s Sunday hadn’t already been looking great, that moment right there just absolutely topped it.  

(It’s been months since they’d started saying it - those three little words that had seemed so terrifying but actually were up there with her favourite phrases ever - but they still managed to spark a tiny ball of happiness inside her every single time the words came out of Jake’s mouth.  She supposes that this is what love is, really - sour candy flavoured kisses and laughter in the darkness - and she’s so thankful that she found it in Jake.)

The documentary has been playing for ten or so minutes before Amy’s index finger begins hovering over the pause button, one part still interested in the manufacturing process of the world’s oldest brass instruments, and one (slightly louder) part feeling strangely empty without her boyfriend’s warm chest to rest up against.  (Even though she knows he would spending the entire program playing on his phone, there’s something about his presence that just makes everything … better.)

Amy’s still in Consideration Mode when she hears Jake’s key slide into the lock, and it’s ridiculous how big her smile begins to get, but as she tips her face up to catch his eyes her lips falter on their ascent.  

There’s an obvious air of frustration surrounding him as he skulks past her, holding the plastic basket close to his hip as he heads towards the bed on the other side of his loft-style apartment.  It bounces slightly against the recently remade duvet as Jake dumps the contents onto the mattress, his frustrations quickly bubbling to the surface, and without hesitation Amy forgoes the remote control, standing quickly to join her boyfriend by his bed.  

“Everything okay?”

He nods, letting out a soft grunt as he half-heartedly starts folding the newly cleaned clothes, and honestly Amy is trying not to pay attention to his folding technique, but her fingers are just itching to take over.  There’s still a slight pout on his face, small enough for her to pick up on, and it takes precedent over any Kondo-like techniques that she might be dying to demonstrate.  “You sure?”

Jake gives her another nod, followed quickly by a shrug.  “I mean, there’s one little problem with the laundry that I don’t know how to fix, but … it’s no biggie.”

“A problem with your laundry?”

“Yeah.”  He sighs, balling up the t-shirt in his hand before dropping it back into the pile, using his free hand to run through his hair, which has just started to get long enough to curl.  “Turns out there was a stray item of yours that was in my laundry.  I mean, there were a few things, and that makes total sense, but there was one item in particular - a red item, actually - that I think might be the culprit.”

“The culprit?”

“So … I might not have noticed have been paying close attention when I transferred everything to the dryer, and well …”  he lifts up a pair of socks, similar to the ones he wore to bed last week except now they were a deep pink, and Amy tries her best to stifle her giggle.  “There’s like … another three pairs just like it,” he adds with a mumble.    

“But!  May I present to you, detective: the guilty party.”  Transferring the socks to his left, his right hand digs through the pile before pulling out a lacy red bra that Amy may have recently bought purely on the knowledge that it was one of Jake’s favourite colours on her.

(To be fair, he might have told her that all of the colours were his favourite colours on her, but she’s definitely seen a positive response to the colour red in the past.)

“Alleged guilty party, thank you very much,” Amy begins, grinning to take the edge off of her response.  “Plus, you didn’t seem to mind that bra so much last night, if I recall correctly.”

She reaches for the offending item, and Jake’s fingers tighten around the lace, holding her bra close to his chest, and she giggles at his reflexive response.  “Despite my flinging it across the room, I can confirm that I did - and DO - indeed love it.  Almost as much as I love the person who was wearing it.”

Her cheeks begin to turn the same colour as the socks in her boyfriend’s hand, and Amy cocks her head to the side.  “I love you too, babe.  So … what’s the problem you can’t figure out?  If it’s the pink you’re worried about, a bit of bleach will get that right out.”

“Huh?”  He lifts his hand up, glancing at the item that Amy is pointing to.  “Oh.  Nah.  I don’t care about the colour.  You and I both know that I would rock this pink.  I can already tell it’s going to highlight my ankles in the perfect way.  Really accentuate my curves, you know?  I just ..”

Even before they were something more than partners, Amy could see through Jake’s ‘make a joke to conceal how I’m really feeling about something’ technique, and today is no exception.  Taking the smallest of steps closer to him, she softens her voice ever so slightly.  “Jake?”

His shoulders slump to the floor, and his right hand releases her lingerie.  “I just … I feel so stupid.  I’m trying to be the perfectly domesticated boyfriend, a responsible adult who cleans up after himself and doesn’t leave empty pizza boxes everywhere.”  His eyes drop to the floor briefly before flicking back up to meet hers, and the sincerity in his gaze cuts Amy to the quick.  “You know, the kinda guy that doesn’t need supervising in the laundry room, or whatever.”  His hand closes tightly around the socks before dropping it back into the pile, and when he looks back up at Amy she can see the disappointment stretched across his face.  “And obviously, I completely failed.  I wasn’t going to say anything, but .. I dunno, I guess maybe I don’t want to keep things from you or something.”

In all honesty, Amy’s not entirely sure what she was expecting Jake’s answer to be, but it definitely wasn’t that.  She stands still in front of him for the longest minute as a result, mouth open slightly as her mind races to absorb his response.    

He takes her silence as a request for more information, and shuffles his sneaker covered feet against the floorboards.  “It’s just … I know that people think that you’re way too good for me.  And to be fair, they’re not entirely wrong.  I was just hoping that I could find a way to bridge the gap a little … try and make it a little less obvious that I’m punching well above my weight.  And then I couldn’t even do the damn laundry right.”

At any given moment, Amy could present to any asking stranger a million reasons why Jake Peralta was the man that had captured her heart, and the notion that the justification was coming from her very own boyfriend was making her soul ache more than a little bit.  

Anybody that thought he wasn’t good enough for her could go jump in the Gowanus Canal, for all she cared.  But the thought that Jake considered it to be true?  Nuh-uh.  Not on her watch.

She moves closer to him, close enough to smell the oddly intoxicating body wash he uses - the one that always seems to get her pulse racing, but she suspects that it’s more due to the user than the product itself.  “Jake.  You specifically ordered dinner last night from the Chinese restaurant that was exactly thirty-five minutes away from your apartment, knowing that I would be over in twenty and you wanted to give me a chance to settle before the food arrived.”

“That, and they do the best dumplings.  But yeah, you’re right - mostly the time thing.”  

“I woke up this morning on a cloud of a mattress, one that you bought purely so that I would be able actually sleep when I stayed over.”

Jake’s mouth twists to one side, and after a beat he folds his arms across his chest.  “I just wanted you to feel comfortable … with the added bonus of you staying over more often.  Although I have to admit, once you’ve realised you have a dumpster mattress, it’s actually really hard to ignore the springs that dig into your back in the middle of the night.”

Amy’s smile grows bigger, reaching out to rest her palm flat against his chest.  “And then you made us both bagels, with extra cream cheese - something that I know you don’t normally have in your fridge, which tells me you went grocery shopping just in case I stayed over.  Not to mention the documentary on brass instruments that you ‘happened to see scheduled and just recorded’, because you knew I would want to watch it eventually.”

“It actually looked pretty cool,” he mumbles, shrugging his shoulders in an attempt to make it seem like a lesser deal than it actually was.  

“And don’t think I didn’t notice the freshly cleaned sheets, and the space you’d made for me in your bathroom cabinet months ago.”

“…. Are you … journaling all of this somewhere?”

Letting out a soft chuckle, Amy shakes her head.  “My point is, you are rocking the boyfriend role, babe.  Seriously.  You have been so sweet and attentive, without ever getting too much, and honestly I’ve just had the best time with you.  I hope you know just how much I appreciate it … how much I appreciate you, and how great you make me feel whenever you’re around.  Seriously, you should feel my heart sometimes, I feel like it’s going to beat right out of my chest.”

He still has a slightly wary look on his face, but as Amy wraps her arms around his shoulders, crossing her wrists behind his neck, Jake’s hands wrap around her waist in automatic response.  “I love you, Jake Peralta.  For everything you are, exactly as you come.”

A slight blush begins to wash across his cheeks, and oh, how she just wants to kiss this ridiculous notion right off of his lips.  “I love you too, Ames.  You’re just … the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”  His grip on her hips grows a little tighter, and his voice lowers.  “And I’m sorry if all of this sounded totally stupid, I just … want to make you as happy as you’ve made me.” 

“Mission accomplished, babe.  You’re everything I want, I don’t give two hoots what anybody else thinks.”  Punctuating her sentence with a soft kiss, she rests her hands on either side of his neck and raises her eyebrows suggestively.  “Now, why don’t we take care of this laundry so the bed is nice and clear, and then I can show you just how much you are the right person for me.”

“Noice.  Just checking though … that doesn’t mean ‘throw everything to the floor so that I can immediately ravage my super-hot boyfriend’, does it?”

Cocking her head to the side, Amy grins.  “You should definitely trust your instincts on that one.”

“10-4.  We’re going to fold the heck out of this laundry.”

*

It’s a several years older Jake Peralta that fishes into his sock drawer one early afternoon, desperately looking for those just thick enough socks that he hasn’t seen in months but is sure he hasn’t thrown away.  They’re tucked up right along the furtherest edge of the drawer, in a position that Amy’s engagement ring had once also called home, and he grins when his fingers wrap around the hidden treasure.

They’re a little less pink these days, having been through the wash several times since their re-colouring, but he can still make out the slight tinge when he holds them up to the light.  Pulling them on with vigour, he makes his way back out to the living room to join his wife and son - knowing that both are looking forward to the start of their midday movie session - and also just as eager for some much-needed Family Time.  

“Okay, made it,”  Jake announces, lifting up the bag of candy he’d snagged from the kitchen as he’d passed, “and I brought snacks.”  From his left, his son Mac looks up from his position snuggled into Amy’s side, and upon clocking Jake’s sudden appearance he beams (the kind of smile that just makes Jake’s heart soar, every. time.), scrambling in his clumsy toddler-esque style to climb onto Jake’s lap, wrapping his arms around his father’s neck in the very best way that his still so chonky arms will allow.  Casting the bag of snacks to the side, Jake whispers “ready to watch the movie, little man?”, reaching out to tweak Mac’s button nose (a thankful inheritance from his mother) when he nods.  

Turning his head further to the left as he wraps his arms around his son, Jake catches Amy’s eyes, noticing them sparkle as she takes it all in.  Shuffling ever so slightly, Jake moves an inch to the left so that his left arm can rest on his wife’s legs, and she curls her fingers around his with one hand as she presses play on the remote with the other.  

His crossed feet plonk onto the coffee table in front of him, and as he glances briefly at his socks before turning his attention back to the movie, Jake cannot help but think of the younger version of himself that had felt so insecure about his relationship with Amy.  She is, after all, the love of his life (a fact that perhaps he hadn’t been ready to acknowledge back then, but one that was true within weeks of them dating all the same), and he was hers.  Maybe if he’d been able to see that, he wouldn’t have taken the little things like a pair of newly coloured socks so hard.

Amy’s fingers squeeze his gently, and after glancing at her from the corner of his eye, Jake picks up on the fact that she’s just noticed his choice in attire.  It would appear that the pink tinge is just as noticeable to her and it is to him - a fact that makes his heart more than a little bit happy - and when she tugs him a little closer he closes the gap between them, pressing his lips against hers in a chaste but loving kiss.

He cannot deny the smile that is growing on his face as they both pull away, returning their attention to the screen in front of them but keeping their fingers linked all the while.  This right here, was everything that he needed - and undoubtedly, everything he deserved - and he genuinely cannot wait to raise Mac together with Amy, and show their son just how amazing the world can be when you always have love on your side.  

[depeche-inof]

Robin’s notes on Notes.

The 1975

AYY Greta

The instrumentals of this are so pretty

I love it

People

Ayyy People

Living for this screamo vibe

The End (Music for Cars)

Oooh this sounds mysterious 

Almost kinda sorrowful 

I'm liking the mystical sounds and the brass

I really like it

Sounds like something from another 1975 a little but, maybe the end of iawds

Frail State Of Mind

fRRaiIllLl stAte of miIiind

I relate to this song on a spiritual level

Lowkey kinda funky

Streaming

Big birthday party vibes

Probably because it’s the song before the birthday party

Relaxing vibes

The Birthday Party

Hello

Oh no don’t be a fridge

DOES IT GO THROUGH YA

B A N J O

a l r i g h t

Saxxxxxxxx

c o m e  o n

Lowkey pretty

Yeah I Know

ELECTRONIC ORGAN??? 

OOOOOH I’M DIGGING THIS

Bouncy

Pick a caarrrdddd

OOOOOH 

Fsom vibes

“Live on mars      fuck it up”

This is so fucking cool

The vocals are a bit odd, apart from the distorted ones they’re cool

Apart from his weird speaking singing it’s really fucking cool i am living for the vibes

Lowkey a vibe

Then Because She Goes

Abrupt start

Jamie teased this one

Matty saying i love you in autotune in the background

This is odd but I lowkey kinda dig it

Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America

This song always got me feeling some typa way

It’s so pretty

I love the brass so much

Phoebeeeeeeeee

Their vocals work so well together

This song is so beautiful

Trying not to cry like

Roadkill

Ooh this guitar

I can’t understand a word he’s saying

wait, i got the word erection

This is cute

Maybe the lyrics aren’t cute but

He sounds so pretty in the chorus

Makes me smile

Me & You Together Song 

Tooppp onn 

N A P P I E S

“I’m sorry that i’m kinda queer” honestly same

Ageessssssss

I Think There’s Something You Should Know

OOOOh

Pretty sounds

There's that bouncy beat again

I’m liking this

Once again fsom vibes

P i a n o

Oooooooooooohhh

This is coooooollll

Darkkkk and funkkkyyyy

Oh it’s light again

This is a whole vibe

Weird talking autotune...again

Lowkey having a rave to this 

I like that pretty guitar/piano thing sounds

Nothing Revealed / Everything Denied

I’m getting ready for a go down soft sound

Ayy those are the sounds at the start of If I Believe you

Ayyy a choir

This is gonna be religious

Oh my god matty rapping

This is so cool i'm loving the piano

This is good 

THAT A COOL GUITAR

Having a bit of a spiritual experience with this

OOOOH THE GU I TA R

Loving the gospel feel to the song and piano

Tonight (I Wish I Was Your Boy)

Is that a child or one of the chipmunks?

oOOOOoooOOH THAT  B E A T

I n n i t 

This is cool

Kinda cute

Awwwwww

Shiny Collarbone

Right off the bat loving this

What a beat

Ooooooh

This is cool

Sounds almost like dance or house music or something what

I am vibing with it

Okay this is so cool

We getting reggae in here?

The vibes are immaculate

If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)

Ah c er on line

Awlh tha tiome

WEL AH FIND MA HOTEL

THIS SONG IS SO GOOD

I love dancing to this

Kinda 80s and i love this

MAYBE I WOULD LIKE YOU BETTER IF YOU TOOK OF YOUR CLOTHES

The saxophone in this is E L I T E

The little ohoh at the end

Playing On My Mind

Pretty vocals and pretty guitar

Kinda sweet i think

Yes definitely kinda sweet

“Oh why am i always cold?”

“Things that interest me exist outside of space and time” same here

K E Y  C H A N G E

This is so pretty my heart can’t take it

Awwwwwhhhhhh

Having No Head

Little sounds

This is sorta calming

Ooh she building

Flutters

Water and electronics?

Is that the beeping of a supermarket shopping thing?

OOOOH THE BEAT ARRIVED

Is this where Depth went? It sounds like Depth.

It’s nice

Oooooooh what is thissss

Funky, a bit darker

I’m vibing with this

What Should I Say

This is cool

OOOOOH I REALLY LIKE THAT

The beat just went lemme add a bit more

Did he just say shawty

Bagsy Not In Net

Vey british name

Oooh strings

I vibe with this

Thought this was gonna be sad at first

I really like this

Don’t Worry

Pretty piano and pretty backing vocals

Sounded kinda christmassy for a moment there

“Don’t worry, daring. I’m here with you.” this song

Honestly i don’t know what day it is

This song my H E A R T 

TIM AND MATTY?!

Awh this is so cute i love it so much 

It’s so pretty oh my-

My heart is melting

Don’t make me cry 

Guys

Oh no, last song

It’s not even that sad and I’m probably gonna cry

I was missin the guys

This song is so cute 

Some closing thoughts

There’s quite a bit on this album that doesn’t sound a lot like the 1975 - not immediately at least - but I really vibe with it.

Matty was right when he said it’s more like a collection of works than an album.

I think it's very interesting.

The vibes are  I M M A C U L A T E.

Lots of instrumental tracks but I really vibe with that.

It’s one funky album.