#house on a hill encore

[roseband]

eric and the house on a hill encore featured artists

[scribeofmorpheus]

Ethel Cain being used in the It Ends With Us movie trailer is my villain origin story!

[willowbirds]

My theory for Cole’s backstory in Meadowlark.

Yaelokre has recently confirmed that Cole’s backstory has nothing to do with a war, so I would like to pitch my theory on what I think happened in Cole’s past. (Keep in mind this is just a theory)

(Heads up that this is long and also looking into songs that have only been preformed live and have no studio recording yet)

First let’s look at Hayfields. This was the first EP that introduced many of us to the world of Meadowlark, and while the most popular song is Harpy Hare, I want to discuss the first song in the EP, Hartebeest.

It’s a lovely song where the singer mentions that they hear the sound of hartebeest approaching. It could just be a fun tune, but it’s pre chorus and ending sing “Little Rabbit. Run, run, run, run, run.” And who is a rabbit in this story? Cole, who wears a rabbit mask. It is likely that this song is from Cole’s perspective, especially considering the lyrics from My Farewell to the fields.

“I could hear and that’s enough, the clashing of the hoards. Hoof by hoof, horn by horn, raging song and an encore.”

This is the line that I think made people think that Cole experienced some sort of war, however, I believe this is just them when they were little witnessing hartebeest traveling and possibly seeing them fight and possibly being scared by them.

The song mentions that it couldn’t speak and only hum a tune, but is eventually met with a chorus, likely from someone else. Perhaps a Harker. The Storyteller.

This is where I bring up the trailer for Songs of Origin. Within Yaelokre’s live performances, they transition from one song to the next with stories, and there is a story within the trailer.

“What once was a hamlet left to play pretend, remained a scarecrow, a hen, and a leveret.”

All that remains of Cole’s home is them, a woman, and the Storyteller. The woman asks the Storyteller why the child was not taken. They tell her that the child does not belong here and that she should take it away. Saying that places forget, yet stories remember.

My Farewell to the Fields ends with, “Sought and safe behind a wing, my farewell to the fields, to the man made of straw, to my name, to the hills.”

Cole was taken away from the fields they hid in and left with a hen, it is also likely that they didn’t know that the scarecrow was the Storyteller, since they refer to it as ‘the man made of straw’ even though the Storyteller uses they/it pronouns.

Continuing with this idea, I want to bring up Kid and Leveret, an unreleased song about Cole and Clementine that you can listen to on Yaelokre’s Instagram. The first verse and chorus are about Cole and reiterate some of the previously known moments, but with some extra detail.

(There are no official lyrics yet so bare with me)

“Found and forgotten, fields of flaxen, I was the leveret in hiding. Rowdy and rigorous, they reave and rally, where the houses once stood.” I will get to what I believe actually happened to Cole’s home later, but this continues to confirm that Cole hid among the fields for who knows how long, witnessing many things happening in what remains of their home.

“‘Beyond the valley, come hither’ said the feathered lady.” This is likely the hen, the woman, and the wing Cole sings about, meaning that it was found by someone and beckoned away from the remains of their home, likely at the behest of the Storyteller.

So, let’s recap so far. Cole was the sole person left after something ‘took’ their home away. They stay for who knows how long, witnessing the migration of hartebeest. One day, a feathered lady arrived and beckoned Cole to leave the fields, not knowing that she was told by the Storyteller to take them away so their story can be told. “Places forget, stories remember.” As Cole leaves, they see a scarecrow standing in the fields.

Now, what did happen to Cole’s home? Well now we have to look at the Croon.

From the Songs of Origins trailer, “Far fled the Croon to cry for its mother, the promise to reave life, to make way for another.”

On Yaelokre’s old, now deactivated, tumblr page, they explained some of the meaning behind And The Hound. They explained that there used to be a foolish king who was warned by the Storyteller, the Bell Ringer, and the Enkindeled (in the form of a hound) of the Croon approaching, but the king did not listen. The song is basically a warped version of that tale, making it seem like ‘the hound’ is the reason all this happened. (I could have mistaken something, but I’m doing my best).

“But this is from their old tumblr, the story could have easily changed!” It could have, except for the fact that a kingdom is mentioned in Kid and Leveret.

(Again there are no official lyrics yet so I’m doing my best with what I got.)

“There used to be a kingdom for a foolish man to see(?). Then he put his arms over his face and (???). (Continue a little bit) What is left is a hamlet and the (???) of yore(?).” The Croon came to the kingdom and ‘reaved life’ like it was promised.

On the SIGWA nd KUWAGO YouTube channel, there is a live performance of a song called Reaver that starts with a story about the Croon being worshipped and disappearing in search of something. Perhaps it is its mother it is searching for, and while on this search it took a kingdom along with it.

SO 👏 What’s the full theory?

Well TL;DR, A kingdom used to exist, with large valleys surrounding it. One day, the king was warned by the Harkers that the Croon was coming, but he didn’t listen. He ignored them and pretended that nothing was going to happen. One day the Croon arrived in search of something, and when they didn’t find it, they took the kingdom with it, fleeing far away and crying out for its mother. All that remained was a child.

The child was young and couldn’t speak, but it could hide in the fields, listen, and hum a tune as the hartebeest migrated. One day a feathered woman arrived and sought to take the child with her, away from the ruins and beyond the valley. This woman asked the Storyteller, who had been standing in the fields, why the child was not taken. The Storyteller told her that the child doesn’t belong here, that she should take it far and give it a name. Saying that places forget, yet stories remember.

So the woman took the child with her, and the child said farewell to fields and to a scarecrow that stood within them.

[ourshadowstallerthanoursoul]

On this day... - August 21st

+ 1969 : Carousel Theatre in Framingham, Massachusetts, USA

“Before a packed house of 2,600, the Zeppelin proved to be made of something more than of air. […] The Zeppelin flew high all right, and therein may be its problem; it has a tendency to soar, rather than keep on a straight flight plan. In short, many of the tunes wander, and some people feel the blues should be played only straight ahead. But, after all, Zeppelins are flying machines. Even the kids on the hill must have liked the takeoff.” – ‘Zeppelin takes off at Carousel’ by N. Cobb (Globe Staff)

+ 1970 : Assembly Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA

“Each of the 6,300 rock fans at the Civic Center Friday night should have been aware that he or she was seeing and hearing three good musicians and one super artist in action. […] For most of the show the audience, possibly because of singer Plant urging the kids remained in their seats. This was fine because fans who wanted to sit in the seats they paid for could get as much out of it as the screamers. During the encore, things got back to normal audience-wise and one sweet young thing jumped onto the stage. She danced along with Plant for a moment and then jumped into his arms. The stage was immediately invaded by a number of young girls obviously intent on a similar experience.” – ‘Led Zeppelin rocks 6,300 at Center’ by D. Averil

+ 1971 : The Forum in Inglewood, California, USA

“When I saw Led Zeppelin last year at the Inglewood Forum, there seemed to be an occasional touch of strength in the group’s relentless, high volume, avid rock style, but most of the group’s music was imitative and repetitive. Still, there was as much audience enthusiasm at the Forum as at any time since the Rolling Stones concerts in 1969. […] By the time you lose hope Zeppelin is going to do anything worthwhile during the evening. […] Just when you are ready to dismiss Zeppelin as a group with one lucky song, it begins moving through a number of songs once associated with Elvis Presley. […] And it was sensational. On this 20-minute medley, Zeppelin became an interesting, surging, powerfully effective rock ‘n’ roll band, totally free of the predictable treadmill they normally employ.” – ‘Led Zeppelin – Forum’ by R. Hiburn (LA Times)

[christinesficrecs]

Lost fics. Any help would be appreciated! ❤️

...

Hi! I'm looking for a fic that was based on Léon The Professional, though Stiles was older than Mathilda. Derek was the hitman, and Stiles's family had been murdered. If I remember correctly, Isaac and Scott had been his little brothers.

Would you be able to put your finger on this fic? "stiles has magic and he made a deal with a powerful witch to protect beacon hills, but it supposedly took away his love for derek in the process (or maybe Derek made the deal), except that he's growing a garden to break the spell" My google-fu is failing me. I know I've read it before, but going through my history is a month-long endeavor! I think Derek is a deputy and he keeps running into Stiles and it's not clear what has happened between them at first. I think Stiles is referred to as a hedge witch at some point? que tu m’aimais encore by magneticwave | 19.9K Wolves mate for life, don’t they?

I think this fic has been deleted off ao3 and I'm very sad. De-aged Derek. He and Stiles become a couple. Stiles ends up a human alpha of the entire pack. (TBH it's rather porny and there's voyeur/exhibition) and there's a lake house or beach house. Eventually Derek goes back to regular Derek.

Hi! Bit of a long one: there's this fanfic that is uncompleted, where Stiles was in the Hale House when he saw a crystal ball (??) on the floor, got down low to grab it and fell through the floor, waking up in the past. He met teenage Derek in a diner with Laura, started talking to them, and decided to protect Derek from Kate before he ever met her. Derek is a lifeguard at the lake where Stiles goes to monitor him and there was a scene where Derek lapped the lake to impress Stiles. Stiles also squats in the Stilinski House to survive and Sheriff doesn't know who he is. Do you know the fic? I've been looking for it for forever

Hi! I have been trying to find a teen wolf and marvel cross over fic. It’s where I believ Tony stark and Claudia where best friend growing up and fell in love. And then she gets pregnant with his baby(aka stiles). Stiles finds out from a bunch of letters but keeps it to himself until I believe Tony get captured and goes missing for months.( iron man 1). Then he goes into a depression and won’t eat or anything until the day Tony is found. Also involves when aliens attack and stiles freaks out again and makes it his mission to go to New York and meet him. Hidden Truths by Harmonious113 | 212.4K | WIP Claudia Stilinkski always did her best to hide the truth from her family-her past, her family, the boy she couldn’t quite seem to let go of- to spare John and Stiles from the heartbreak. Stiles finds a trunk of letters and pictures unearthing the truth. His father is Tony Stark.

It was a Teen Wolf Sterek fic, an au with magic. Claudia either adopted stiles or was his bio mom and pretended to adopt him, but stiles had a familiar who constantly turned into dead grotesque bodies and the only person who accepted them fully (and laughed at the familiar being gruesome) was laura. laura dies somehow and derek comes in. I think laura and stiles were partners for the magic things law enforcement? I remember that they thought stiles might have killed laura/tried to pin it on him, but after lauras death derek takes over as stiles' partner. I remember one scene with lydia and maybe heather and stiles with candles? I'm pretty sure both lyds and stiles lived with claudia. by the end of the fic the familiar sacrifices itself to save stiles and his friends from the argents, and I'm pretty sure there's a scene where ally defects from her aunt/grandpa. (There's) Sulphur in Our Blood by WonderWolf | 210.9K | Explicit | WIP Secret Agent AU where Derek blames Stiles for his sister’s death and Stiles is pretty sure that Derek’s going to murder him. As if that weren’t enough to deal with, Stiles’ familiar keeps having public breakdowns

Hi Team! Hoping the community can come through on finding two fics... First one - Stiles gets a stressful job in IT (poss in San Fran?) and starts hallucinating rich Derek drinking posh coffee in NYC. After several hallucinations of Derek being all "you really need a new job," it turns out that Derek is real, is an alpha, and Stiles is fated to be his emissary. The Sun to Rise by andavs | 7.5K Stiles has an imaginary friend. He's kind of a dick.

Second one - (which may have been deleted from AO3) is a canon divergent S1 AU. It hits the beats of S1 but instead Scott doesn't hesitate when Derek offers him the chance to kill Peter and possibly reverse the bite. Scott kills Peter and is human again. The main thing I remember is after the fact, Stiles visits Derek at the burned down Hale house and says something like "it's like none of it really happened." And Derek levels him with a sour wolf look and says "it happened." Timshel by jsea | 12.5K Derek lets Scott kill Peter for the cure at the end of S1. This is the story of how that choice changes everyone's fate. "Sir, you should know..." Derek starts to say, then snaps his mouth closed when the Sheriff takes one hand off the steering wheel, and holds it up in a halting gesture. "You're not a bad kid, Derek." "I'm a werewolf," Derek says, before he can think about it. For the first time in his life the word feels dirty, like something to be ashamed of. It makes him feel like a little kid again, using a curse word without understanding what it means.

I can't remember if it was a steter or sterek fic. It's a short humourous fic where Stiles has an injury but he was adamant that bandaids could fix it and it was at least a six inch long-ass gash or something. If this sounds familiar to anyone? Thanks!

Looking for a fic where I don’t remember much just Isaac coming home to Derek trashing the loft and saying something like “I just saw stiles, he reeks of sex” then it cut scene to something else. I don’t think it was a king fic but I could be wrong. Thank you so much in advance Noticed by forestofbabel | 35.1K Stiles left on a Tuesday. Nobody Noticed.

[eruscreaminginthedistance]

Firstly, I'd like to apologise to everyone for the person I became when Time Stands Still at the Iron Hill came on. Secondly, Blind Guardian were magical

It felt like being invited to attend my dad's D&D session; I struggle to describe it any other way. Atmosphere was electric, the songs were hype, Hansi was just a really sweet, affable guy the whole way through. At one point we made eye contact and it nearly gave me a heart attack. Hansi the adoption papers are in the mail.

Was surprised they didn't do too much of God Machine. It was a nice even spread from their whole career, which was great to experience. And today was the 35th anniversary of Follow the Blind's release, so we got to celebrate that a little.

A Bard's Song was of course played and of course Hansi barely sung any of it because we knew all the lyrics by heart. It's crazy to experience that live. Singing along with everyone to a song that's meant a lot to you since childhood; I wept the obligatory solitary tear and was thankful when Violent Shadows came on next so I could recover from all the emotions xD

I'm not gonna lie. When Hansi said they were coming to the end of their show and they would have to leave after the next one - bearing in mind I knew full well there must be an encore - I burst into tears and spent the next song violently trying to hide my crying from the stage cos god I'm just a baby Hansi you can't say that to me even as a joke apparently Dx I was genuinely so upset at the idea of them leaving lmao

Luckily ofc they had a four song encore and played a bit of Twilight Orchestra in the interim. Hansi tried to tell us they had more songs for us but he kept forgetting the English word for "more" and spent a good minute trying to figure it out bless him xD everyone started chanting "Hansi" when he got it right finally lol

Valhalla was included in the encore and, yes, we did chant the chorus for far longer than necessary after the song ended. And then started it back up again a minute later xD

And we got one extra song that wasn't on the set list! Was not expecting them to play Majesty but it brought the house down. What had been a pretty sedate crowd suddenly broke out into crowd surfers lmao

So glad I got to see these guys finally; it's so bizarre to come face to face with someone who kind of directed the course of your life a little bit

[opera-ghosts]

OTD in Music History: Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873 - 1943) takes the concert stage in Europe for the final time, as a featured performer at the 1939 Lucerne International Music Festival in Switzerland. The 1939–40 concert season saw the 66-year-old Rachmaninoff give far fewer concerts than was usual for him. The reason was that Rachmaninoff had seriously injured himself in a bad fall at his house in Switzerland; by the time he had recovered, his appearance at Lucerne would assume historic proportions -- shortly thereafter his entire family fled war-torn Europe for America. The next year, while living in New York, Rachmaninoff completed his final composition, the famous “Symphonic Dances” (Op. 45); then in early 1942, he was advised by his doctor to relocate to a warmer climate, and so the Rachmaninoff family moved yet again, this time to Beverly Hills. Rachmaninoff spent his final year living just down the street from Igor Stravinsky (1882 - 1971) before he passed away from metastatic melanoma in March 1943. PICTURED: An early postcard photograph showing the young Rachmaninoff, signed and dated ("London 26 Mai 1908") during one of this first concert tours. Rachmaninoff has also written out the musical motto that opens his famous Prelude in c# minor, Op. 3, No. 2 -- nicknamed (not by Rachmaninoff!) "The Bells of Moscow." This piece grew to be so popular that it was referred to simply as "The Prelude," and audiences would demand it as an encore at all of his performances. Rachmaninoff grew tired of "The Prelude," often remarking that he wished he had never written it. It didn't help that, at the time it was first published in 1893, Russian publishers did not have to pay royalties, and so the only direct financial return that Rachmaninoff ever saw from it was a small one-time publishing fee… had he only held a copyright in "The Prelude," he would have spent his later life as a very wealthy man...

[skzfairyyydreamz]

Moodboards M.List!!

As an aspiring creative director, a music junkie & a Pinterest addict, my moodboards are just something i enjoy making simply to get out my visual creativity. Some are kpop themed some are not so this masterlist will be a lot less organized compared to my others please bare with me but i hope you can still enjoy them anyways!! 😘🫶🏼✨🧚🏽‍♀️💐🩷

✨ Bring me to life

✨ So my darling

✨ House on a hill

✨ Understand

✨ Encore

✨ Bestfriend

✨ Brooklyn Love

✨ The great escape

✨ Moments

✨ Shooting star

✨ Starboy

[rainbowchewynuggets]

TMA Encore #14b

Not-Martin cannot reach his partner.

Not-Jon isn’t listening. Even now, as the man drags his screeching nightmare of a body around, the end of which is held in unseen space by his masters. The worst part is that he knows it. He knows he has failed to control the hunger, and he still won’t stop. With his back against the wall, he managed to phase through it into a whole new realm of delusion.

NJ: It’s still happening all over the world. We can’t just leave it like this.

Not-Martin could hear Not-Jon’s voice carried through the field of obstacles set between them just after the hellscape had risen.

NM: We weren’t supposed to fix the entire world. We only wanted to undo our part in it.

Not-Jon then told him what he saw in his flash of true omniscience. The apocalypse could still happen a hundred different ways. Not as closely managed as theirs had been, but still teetering on certainty more than either of them had dared to fear.

Not-Martin could almost see it as the image crept out of the crack in the barrier Not-Jon holds between himself and his partner. Not-Martin had had just enough time to question if it’s only true of this world or of every world they’ve attempted to save before perishing the entire possibility. He begged and threatened, finding no argument beyond what has driven them so far. Their mission is over. They don’t belong here. They have no future here. It’s time to go.

He cannot reach his partner.

Not-Martin moves silently through bucking, shifting halls. There is no choice but to do his worst. The long sharp piece of industrial steel in his hand should be enough. The enigma that used to be the prison can’t hurt him at this point, and it isn’t trying to. Not-Jon can barely make controlled use of his abilities and doesn’t want to. He only tries to push Not-Martin away. The two know each other too well for the contest to be swift. Only now, Not-Jon is marred by the degradation of his body and the panic of the threat of premature death. Not-Martin can feel his vulnerability. It draws him forward.

Then, he finds him cornered. Motionless. Staring.

Not-Martin has the perfect shot to do it. Multiple shots. The makeshift dagger twitches in his grip but doesn’t move. He can’t even take a step closer. The grisly fate of being the stronger candidate to carry out this Extinction wrests his will. Cradling Jon as he died and waking up alone in the house on Hill Top Road stretch on for eternity in his memory. A hint slips through the barrier of the sheer enormity of the hunger’s pressure. He feels the fear that the Entities soak up from Not-Jon. The creature knows that if he surrenders, he’d be leaving his heart behind with all of his pain. If they shared it, it would grow until they tore at each other before eventually moving on to the rest of the world. He can’t bring himself to kill them both. It paralyzes him just as it does Not-Martin. He can’t die. He has to hold it all down just the way it is, or the Entities will win.

Not-Martin tries to shut it out, but the hellscape seizes the exposure of fear. It divides the chamber in two and pulls their occupants miles apart. Not-Martin is dragged down through the floor and encased in a cell within layers of brick and cement. Feeling like he’s out of moves, he surrenders to his isolation.

He cannot reach his partner.

~

Tim and Sasha sit in silence on the peninsula as the cracked tape plays.

It stops with a click.

Listening to the tape wasn’t very comforting. It at least prompts them to break the quiet and process things aloud for a while.

Neither of them fully forgive Jon. They had already gleaned that Jon’s worst nature was being pressed by an entity that knew him inside and out. They did try to warn him. Though, they do give him points for realizing his mistake, if too late. They’re both in the same boat with him, really.

Sasha ponders her relationship to agency and risk. When she found out about her death at the hands of the Stranger, she was so afraid and upset because she felt like she had had her life and participation in something important torn away and misused. But now that she’s here, after making her best efforts not to die and not to sit out, she finds that she has still been made into a tool. In hindsight, the right thing to do really was not to participate at all. How could she have known? The trap was shut before she knew it was there.

Tim takes the time to unravel some grief. After losing Danny, he had investigated the death as hard as he did because part of him hoped that he could hunt down whatever did this. As if it could be held accountable. Getting confirmation from Not-Jon that it was something real and evil that could potentially be killed was gratifying. But it all turned out to be so much bigger and deeper than he’d imagined. And now, it’s made its way inside him and his friends. They’re part of that “other”. If he gets up now, his drive to see things set right will only be used against them.

Martin is the most worrying case. It had at first seemed that his outbursts of bravery were signs of him coming out of his shell. In hindsight, it was a sign of something much worse.

They think that perhaps the best, most resilient thing they can do against their tormentors now is nothing.

~

In his quest to find Not-Jon, Martin stumbles upon Not-Martin’s cell through a small hole in the surrounding materials. He almost passed by, thinking it was empty at first. It’s hard to see through the haze that now follows him everywhere.

Not-Martin fails to express his surprise that Martin made it this far and the clear reason why, based on his faded pallor. Martin’s face is unreadable. He reacts mechanically without a word, trying to pry the door of the cell. Not-Martin stops him. It would be better if he stayed. His voice is low, like the hum of air flowing through an empty vessel. Martin lets his discomfort show, if only slightly.

Martin: You could have told me that this apathy thing was part of the Lonely.

Not-Martin muses humorlessly that he wouldn’t have been able to abstain from the Entities’ power either way. This way, he has some leverage.

Martin stifles a bitter frown.

NM:  Are you going after him?

Martin: *heavy sigh* Yep.

NM: Take this.

He gives Martin the sharpened steel. He admits that he’s never going to be able to stop Not-Jon. Martin will have a better chance since Not-Jon won’t be expecting him. He hasn’t been watching Martin for a while. If he’s remorseful enough, he might even hold back.

Martin: It’d be smart to take care of you first, wouldn’t it?

The sharp end of the steel gravitates toward his double’s throat.

NM: Well, I think I’d be good for it at this point. But he won’t play fair if you do. I’ll try my best to stay put.

Martin takes a minute to consider.

He leaves.

~

The fog that follows Martin begins to dissipate as he arrives at the wreckage of the Institute at the very top of the island’s interior. The field of loose boards and shrapnel creates a consistent chaos that makes it difficult to distinguish out-of-place shapes. 

He wades further into the wreckage.

Further. Further.

Suddenly, a mass of metal tines and canvas pulls itself deeper into the junkheap with the sound of crunching glass. He follows.

The heap grades down into a steep hill where larger pieces of rooms slowly drift. There, he finds his target half-submerged in the debris. It shoves away slabs of brick wall and window from the center of the pit, making awful noise. It doesn’t appear to notice as Martin approaches under the din.

Dark purple tissue rises and falls beneath the missing ribs on Not-Jon’s right side. Martin readies the steel dagger.

Closer…

Closer…

Closer…

Martin tightens his fingers and plunges the weapon into the gap. Wet reeking soil and maggots spill out, covering his hand.

Nothing else happens. Martin retracts.

The tissue tightens, but the creature ignores him.

Martin looks for another spot, wondering if he could get away with tearing the thing open neck to hip so that it can’t move.

As if reading his mind, the creature raises its head.

NJ: Your hands are cold.

It speaks in a voice nearly unrecognizable. The faint remains of the voice he knows are what freezes him solid.

NJ: You should have turned around while you still had the chance.

Martin readies himself for an attack, but one doesn’t come.

Not-Jon stops. He hoists himself out of the wreckage and looks at a figure cresting the lip of the pit. Martin turns, and an incredulous thought crosses his mind.

Oh my god, is that Jon?

Jon, a dot in the distance, shouts and throws a pipe at the creature. It misses by several feet, but the creature recoils all the same. The trash starts to shift, rapidly increasing the distance between them and Jon. The creature itself dives into the wreckage and out of sight. Jon scrambles forward, hopelessly outpaced by the still expanding ground.

Martin doesn’t move. Or, he doesn’t try to. The world around him twists and loses definition. The myriad images taken by each movement of his eyes suddenly don’t add up. He feels dizzy. He doesn’t move.

When it finally stops, Jon slides in next to him, panting. He steadies himself on Martin’s arm.

Jon: Are you alright? I-I didn’t mean to do it like that. I was just scared I wouldn’t find you again.

Martin: You... you did that?

Jon has to sit down, more than a little dizzy himself. He gets Martin caught up on his strange developments. When he’s finished, he pushes his disheveled hair back and looks up at him. Martin looks positively ghostly to Jon.

Jon: It’s happening to you too, isn’t it?

Martin nods, sitting down next to him. Up close, he can see that Jon’s clothes are torn and stained in more places than they had been before. So are his own. Two scraggy little rats huddling in a monster’s trash yard. He puts down the dagger.

Martin: It didn’t work. He shrugged it off.

Jon winces and lets his head list forward.

Jon: Right. Of course he did.

Martin: I should have been more suspicious when Not-Martin told me to go for it. But I couldn’t… stop myself, I guess.

He swallows hard.

Marin: Turns out he’s as tied in with the Entities as the other Jon, after all. For all we know, they’ve both been having their strings pulled this whole time.

Jon: And I think I know what their masters want.

Jon outlines a theory he’s been formulating since their departure at the waterfall. He’s being marked on purpose to prepare him to replace Not-Jon as their avatar. Not-Jon is dying too quickly, and Not-Martin is too unmotivated. If Martin marks him with the Lonely, him killing Not-Jon would replicate the replacement ritual that killed the first Jonah. He’s already close with the power he has. That’s why the creature was afraid of Jon. Why he tried to separate him from Martin.

Martin observes that they would just be repeating the cycle again. Jon defeatedly says that he doesn’t think they can escape the cycle, but they can mitigate its trajectory from here. If Jon had control of the hellscape, he could let the others go free. Then, they could come back with a cement truck before Jon loses the will to stay in the enigma. He, Not-Martin, and the intruding Entities would be left to die. The rest of them could go on.

Fog thickens around them.

Martin was seriously considering the plan up until that last part. Assuming that he wouldn't make it out alive had excused him from having to think about where this escapade would lead. If he survived, he would have to live on with the guilt of dooming Jon and being stuck as a creature of the Lonely. The Fears might still escape through him. Reflex tells him to push the thought away, but it doesn’t go. It’s too important.

Blood suddenly rushes through his brain, as if he’d slammed the brake at high speed just before he would have rammed into traffic. His pulse pushes the coldness in his veins out into the air.

The sureness of the plan vanishes. It feels like desperate haggling with a devil that controls all the variables.

Martin: No. I can’t. You can’t. It’s not gonna fix it. You said so before.

Jon: It’s too late, Martin. We have to!

Jon’s voice quivers with palpable uncertainty.

Martin is speechless.

The Lonely turns on them, closes in, and swallows them both.

~

The fear that had just gripped Martin materializes. He can’t find Jon or anyone. The more he calls out, the more he can feel the ice in his body, needling through his muscles and bones. He can’t move. His legs are lead. He has to go find Jon.

Move damn, it. Move.

Hot sears on cold as he takes a single step. Every impulse tells him to stop. They warn that he’s giving up on the only power that gives him an edge. He’ll be vulnerable. Killed. Used.

He doesn’t care. He doesn’t want this.

Another step. He nearly falls. He wants to live. They are going to live through this. It’s the only way.

~

Jon appears to be outside. The hellscape has spread. The civilians all around him are suffering in terror. Their screams and writhing forms are muted and gauzy, as if he exists on a plane apart from them.

He isn’t one of them anymore. He did this to them.

His shadow is too long, too large. He looks down, and all we see is color. Above, the Entities fill the sky.

He feels his connection with them as a person identifies an appendage as an extension of themself. They’re not as devious as he had imagined. Dull, abstract amalgams of the fears of the living more than creatures in their own right. Their “voices” are loud, but they don’t command him with speech. They act on impulse. Their base repulsion at impending death and the desperation to feed are only reflections of that which dwells in their creators. In Jon.

It’s human. Almost pitiful. Though, their endless size makes Jon acutely aware that he is their appendage. They pay no heed as he pleads, “Stop… stop… stop… stop.”

The only path clear of victims lies straight ahead of him, stretching on toward another enormous shape on the horizon. He resolves to follow that path to its conclusion. The haunting chorus wanes behind him as he walks. His shadow passes over a sliver of black. The dagger. He picks it up.

The enormous shape ahead begins to shrink, as if retreating further into the distance. Jon quickens pace to catch it. That coward. He’s not going to let it get away.

The shape shrinks further and further and further until…

Not-Jon tries to talk Jon out of it as he approaches. He tells him about the other possibilities he saw for the apocalypse.

Jon doesn’t reply.

Not-Jon says Jon will never be able to stay in the enigma any more than he has been able to entomb himself. He always knew that he should have and tried many times, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. The urge to get out and act always won out.

Jon: I’ll risk it.

Not-Jon: You don’t want this.

Jon: I have to.

Not-Jon: No, you don’t. You shouldn’t.

Jon’s expression twitches, but he keeps coming. He can feel his emotions twist and pull him back form the inside. From the Web. From the Eye. He's sick of being manipulated.

NJ: I’m sorry. I never should have laid this all on your shoulders. I thought that if I had the right to torment anyone over this, it was you. But I could hardly have prevented what happened to me any more than you could prevent what’s happening to you. Trying to take control now–believe me, it won’t make you feel better.

Jon lunges.

Jon: Stop groveling. Do you really expect me to just let it happen and pretend I couldn’t have done anything?

Not-Jon recognizes the exhausted contempt in his rival’s voice. Just as it had from a version of Martin he once knew, who had petrified and ground down to become the one he knows now. Just as it had from the friends he lost a lifetime ago.

He could keep trying to scare his younger self out of this, but he suddenly thinks he’s already done enough damage. Instead, he reaches with difficulty into a long-buried vault to offer something more compassionate. He can feel himself tearing apart as he does.

NJ: It doesn’t have to be that dire.

He says that the best successes he ever had were small–trying to help other people through the ordeal rather than directly tackling a force that always outmatched him. It added up, and lives were spared. It helped him keep going.

Jon’s expression grows complicated.

Jon: They won’t be spared if they die at the end.

NJ: They might not.

Jon: Prove it.

He searches his double’s eyes when an answer doesn’t come.

Jon: You don’t believe a word of what you’re saying.

The worn, scarred hands that hold the dagger back tremble with exhaustion.

Not-Jon: No. I… I can’t.

Jon pushes with all his might, the dagger’s edges biting at his hand. But the broken man is still made of iron. Still trying to force him to obey with the power he insists he doesn’t want.

Frustration boils in Jon’s chest. With little hesitation, he burrows into Not-Jon’s mind to force him to give up rather than being coerced himself. To tear away whatever resilience is still holding the creature up.

That’s where he finds it. The obsession that has grown in him like a tumor over decades. There is nothing to hold or take away. It is an absence. An abyssal certainty of doom.

Grasping at the nothing inside of Not-Jon brings Jon an epiphany.

It only makes sense. Thinking that life could continue after the worst-case scenario would contradict the urgency of the mission that keeps him from giving in to the Entities. At the same time, his masters need that fear to manipulate their puppet and sustain themselves.

The cycle turns on that certainty. Questioning it might be the only way out.

Jon could radically, illogically trust the road ahead and hope for the best, making whatever improvements are within his reach. In that way, at least, he cannot be controlled by his fear or despair.

The thought is asinine. It goes against every value of logic he has. The thought of the inherent risk alone is killing him.

Not-Jon reads it in his face, the jagged steel point inches from his chest.

NJ: You understand now, don’t you?

Jon sets his jaw.

Jon: You lied to us–threatened us–because you said it was the only way. But did you actually try trusting us before? Or was that another lie?

NJ: We did. Many times. They always got to you in the end and drove you apart. Most of you didn’t even make it past Prentiss. I had to try something else when I felt the ceiling starting to come down on me.

Jon: So it was more reliable to manipulate us to put us where you wanted us. You didn’t actually intend for us to get killed.

Not-Jon needs a moment to summon another breath.

NJ: Wasn’t planning on it.

Jon: But if it hadn’t worked, you would have done worse.

The creature has to steady itself, but he manages a nod without looking away.

Jon: Because what can’t you afford to do when the alternative is oblivion?

Not-Jon holds his steadfast gaze.

NJ: Would you honestly have done any better if you were me?

Jon: Well, like you said. I don’t have to be you.

————

Next

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Index

[thob-rpg]

Esprits facétieux

Une année en arrière, le forum The Haunting of Burtondale, fermait ses portes pour plusieurs raisons. Aujourd'hui, le projet reprend peu à peu, avec une refonte qui avance doucement, mais sûrement.

Je n'attends pas une communauté immense pour ce p'tit bout de forum, inspiré du Flanaverse (Hill House, Bly Manor etc...) et de l'ambiance des œuvres de Tim Burton. Mais j'ai pensé que la création d'un tumblr pourrait attirer un peu l'attention sur le projet. Je veillerais à vous offrir quelques infos sur l'avancer du projet par ici, en plus du discord qui va, lui aussi, subir une jolie mise à jour dans les jours/semaines à venir, raison pour laquelle je ne vous donne pas encore le lien de celui-ci.

Le contexte est en chantier, avec quelques idées déjà rédigées. Le design est bientôt terminé, les couleurs sont en tout cas déjà choisies. Des nouveautés sont à venir, je devrais vous partager quelques annexes dans la semaine qui arrive. En attendant, je vous laisse avec ce tout premier poste.

Des bisous mes p'tits fantômes.

[roseband]

[echantedtoon]

Love Doesn't Do Encores Ch20 Spikemuth Spiral

(The Lyrics from the song Piers is singing is Gym Leader Piers with Lyrics by ConfusedAsAlways and The Pheonix by Fall Out Boys the link to them is down below.)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQYP2cM-OEU&list=LL&index=3 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JqY-6q-RNA&list=LL&index=1

You were very weary on your long journey with your friends and water pokemon on your long trip to the place called Spikemuth. ..Where Team Yell and Marnie were from. You were on high alert, looking around many times and looking over your shoulder to keep an eye out for those Rock Star Wannabes or Marnie. You still hadn't asked her if she was was connected to Team Yell and if she was in what way. Which you'd liked to find out. With Victor leading the way with his GPS, the four of you had set off down Route Eight when light first hit and off you left from Hammerlocke towards Spikemuth. ...Still strangely sounding familiar to you. ..Oh well. The four(five of you counting Drizzilie too) traveled all day along Route Eight until the sun had set and you all were forced to make camp and rest for the night, before waking up the next morning and following the road again. The trip was like any other you all have taken before. Taking many days and passing the occasional small town, houses, or other passerbys. Only this time you kept an eye out for any Team Yell Grunts or Marnie again. But the days you were on Route Eight there was nothing. Even when you all stopped at a small town to restock supplies, stay at the local inn, and even did a few odd 'poke jobs' to earn a bit of pocket money. No signs of them, which you weren't sure if it was a good or bad thing considering. But you were glad to not have any run ins with them for the time being. A day or two's journey later your group ran into a fork in the road and stopped as Victor whipped out his phone to check his regional maps.

"This is where Route Eight connects to Route Nine," he explained looking at his phone's screen, "Right in front of us is the start of Route Nine. So we should just keep walking straight forward!" 

He pointed forward and you all continued on your way now traveling upon Route Nine and one step closer to Spikemuth. After countless more days of walking and a few more camping sprees later, something big and grey in front of you from the distance slowly crept up closer and closer the more you all walked towards it. And slowly it began to make shape of an arc, and over the arch a car road across it as it was wedged between two large grassy hills that had a tunnel right through it for others to travel right through the hills.

"That's it!," Victor piped up pointing at the tunnel ahead and looking back at you all the closer you all got, "That's the Route Nine Tunnel. It's located between the half way point between Hammerlocke and Spikemuth, so once we pass through it we'll be half way there."

The lot of you passed through the tunnel which you guessed must have also doubled as a bridge of some sort for the road above you, and your drizzile held your pants leg the entire time through it. Cute! Once on the other side back into the light you all kept on walking, onwards towards the half way point to the town of Spikemuth. Which meant you were keeping an even closer eye and ear on your surroundings. Continuing to follow Victor's GPS and the dirt road, you all continued to travel slowly but surely day by day. But you couldn't help but feel an odd feeling in your guts...As if you had forgotten something really important, but you couldn't remember what it was. Oh well. You just hoped it wasn't a really important part of the game or worse a dangerous part of the game. You all pushed on. Days traveling. Nights sleeping in tents. As the feeling grew and grew until one day while you were walking and Hop and Gloria were randomly talking about the next gym and the gym leader of Spikemuth.

"So who'd you say this next gym leader was again?," you asked as they talked strategies of beating him.

Gloria looked at you slightly confused. "What? Ye don't remember? I've told ya 'bout him like tons of times an' we even heard his music." You still stared confused. "Piers ya doofus! It's the guy who makes the music we listen ta! He's like the most popular Galarian Musician!"

......You blinked.....before they widened as if reality just reached out and decked you in the face. OH!! YEAH!! RIGHT!! THAT PIERS!! ALSO IN SPIKEMUTH ....WHO ALSO HAPPENED TO BE THE SEVENTH GYM LEADER YOU WOULD HAVE TO BEAT IN THE GAME!! That's why all of this seemed familiar to you! Piers was the gym leader of Spikemuth and the first ever all dark type gym leader in Pokemon history!! After the player defeated either Gordie or Melony in the game Piers would be the second to last gym leader to face before the player defeated Leon in the Championship Match and winning! Becoming the new champion! ....But now that you were wracking your brain thinking about it, there was a few minor details you remembered too. Piers being the dark type gym leader also had a rock star themed look in the game when you played it and thinking about it now his game mechanics made it look like he was singing while battling, he was also the only gym leader to not dynamax because.......Some reason.  And he also wasn't at the Entrance Ceremony like in the game too because.....some reason???....Rock Star?? The next thought almost made you stop walking as you came to a realization. Piers was rock star themed. ...Team Yell was dressed as Rockstar groupies or the like, and they were all seeming to cheer on Marnie. Who by the way was also from Spikemuth from what you remember....Was there a possible connection between the three of them?? If so what? Was there a goal or some kind of prize to gain if Marnie won the gym challenge?? Is that why Team Yell was trying to stop the Gym Challengers?? If they were the team then who was the leader? Piers? What would he want or have to gain from this??.....Then you remembered what Gloria said about the Gym Challenge out shining his music all the way back in Postwick:

"Yeah. Sadly not a lot of people know that or battle him really...In fact I don't think his gym badge is required at all to get into the champion cup?..But nevermind that. He's known throughout galar for something far more than just a Gym Leader! Most don't even know about the Gym Leader bit because of his other job!"

If that's the case...then there's a motive right THERE!! ...That is only IF he was somehow involved with this but it was a good theory. A gym leader who's barely recognized for his talents and outshined from his town without a dynamax point would probably have some resentment for that. And being a part of the gym league would mean he'd know the insides and outs of the Routes and other gyms to send Team yell to stop the other gym challengers or slow them down enough for Marnie to progress further. But that's only a what if he was really involved in this at all. And what was Marnie's involvment in this. Since being from Spikemuth herself it'd be obvious Piers would probably have been the one to sponsor her, so there's the connection between him and her. In fact having the new Champion being from Spikemuth could draw more attention to him and his music as well since he was the one who'd sponsor her...So THERE'S a motive right there if he was involved. But would Marnie even know of what she was getting involved with if she was connected? Judging by how she previously talked to Team Yell back at the Bedew Drop Inn obviously they knew one another. But what motive would she have if she even had one for going along with this?? To become the next Champion!? Fame and Glory?! Powerful position!?...Your head was spinning from all these scenarios! Is THIS going to be the big bad villain you knew was in the game!? Were you all walking into the trap!? UGH!! OF ALL THE TIMES YOU COULDN'T REMEMBER-

"Y/N?"

"GAH!?" You jumped and blinked when Gloria poked your side as you had stared off into space while thinking.

The three teens exchanged confused and slightly concerned looks before looking back at you. "Are you feeling ok? You were kinda spacin' out for a bit there, Mate."

.....You blinked. "Uh...Y-Yeah!" You waved a hand. "I just..didn't get enough sleep last night from Drizzle tossing and turning. I m-must be more tired than I thought."

The three still stared before Hop shrugged. "Well make sure you don't let him keep you up tonight. We'll need all the energy we can get before reaching Spikemuth."

"Will do!" You pointed forward and started walking again to quickly change the subject. "C'mon everyone. Let's keep walking while we have daylight."

Thankfully they seemed to go back to normal real quick not commenting on your behavior at all. Thank goodness. So you all kept pushing on and on as you usually did. Once and a while Victor would check his maps and assure you all were on the right path, but it all came to a head one day. You all had been walking one morning and were walking along a few hills and tall trees obstructing your view a bit, all the while you were looking around on edge the entire time. Storm clouds starting to roll in overhead as rain was promised to drop at any moment. If those guys were going to try and ambush you again they had another thing coming. At one point Victor absolutely BEAMED and pointed forward!

"Spikemuth's just path the tree line over there."

"Then what are we bloody waitin' for!?" Hop yelped when Gloria nudged his shoulder before running. "First one there calls first dibs on the match!"

"HEY! No fair, Mate!" And Hop ran off after her. "Glory come back!" 

And too your horror so did Victor. "HEY! You two wait for us!"

"HEY!! YOU THREE COME BACK HERE!!," you called as they disappeared up the path in the tree line. If they ran into trouble it could be dangerous. So you sprinted off after them. After all running had become a lot easier from all the walking you've done his year so far strengthening your legs. Your drizzle chirped after you before rushing off at your heels. "YOU THREE GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!!"

You ran up the path way pokemon at your heels as you passed trees and plants on either side heart pounding with worry until turning a corner and seeing an opening to a not so plant filled area up ahead. And the forms of the three kids were right there. Well that gave you relief at least when you ran up towards them and you scowled slowing your pace to a jog up to them as they stared forward. You were going to scold them for just rushing off from you like that...but you also stopped when you looked forward and got passed the tree line. In the dim light blocked out from the rain clouds, the shadow of a tall brick wall surrounding the large town of Spikemuth greeted you along with a GIANT metal garage door. The brick wall and metal door looked worn down, cracked, and rusty. Like this town had been abandoned or something. A few pieces of trash like newspapers and overflowing old trashcans were scattered around the front here and there solidifying that fact. ......This couldn't be Spikemuth-

"This can't be it," Gloria interrupted the silence scowling one hand on her hip and the other gesturing up and around the eerily silent place, where you could see a few worn down rooves of houses over the tall wall. "It's a dump!"

"We must've went the wrong way somewhere," you agreed before looking at Victor who was already typing furiously away at his phone. "Right? Maybe the rainclouds were messing with your phone's signal or something?"

...But Victor turned his head and held up his phone to the three of you as you all leaned and looked at the map. "No. It says we're 'ere! And my GPS is never wrong."

....Gloria reached into her pocket and upon seeing what she was doing Hop did the same. You both watched as they both mimicked Victor in taking out their Rotomi phones and you assumed internet searching their own regional maps for the town of Spikemuth. ....Gloria's face scrunched up in confusion as she rose a brow glancing between the worn down place and the phone a few times. 

"...This is like so weird. My phone says we're 'ere too."

"So does mine," Hop confirmed looking back up with an evenly confused look of his own. "There wasn't any news like the Dark Type Gym relocating or the town going under renovations or......anything was there??"

"Not that I know of...How are we bloody even supposed ta get in there? Scale the bloomin' wall?"

"I don't think that's a good idea," you said eyeing the wall. "Those walls don't look very stable to me." Maybe they could use Gloria's corvinight-...Wait. What were you saying!? But..why would the entrance to an entire town the gym challengers need to get to be blocked off like this? It doesn't make any sense ...Unless someone was deliberately trying to keep you out. You instantly whipped your head around everywhere to look for anyone. "....I have a bad feeling about this."

"Hey, Gloria!" You jumped at the new voice and in an instant everyone of you whipped your heads around to the source of the new voice. ...And your eyes widened as the form of none other than MARNIE HERSELF stood just by the corner of one of the brick walls and made a gesture for you all to come over to her. 

Hop pointed at her. "Hey! I know her! I've been seeing her around a few gyms we challenged."

"It's Marnie," Gloria clarified as she rose a brow. "But what is she doin' here?"

"Good question." You rose a suspicious brow towards the girl. What WAS Marnie doing here?

"She must be here to challenge Piers too," Hop reasoned with a shrug, "And got locked out like the rest of us."

"Let's go find out," Gloria said before starting forward. 

You wanted to protest, a bad feeling setting in your guts, but as the boys made off after Gloria too you sighed and also followed after them too. Marnie disappeared around the corner and you tensed looking around as slowly each of you disappeared around the corner after her too. First Gloria, then the guys, and lastly you and Drizzle. Around the corner was more trashcans and a  giant metal freight or two and of course Marnie who was standing in front of a what looked to be locked gate as if waiting for you all...and with two members of Team Yell. That made you stop in your tracks seeing the familiar red and black themed weirdos just standing on either side of the young girl like bodyguards of some kind. Had you walked right into a trap or something!?

"'Ello Marnie!," Gloria greeted seeming to get a bit of the same sense as you did as she eyed the two behind her. "Whatcha doin' 'ere?"

"For the same reason as you," she answered calmly nodding her head behind her, " I'm here to take the next step in my quest for the finals, but when I got here I noticed you and your friends were having a bit o' trouble. ...I was born 'ere so I know another way in."

"Really!? That's great news!"

"If you wanna get into the town, how 'bout I show you the way? But...you're my rival. So you'll have to beat me in a battle first, got it?"

Aaaaannd THERE'S the catch. Of course it would be another pokemon battle but it wasn't as bad as you'd thought it'd be ....yet. But Gloria was quick to agree with a nod. "With pleasure!"

"Go get 'er Glory!," Hop called and you looked between the three of them.

"You've had a pretty good win streak in the gym challenge, just like me. I respect you as my rival and all, but I got too much at stake to go losin' now," Marnie said holding out a pokeball. With a single toss and flash of bright light a pokemon appeared looking like some kind of cat. Liepard maybe??

Gloria of course fueled on by the promise of getting into Spikemuth, brought out a pokeball of her own and did the same. You nearly fell back in shock when the GIANT BIRD BRAIN popped out and with a loud caw of it's own flew on stage per it's trainer's commands. "I hope yer ready for me n' me team! We happen ta have gotten a lot stronger then the last time we battled all the way back 'n Motostoke."

"I've powered up a whole lot! I'm gonna beat you lot to the ground got it?"

"HA! I think me corvinight has something ta say to that! Don't cha boy!?" The corvinight caw-roared in agreement with her as it hovered over the ground.

"Then let's see how we both measure up shall we!? Liepard! Sucker punch!" Obeying Marnie's command the cat like pokemon sped towards the larger pokemon-

"GRAB IT!!" It happened so fast you wouldn't believe it if it didn't happen right in front of you. Just like with Opal's Togakiss when Marnie's liepard jumped at the corvinight to deliver it's mighty sucker punch, it didn't see it coming when the giant claw of the corvinight opened up and before it could react, like an eagle snatching a mouse from the ground, in an instant it was snatched within the giant claw of the bird beast. With a cat yowl it instantly began struggling within the thing's grip.

"Liepard-"

"TOSS IT!!" The corvinight instantly pulled it's leg with the struggling liepard in his grip and launched it forward with the speed of a bullet. The lot of you all watched as the liepard went flying past Marnie only to slam into a couple trashcans after a moment or two of it slowly getting up and wobbling......it fell onto it's side eyes becoming spirals, signaling it had fainted. And Gloria had won. 

After a quick second Marnie returned her liepard before digging out another pokeball and tossing it out, a moment later a teeny tiny rodent pokemoncame out. A morpeko. Marnie made her intentions very clear for a second round and in stride Gloria switched out her pokemon. The corvinight replaced with her roselia as it cried out making an appearance in all it's rosey cheeked glory. "Morpeko! Bedazzle 'em with Aura Wheel!" Following Marnie's command with a squeak the small hamster like pokemon did a flip and in a similar fashion to Kabu's Arcanine's flame wheel, in a wheel of bright pink light it headed right towards that grass type pokemon. 

"Dodge it and use stun spore!" Following Gloria's command, the grass type skidded to the side and as it's roses sparked with electricity as it pointed them right in the circle, and shot out. The morpeko have a high pitched squeak out before smacking face first to the ground surrounded by a ball of light turning it's yellow parts a dark purple- ..Wait what?? A few seconds later it shoved itself back up eyes now a deep red aimed at the roselia who looked surprised as the thing angrily stomped it's feet and chittered angrily at them.

"TORMENT!!" In an instant, the roselia cried out in pain. A high pitched shriek as it's roses went up to the sides of it's head, the loud cry making Gloria and the rest of you cringe and lean back. Your Drizzle reaching his hands up to clutch his own head. "AURA WHEEL!!" The pink wheel went right towards the grass pokemon, slamming into the them and sending the poor thing flying until with a similar reaction to the liepard it crashed into a different set of trashcans and let out a small groan not standing back up. "Well then that leaves the both of us tied."

Gloria who had previously been looking at her poor pokemon in concern snapped back to Marnie and pointed. "NOT WHILE 'M STILL KICKIN'!!"

"Would you like to go again?," Marnie asked calmly in the meantime the two Team Yell members were shouting variations of 'GO MARNIE' behind her the entire time. "How about best two out of three?"

"MAKE IT FOUR!," Gloria demanded returning her Roselia.

"Ok then. Morpeko return!" She held out a pokeball and the small rodent pokemon disappeared in a flash of light before in another light flash being replaced by a larger pokemon. A toxicroak. "I do hope you're ready. Because my team isn't gonna hold back!"

"Neither am I!!"

"C'mon Gloria! Show 'em the same strength you showed me!," Hop cheered pointing at her, "Show her that I'm your one true rival!"

"Don't worry I PLAN TO!!" Pulling out a pokeball out came the same pokemon from before of course, the corvinight. You had started to notice Gloria had started to favor a few pokemon she'd been using for a while now. The thing roared at the toxicroak who kept bouncing on it's feet waiting to strike. 

"USE SWAGGER!," Marnie commanded pointing at Gloria. The. LOUDEST. Frog croak you had ever heard escaped the thing's mouth and honestly...it sounded a lot like a giant burp! But it must've had some affect because the giant bird like with Roselia and Morpeko's Torment, roared in pain and wobbled mid air shaking it's head like it had a sharp pain run through it. Gloria opened her mou- "DRAIN PUNCH!!" With a leap most skilled frogs would equiped. The toxicroak LAUNCHED itself at the confused corvinight before Gloria could even utter out a command and pulling it's arm back, gave a mean sucker punch RIGHT. TO. IT'S. HEAD!! You were surprised the giant corvinight didn't fall from the air as it cried out in more pain, shaking it's head as it was pushed farther back- "AGAIN!!" It gave out another cry as another harder punch was delivered to it's stomach!

"This isn't good," you turned your head to Hop as he muttered under his brief with a concerned look as the corvinight struggled to turn itself in the fast toxicroak's direction as it kept using the same move over and over again. "It's like when Gloria battled Kabu. She used raboot's speed and small size to her advantage, and that's what Marnie's doing here." He winced as the thing cried out again not being about to even have the chance to do anything Gloria shouted. "And while Corvinight being partial steel type can hold out for a good while, the drain punch will eventually drain him too much to battle anymore."

You blinked wide eyed and looked back onto the fight as the corvinight was near being backed into the wall cornered. Just another good punch and it'd be done for- "BODY SLAM IT DOWN!!" In the middle of a jump in mid air about to punch the toxicroak, the thing ROARED at the frog pokemon before landing on the ground. Literally landing on the ground except one of it's feet knocked into the toxicroak mid air and slammed him down onto the ground with a pained croak! "BRAVE BIRD!!" Brave what? With a roar and WHOOSH of the corvinight's wings a ball of bright fire like energy surrounding him like a ball of fire before something shot out at the toxicroak. It was so bright you had to turn your head from the sheer brightness from it, when you did end up looking back...The corvinght shook itself out, made a small noise from it's throat, and then side stepped off of the fainted toxicroak as it laid there. "Guess that ends the third round huh?"

"Ah. As expected of my rival. You really know how to get me riled up! But there's still one last battle before you win the war isn't there?" Here comes the final round...Hopefully. Two last flashes of lights and the two's last pokemon which were Gloria's Raboot and a scrafty from Marnie. "USE SWAGGER!!" Her scrafty could use that move too- Your thoughts were cut off by a high pitched wail coming from Raboot in pain.

"Ride it out and use quick attack!" Despite it's pained expression the Raboot was quick to shoot forward with a small cry! 

"Use Crunch to stop it-"

"FLIP!!" Crunch. That was a move scafty could do that was similar to bite that could deliver damage to it's victim as well as give it a chance to hold in place for a close range attack. Just as the crafty went to bite down on the raboot it did a full flip head over heels over it's head- "DOUBLE KICK!" With a sickening sound, raboot using the speed of it's quick attack launched itself forward and delivered a swift and powerful double kick to the back of scrafty's head. Marnie's pokemon went down fast and hard onto the concrete ground with a loud thud face first yelling out a 'SCRAF!!' in the process. The process that ended the fight as the scrafty shakily pushed itself up using it's arms.....before it's arms gave out and he fell back to the ground out cold. "I won! Three outta four!" Gloria declared her raboot chiming in agreement proudly before pointing at Marnie. "As agreed you have ta show us the way n'."

Marnie groaned looking off to the side. "What's with that!? My pokemon didn't get a chance to really do their thing at all. UGH!".....She sighed before nodding and looking to Gloria. "But I'm a person of my word...Y'know. My partner morpeko has been interested in you and your strength, and I think I get it now. But I've got everyone in Spikemuth supportin' me! I'm definitely gonna get all eight badges just so I can have a rematch with you! Don'cha forget it! I'll get my revenge in the Champion Cup!" 

Gloria chuckled returning her raboot. "Aye. I look forward ta it. But I don't think either of us is gonna get too far if we don't get the badge 'ere from Spikemuth."

Marnie nodded before turning. "Anyways I promised I'd show you a way in, so follow me." Walking forward the two Team Yell punks opened the gate-.....Wait. IT WASN'T LOCKED!? She gestured for you all to follow as she turned back and calmly walked through the gates with the two grunts behind her leaving the gate wide open for you all. WHAT THE!? It wasn't locked at all. It only looked like it was to trick people from going inside! What a cheap trick!

You frowned as Gloria looked back to you all. "Should we follow 'er?"

"I..don't know," Victor mumbled glancing between the dark entrance and the sky. "It does look like it's 'bout to rain so some shelter would be nice..but they know we're 'ere now though." He jumped as you grabbed his shoulder. 

"I..will go first," you told them with a serious tone and look around the three of them, "If it's really a trap then if I'm caught you all can have a chance to get away." 

"What?," Hop protested looking concerned, "But Y/n! That's too dangerous. There's no tellin' what they've got cracked up in there-

"Exactly!" You pointed at him cutting him off. "You all heard them every time we run into them. They're only after the gym challengers. Since I'm not a gym challenger I doubt they'd do anything since I'm not involved in anyway with the challenge." Or at least you hoped so. There's no telling what could happen, but the thought seemed to put Hop a little bit at ease. "Gym battle or not if they're up to something I need to be rest assured that a strong trainer like you can get away and get Leon or someone else to help me. OK?"  Hop....reluctantly nodded and you smiled. "Good."

"So what's the plan?," Gloria asked, "We're just gonna sneak 'round like a couple of bandits?"

"Exactly," you confirmed with a nod making her raise a brow. "They already probably know we're here, that means we're gonna have to be extra careful about how we go about this since we're on they're terf now." With that you looked back to the still open gate pausing for a moment as your own sense of fear settled in, before inhaling and exhaling, putting on a brave face, and stepping forward. "Everyone stay behind me and be as quiet as possible." You instructed as one by one they exchanged looks and walked after you as your Drizzle marched at your heels, "Keep your eyes and ears open. If anything wrong happens then run away immediately! I'll distract 'em with Drizzle as long as I can."

Honestly you didn't WANT to bring three teenagers with you in a place like this at all, but if it brought you closer to the end of the game and home then it was a risk you'd have to take! Passing by the gate slowly the shadows of the walls and buildings immediately clouded you from any little light the storm clouds weren't already blocking out. And eerie feeling washing over you. Drizzle thrummed beside you as you walked and reached a hand up to hold onto your pants leg as you walked. Yeah buddy. You felt the same way. More trash and random things lined the alleyway and you all had to be careful not to trip over any of it. EVentually there was lights at the end of the tunnel, and by that you meant a couple dull, blinking neon lights of old store signs and a couple flickering street lamps. You all stopped and blinked wide eyed at the sights that awaited you at the other side..HOLY MAGIKARP!! IT WAS AN ENTIRE ABANDONED TOWN!!! EVERYTHING LOOKED RUN DOWN!! Even in the dim lights. Speaking of which there was only like a few anyways. Either street lamps or spare neon store signs, half of them were either broken and didn't work or flickering just barely holding out staying on anymore. Everything looked as run down as those spooky abandonded buildings you'd see on Halloween decorations or urban exploration videos on the internet. With piles of trash and random trashcans, metal barrels, crates, boxes and a whole bunch of other stuff lining the streets. No signs of life anywhere ...except for Marnie who seemed to be the same shocked as you all looking around and a small stand over to the side with a single Team Yell Grunt inside. The other team yell grunts that were with Marnie now gone which what worried you. You slowly approuched her with the others in tow as they were all a little busy looking around the bad in shape place. 

"With the shutter closed, nobody's gonna be able to challenge the gym," she muttered under her breath one hand on her chin looking around the place, "I gotta look into this."....She turned her head back to Gloria who blinked when she suddenly held a..card?? Out to her. "I just happened to have one too many of these so I'll give you one got it? You can handle yourself right?"

Gloria rose a brow and looked between her and the card before slowly accepting it, "Uh...Yeah thanks."

The three of you huddled around her to peer at it and discovered it was another league card, but not just any league card. PIERS'S league card....You pointed. "Hey! Isn't that the gym leader here?"

Gloria nodded. "Yeah." Before looking up. "Hey tha-..." And blinked. "Oi! She's gone!" When looking up you all indeed discovered that Marnie had vanished, leaving the four of you and the one Spikemuth grunt looking bored at his stand the only ones around. Hm. Suspicious. "Where'd she go?"

..You shook your head and looked back to the card. "Never mind that. Gloria can I see that card for a moment?" 

"Huh? Oh! Yeah sure!" 

She gladly held the card up to you and you took it. Inspecting the man on front(definitely the man from the music videos you've seen.) before flipping it over onto the back to read the card info always there. Maybe it would help jog your memory of something. The words on the back read as followed:

'Spikemuth lacks a power spot that would allow pokémon to dynamax , and thus not many fans come to visit the town. Piers feels responsible for allowing his town to fall into obscurity and dilapidation. Once in battle, Piers tends to get riled up and will often reveal his strategy early on, but he has the strength and skill to triumph regardless. However, his true passions are singing and song writing, and his talents in these fields are well-known. As such, he currently hopes that his younger sister will take over as gym leader.'

......That's it? You flipped it back around and squinted harder at it but...there wasn't really anything else. Your f/c eyes rescanned the info that you already read...This didn't sound like a big bad villain leader or someone who'd cause trouble! On the contrary, he sounds like an average guy trying his hardest. Which was weird if he was connected to Team Yell, and he has a younger sister? Who? After a moment you sighed and handed it over back to Gloria who put it away. Didn't matter. You all had other things to worry about right now. 

"Oi!" The four of you jumped and whipped your heads around at the man's voice calling out to your group, only to find the Team Yell grunt man waving from his stand. "Welcome to Spikemuth, Kid. Hope yer ready for the gym mission!  ....Eh? 'Old on, Mate. If you're gonna take on the gym mission, you'd better change into yer uniform."

"Uh right!," you interrupted him, "By any chance could you tell us which way we gotta go to find this Gym?" If it wasn't already abandoned too like the rest of the town was.

"Oh sure!" He turned and pointed right down the long LONG alley way. This town must've been big to have this many buildings just standing around. "If you're lookin' for the gym leader, he's straight ahead from here. Just go right down that way to the end of the street and turn left of Darkling Road. When ya get to the old ice cream shop the gym should be three blocks down from it to the right. If ya get lost just follow the music."

"R-Right! Thanks!," you waved at him before turning to the three confused kids behind you. "Ok. Everyone remember the plan? Because you all better stick to it when we're going down there." You pointed ahead and the wind had picked up along with the storm clouds making everything blow around and look creepier. Gloria gulping and Hop patting her shoulder to comfort his nervous pal. "Stay right behind me and keep a look out. Hopefully we can get to the gym without any hiccups...I have a few questions I'm gonna ask this Mr. Piers myself!"

Oh! You WISHED you hadn't gotten into any hiccups along the way. This place was CREEPY with a capital C!! Barely lit and made you feel like there was eyes everywhere watching your every move. Or maybe you were just paranoid from all he nerves and thoughts swirling about your head. A small piece of old newpaper was blown into Drizzle's face from the wind and he gave a jump shaking it off and tightening his grip on you more as the four of you slowly walked down the road. No signs of Marnie, Team Yell, or other pokemon. You'd expect at least other wild pokemon to be around this abandoned aread. Behind you Gloria looked nervous around the area as well, with Hop comfortly putting an arm around her shoulders and scowling about(but also nervous-), with Victor bringing up the rear looking behind him every so often as you all made your way down the street. Like you said before, you had really hoped you could have gotten through this without any hiccups. You all weren't even half way down this long street before two Team Yell members appeared. A man and woman, making you stop and everyone else bump into you from behind. Blinking and leaning over to look around you at the people.

"Gym Challenger!," the man yelled pointing at the kids, "You wanna get past me, but I don't want that! Basically it's a battle between our desires! If you wanna get past us you'll have to beat me fair n' square on our own ground!"

"Y-You're on lughead!" You jumped at the shout and before anyone could react Gloria had pushed past you and everyone else pokeball in hand and threw it out. You must've guessed she was just as frustrated as you were to be going through this and wanted to teach this guy a lesson. "Bring it on!" She yelled before throwing out Raboot.

The grunt responded by throwing out a linoone as his team mate cheered him on....It..didn't take too long for Gloria to beat the man and after returning his linoone he stood there shocked staring at Gloria. "You..and your pokemon broke through?"....He cleared his throat and stood back up. "I don't wanna let you through. That's why I was waitin' all squeezed in this crack! But since I lost, it was really all for nothin'. Whatever. You won so I guess I'll step aside." And the two of them turned and ran off. Down the street and through one of the alley ways.

Gloria tutted. "What a load of panzies! They were easy ta beat!"

"Maybe so," you stepped forward looking around and squinting up at the storm clouds. "But we should keep moving before their friends show up."

You quickly pushed the group to follow you down the rest of the road that branched off to two roads with a lampost with signs screwed into it. The one pointing left was Darkling Road just like the man told you so that's the way you went...or at least you would have if Victor hadn't grabbed your shoulder instantly gaining your attention as he pointed at a very ominous figure standing right in the middle of the road and you all stared at him...or it should I say? As standing there before you all was none other than a Mr. Mime pokemon just up the road holding his hands up and doing some kind of strange dance putting his hands up like there was an invisible wall-...WAIT! Couldn't Mr. Mime do that!? The four of you exchanged looks.

"What's a Mr. Mime doin' in the middle of the street?," Victor asked.

And you were just about to answer him too when the second batch of thugs showed up. Again another man and woman but it was unclear if these were some of the ones you'd seen before. "What's this?" The woman said narrowing her eyes. "A gym challenger made it through? All us Team Yell members have blocked the way! Don't think we'll just let you waltz through!" 

"Oh it's on you punks!," Hop shouted before digging out a pokeball of his own, "Leave this one to me! It shouldn't be too much trouble!"

"We'll see 'bout that challenger!!"....Yeah. It wasn't a long battle between Hop's wooloo and the woman's thievul either. In fact, it might've been even shorter than Gloria's previous battle just a lil bit ago. But she was left just as stunned. "I wasn't able...to properly greet you." She sputtered and fumbled her words it seemed for any excuse she could for losing as your group scowled at her. "T-That was....totally un believable! Even my pokemon are in awe of your team! Here! Go on through! Check out our neon signs while you're at it! C-C'mon Mimey!" Having to face the shame of being defeated her and her pal ran up the road and towards the Mr. Mime who stopped on her commands and followed after them as they disappeared up the road. They must've been his trainer then.

"Nice work Hop!," Victor congratulated as said trainer returned his wooloo.

He chuckled bashfully and smiled. "Thanks, Vick. Boy those punks sure are persistant huh?"

You nodded. "Yeah. And I have a feeling we're gonna run into even more traps of theirs. Let's keep moving and find that gym leader!"

Well you weren't wrong. Because the next encounter with these guys happened just at the end of the very same road the last encounter you just had was. Victor pointed out a neon sign advertizing the gym and you knew you were on the right track! You just needed to find the ice cream shop and turn right! Just as you were nearing the end of the street, with a whole bunch of boxes laying about something, two somethings, dropped from the sky.

"Im yellin' for no reason!!"

C R A S H!! Gloria yelled and instinct snapped over as you yanked the two kids closest to you which happened to be the boys back as a few boxes went flying everywhere across the road, one hitting Hop's foot before skidding away as he kicked it startled. The lot of you staggered back from the things that fell beart skipping a beat from fright...And you stared at what it was that fell into the piles of boxes. One pile of boxes to the left groaned and moves. Crushed cardoard gave away to reveal one team yell man as she wobbled and staggered slowly to his feet. And then the other pile of boxes groaned and two arms moved even more boxes out of the way to reveal another man. But when he went to move, he cringed and instantly grabbed at his leg.

"DUDE!" his friend immediately staggered to his side as the man sat himself up. "Dude are you alright!?"

....You blinked. "Hey." Letting go of the two boys you half way reached an arm out to them. "Are you ok?"

"Did I surprise you?," he asked with his pal helping him stand up wincing from his pain, "I'm a little surprised how much my legs hurt from that landin'!" He wobbled and his friend grunted pushing him up and off his left leg. "If I stand like this for too long it'll hurt so bad I might cry. So I'll shake it off with a battle!" 

.....You stared at him like he was stupid. Looking up your f/c eyes blinked at seemingly two open and broken windows just above where the two fell into the box piles...and you slowly pointed. "Did you two just.." You looked back at them and windows a few times. "...did you just JUMP out a second story window onto BOXES? ARE YOU INSANE!?"

Both men paused, looked at one another, blinked, and then looked back to you as the one with the hurt leg sputtered. "I mean-...It seemed like a good surprise move."

"Falling down and hurting your leg to surprise us was your plan!?," you yelled at them gobsmacked and it must've dawned on the two how dumb it was by their faces before you groaned reaching up a hand to rub at your face. ..."No" You looked up again and shook your head at them. "Uh uh. You are NOT battling us with your leg! You're going to march your butt to whoever in this town can help you NOW! I'm not putting up with this anymore. We're done with all of you." 

"What!? But we can't just let those two challengers get to the gym! I'll fight on one leg if I have to!"

"Well if that's the case then I'll just stand between the two of you until you fall down again. What are you gonna do then? Attack me with your pokemon?! I bet your gym leader would really love to hear about that!"

"No not that!" "Piers would chew us out for sure don't!" They said in horror worriness all over their faces as you scowled....before sighing.

"Ok. Let's just say that you did battle these guys and lost? No harm no foul and then you'd still have your dignity. Sound good?"

"You'd do that for us?"

"As long as you leave." You glanced at his leg. "And get some help for that! Seriously!"

"Deal! Oh I lost! Ow." He winced against his friend. "My leg pain's back, so it's a double shock....Well it's true that I lost but I pushed through the pain so you should praise me for that!  All right now that the pain's gone I guess I'd better get outta here!" 

You all watched as the guy's friend turned and started helping him hobble off after bragging and you sighed shaking your head..Before turning and waving an arm for the others to follow. It was starting to get dark now and you didn't want to wait all night here to find this Piers person. You all finally reached the end of the road and turned left as the guy instructed and THERE it was! An old ice cream shop on the very end of the street that split off into another two streets in front of it. Wow. These towns WERE a lot bigger than the ones in the game. ...Only there was another small problem. There was ANOTHER Mr. Mime in the middle of the street and as you approuched you groaned. Really? AGAIN!? You wondered what they were gonna do THIS time? Well your question was quickly answered because when you got close enough to the Mr. Mime Hop managed to look behind him and quickly alerted you all. When you looked behind you you were expecting more Team Yell and they were indeed more Team Yell....But you didn't expect the two women to be doing freaking BACK FLIPS TOWARDS YOU ALL! Your jaw dropped in disbelief before you reached a hand up to rub your face and groan. I mean-...They PROBABLY did this in game but things were going from scary to down right ridiculous now.

"The HP of your pokemon not lookin' so good?," one of the women said before with a final flip they landed in front of you all brandishing...Marnie support flags?? Victor mirrored your reaction. "I practiced that back handspring so much even a pop star would be jealous of those moves! Were you surprised?"....You and Victor still facepalmed and Hop and Gloria exchanged a look. "OI! Be surprised you! While you're in utter shock I'm gonna sneakily win this battle!"....You didn't even bother this time to do anything to stop Gloria using her raboot to defeat this woman's weavile leaving her shocked at the outcome when the weavile was thrown to her feet out cold. "H-Huh!? S-S-Seriously? You've gotta be kiddin'...It's over already? Wha-!?" 

"Maybe," You said from your hand and used the other to wave as you looked up tired. And no one noticed Gloria blinking and turning her attention behind her, "You should practice your battling skills more and you'll be able to beat someone next time."

The woman paused before nodding at you. "I shoulda been practicin' my battle skills not my backflip skills. Thanks for showin' me that. Guess I'll cheer for you from now on." With that they both, I kid you not back flipped out of there, the Mr. Mime stopping the strange standing gig he was doing and running along with them.

The lot of you watched them go for a silent moment, before Hop looked at your tired and grumpy face. "Uh...Hey, Y/n. Are you alright?"

"Peachy." You inhaled and exhaled standing back up. "Juuust peachy. Let's just get to that ice cream shop and the gym right?" ....You blinked at Gloria who had her head turned upwards with a confused look. You gave Hop a quick look before looking back to Gloria. "Hey. Are you ok, Gloria?"

She looked back at you with the same confused expression before pointing a hand up towards the air. "Don'cha hear that?"

"Hear what?"

Gloria shushed Victor and pointed up towards the sky. Leaving you all confused and you looked up yourself. ...Nothing but the mid day thunder clouds and the light getting more faded as the day pushed farther into sunset territory. Only now there was the occasional sound of a distant thunder clap that you hadn't noticed before probably due to these ridiculous antics and the battles the guys had to go through, the wind was picking up too blowing your hair around. The occasional sound of paper or an old wrapper crinkling in the wind nothing real-...You paused as something you knew all too well sounded through. A shrill but thrilling note that rang through the air followed by another distant one all together. IT WAS A GUITAR!! Wasn't Piers a musician!? And that guy said if you guys got lost to just follow the music! And that's exactly what you did. It didn't sound close but it didn't sound far away either. Like maybe a couple streets across. Walking quickly the others were right behind you as with your now head tilted upwards partially, you followed the music. Once you got to the end of the long street with the ice cream shop before you, you could distantly hear someone's voice too being a little closer-

"Walk into the stadium of undergound!~ Can't frighten off the dark with your sound!~ Sounding loud!~ Rocking out!~ The stage has been set, it's my time now!~ In this fight under dim liiiights!~ Will you show me how you will shiiine!~" You perked up more and picked up the pace as you walked. You KNEW that voice! THAT. WAS. PIERS!! You knew that voice from the tons of music videos you've listened too with Gloria! Turning right from the ice cream shop you continued, "SHADOWS CRAWL ON STAGE TONIGHT!!~"

As they followed you, you felt something perk up in yourself and you began to feel a bit better. In the way only music could lift your spirits. Maybe you wouldn't find this part of the trip so bad after all. Walking down the long road to the right like the man told you, you were starting to wonder which way you should go next one you reached the end of this to find the stadium? Meanwhile the music had gotten a wee bit louder from you all walking closer and closer.

"Yelling out!~ Lights go out!~ On this staaaage!~ Gigamax can't plaaay!~ That gym leader is great!~ That gym leader is strong!~ You think that about me?~ I hate to tell you but you're wrong!~ I'm not some snowflake!~ I'm not some wiz.~ But if you insist I'll show you darkness gliss!~ There was an attempt but can you succeed?~ Only a true future champion can beat me!~" Huh. You never heard a voice like his before. Even from far away you were wondering how someone with a deep voice can sing so highly and smoothly like that. Then again every person's voice was different. "You can play notes!~ You can play with your heart!~ But only when you can yell VICTORY INTO THE MIC!~ Walk into the stadium of underground!~ Spikemuth is here!~ Just hear the cheering sounds!~ Sounding loud!~ Rocking out!~ YELL OUT MY NAME!~ PIERS TAKES CENTER STAGE!!~"

AH! So it WAS Piers singing! Just the person you had a couple words to say too! With a slight frown you picked your pace and when you got to the end of the street you turned- But stopped right in your tracks. Making Gloria bump into you and the boys right after as all of you stared at what was in front of you all!

.....Gloria blinked and scowled. Throwing both arms out towards the street in front of her. "ARE YE KIDDIN' ME!? THEY SET UP A BLOODY ROAD BLOCK!?"

There was an entire wall made of junk right in front of you all spreading from wall to wall right across the road that looked to be about a foot or two higher than you and left no room to squeeze through! OH! This must've been another one of those Team Yell tricks! They were REALLY starting to get on your nerves...Well if there was no way around you'd all would just have to climb over it- ..!? You looked down as Drizzle tugged on your pants leg hard and once he got your attention, pointed over towards the sides of the wall. You looked and your eyes widened seeing two Team Yell members there. The two men had their backs turned towards you somehow still oblivious to your presence despite Gloria's yell going through some box of black leather clothing and just talking. In response you grabbed Gloria's shoulder as she jumped.

"Shh!" You motioned to shush with your mouth before pointing over towards the two men, and they all looked over seeming to get the picture. You doubted they would be able to stop you like the others but it'd be faster to just avoid them. "I got an idea, but we'll have to be really quiet."

"What's the plan?," Hop asked and you pointed at the wall of trash.

"I'm gonna boost you all over and then we can climb over the wall, just like when we gave you a lift over the crowd before I met Leon. Remember?"

He lit up in realization. "Oh yeah. But wouldn't battling them be easier?," he whispered back.

"We'll still have to climb over the wall even after we beat them wouldn't we?"

He hummed looking over the wall. "...Yeah. I guess you're right. Ok! Let's do this!"

The other agreed and while the troublesome duo were distracted you all as quietly and quickly as possible. The others walked towards the wall as softly as they could right behind you. When you got to the wall you looked up examining it's height. ...There wasn't anything to grab onto to climb and it was a foot taller than you. As weird as those Team Yell people were they certainly knew how to make a decent wall. Looks like you have to boost someone over the wall. Sliding your pack quietly off your arms, you quietly kneeled down onto the ground with one knee braced on the ground. Nodding to Hop he seemed to understand you're silent command as you put your hands out for him to place his foot carefully in. Victor coming up behind him and grabbing onto his arm to help steady him for the boost. Meanwhile the singing still rang on.

"In this fight!~ Underneath dim Li-i-ights!~ I will show you how I-I-I will ri-i-ise!~ SHADOWS CRAWL ON STAGE TONIGHT!~"

With a quiet grunt, you BOOSTED Hop up and he gave a small gasp as you and victor holding his other foot somehow were able to struggle and wobble him up high enough for his mid chest to be over the top wall and he grabbed onto it tightly. He was able to latch onto something on top of the wall and started pulling himself up and over the top of the wall of junk slightly. You two pushed him up as fair as you could before his feet left your grip and the rest of him disappeared over the side of the wall. A few seconds later he peered back over the edge with a smile and waved at you all. Good. One down two more to go. You tapped Victor's arm to get his attention before resuming your one kneed position to boost him over. Wouldn't be easy with that giant back pack of his but there was no time to argue.

"Take you down!~ Dark around!~ Face the king!~ Piers is here to win!~ Striking back with fighting force?~ Like payback I'll hit you with double the force!~ I may not like this gig!~ But that doesn't mean I'll give you an inch!~ Enter my challenge!~ I can feel you're determined!~ Think this will be easy?~ Don't whine when you're beaten!~"

With the same motion and force, you gritted your teeth and BOOSTED him up. Hop reaching his arm out helped to steady you both when Victor grabbed it and Gloria took her brother's previous place in helping you push him up. He was WAY heavier with that giant backpack! But by some miracle with the three of you working together, Hop managed to help pull his friend over the wall with him. THANK. GOSH!!

"No stars down here!~ Only you and me!~ And those who cheer for you to be beaten!~ I can hear their voice!~ Spikemuth I am here!~ Yell to my victory!~ And I will never be beat!~ Walk into the stadium of underground!~ Spikemuth is here!~ Just hear the cheering sounds!~ Sounding loud!~ Rocking out!~ YELL OUT MY NAME!!~ PIERS TAKES CENTER STAGE!!~ In this fight!~ Underneath dim lights!~ I will show you how I will riiiiise!~ SHADOWS CRAWL ON STAGE TONIGHT!!~"

Gloria was next. So you did the same song and dance with her, but she was a lot easier to boost up and help over the wall with the two boys each grabbing an arm and pulling her up with them too. The next thing you did was grab your Drizzlie who gave a small surprised noise when you lifted him up and then a panickd chirp when you just tossed him up into the awaiting arms of Victor who thankfully caught him and pulled him over with them. And right after him was your bag thrown up and caught as well. Which left...you.

"How are ye supposed ta get up here?," Victor asked looking down at you.

"Get ready to grab my hand! I'm gonna take a running start to get over this thing!"

They seemed to understand and stood by as you backed up a good distance past the two who were still talking, one holding up a spiked bracelet to his pal as you walked past and with an inhale turned and looked back at the other on top of the wall seeming to wait for you to come join them-

"OI! We gotta intruder!" The shout made you yelp and snap your head over. Eyes going wide at the two guys who were now staring at you. UH OH! "Someone made it past inta the town!"

"WOT!?" 

His partner came running and you BOLTED! Faster than you ever thought possible forward. Feet slapping against the ground as you ran forward past the two Team Yell guys who swiped at you trying and failing to grab you before giving chase. You ran as fast as you could adrenaline pumping through your viens as you looked at the others and they were already holding their arms out to you. Running as hard as you could you somehow managed to get some friction between your shoes and the wall's side helping you to boost upwards and grabbing onto the hands of the others. They nearly fell over after your sudden grab, but with the three hanging onto you, slowly upwards you went. Pulled up by the three pulling on your arms. ?! You quickly pulled your legs up when one of the Team Yell guys tried jumping and grabbing your leg, missing only by a few inches. As soon as you got to the top you moved. No telling how fast those guys could catch up to you. You directed them too  the other side of the wall and instructed them to carefully be lowered down. Hop first, carefully lowered as you all held onto his arms and then dropped him onto his feet the last ways down unharmed. Next was Victor's back pack tossed down to him, then Victor himself. Your Drizzle and pack, then Gloria caught by the two boys. Which left just you. Your palms felt heavy as death gripping onto the side of this thing, you slowly lowered yourself-

"TEAM YELL TAKES THE FIELD!!"

You yelped. Losing your grip. And tumbled. Onto the concrete. And a scream escaped you as your shoulder E X P L O D E D with PAIN!! Your body as hurt as it was immediately flipped onto your other side and your other arm clutched your bad shoulder. Bad idea! More pain exploded and you yelped again. Whimpering from the burning fire coming off from under your skin. You didn't think anything was broken. But BOY did it hurt.

"Y/N!!" In a flash the three were all huddled around you as you in pain clutching your right shoulder, pushed (forced-) yourself up onto your knees as Gloria grabbed your shoulder. "Are you alright? Ye took a pretty hard fall."

"I'M FINE!!"......You sighed. "I'm...fine!"

"OI!" Somehow standing before you was two more Team Yell men one without make up as you scowled at the ones who startled you into falling as they yelled and pointed at the kids. "This might be the Gym Challenge, But I won't let you ruin our cool secret hangout! All right! Time for a pincer attack! We'll do whatever it takes to win!"

"AH!" His friend grabbed his face all of a sudden. "I didn't have enough time to get my disguise ready! ...That's right! Team Yell is actually made up of Spikemuth gym trainers! So if you wanna get to our gym then prepare to fight for that right!!"

You scowled really deeply now. "Guys. Go get 'em and show these guys you mean business!"

You were DONE with they're antics by this point and it seemed they were too as Hop and Gloria proceeded to get into a tag team battle. Their wooloo and raboot verses their drapion and liepard. As Victor was nice enough to help you up and your Drizzlie looked rather concerned as you watched the oncoming battle between the four of them. Not surprising that the two kids won against them.

"It would've been better if you'd just lost to us!"

"Yeah!...Wait. Did I lose as a member of Team Yell? Or was I beaten as a gym trainer?," the guy without make up covering his face asked. "I mean everybody knew the true identity of Team Yell, right? That means I won't get in trouble for not gettin' my disguise on, right? I sure hope so. "

"UGH! Whatever! Our Gym Leader's up next, but he's really strong!," His friend threatened before turning, "Got that!? It ain't over for you lot yet!"

"Oh. We'll see about that," you grumbled with narrowed eyes watching the both of them run off ahead. By now you had noticed the music had stopped for the moment too but you were too angry to care. Victor reached his arms up as you marched forward past his sister and Hop who mirrored his surprised look as with a scowl that they hadn't ever seen you wear before, you clutched onto your sore shoulder and marched off dead set in the direction that gym had BETTER be in! If that gym leader wasn't here then you'd....You'll...YOU DIDN'T KNOW WHAT YOU'D DO THEN!! But it won't be nice! Probably ask Hop to phone Leon and tell him about this! Or the Chairman next time you saw him!...Hm. Maybe not that guy. He still gave you an off feeling you didn't like. 

"Hey, Y/n! Wait up!," Hop called after you, "Where are ya goin' there, Mate?"

"To give whoever's in charge around here a piece of my mind!," you yelled back still walking, "This is getting ridiculous!"

"Guys." Both of the boys looked at Gloria as she inhaled, then with a smile pointed towards you walking away. "This is going to be good. Trust me. You wouldn't want ta miss it!" 

She winked before jogging after you, and after exchanging a look, both shrugged and followed after the two of you. Drizzle chirping and dragging your bag behind him trying to catch up with all four of you. As you marched you tried looking around for any signs of the gym any where but found nothing but more and more abandoned buildings no matter which way you looked and you were getting more annoyed by the moment. WHERE THE HECK WAS THIS GYM!?......!? You stopped when Hop pointed out a building down a street that had a visible taller metal roof than the others and mentioned that it might've been the gym due to it's sheer size. BINGO!! FINALLY!! Without another word you lead the way down the street, around one corner, down another street, and then another corner and street. All the while keep an eye on the tallest building seeming to get closer and closer to it....And then that's when you heard it. More distant music and singing starting to start right back up in the direction you were going! And it sounded like it was just up the street after you turned the next corner! The realization made you pick up your pace approuching the street corner-

"Shut your gob! You know what you all did was unacceptable! I can't believe you've all done this." You paused at the voice....no. It couldn't be. Could it? Blinking you continued forward with the others behind you and when you turned the corner you paused again. Gloria and the others right behind you as you all stared wide eyed at the form of none other than Marnie herself scowling and scolding a whole crowd of Team yell, one of them the No-Make up guy from just before. You couldn't see her face as she had her back to you but she sounded angry to your ears. She pointed. "This ain't fair to no one else and how on earth would ya'll expect yer gym to thrive after you done something like this?" ....Actually she had a VERY good point with that.

"Marnie?"

The girl immediately turned when Gloria said her name, and with a still calm face replied, "Oh, Gloria! Uh..." She looked between the ten or so crowd of people behind her before sighing and turning back to them. "I'm really sorry! The lot from Spikemuth's tellin' me they locked down the city for my sake."

In which different people from said crowd protested excuses. "Spikemuth just keeps gettin' worse and worse. And all Piers says is "Don't worry."" "So...So we decided to disguise ourselves as Team Yell and sabotage other challengers." "We thought if we could stop the other gym challengers from reachin' the gym, then Ms. Marnie would be the only one to win make it to the Champion Cup!" "And we figured that'd increase the chances of our wonderful Ms. Marnie becomin' the new Champion!" ....SO THAT WAS THEIR PLAN ALL ALONG!!

Marnie sighed. "That's no way to help someone at all!" She shook her head before looking back to Gloria. "Gloria. No need to bother with the preparations or whatever. Go on in and face the gym leader. "

"Oh I certainly will!" You scowled in the crowd's direction and still clutching your shoulder, you pushed past them. "EXCUSE ME!! I'm speaking to Piers! Scoot over!''

Everyone blinked and quickly moved out of your way as you scowled and marched through. Up the street you could clearly hear the music and someone singing. The others followed after you trying to catch up with your speed walk as you marched all the way up the street, and towards the side that light was shining from...There's wasn't even a door to the stadium!? It was wide open for all the world to see. Well fine by you. Easier for you to walk right in then. As the four of you approuched.

"You are a brick tied to me that's draggin' me down!~ Strike a match n' I'll burn ya to the ground!~ We are the jack-o-lanterns in July!~ Settin' fire to the sky!~ HE-RE comes this risin' tide!~ SO COME ON!~"

You were the first to round the corner into the gym but you also slowed down your pace incredibly from a speed walk to a slow stroll as you approuched. Now that you were actually here, ...you're anger was starting to subside and another thought hit you...You had no idea what Piers was even like. He could just be as bad as Oleana or as nice as Leon. But the fact of the matter is a Gym Leader was a Gym Leader. And you didn't want to risk Hop or Gloria getting in trouble again. Not like what happened between the Chairman and Bede...So you had to stop and think about this rationally unlike what you did with Gordie. You doubted Gordie would punish either of these two since he probably had no idea who YOU were or were even with them..But you couldn't just walk on into there and demand Piers do something to punish Team Yell all rude and crazy!! At best you could get banned from entering the gym or Spikemuth...So you had to suck it up and be nice when discussing this with him. If not for the kids' sake.

"Put on your war paint!~ Cross walks and crossed hearts and hope to dies!~ Silver clouds with grey lining!~ So we can take the world back from the heart attack.~ One maniac at a time we will take it back.~" You slowly walked into the stadium with everyone, and what you all saw shocked you. It was....a stadium alright. But one much MUCH smaller than all the others you had ever been to so far. It..looked a like like a metal and concrete basketball court with a metal fence along one side of the wall and a WHOLE CROWD of what must've been twenty to twenty five Team Yell members cheering and waving flags around in a sea of red and black. A giant speaker plugged in ontop of the stage blasted out rock music and someone holding a mic was singing that beautiful music to it all. "You know time crawls on when your waitin' for the song ta start!~ So dance alone to beat of your heart!~ HEEEY!! YOUNG BLOOD!!~ DOESN'T IT FEEL!~ LIKE YOUR TIME IS RUNNING OUT!!~ 'M GONNA CHANGE YOU LIKE A REMIX!!~ THEN I'LL RAISE YOU LIKE A PHEONIX!!~" HOLY SMOKES!! FINALLY!! IT WAS PIERS SINGING UP ON STAGE!! It was the same guy from the music videos and on the card Marnie gifted Gloria. Same very pale skin. Same electric blue eyes. Same black and white long spikey hair. Same punk clothes. Even the same voice from the videos you've seen! He looked around your age too. Maybe a year or so older. You sighed and walked forward as the crowd still cheered and he continued singing. Was this a concert?? You'd never been to one before. Your mother never let you. "Wearin' our vintage misery!~ NO! I think it looked a little better on me!~ I'm gonna change you like a remix!~ Then I'll raise you like a pheonix!~"

You stopped at the very edge of the back of the crowd and stood up on your tip toes trying to peer over the shoulders of all the men and woman around here cheering loudly. And you got deja vu vibes from the time you had to deal with the crowd at Postwick first meeting Leon. When you peeked over one dancing woman's shoulder jumping a bit yourself to get a better view, wincing as your shoulder pain acted up.....F/c eyes locked onto electric blues ones as Piers looked over the crowd and seemingly spotted the one person out of place in the entire crowd and in an INSTANT. He stopped. Like completely stopped. Went silent. Mic pulled away from his mouth and stood back up. And standing still. Eyes locked onto your stare for a good silent while as the crowd still cheered....Before his eyes shifted behind you to look behind you at the other three children behind you also staring in wide eyed wonder at him. After a good long moment of staring his hand came up to his neck and made a cut motion as he still stared eerily calm. In a moment the music still blaring was cut short and the cheers and dancing from the crowd in front of you died out.  You blinked backing up from the sudden action, and after a few more moments of silently staring Piers sighed into the mic.

"So you're finally here huh?" Everyone fell silent before one after another the crowd all turned towards you and the others and you froze to the spoke. Ok. You hadn't thought this through. Being outnumbered wasn't something you considered until now. "See. I'm....I'm not a great gym leader." Silence rang out except for footsteps as Piers, carrying his mic in one hand, starting coming down the stage from the front steps. Parting the crowd of Team Yell like a hot knife through butter. Giving a clear view of the stage and him walking towards you. "Firgured that's why nobody was comin' to challenge me." He continued talking was walking off the stage calmly. You would admit you felt intimidated enough to back up because HOLY SMOKES!! Even as he walked slouched over he was a good foot or some taller than you. And you didn't like how he was holding that mic stand still. "I have good ears so I overheard the whole thing about the city bein' shut up. When I was alone, it was like my soul was weepin.'" He stopped just short of two yards in front of the four of you before going silent again as he looked all of you over. Victor with his giant pack. Hop who was staring at him in wonder. Gloria who had a face of between Hop's wonder and nerves. Your Drizzle who was still dragging your bag....Making his brow raise a bit. Then to you still clutching your shoulder giving him a raised brow back. "...This is a simple gym stadium." he explained calmly. "We can't even Dynamax our pokemon but well...I still hope you enjoy the battle."...He rose a brow looking between the four of you. "But I don' suppose you'd mind tellin' me which one of ya's 'ere for it?"

.....You blinked as they all still remained silent for a moment seeming in shock and your annoyance was still there..so You decided YOU would talk to the rock star. "Hey." Of course he turned his head to your frown. "You said you had good hearing right?" He rose a brow silent, and you could only see part of his face from being blocked from his bangs, and he wasn't looking at you fully. "...Excuse me. Mr. Piers, when I talk to someone in charge I would like you to look me in the eyes and hear what I have to say. Because I think you can help me with something." 

He blinked taken a back for a moment. "...Nah. Yer right." And he turned to you. "How can I-..." He stopped. Completely stopped eyes going wide for a moment seeing your full face exposed and upfront now...before his face slowly returned to his calm and bored one.

"Help me?," you asked now frowning deeper, "Hm. I don't know. Well for starters not doing anything when you heard the entire city was shut down! Of course that's not going to let challengers access to you! And secondly!" Your other arm pointed behind him towards Team Yell and he turned his head where your good arm pointed. "Or how about not letting your group over there run all over Galar harassing trainers to drop from the challenge!?"

He froze...."...They did WHAT?!" he suddenly looked at you as any logic was thrown out the window and you took a step forward pointing at him.

"You HEARD me, SIR. My friends and I have been running into them all over the place from Turrfield all the way to freaking Circhester of all places trying to get them to drop from the challenge!" You poked his chest making him blink wide eyed and take a step back looking between you and the group behind him who all despite wearing make up had shocked, paled, guilty, or scared expressions. "You heard me! I caught two of them trying to steal some poor old man's bike! Blocking off countless roads from us unless we defeated them in battle! Constantly bothering us! And even while we were traveling through this town of yours they tried to stop us from getting to you!! THEY BUILT A  GIANT WALL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET AT ONE POINT AND YOU DIDN'T NOTICE!? IT'S STICKING OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB!!"

"I-..." He frowned looking over his shoulder at the silent frown before his eyes narrowed at them. Making them sweat more. "No. I had no idea of ANY o' this!"

"HOW COULD YOU NOT KNOW!?", you bellowed at him annoyance over everything that's been going wrong in your life being thrown out now. And he snapped back to you wide eyed like you had...scared him almost as you jabbed his chest. "These guys are YOUR team! YOU'RE in charge of Spikemuth and it's gym! WE CANT be the only trainers these guys have been hassling to drop from the challenge! Haven't you noticed any of them missing!? Don't you know what I had to do to get here!?" You threw your good arm back towards the entrance. "Well had to climb over that wall which was dangerous and I actually fell!!" You then gestured to your hurt shoulder that oddly slumped a bit pain still very present. "Falling and landing on my shoulder wasn't fun I can tell you that! So what are you going to do about this!?"

Piers was oddly silent as he stared at you...then the kids right next to you. Then back to you and tried not to stare at your shoulder but it was made pretty obviously you both were thinking the same thing. What if it wasn't you the one that fell? Behind you the three seemed to be staring at you wide eyed but Gloria was smiling a wee bit expecting something like this after all. After a long silent moment of staring at you with something akin to being startled in his eyes, Piers sighed. Deflated even as his head hun and you rose a brow when his hand reached up to plant his face into.

Like he was utterly lost almost. ".....Yer right." He nodded slowly pulling his face up from his hand. His expression back to normal only he suddenly looked even more tired and sad if possible. Making you actually pause as he looked at you. "Miss-"

"Y/n."

"Y/n. M' sorry for all the trouble you n' your friends went through 'cause of my team." His head slightly turned to give them all a stare. "Be assured things like this aren't gonna happen again."

......You blinked at him and how eerily calmly he was taking this all. But sighed relieved and nodded. "Thank you. All I want is for them to stop causing all the gym challengers trouble."

"I totally understand you." ...He slowly looked back to you. "In fact I'll make sure a personal apology is handed out soon and the city's opened back up tonight." He glanced at your shoulder briefly. "And that blasted wall's safely removed. Lemme make that up to yas in fact." He blinked surprised when you held up a hand.

"No....Mr. Piers I apologize," you had realized your mistake half way after you had said it and maybe judging by his expressions you had overstepped a boundary but seriously! What gym leader doesn't know where his own employees are!? While he seemed to be taking this extremely well you didn't want to leave any bad blood. He opened his mouth. "Stop...Please. Let me say what I have to say." He stood back and watched as you took a deep breath. You remembered now thanks to the info and everything. Spikemuth was abandoned mostly to barely anyone coming and Piers blamed himself. That's why he barely saw anyone outside team yell and his sister. Which you happened to know. MARNIE!! You couldn't believe you didn't remember until now. They looked so similar it should've been a dead give away they were related. "Do you mind if I say a few words?"

"That's how a convo works ain't it?" he asked raising a brow. 

Good. You inhaled and exhaled. Looking up to meet his eyes in the most sincere way you could, because you were sincere when you spoke. "It's not your fault Spikemuth is in this condition." The sudden silence afterwards was enough to let a pin drop as he froze. Eyes widening as he stared at you wide eyed...and blinked. But you pushed on not letting him get a word in if his open jaw could even work at all after that bold statement. "I mean it. You're seriously just doing the best you can in a really difficult situation. I mean-'' You gestured around. "It just...CANT be easy living in a town like this. It can't be easy trying to juggle two jobs. Heck I don't even think your music is a job is it? And I don't mean that in a bad way. I just don't get why there isn't more people here!" You looked back at him with a frown but not at him. "I mean..You're voice! It's....IT'S BEAUTIFUL!!!" He blinked again as your good arm pointed at him. "And I am not sugarcoating it either. You're the best muscian in Galar. You're the first EVER gym leader in pokemon history to be an exclusively dark type gym! You should have tourist lining outside the doors begging for an autograph just for that alone! You stuck around not backing down or giving up on your gym and it shows! You're still a required gym in the league! Trainers still have to battle you for a badge! For someone who thinks they're doing a bad job that's a GREAT job! Piers you're one of the best gym leaders in the gam- Uh! GALAR Region just for that! You've fought harder and been through so much more than most of the other gym leaders I've met! And I've met at least most of them at least once!" He....didn't respond as he still stared and you gestured around him with a smile towards Team Yell. "And it shows so much Piers. You have a fanbase who was willing to do things ..maybe a bit too extreme, but things none the less BECAUSE they believe in you and your leadership! Marnie certainly believes in your leadership too!" That was true from what you remembered her doing in game. You placed your good hand on your chest. "I..believe in you. And I'm sure if I ask my friends behind me they'd believe in you too. Yeah things might not be the best now, but I promise you they'll get better soon, Piers. Because you're a guy who doesn't give up. Not when even things looked bad. Can't dynamax? So what? I personally don't get the whole giant superpowered pokemon either. But that doesn't make you anyless of a great gym leader-...No." You shook your head. "No. That doesn't make you any less of a great person. ...So don't apologize. Because what is there for you to apologize for? Nothing."...You rose a brow at the people behind him. "Them however owe me and my friends here a HUGE apology."

"UH!...OI! Yeah! We're sorry lady!"

Piers blinked and looked behind him seemingly in a state of confusion and shock as the entirety of the Team Yell grunts began purfusely apologizing to you and the others. And Piers remained silently through it all before looking back to you wide eyed as you smiled at him still.

"Apologies accepted! Just make sure next time none of you do anything like this again. And while we're on the topic," you pointed towards Hop and Gloria, "These two were the ones who came here to battle you."

Piers still stared for a very.......VERY long moment at you. "......Huh? OH! R-Right." He cleared his throat, one hand coming up to fiddle with the choker around his neck as he suddenly looked away. "The battle. ....It's gettin' late so I only got time for one battle 'night."

"Gloria can have the first battle!," Hop offered smiling at his friend. "After all you were the one who defeated Marnie to get us in here. It's only fair!"

Gloria blinked for a moment at him before nodded. "SURE!...But." She looked over themselves. "Neither o' us are in uniform. N' I doubt this gym has a changin' room like the others."

"You lot can get a room at the Spikemuth hotel just beside the stadium." You all looked over at Piers who jabbed a thumb boredly behind him. "Course...No one's runnin' it right now, but you all are more then welcome to spend as many nights as ya need ta there. No charge at all. It's the least I could do for ya after all the trouble caused to you." He glanced briefly at you again before clearing his throat and looking to the teenage girl staring at him. "Go get n' uniform and I can a battle with one of you 'fore the day's out."

You nodded breathing a sigh of relief. Well at least now things ought to be smooth sailing now that Team Yell shouldn't be a problem anymore. All you had to do now was wait for Gloria and Hop to eventually defeat Piers and then Raihan..Which you weren't looking forward too at all, but things were looking up fantastically for you! You'd be home by the end of this year for sure!

"U-Um..M-Mr. Piers?" Blinking you looked back to Gloria who looked nervous and holding something which you recognized to be Piers's league card as she held it up to him with a pen and nervous grin. "I-...Uuuh-..I-I-I'm a big fan of yours! I love your music! 'Specially O-Obsidian Tears! C-Can...Can I get ye autograph?"

Guess the hotel would have to wait for a minute because the faintest of smiles appeared on the gym leader's face as he reached out and took the pen from Gloria.

"Sure. Anythin' for a fan."

[balapann-blog]

Day 47 - 22 October - Tbilisi

Got up quite late and went for a walk around the area near our flat and nothing was really open which was slightly weird since it was about 10.30. We found a place that did coffee and went back to the flat to regroup. We came up with a set of places to go.

First up we walked through the main part of downtown Tbilisi which we had come in before. We then went to this flea market on a bridge where I got some old soviet postcards and we nearly bought some old soviet posters but there weren’t really any we really liked. We then went to this place called fabrica which was some bars in an old fabric factory, it all felt very east London.

We then went back across to the main part of the city and we both got low blood sugar and needed a snack as we hadn’t really eaten much. We went to this very strange restaurant called House of Kinkale (Georgian dumplings). This restaurant was huge (2 big floors) and quite empty. We went to the basement floor that was open and had some kinkale which were good.

We then walked around for a bit getting more and more tired. After we had a hot chocolate, we then went to the conservatoire of music for a concert I had booked. It was a concert of double piano, which I had never seen in concert. The first half was a Brahms sonata which was good but not my fav music ever. Nin was feeling very tired so went home in the interval. I stayed and listened to the rights of spring by Stravinsky which was very good but with a very strange subject matter! Their encore was very nice and it reminded me of an article I read by Naomi Klyne about Arundati Roy and the need to continue to see beauty in the world even when there is so much grimness in the world. I walked back and couldn’t find any food I wanted in our area so got a subway no regrets.

Day 48 - 23 October - Tbilisi > Yerevan

Got up and decided not to venture out as nothing would be open so we chilled out packed and then checked out at 11. We then took our bags to the bag storage at the train station and got the metro back to the cathedral which was very tall and on a hill. There was some great icons in the church but not much painting on the walls.

We then got a cable car up to the statue of mother Georgia who looks over old Tbilisi. There was a restaurant we wanted to go to nearby in the old writes villa so went to lunch to be our big meal for the day. It was very tasty and we had a sweetcorn soup, 2 very nice salads, some trout tartare and some delicious mushrooms with artichoke.

We then walked down to the thermal baths and got a private room with a thermal pool and a plunge pool. There is no public pool for women so this was the only way Nin could have gone. It was really nice and we had a lovely hour in the very hot water and the plunge pool beside it.

We were going to go back to the area by the restaurant as we liked it and wanted to explore more but it transpired that there was a massive pro government demonstration that was bussing people into the city and going to an area very close to where we would have been but also would have blocked our way to the metro, so we decided to walk to the station rather than risk getting caught in it. We walked along the river for a bit and there were almost endless mashtkas parked with drivers and police sitting in them or standing outside of them. We could see the demonstration on a bridge we walked under. It is very unclear how much enthusiasm there was for it or whether then had just been bussed in. I imagine it was a bit of both but it looked like very few of the people were from Tbilisi. We managed to skirt around the side of it and walk up onto the road to the station. From what I saw it was pretty peaceful and I felt in no danger which is always nice.

We found the nicest food shop we had seen in Georgia and got stuff for dinner; a lovely wrap, some cornbread, and a cutlet each. We were walking past fabrica and had a drink as we had time. We then walked up to the station, got our bags and got on our very nice train. The station is very strange, it is mainly a mall for electronics and home appliances with platforms.

We got to the border and then had to get out for our exit stamp for Georgia. It was cold but there were some very friendly dogs who were on the platform. We then got back on the train and went for about 20 more minutes before we stopped and the Armenian border guards came on to the train and sat in the carriage and stamped our passports there. Armenian border guards the most polite so far they were very friendly which is often not the case. By then it was just after midnight so we went to sleep.

[jpbjazz]

LÉGENDES DU JAZZ

EDDIE ‘’LOCKJAW’’ DAVIS, ‘’SWINGING THE BLUES AWAY’’

Né le 2 mars 1922 à New York, Eddie F. ‘’Lockjaw’’ Davis a appris la musique en autodidacte. Davis a commencé sa carrière professionnelle à Harlem huit mois après avoir acheté son premier saxophone. À la fin des années 1930, Davis travaillait régulièrement au Clark Monroe’s Uptown House. Principalement influencé par le swing et le blues, Davis avait ensuite joué avec les big bands de Cootie Williams, de Lucky Millinder, d’Andy Kirk et de Louis Armstrong, tout en dirigeant ses propres formations. Dans les années 1940, il avait aussi accompagnÉ des groupes de rhythm n’ blues.

Profondément enraciné dans le swing et le blues, Davis appartenait à l’école des saxophonistes ténor du Texas.

Les sources ne s’entendent pas sur les origines du surnom de Davis, ‘’Lockjaw.’’ Tout ce qu’on sait, c’est que ‘’Lockjaw’’ était le titre d’une de ses premières compositions, et qu’il l’avait souvent réutilisé par la suite. D’autres prétendent que le surnom faisait référence À la façon intense et agressive dont il jouait du saxophone.

DÉBUTS DE CARRIÈRE

En 1940, lorsque Teddy Hill était devenu le gérant du légendaire club Minton’s, il avait chargé Davis de déterminer quels musiciens pouvaient participer aux jams sessions. À l’époque, participer aux jams sessions du Minton était considéré comme un honneur. C’est d’ailleurs dans un club comme le Minton’s que le bebop avait fait son apparition.

En 1946, Davis avait organisé un groupe connu sous le nom d’Eddie Davis and His Bepoppers. La formation était composée de Fats Navarro à la trompette, d’Al Haig au piano, du chanteur Huey Long, du contrebassiste Gene Ramey et du batteur Denzil Best. C’est avec ce groupe que Davis avait réalisé ses premiers enregistrements en 1946. En 1948, durant un bref passage chez Lenox Records, Davis avait commencé à adopter un son plus dynamique et plus audacieux, largement inspiré du rock n’ roll. À l’époque, Davis se produisait souvent aux côtés de son frère Carl, qui était connu sous les surnoms de Chicago Davis et de King Carl. Les deux frères avaient d’ailleurs enregistré un album sous étiquette Savoy en 1949. La même année, Davis avait aussi enregistré deux pièces pour King Records, dans un style bigarré qui était une sorte de fusion du jazz, du rock et du rhythm n’ blues, et qui démontrait à quel point il n’avait pas encore trouvé sa voie.

C’est en 1952 que Davis avait fait la première de ses nombreuses apparitions avec l’orchestre de Count Basie. Cette collaboration s’était prolongée par intermittence jusqu’aux années 1960 et 1970. Davis avait également fait une tournée en Europe avec l’orchestre. Il avait aussi participé à des tournées avec la chanteuse Ella Fitzgerald. Comme le faisait remarquer l’Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz, “At a time when the Basie band needed an outsize personality in the ranks, Jaws fitted the bill, and the tracks on which he solos, ‘Flight of the Foo Birds’ and ‘After Supper (The Atomic Mr. Basie),‘ leap with vigor and enthusiasm.” Reconnaissant la contribution de l’orchestre de Basie au jazz, le critique du Los Angeles Times Leonard Feather écrivait en 1981: “The Count Basie band was a virtual school for soloists… that produced some of the most durably individual sounds in jazz.”

En 1955, alors qu’il était sous contrat avec les disques Prestige, Davis avait enregistré l’album ‘’Modern Jazz Expression.’’

Avec Basie, Davis avait démontré son vaste potentiel musical. Son jeu dans les ballades, d’abord influencé par Ben Webster, s’était épanoui et avait développé son sens de l’innovation, un peu à la manière d’un Coleman Hawkins par exemple.

À cette époque, Davis avait continué de diriger ses propres groupes. L’un de ses plus grands succès avait été une formation mettant en vedette l’organiste Shirley Scott (qui jouait sur le célèbre orgue Hammond B3), le contrebassiste George Duvivier, le flûtiste et saxophoniste Jerome Richardson et le batteur Arthur Edgehill. C’est d’ailleurs Davis qui avait été le premier à utiliser la combinaison orgue-saxophone ténor dans le domaine du jazz.

Ce n’était pas la première fois que Davis travaillait avec des organistes. Dans les années 1950 et 1960, il avait souvent collaboré avec des organistes qui étaient en contact avec le milieu du rock, comme Bill Doggett et Doc Bagby.

Le grand goût de Scott et la délicatesse de son jeu à l’orgue avaient permis à Davis de produire une musique raffinée et inspirée sans jamais avoir eu à sacrifier la passion et l’enthousiasme. Lorsque Scott avait quitté la formation, le groupe de Davis avait perdu une partie de son âme. Malgré tout le succès que Davis avait remporté avec la combinaison orgue-saxophone, Scott n’avait jamais été remplacée.

Le premier album du groupe, intitulé ‘’Cookbook Volume 1’’, avait été suivi de ‘’Smokin’’’. Avaient suivi deux autres volumes de ‘’Cookbook’’ ainsi que l’album ‘’Jaws’’, tous enregistrés en 1958. ‘’Jaws in Orbit’’, mettant en vedette le joueur de trombone Steve Pul-liam, avait été enregistré en 1959, la même année où Davis avait enregistré son album à succès ‘’Gentle Jaws’’, un disque qui comprenait également une session avec le trio du pianiste Red Garland, dont faisaient aussi partie le contrebassiste Sam Jones et le batteur Arthur Taylor.

Dans les années 1950, Davis avait aussi joué avec le saxophoniste Sonny Stitt.

LA CONSÉCRATION

Davis avait obtenu encore davantage de reconnaissance avec la parution en 1960 de l’album ‘’Trane Whistle’’, dans lequel il était accompagné d’un big band, sur des arrangements d’Oliver Nelson et d’Ernie Wilkins. L’année suivante, Davis avait enregistré l’album ‘’Afro-Jaws’’, avec un quartet formé notamment du percussionniste Ray Baretto. Sur deux pièces, Davis était aussi accompagné d’une section de trompettes dirigée par Clark Terry.

De 1960 à 1962, Davis avait co-dirigé un quintet avec le saxophoniste ténor Johnny Griffin, avec qui il avait enregistré quelques disques. L’Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz avait écrit au sujet de la collaboration de Davis avec Griffin: “Sounding positively mainstream beside the mercurial Bebop Griffin, Jaws’ swaggering, melodramatic delivery gives these sessions the stature of a classic boxing bout.”

Même si les deux saxophonistes étaient très différents tant sur le plan musical qu’émotionnel - Davis jouait avec l’intensité qu’il avait héritée de sa collaboration avec Basie, et était connu pour sa patience, son ironie et son caractère introspectif, tandis que Griffin, qui avait joué avec Lionel Hampton, Art Blakey et Thelonious Monk, était réputé pour son caractère sociable et toujours souriant -, leurs idées étaient complémentaires et les avaient influencés mutuellement. Dans une entrevue accordée à Robert Bragonier, Davis expliquait: “What we are doing is presenting, side by side, two different styles of playing tenor—a contrast, not a contest”. Davis et Griffin avaient enregistré deux autres albums ensemble: ‘’Tough Tenors’’ (1960) et ‘’Blues Up and Down’’ (1961).

Au milieu des années 1960, Davis et Griffin avaient également collaboré dans le cadre du Kenny Clarke|Francis Boland Big Band.

DERNIÈRES ANNÉES ET DÉCÈS

Même si Davis avait quelque peu ralenti dans les années 1970, il avait continué d’enregistrer. En 1976, il avait fait paraître l’album ‘’Straight Ahead’’, une collaboration avec le trio du pianiste Tommy Flanagan qui avait été enregistrée en 1967. L’année suivante, Davis avait enregistré un album live au Festival de jazz de Montreux avec un quartet composé d’Oscar Peterson au piano, de Ray Brown à la contrebasse et de Jimmie Smith à la batterie.

À la fin de sa vie, Davis avait souvent travaillé avec le trompettiste Harry ‘’Sweets’’ Edison, avec qui il avait enregistré et fait de nombreuses tournées avec des musiciens locaux.

Eddie ‘’Lockjaw’’ Davis est mort du lymphome de Hodkin (un cancer du système immunitaire) le 3 novembre 1986 à l’hôpital de Culver City, en Californie. Il était âgé de soixante-quatre ans. Il laissait dans le deuil son épouse Beatrice et une fille. Musicien très sensible et souvent imité par ses pairs, Davis avait été un des rares musiciens de jazz à avoir développé un style très personnel. Comme l’affirmait Derek Taylor sur le site All About Jazz, Eddie Lockjaw Davis était à l’origine d’un son ‘’that could cleanly shift from coarse Rhythm and Blues infused wailing to beautifully textured, romantically voiced poetry. In either incarnation his signature sound, a full-bodied articulation that made ardent use of his instrument’s rich tonal properties, always shone through as distinct and nonderivative.”

Grand explorateur, Davis n’avait jamais cessé d’expérimenter au cours de sa carrière. Loin de se limiter au jazz, il avait joué dans plusieurs styles musicaux, allant du swing au bop, en passant par le hard bop, le jazz latin et le soul jazz. ©- 2023-2024, tous droits réservés, Les Productions de l’Imaginaire historique SOURCES: ‘’Eddie ’Lockjaw’ Davis.’’ Wikipedia, 2023. ‘’Eddie (Lockjaw) Davis Dies; Saxohonist With Jazz Greats.’’ New York Times, 6 novembre 1986. HIGHTOWE, Laura. ‘’Davie, Eddie ‘’Lockjaw’’. Encyclopedia.com, 2019. WILLIAMS, Irv. ‘’Eddie ‘Lockjaw’ Davis, Musician born.’’ African American Registry, 3 février 2022.

[pickacover]

FAQ

Q: What is this?

A: Glad you asked! This is a poll blog where you get to listen to different versions of a song and vote on which one you like best. Please note this is “which one you like,” not “which artist is your favorite” or “which one is more technically good.” Sometimes a great artist can have a shit cover and vice versa, and sometimes an artist you adore does a cover that makes you cringe or has an original someone else just managed to turn transcendent. And sometimes it’s your favorite because you have good memories even if the cover itself is objectively awful! That’s also okay! The question is, if all covers of the song came on the radio at the same time, which channel’s version would you flip to?

Q: how often do you post?

A: five times a day.

Q: what’s the point?

A: Lord, let me never live in a world where I’ve forgotten whimsy.

Q: Have you done [song]?

A: search the blog for the title.

Q: you haven’t done [song]!

A: submit the song title and the name of the original artist.

Q: are multicover matchups okay?

A: ah, you got here from the Personal Jesus post. Yes, they’re good! If a song has more than nine total covers, they will not all be included, and the most prominent nine will get preference.

Q: Are there matchups you won’t do?

A: animated Disney/live-action remake, musical stage recordings/other recordings of the same musical, stage recording/movie recording, solo artist/something they originally sang with a band, original of a song/its biopic version, Christmas carols, Kidz Bop, anything by Cole Porter. Most of these are intended to sound as much alike as possible so it’s kind of pointless, and while we love and respect and adore Cole Porter in this house, the problem is there are literally hundreds, possibly thousands, of covers of his songs. Someone could probably entertain Tumblr for a month with a seeded matchup poll of Cole Porter song covers. It’s beyond my ability to do.

Q: what about self-covers?

A: self-covers are postable IF the cover makes substantial changes to the original. Examples of this are changing the genre (You + I/You + I Country Roads Edition), language (Space Oddity/Ragazzo Solo Ragazzo Sola), or a significant portion of the lyrics (Eve of Destruction/Eve 2012). Radio edits aren’t eligible except in rare extreme cases like Call Me By Your Name and I’ve No More Fucks to Give. The rule of thumb on that one is “if someone only three-quarters listening would stop and go ‘wait, what?’ then it qualifies.”

Q: what about live versions?

A: an artist’s live version will always sound different than their album version and often vary from show to show, so no. With that said, many cover versions involve an artist covering another artist live for an encore or just for kicks and giggles and they never get “officially” recorded by the covering artist, so submitting original album/a live recording by another artist is just fine. You’ll need to let me know which live I’m looking for, though. (Or better yet, link me.)

Q: what about classical music?

A: I’m gonna level with you, I have no idea how this would work. Like….are we talking about playing Pachelbel on wineglasses or something? I’m going to go ahead and say okay, but whatever you’re submitting as the cover is going to have to be pretty transformative.

Q: I’m not American and there’s this song from my home country/my own language…

A: PLEASE DO. I will request if you wish to make such a submission, please link me to both the original and the cover because I can’t guarantee the YouTube algorithm will do so. But you’re quite welcome here and I’d love to hear what you’ve got!

Q: this artist/song/album is problematic! You shouldn’t post their work!

A: if I started removing artists based on being problematic, 1) there would be nobody left 2) Taylor Swift would be the first to go. Is this the hill you want to die on?

[gatheredinamber]

2024-01-26 The Ivy House, Nunhead, London

This was the night after Burns Night, so we were treated to several songs by the big man, one or two of which Alasdair told us had never been performed in front of an audience before.

Set 1

The Fair Flower of Northumberland

Kilbogie

The Bonny Moorhen

Mary Mild

Rattling Roaring Willie / Cúnla

Song Composed in August

Such a Parcel of Rogues in a Nation

The Heathery Hills

Hallowe’en

Freedom Come All Ye

Set 2

Coral and Tar

False Flesh

A Keen

Europe

Orison of Union

Farewell Sorrow

Waxwing

Roomful of Relics

The Silver Tassie [Encore]