#tdahm progress

[ibeta]

TDAHM - His Musician's Newest Hit [Draft]

(Warning: no musical experience whatsoever, I know nothing about it. This is the explanation for why The Dancer and His Musician is titled like that. Soon, Red will learn to dance. And because some time ago, before dating Bun, this piece happened.)

Muses were monsters that were recipients of another musicians’ music. When a musician was playing music and thinking of the monster that inspired that song, it would start playing the same music in that target monster’s SOUL. If a musician concentrated hard enough, they’d be able to do a duet with their Muse’s soul Music. And, if the musician and Muse were courting, the music wouldn’t be one-sided. It would be a full duet with each monster sharing music.

In another world, it would be fine and perfect, but Red’s world was a disaster, with everyone out for blood, and they weren’t spared from each other.

A Muse would have been a liability, so it was out of question to compose for someone or have someone else be an inspiration. In fact, as a rule, monster musicians had to compose for themselves, not anyone else…

Unless, of course, they were strong monsters, and it was a courtship song.

So, when the worlds had merged, he hadn’t expected anything at all. It was common sense to not compose for other monsters – and this held on, until that time Red had been in a practice room with Edge, and soft, hesitant music poured out of his SOUL.

It wasn’t a song full of hate. It was the kind of music a monster would play while they were learning a new instrument. A monster that had just started, and yet it had seemed like they at least knew how the keys sounded.

And of course, it was a stardamned piano. Of all the instruments, it had to be the one instrument he used the least. Pianos were too bulky to carry, especially since he liked grand pianos more. To him, it had a better projection than the other piano types. Red would have even preferred a trombone, or even a viola, to a piano.

Red unknowingly made a face, so Edge started laughing at him.

“IT’S DEFINITELY NOT SOMEONE FROM OUR UNIVERSE,” Edge said after a few chuckles, “THE MUSICIAN’S MOST LIKELY A DANCER!” And that was probably why the piano sounded like a clumsy dance on keys.

Red covered his face in embarrassment as the stumbling piano music tapered off, hoping the dancer would give up playing for him. He didn’t think he’d be able to look intimidating while his SOUL sputtered out that kind of music in public. It was humiliating to think that he’d be basically walking around like a recording full of awkward notes.

So, of course Red’s wishes hadn’t come true. The dancer had kept playing for him, an hour a day, a different instrument after each other.

At least they kept a steady schedule.

–

Red stared blankly at the wall of the practice room as his SOUL continued his musician’s latest hit, the ninth time of cello practice, but –

The notes were clear, the harmony flowed, and with the cello, there were other instruments playing. He could hear more string instruments and some percussion in the background, and even a fucking magic-made vocal choir had piped up in intervals.

An orchestra was playing out of his SOUL like it was a normal thing to hear from a Muse. The dancer with the clumsy piano had unburied a boss monster-like music talent from whatever graveyard they’d dug it up and started displaying it around Red’s SOUL like gold medals and crystal trophies.

Red could admit to himself that Muses did not get this kind of Music at all.

From a normal musician, a Muse would only have a single instrument to play. Since most musicians couldn’t play multiple musical instruments all at once, only talents could handle two or three – if they were using magic to play – but they would need… so many years of practice. That type of concentration needed a lot of patience and determination.

His musician had been practicing for a few months now, and then they decided that a god should descend in Red’s SOUL while he was talking to his brother at the Music Hall.

Every monster in the Music Hall heard the beginnings of the cello and his orchestra because the dancer changed their stardamned schedule one hour earlier. They saw his SOUL trying to glow through his black vest and saw the way his SOUL had transitioned through colours, from a deep blue of integrity to a light blue of patience to a terrifying yellow that denoted justice. From there, it slowly became orange with bravery, and then even more slowly red for determination.

It stayed red, and the music stayed deep and sharp and passionate, and Red had realized the colours meant the transitions in the emotions of the dancer – his musician. Red hastily walked away with his brother to enter an empty practice room, face flushed in embarrassment and trying not to panic at the realization that he exposed himself as a Muse of a musical talent.

“OH MY GOD.”

Edge was sweating magic off his skull, and Red was no better, since his eyelights had been blown wide open when the cello had started a beautiful entrance, and he’d lost his damn mind trying to mentally keep up when even more instruments came in to accompany that stardamned cello.

Red covered his face with his hands, bringing his ear closer to the music playing from his SOUL. It kept going, like it was never-ending. It was such a beautiful piece. Passionate, sharp, and deep, almost desperate and stars, it sounded so cool and hot, like it wanted to consume him. It was as if a dark creature took a cello and started playing it like it was inviting a whole cult to fall for it. A trap for everyone, but it was as if all would be so willing.

What the hell was his musician thinking?

“HOW THE HELL ARE THEY GETTING THAT GOOD?” Edge asked. His voice was trembling, like he was nervous. Red looked up at him and saw Edge sitting on the couch in the room, hands clasped under his chin like he was praying for an answer to a question Red didn’t know.

“where the hell did they find an orchestra?” Red retorted weakly, trying not to melt into the Music.

It sounded – he didn’t know how it sounded anymore, but they haven’t stopped playing, and it’s been several minutes of ongoing Music. Beautiful, passionate, and deep Music – his musician seemed to have a lot of magic and a lot of talent in controlling it. How they kept up in rhythm with the rest of the instruments, Red didn’t know. All he knew was, if the musician kept this up, Red might become a hot mess whenever they played.

“WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN?” Edge looked at him like he was stupid. Red felt it, because half his mind had already been consumed by the Music, and half was still trying to stay clear of it. “WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS—NEVERMIND! DON’T YOU THINK IT’S ODD THAT THEY’VE BEEN PRACTICING THIS SHORT OF A TIME AND THEN SKIPPED AHEAD TO BECOME THE WHOLE DAMNED ORCHESTRA?”

Red laughed hysterically.

The orchestra was playing in his SOUL. Red had a close encounter with it in the Music Hall and then in the practice room. By now, he was done being surprised by the clumsy dancer. Red knew he had a magical musician with high music talent playing for him. Someone who could play like this couldn’t be anyone simple – they must have a background that could allow them to have that many instruments in such a short time.

“where’s the nearest orchestra?” Red straddled the stool and slumped over the backrest, groaning. If he knew where the nearest orchestra was, maybe they’d find the musician and politely ask them to keep it down a little. Red was starting to feel things he shouldn’t feel while in public. Or in front of his brother. “shit, i can’t think.”

“LET ME CHECK –” Edge started typing on the monster phone “– IT’S IN THE UNDERGROUND, INSIDE THE CASTLE, BUT THAT’S TOO SECURE FOR BORROWING, SO IT MIGHT BE… NO, IT’S MOST CERTAINLY IN THE UNDERGROUND DANCE HALL. THIS MEANS IT’S HIGHLY LIKELY THEY’RE A DANCER, BUT… IT SAYS HERE THAT THEIR ORCHESTRA ROOM IS A VIP ONLY ACCESS – SO, WHOEVER IT IS, THEY MIGHT BE HIGH UP THE LADDER!”

And they chose Red, of all people, to be their Muse? What the hell did he ever do to deserve… such… good Music? Because, holy shit, he was seeing colours everywhere.

“‘ey, do i look like a strobe light?” he mumbled, “because ya look like an attack waitin’ to happen.” What the hell did he even try to say? It made no sense at all.

Edge threw him a disgusted look. “TRY NOT TO SINK INTO THE MUSIC,” he sniffed delicately, “THIS ROOM IS UNDER MY NAME! I DON’T WANT YOU TO THROW UP ANY MAGIC IN HERE.”

“ya sure ‘m not a disco ball?”

“YOU’RE A LAVA LAMP,” Edge humoured him. “YOU’RE SHIFTING SLOWLY IN COLOURS, BUT IT STAYS ON LIGHT BLUE, YELLOW, AND RED MORE OFTEN. I SEE ORANGE, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IT’S ONLY USED FOR TRANSITION TO RED. THERE ARE MORE COLOURS, BUT I CAN’T TELL ANYMORE, SINCE IT SEEMS LIKE THEY’RE ABOUT TO BE DONE PLAYING.”

Red desperately hoped it was about to be done and desperately hoped that it continued. “right. uh. so, can ya check outside fer things? they saw me come in here, and i don’ wanna go out there with the curious assholes that can dust me.”

“UGH, FINE!” Edge stood up abruptly, and then he paused and frowned at him. “I’M SERIOUS ABOUT THE MUSIC. MONSTER DANCERS SEEM TO HAVE A WAY TO LET YOU FEEL THEIR EMOTIONS WHILE THEY’RE DANCING, SO TAKE NOTE OF THAT. THEY SEEM TO HAVE A WAY OF MAKING YOU… DANCE IN THEIR WAY OF MAGIC? ANYWAY, DON’T SINK!”

Red watched him leave the room, and then he turned away to stare at the wall to sink into the Music. They were about to finish anyway, right?

Some ten more minutes later, the Music faded away. Red got up and stumbled out of the practice room. Edge was waiting for him, looking exhausted and annoyed.

“TOOK YOUR TIME?” his brother hissed. “I TOLD YOU NOT TO SINK INTO THE MUSIC!”

Red threw him a glare. “yeah, well, i learned something new,” he huffed. “they like me enough to play this long and exhaust their magic. they passed out, or they stopped or something.”

Edge’s sockets bulged open, and his jaw dropped. “WHO THE FUCK CAN PLAY THAT LONG?!” he demanded.

Red had no clue. He only now knew that dancers might have the talent to keep going even after exhaustion.

He had felt the emotions that Edge had told him, tendrils of the dancer-musician’s exhaustion slipping into him, and then suddenly boosted with energy whenever Red’s SOUL turned orange. Whenever the musician turned him light blue, it was as if they were keeping their pace steady, like it was… anticipating the next section of the Music. When he turned dark blue, it was with the cello singing deeply at him, and yellow included the whole other parts of the orchestra and vocals. There was green, and that part of the Music had softness in it, but it passed quickly. Purple barely existed, but it was there, like a bear trap. As for the red colour… it tasted like they were trying to convey so many emotions all at once.

There was no doubt that the musician might have a tiny crush on him.

“SO THEY TURNED INTO A DAMNED ORCHESTRA FOR YOU,” Edge told him, “AND YOU THINK IT MIGHT BE A TINY CRUSH? ARE YOU AN IDIOT?!”

Red scowled. “it’s what they felt.”

A tiny crush because Red could feel their confusion, their disbelief, and nervousness. As if the musician couldn’t believe they liked him at all. It wasn’t denial. It was… a surprise? They’ve only discovered it, and it seemed like that was why they played for so long – because they were trying to figure out their feelings.

-

The next day, Red fell asleep to a soothing lullaby coming from his SOUL, played with a single harp. Red had a short dream of being a starsdamned forest princess with animals flocking to him before Edge had to nudge him awake in the practice room. After all, they still had to go home for stupid music practice at home.

-

The next week, after several solo instruments, it was another orchestra playing in his soul. Edge had gone silent and stopped training on a double bass, sitting on the couch.

But the music was… different. It was something that was slow and yet curious, and it had soothing vocals and a bunch of xylophones and marimbas and a flute—Red’s sockets widened. He nearly dropped his bow on the ground as he stood up from the stool in the practice room.

“WHAT NOW!” Edge barked at him, but Red thought it was only through reflex since Red had seen him glancing at him several times when the Music started playing. Red knew Edge was starting to become a fan of his musician.

The climax of the Music hit its peak, and then it gently faded with the humming vocals. It clicked in Red’s skull.

“uh, i think they jus’ accepted that they liked me,” Red explained to his brother, who was staring at him. “but the feelings tha’ came with it felt like… they weren’ supposed to like me, like i wasn’ part of their plans. like… uh… it’s forbidden? but then they became curious, so it also felt like they kinda wanna to be my friend, like they want to try –” to earn trust, Red realized. The Music had been a story about forbidden friendships, but his musician wanted his trust too.

“SO THEY FINALLY ACKNOWLEDGE THEY LIKE YOU?” His brother furrowed his browridge. “JUST NOW?”

Red rolled his eyelights. “like trying to be friends with a monster that’s dusted other monsters.”

Edge’s face relaxed. “THAT’S RIGHT, THIS IS A DANCER WE’RE TALKING ABOUT,” his brother agreed. “SO, THEY’RE TRYING TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN YOU IN FRIENDSHIP, THEN THEY’LL TAKE YOU OUT FOR DATES AFTER?”

“it’s a crush!” Red couldn’t stop the flush on his face fast enough. His musician had been clear about the crush. It was impossible to be anything more than that. “they’re like… testing their own water, not me.”

“YOUR MUSICIAN IS MUSING,” Edge said in a dry tone, “ABOUT FRIENDSHIPS AND CRUSHES, BUT IT WON’T SUDDENLY EVOLVE INTO DATES FROM THERE?”

Red got out of the room in a hurry to bury his head in a sandpit, but he found none.

—

[Notes]

The italics have disappeared, but it's an excerpt anyway, so... it's fine? ;^;

Sans isn't here, but it is kustard. Sans practiced all the instruments because Red made a joke that it would be funny if some musician challenged him without knowing a dancer could play something. Sans could play the trombone anyway, so he might as well do the rest.

Red still thinks that Sans' trombone skills are mediocre. Sans hasn’t played the trombone in his presence ever since that day he got roasted.

Red then thinks he's ruined his best friend's trombone-ing from being too much of a music critic and still feels guilty for ruining music for Sans.

Sans... Sans is desperately trying to practice musical instruments to wow his best buddy, and then realizes he's doing so much just for a best friend, and oh no, he has a crush. Sans continues anyway, since he thinks whatever he makes is absolute garbage and that Red would judge him for having bad music skills.

Sans thinks his music is basic. After all, Edge mentioned that Red had mastered most intruments in the orchestra and exemplary control over instruments.

(Sans takes this as: Red, practicing every instrument in the orchestra all at the same time. Red is not doing this, Sans is an absolute bonehead. He's doing too much out of anxiety because Red hadn’t liked his trombone sass.)

The thing is, while Red likes orchestra music, it's not the only music he likes or plays. He likes fast and sharp music when he's angry. He likes upbeat and uneven music when he feels playful, and... yeah, the music he plays changes with his emotions. He's an emotional skeleton.

Sans can dance a lot of styles. He's also an emotional skeleton. His dance type depends on his mood and soul.

'Freestyle' dancers in this world hold almost all dances under that word instead of just the hip-hop dancing type. It means they're unbound by limitations a specialized dancer may have. They're free in their style.

It's a pun. I'm not sorry.

[ibeta]

Sans sits by the abyss in Waterfall, feet dangling in the darkness. [you’re thinking exactly what’s going to happen.]