#its called Glowing by marms

[sarcasticidi9t]

man so much was cut out :[

i remember eret kept saying how they wanted to do alot of lore stuff but communication was so bad that they never got to do anything much with their character.

it was so frustrating bro. i wish we had the same equality and casualness to everyones lore like we do with the qsmp.

looking back, everyone had really cool lore of their own. i remember i tried to keep up with everything, but things got too serious to the point where a bunch of CCs even started feeling like they cant even break certain BLOCKS because "its apart of history/its important to someone elses lore." i feel like thats why a "main storyline" format developed. everyone got overwhelmed and everything was considered super important, that viewers didnt really have the freedom to choose who to watch anymore because bigger streamers were stealing alot of the spotlight. and thats bound to happen! but my biggest issue is the way how literally everyone was treated about everything.

i recall several times where someone destroyed/lost something considered valuable and would get harassed on twitter. it was ridiculous man.

the popularity of dsmp was absolutely mental looking back. it was far from perfect that server was. but like, again, my biggest issue was how it was handled behind the scenes and how CCs were treated by everyone.

despite everything, i still hold this server close to my heart. i still really love it, but i can still say what went wrong with it yknow?

it had its golden moments, and when it did, it was fuckin awesome. i did really miss the casual laid back silly streams back then, like the ones quackity did. thats something else i wish was brought back.

anything involving emerald duo (technoblade and philza) and the syndicate were the BEST. they do no wrong ever 100% theyre correct in everything they do YEP. /j

i really, really wish we got to see the cyberknife story play out. thats something that ill miss yknow? for obvious reasons. but so many ridiculously talented artists and writers spawned from that fandom! i feel like the stories and lore were all left as an open book. and so many still continue technos character, i couldnt be any more happier :]

im still so amazed by how many talented artists and writers came from the fandom :D

went on a ramble here but as i said before i really do love this server <3

Scrapped lore bits from the Dream SMP I'm still mad we never got:

-Whatever lore Nihachu had planned for the day Doomsday happened

-The Egg finale scheduled for immediately after the Red Banquet

-Jschlatt's Las Nevadas resurrection (heavily implied by Quackity trying to get the Revival Book after gambling with Glatt and cc!Schlatt saying he'd be coming back to the SMP)

-Any further development of Puffychu

-Ranboo getting resurrected (cc!Ran saying he was meant to be revived two weeks after the prison break)

-Hitting on 16 in livestream format. Like I know we still got the lore but cc!Wilbur simply could not fit what the format brings into written form. The long periods of characters just talking to each other, body language, random impromptu moments, etc.

-The Manhunt Arc (slight speculation but the streams where Tommy reinforced Tubbo's old house and convinced Eryn, Sam Nook, and Phil to help him track and kill Dream after the prison break felt like it was setting up something)

-Cyberknife lore (cc!Techno planned on having his character leave and acting as an antagonist for the syndicate)

-Ranboo's ARG (never properly finished)

-Ranboo and Slime in the multiverse (I have no context but I swear cc!Ranboo said something about this and if I had to guess tftsmp!Ran and O!Ranboo could've had something to do with it)

-whatever Connor had going on (I know his SMPLive stuff I'm referring to him knowing Karl could time travel)

-Tubbo's ending of growing old and raising Michael (planned but cut for the nuclear ending)

-Tommy's soft ending which would apparently resemble Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad. (this is secondhand information but I've seen people talk about it. I assume this to mean he would escape the SMP and we wouldn't see what happened to him. Cut for the nuclear ending)

-Captain Puffy being the main antagonist of Season 2 (as seen by her being the vessel for the fully powered Egg in the finale and having a skin ready for season 2)

Feel free to add your own!

[lonelypond]

Jingle Bell Jazz, Chapter 7

Love Live, NicoMaki, 2.3K, 7/?

Summary: And Bibi gets back to...business?

Chapter 7

Maki woke, shivering, heart still racing from the memory of Nico just off the tip of her nose, lips glistening like the frosting on a cake, eyes lit like stars with burning cores shining after the coldest midnights, whispers of songs or symphonies or…Maki shook herself. She’d fallen asleep with the sofa in sofa mode, not sleeper, and the blanket was on the floor. Too stiff. She stood, stretched, and started pacing. It felt so strange, now, alone in someone else’s home, not like it had earlier, when the rooms were full of Yazawas, rowdy and noisy. The opposite of what Maki was used to with her family, at her mansion, but this half a rowhouse was at the heart a big enough home for Nico and her family to fold Maki into. It had been a great feeling, especially on Christmas Day, but now, in the middle of the night, it had turned to a lonely one, with nothing familiar, and too too many pictures behind her eyes, some from the pin-up girl photo shoot, some still shots from the home movies of today, Nico vivid in the snow, playful, caring in the kitchen, teasing in the evening, emotions and thoughts flashing across her expressive face with quicksilver lightness, but bone deep weight. This was too small a room for this mood, Maki had already been back and forth across it more than a dozen times. At her house, Maki would be sitting at the piano, finding notes and chords, playing uncertainties into conclusions, hesitations into strategies. Maybe if she unpacked the bed from the sofa, her brain would catch the hint and drift into sleep, not race through every song she’d ever played with Nico, every touch, every near brush.

                                                     ###

The drive had been mostly silent. Nico was ready early, the goodbyes had been quick, and the roads clear. Ideal conditions for flying along at top speed and not thinking about anything, just enjoying the feel of the road.

Nico had been staring out the window, but shook herself out of the fugue, “Hey, kid.”

“I prefer genius.” Maki drawled, shooting for a "posh" tone.

Nico snickered, “Really.”

Maki frowned, refusing to take her eyes off the road, “Actually, as I have stated quite clearly before, I prefer my given name, but given your proclivity to ignore my requests, genius is the better of bad choices.”

Nico snapped her fingers. “Relax, Professor. Nico was just trying to ease the atmosphere. Maybe if you weren’t so stiff, being Nico’s backup wouldn’t be so hard.”

“Maybe if Nico had more respect for her backing musicians, I’d be more motivated.”

“HEY!” Nico yelled and it echoed in the car, Maki thought the roof might have flexed upwards, “Nico has a band, Bibi, not backing musicians. Nico respects Eli, Nico respects that you’re trying…”

“But?”

Silence. Maki was surprised. Nico was back to looking out the window, subdued again. “It’s not something Nico can afford to get used to.”

“So if you call me by my name, you’ll get attached?”

Nico shrugged, still looking out the window, “Why find out?”

Maki slammed her foot onto the accelerator, Nico’s words tearing into her, and the responses roaring at 100 miles per hour through her head not ones she wanted to hear resounding off the windows and echoing for the next half hour.

                                                                                  ###

Maki pulled up to Nico’s apartment. Nico hesitated before she opened the door. “Thanks for making sure I had Christmas with my family,” a pause, “Maki. Nico appreciates the thoughtfulness.”

Maki nodded as she prepared to shift gears. “You’re welcome.”

Nico tapped Maki's shoulder to get her attention. "Nico will see you at rehearsal. Wear something not boring.”

Maki whirled, looking Nico in the eye for the first time that day, and struck by the mischief glinting, “What?”

“Nozomi’s taking photos. We need to look good. Try not to....” Nico scratched her chin, “look too much like an actual school marm.”

Maki blew out exasperation, “I have style…”

“Yes, you have A style.” Nico confirmed, her tone sardonic, “But your style needs to be a closer riff off Eli’s and mine or you’ll be this off note for the audience. Nico knows these things.” Nico grinned, “Ask Kotori, she likes dressing pretty girls.”

Maki had a retort ready and then her brain tripped on Nico’s lips pursing around the phrase “pretty girls” in a near kiss.

“So see you later.” Nico opened the door, stepping out with a wave.

Maki kept staring, Nico laughed and slammed the door, jarring Maki back to street side. It was already a long day, And now Maki had to find an outfit.

                                                                                      ###

Maki, standing in her closet, was reviewing what she’d seen Nico wearing so far...and Eli. Eli was obviously going to channel bright and feminine, Nico would probably go for....pin up girl, Maki sighed, vowing to keep all her attention focused on her piano keys. But Nico, off stage, obviously liked casually mixing in menswear. Maybe something like that could work for Maki. Maybe she should be searching her father’s closet.

Maki was happy with what she’d come up with. A simple pencil skirt combined with an oxford with a purple stripe, a tweed vest, and a lilac tie with red highlights. She topped it off with a favorite dark gray fedora she’d never really gotten to wear much. Tugging her hat down over one eye, Maki walked into the rehearsal room with confidence that at least Nico would see she’d made an effort.

Nico had chosen a simple swing dress but in very now black and white checked pattern with a red sash at her waist. Eli was dressed in a short dark blue skirt, white tights, and a fluffy knitted pale blue top that piled nicely atop the curve of her bosom. Nozomi was dressed in capris and a turtleneck, her camera hanging around her neck, helping Eli with her hair, which Eli had let loose from its usual ponytail. Nico had a small hat clipped to the top of her head, with black netting piled around it. Her lips were a very vivid shade of red, matching the sash. And her eyes. Maki blinked, frozen for a moment, taking in details as Nico rushed her.

“Not bad…” Nico paused, lips twisted in a smirk that was as magnetic as true North to a compass, “genius.” Nico’s hands reached up, Maki started back, but recovered herself as Nico's fingers started to fumble at her tie.

“Hey.” Maki choked out.

“Don’t worry, Nico’s not a suspect on one of your detective shows. You just need to loosen up a little, longhair.” Nico eased the knot on Maki’s tie, and undid the button at her collar, a fingertip or two just grazing Maki’s throat with a tingling warmth, then her hand resting near Maki’s shoulder. Maki was at a complete loss for any kind of syllabic response, instead gaping and taking in air that smelled of the fruity musk she’d come to associate with Nico. What kind of perfume…

Nico waved her hand in front of Maki’s eyes, “Hey, genius, say something. Nico loosened your tie not tightened it.”

Maki nodded. Nozomi snorted and Nico turned to frown at her.

Which discouraged Nozomi not at all. “If you’re done petting the pretty pianist, Nico-chi, we can get started.”

Nico growled, Maki reran Nozomi’s sentence in her head and stared at the photographer, who winked. Maki decided that that was a good moment to warm up on the piano.

                                                                               ###

Why wasn’t Nico looking at her, Maki found herself thinking. This wasn't how they worked. The breakthrough rehearsal in her music room, she and Nico had clicked, started to communicate, there had been a link between them, one that let Maki sense what the dynamo would do, which way she’d make the song veer, would her voice drop into the sensual range that had pricked up the hairs on Maki’s neck, or would Nico’s pace take them on bop that would have every audience member tapping their feet and reaching for a dance partner. Nico had been alert to Maki's every impulse and Maki could sense Nico's every intent. But today, Nico was focused on the camera and posing and leaning into Nozomi’s range, sliding across seats with a simmer in her eyes, perching on window sills, circling her heels, Maki, just a spectator pounding out a rhythm that Nico skated over indiscriminately. Maki noticed a twitch in Nico’s shoulders when the her piano slowed or scattered an obvious transition, but Nico's main concern was Nozomi and camera angles, not music. Eli, presumably used to the attention from her...friend, was relaxed and happy, merrily musically adventuring in a sunbeam that gave her a glow while Maki plugged painfully away behind a piano, fedora forgotten and hanging off the music holder in front of her, any gleam of playfulness dissipated by the tediousness of keeping Nico in time.

“Let’s get all three of you in the same shot.” Nozomi decided, letting the camera hang down from her neck and pushing Eli toward the piano. “Nico, why don’t you…”

Before Nozomi could finish her sentence, Nico had angled behind Maki, sliding her arms around Maki’s shoulders, “Got it. Nico knows what looks good.”

“Yes, yes, you do.” Nozomi raised the camera and clicked almost as rapidly as Maki’s blood pressure rose, Nico’s hair flying loose and tickling her ear, Nico’s breath a warm brush against her cheek.

“Is this a good angle?” Nico asked, “Play something so I can sing, Maki.”

Maki’s thoughts were pinballing frantically, trying desperately to sort whatever Nico was saying into some comprehensible order. Hadn’t Nico loosened her tie, Maki thought. Should breathing be this difficult? Why did Nico’s arms feel like so much lead?

Nico decided to make it worse. She leaned even further into Maki’s shoulder, reached down to grasp Maki’s wrist, moving the pianist’s hand to the keyboard. Nico then suggested, in a tone she surely thought would sway her one person audience, “Nico’s seen you do it. You just put this hand he…”

Maki stood, urgently, as if the bench had caught fire, pushed it back, forcing Nico to dodge out of the way.

“Don’t touch me.” Maki was now at the center of the room, glaring around her as fiercely as a hissing, cornered animal.

“Did Nico startle you?”

Maki shook her head emphatically, her curls bouncing freely, “I am here to play music.” She pointed to Nozomi, finger trembling, “Not be part of your collective pin up fantasy.”

Nozomi snorted, Nico looked confused as she repeated Maki’s words, “Pin up fantasy?” The diminutive diva came out from behind the piano. “Sure Nico looks great, but this is…” Maki was still giving off a dangerously trapped vibe but Nico's momentum was picking up, “This is a professional photo shoot. For publicity photos. Nozomi always takes them.” As Nico continued, she got more animated, arms windmilling, voice reaching shrill near shout, “Publicity photos the venue requested.”

Nozomi and Eli had both fallen back to the windowsill, watching with concern as Nico literally backed Maki into a corner, “What do you know about being a professional? Artists probably take a year to paint a fancy portrait in your fancy mansion. Photos are the future, Beethoven. Pay attention.”

Maki leaned down, nose to nose with Nico. “I know about photographs…I take…” Maki raised her hands, exasperated or furious, it was a coin toss. “You know what, never mind. Your professional future is no business of mine.” Maki grabbed her coat, “So please call me when you want to get back to musical rehearsals, Miss Yazawa, so I can be done with this...this…” Maki couldn’t think of a word scathing enough and let the door slam provide punctuation.

The three women left behind let the echoes fall away.

“Damn.” Nico dropped onto the chaise.

“I thought you said your trip went well.” Eli said as she and Nozomi slid into chairs near Nico.

“I did.” Nico sounded uncharacteristically thoughtful.

“Oh.” Eli had no insight to offer.

Nico watched the door, face scrunched as she considered options. Then she rubbed her forehead with a sigh, “We’ll give her a chance to cool off, then I’ll go apologize for…” Nico paused, sounding uncertain, “something.”

Nozomi offered a theory. “Maybe she just didn’t like being startled. She seems pretty uptight.”

Nozomi and Eli could barely hear Nico's mutter, “Maybe that’s why she’s friends with Umi. They can avoid physical contact together.”

“Some of us can’t do that.” Nozomi wrapped Eli in a hug, smacking a kiss on her cheek, and the blonde blushed, “because our girlfriends are just too cute.”

Nico rolled her eyes at her friends. “Go home if you’re going to do that. Professor Square will wig if she comes back. We need to get her back in the mix, so we can get solid for the concert.”

Eli leaned back into Nozomi, relaxing, “Let’s get Honoka and her crew to sit on a session. Having an audience might cut the personal tension. And we can see how much work we need to do.”

Nico bounced up. “I like that, Eli. You find Honoka, I’ll go apologize. Let’s set something up for tomorrow. They’re usually around before lunch, right?”

“I think so.”

“Nico will get Maki here at 10.”

A/N: This is a short chapter, but I wanted to get back into the writing swing. The last three weeks have been taken up with getting The Importance Of Being Earnest started, but rehearsals have started. My January's been cold; how's yours?