#the little mezzo that could!

[gu6chan]

i would kill for a cup of this right now

[undying-love]

Paul's grief over time: A Compilation

“During the session [in 1981] Paul fell into a lugubrious mood. He said, ‘I’ve just realized that John is gone. John’s gone. He’s dead and he is not coming back.’ And he looked completely dismayed, like shocked at something that had just hit him. ‘Well, it’s been a few weeks now.’ He said, ‘I know, Eric, but I’ve just realized." (Eric Stewart)

“It’s still weird even to say, ‘before he died’. I still can’t come to terms with that. I still don’t believe it. It’s like, you know, those dreams you have, where he’s alive; then you wake up and… 'Oh’.” (Paul, 1986)

"Occasionally, it wells up. Y'know, and I'm at home on the weekend suddenly and I start thinking about him or talking to the kids about him and I can't handle it." (Paul, 1987)

"Is there a record you like to put on just to hear John’s voice?" I ask Paul the next day. Paul looks startled. He fumbles. “Oh, uh. There’s so much of it. I hear it on the car radio when I’m driving.” No, that’s not what I mean", I persist. "Isn’t there a time when you just wish you could talk to John, when you’d like to hear his voice again?" For some reason, he instead responds to the original question.“Oh sure,” he says and looks a little taken aback. ‘Beautiful Boy". (1990)

"Also not obvious is that McCartney [for the Liverpool Oratorio] has penned a gorgeous black-spiritual-like piece for mezzo-soprano that intones the last words spoken to John Lennon as he lay dying of gunshot wounds in the back of a New York police car -- "Do you know who you are?" McCartney gets a bit choked up at one point when he reveals, "Not a day goes by when I don't think of John.” (1991)

"Delicious boy, delicious broth of a boy. He was a lovely guy, you know. And it gets sadder and sadder to be saying “was”. Nearer to when he died I couldn’t believe I was saying “was”, but now I do believe I’m saying “was”. I’ve resisted it. I’ve tried to pretend he didn’t get killed." (Paul, 1995)

"Paul talked about John a a lot, but the strange thing was that it was in the present tense, “John says this" or "John thinks that. Very weird." (Peter Cox, 2006)

“John Lennon was shot dead in 1980. That totally knocked dad for six. I haven’t really spoken to him a lot about it because it is such a touchy subject." (James McCartney, 2013)

"It's very difficult for me and I, occasionally, will have thoughts and sort of say: "I don't know why I don't just break down crying every day? […] You know, I don't know how I would have dealt with it because I don't think I've dealt with it very well. In a way… I wouldn't be surprised if a psychiatrist would sort of find out that I'm slightly in denial, because it's too much." (Paul, 2020)

"Like any bereavement, the only way out is to remember how good it was with John. Because I can't get over the senseless act. I can't think about it. I'm sure it's some form of denial. But denial is the only way that I can deal with it." (Paul, 2020)

"When I talked to Paul about John and when he missed John most, he couldn't answer me for a long time and his eyes teared up. And I asked him where he thinks about John and when John comes into his mind and he just … he lost it, he completely lost it." (Bob Spitz, 2021)

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The following two are from the gossip website Datalounge, so they may or may not be true. Still interesting though:

"The one time I was ever actually in a room with Paul, zillion people between me and him (and no way I'm gonna bother him, all of us who travel in celeb circles have people we're fans of and all of us inexplicably try to hide it to seem "cooler"), he started talking loudly about himself and John, and how hard it was not to have him there. I remember him saying something along the lines of not a day passing that John's not still in it with him, but it's not like he can pick up a phone and say, "Hey, just needed to hear your voice today," and even when he got craggy responses, he still missed them. He misses it all, and it's bothering to him that he misses him more as time goes on -- it doesn't heal, he just learns new ways to bandage the wound."

“Since everyone is anonymous here, I guess I can give a bit of info I got from a female friend of mine who at one time worked as one of Paul’s assistants. [...] She does not know for certain if John and Paul were involved but she suspects it since to this day whenever John’s name is brought up he acts in her words ‘like a widow’ and he also addresses John in present tense. He would say things like, ‘John thinks that the music should be like this,’ and during his bitter divorce from Heather he was saying, ‘John says that this is getting nasty.’ Kind of creepy." (this one actually seems very intriguing because it sounds very similar to what Peter Cox said, about Paul often talking about John in the present tense, saying "John says.." or "John thinks...")

[cr4yolaas]

every year, with you — kageyama tobio

content: timeskip tobio, established relationship, self indulgent, fem reader, angst if you squint but mostly fluff, not proofread

note: happy bday to me !! i’m not celebrating irl, so this is my way of appreciating the day :) (p.s. mezzo forte will be updated eventually — i unfortunately don’t have the energy for anything more than this rn 😓)

tobio doesn’t usually celebrate his birthday.

he isn’t attracted to the notion of a sweet sixteen, nor does he find the idea of bar hopping at twenty one appealing. he’s content with whatever is below the bare minimum — quick greetings, maybe one small gift, and a normal day. that’s all he needs.

as such, he doesn’t find it necessary to do much for his friends’ birthdays. he’ll usually purchase something small, like a plushy or a gift card. it’s simple. it’s easy.

but with you, his routine shifts. he marks down your birth date on his phone as soon as he catches wind of it, and in the weeks leading up to the day, it fails to slip his mind. he wants to do something more than simple, something more than easy.

after all, he thinks you deserve more than that.

if you were to peer into his notes app and figure out the password for a locked note with an ambiguous title, you’d find a list of everything you’ve ever mentioned — the show you watched religiously for two months straight, a clothing collaboration you were particularly excited for, the animated character whose merchandise is littered throughout your bedroom — all neatly listed for him to remember. the contents vary; some items are specific, like the shade of the lip tint you searched up a week ago, and others are vague, like ‘silly white mouse with big round eyes.’

tobio finds that, when it comes to you, he wants to give you the world. he wants to cradle you gently in his arms, as if you’re the most important figure in the world (to him, you are). he wants to make your special day just that — special.

the summer heat pierces through your air conditioning, even in the middle of night. your boyfriend has yet to return home, presumably preoccupied with volleyball practice, and you decide that tomorrow you’ll greet him with extra kisses as a reward for working so hard.

but as soon as your hand flicks the lights off, the front door squeaks open. you’re silent. soft footsteps thump against the floor, and if you listen hard enough, you can hear tobio’s heavy breathing in the kitchen. your rationality overpowers whatever yearning has festered within your heart throughout the day during his absence. a soft wave of quietude washes over you as you lay down, opting to wait for him to come to you when he’s ready.

it comes sooner than later, however. tobio slowly opens the door to your shared bedroom, assuming you’re fast asleep given the time. he’s a little startled to find you awake.

“i got you something,” he whispers against your forehead. he doesn’t realize you just laid down — he’s quiet, as if there’s sleep riddled in your system. but there isn’t. he doesn’t know that. and yet, he’s still careful in his movements. his hands reach to brush away hair from your eyes, and his lips ghost against your skin as he stamps his affections onto your flesh.

he slips away for a moment to carry something up onto the bed. it weighs heavy in his hands, although you can’t quite make out what it is in the dark of the room. “well, it’s a lot of somethings,” he muses while he reaches around for the bedside lamp. when the warm light floods the bed, you see it — a gift basket, overfilled with everything you could possibly like. you look at tobio and find his ears dusted with pink and his eyes cast aside. “i wasn’t sure specifically what to get you. so… i got a lot of different things, in hopes that you’d like at least one of them.”

it’s hard not to laugh at him (endearingly, of course). “tobio, you put all of my favorite things in here. i’m not sure why i wouldn’t like it.”

his lips, albeit chapped from his troubles of the day, curl up into a smitten smile. “there’s more, by the way. it just didn’t fit into the basket. and i’m way too tired to bring everything here right now,” he speaks as he curls up on his side of the bed. his athletic wear clings to his muscles from the coalescence of sweat on his skin, but nonetheless, he finds himself clinging to you. the gift basket sits on the table beside you, and in the morning when you arise, you’ll thank him for it, again, but with a little more energy.

“happy birthday,” tobio mutters into your shoulder. he looks like a sleepy baby. “i love you.”

[routeless-writer]

Adored your lilia smut

can I request body worship and breeding link with lilia??

ANON YOU ARE SPEAKING MY LANGUAGE RN. Thank you hun! I’m so glad you and so many people liked it, I honestly didn’t expect it to blow up like it did! Happy to write for my favorite old man.

MC pronouns: GN/NB (no pronouns used, implied they/them)

CW: NSFW, breeding kink/breeding talk, pregnancy talk, excessive praise/body worship, Lilia being a brat dom, Lilia also being filthy, mod mezzo ALSO being filthy, oral sex mentions (reader receiving), marking, blood/biting/vampirism mention (it’s Lilia, so), light light LIGHT possessiveness, the slightest degradation (I use slut like once), i say he’s a tits man and then clarify that the tits are gender neutral and just mean your chest.

Listening to: Casket – Ren Zotto

Now Lilia is a dom that’s heavy on praise

He will absolutely degrade you if you ask for it, but his favorite thing is watching you squirm from even the smallest of compliments. He wants his baby bat to know how much he loves them!! Especially when you have just the cutest reactions to it.

Think Gomez Addams if Gomez was a switch leaning dom (because Mr. Addams is like, canonically a sub lol)

He follows you around a lot, even more so when he’s horny or finds himself having…baby fever, shall we say?

He can’t help it! He’s been wanting to raise another kid and all, and the thought of getting to spend a domestic life with you…the thought of you carrying his child…even if you physically can’t, he still finds himself hot and bothered at the idea. Plus, adoption is always something you two could discuss if you were serious about the actual breeding portion of the breeding kink, but wouldn’t be able to have kids/didn’t want to go through pregnancy.

Unless you’re shorter than him, he’ll likely be the perfect height for him to rest on your chest, and even if you are shorter than him, I can see him being quite attached to your upper body, regardless of whether there is boobage there or not and regardless of level of boobage.

What can I say, he’s a tits man (read tits as gender neutral)

So it’s the first thing he goes for with praise

He’ll casually slide a hand up your shirt at any given time to feel you up, resting his head on your shoulder and humming little compliments in your ear about how soft your skin is, how warm you are, how he just wants to bite down on your cute little nipples and–oh, look at that! They’re already hard hehe

“Khehehe, are you that sensitive, darling? Don’t worry, if it works you up that much, I’ll make sure to take care of you. I love the way your body reacts to just the slightest touch…so gorgeous.”

Lils is an oral fiend, too, and it’s one of his favorite ways to worship you. He’d gladly get on his knees for his precious baby bat at the drop of a hat. Holding your hips in place as he nestles between your thighs and tastes your arousal, his eyes rolling back dramatically so he can show you just how sweet you are to him. Don’t move too much, darling. It’s his job to pleasure you!

“So good. So good for me…you taste perfect…such a sweet pet, all the blood rushing here…be careful, I might just devour you.~”

Obviously it’s hard for him to be vocal with his tongue on your clit/your cock down his mouth, so the heavy praise comes when he finally gets to fuck you.

Lilia typically either opts for doggy or mating press. He loves seeing you ass up, face buried into the pillow as he rams into you, but when his breeding kink flares up, that’s when he prefers the second option.

He likes to see your face when he fucks into you and talks about how cute your red cheeks are, how he wants to stuff you full and fill you up. And he talks. He doesn’t know how to shut his mouth unless he’s using it to get you off.

He’s also generally just very playful and giggly during sex. A brat dom, if you will, so expect plenty of teasing on his end about how needy you look with your legs hiked up like that.

“Pretty little thing, all folded over under me. Look at me, let me see your expression. Ah….mmnh, take my fingers in your mouth, just like you take my cock. Tight little bloodpet…you’re so perfect, little one. I want to see it, I want to see you all full and fucked out. That’s nice isn’t it? You’d love to be knocked up, you’d love to be pumped full of my cum. Awe, look at you. Look at you take it. Your hole is so tight around me, so pretty as you bounce on it. That’s it…that’s it, you’re doing so well. So gorgeous…”

He’ll drag your hips closer as he rocks against you, touching you to the pace of his thrusts, and pushing you down further into the bed with the kind of strength you wouldn’t expect someone so small to have.

He kisses and nips at anything he can get his lips on–your neck, your chest, your stomach and thighs. He’s a groper, too, so he’ll watch as his fingers sink into your skin, leaving bruises on your hips and legs.

“You’re going to be so full and sensitive, I’ll watch you get heavy with my child…you’re mine, you’re perfect and you’re mine.”

Usually Lilia’s far more focused on your pleasure than his, but something about the way you’re begging him to empty inside you is sending shockwaves down his spine. It feels like during sessions like this, he loses his well-composed nature altogether. Right before you’re about to cum, tightening up around his aching cock, he’ll lean in and sink his fangs into your neck, pressing a hand to your abdomen to feel how his dick drags along your walls.

That’s enough to do it for you, the aphrodisiac bite making you cum hard around him, and he doesn’t dare pull out as he cums with you, growling into your neck.

Lils is a fae, and faefolk cum a LOT. It’s hot and sticky as he spills inside of you, holding your hips as close to him as he can, fucking into you as you both finish and you shake. It’s enough to drip out without pulling out, much to Lilia’s disappointment. Guess he’ll just have to cum inside you a few more times to make up for it!

Lilia’s the type to make you cockwarm him after breeding sessions. He can’t have his efforts go to waste–you will be knocked up by the end of the night.

“Maybe I should make you keep a toy in overnight. I have to make sure it takes, sweet thing.”

You can expect a quick session right before class the morning after, too. He’s serious! He really wants to raise kids with you, and he’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen.

You two make quite the mess of the bed, cum and blood stains are scattered across the sheets. Lilia will handle the clean up, don’t you worry! He has to make certain that his spent little human rests after such a rough session.

Now that you’ve awakened this kink in him, Lilia’s ready for regular breeding talk during sex. Hope you like being fucked into the mattress and used for hours, cause he’s hellbent on making you his breedslut now.

divider credit 𓆩♡𓆪 navigation 𓆩♡𓆪 masterlist

[abrahamvanhelsings]

the soprano slays and everyone else is very good except. the tenor. who sings almost everything while standing still with the same slightly stooped awkward posture? lol? kinda noticeable when everyone else is having no trouble walking around and acting out their role

bringing down the average age at the opera by about 40 years currently

[rosesofenvy]

How Far We’ve Come - Music Theory Analysis

[Disclaimer: I went to university for music as a violin primary and have the most confidence with classical strings. I passed my piano proficiency courses, but that is the extent of my piano knowledge. It has been a few years since I have done an in-depth composition analysis of any piece, let alone transcribing a piece by ear and then analyzing it. Music theory has never been my strong suit! Please excuse any mistakes in notation, and any inaccuracies in my transcription or analysis. I did my best and this was purely for fun *shaky thumbs up*]

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'How Far We’ve Come' by Harlan Guthrie is a duet between Grand Piano and Cello. This piece opens with solo piano, either in a pickup measure or in a single measure of 2/4 before transitioning to 4/4 time in measure 2. Throughout its entirety there are many moments of rubato which have been notated as ritardando and a subsequent a tempo. To most accurately follow the phrasing, listening to the recording is highly recommended.

This piece begins in the key of F#M or the enharmonic spelling of GbM. Although unpleasant to look at with either 6 sharps or 6 flats, depending on which spelling is followed, this key is often used by composers to invoke emotions of a conquest story, evoking relief, triumph, victory, and clarity. As we know from our story in Malevolent so far, this meaning is not lost on us. I have chosen to keep this piece as F#M since that is how I originally began transcribing it. I have also attached the GbM version at the end of the post, however all the analysis follows F#M spelling.

The lone piano begins on the third of our I chord with a hesitant, heavily rubato 8th note pickup into measure 1. The transition from measure to measure in this first phrase gains little confidence, especially with the transition from the pickup into m. 1 as this is the only instance in the piece where the set of 8th notes in the left hand do not lend itself into the next right hand pickup (four 8th notes instead of five). Each lead-in to the downbeat is stretched, pedal held throughout the measure to allow the sound to linger. Each press of the keys is deliberate, yet maintains a mezzo dynamic as the sound fades. m.2 is introduced with a vi chord, creating a hint of unease before resolving in m.3 to a IV(add7). We end our first phrase with a half cadence to a V chord, leading into a V7 as our next phrase begins with a B. 

As we enter our second phrase it is similar to our first with  m.5 beginning with a I chord, m.6 expands our vi chord compared to its first iteration, resulting in a more confident feel as we continue into m.7 with yet another expansion to our IV(add7). M.8 ends this phrase as we reach another half cadence V chord almost V7. 

Beginning m.9 the piece has a few possible paths of analysis, we arrive on a vi chord if we are remaining in F#M, which unlike our other initial starting phrases this throws us into a melancholic mood. There is a possibility of modulation to the relative minor (D#m), however I believe it remains in F#M and utilizes inversions of our chords and will continue with this assumption for the next phrase.

Remaining in F#M, m.10 could be a vi(4/2) inversion, or a I(6/4) inversion. Because Measure 11 moves to a ii chord, I believe it makes more harmonic sense for m.10 to be a vi(4/2) inversion as moving from a I(6/4) - ii is less common than a vi(6/4) to a ii. 

M.11 into m.12 is a fascinating progression. We have a V with the (g) in m.11, then we are descending to a Dnat, A#, E# progression. The Dnat is what has thrown me off the most, as it is a minor chord of sorts but doesn’t exist within our key of F#M, or relative D#m. The E# A# progression I believe is a I(4/2) chord, as it is leading us back into the next phrase. Even spelling enharmonically as a A#, Cx, E# chord it does not naturally occur within our existing key. After many hours of checking theory textbooks, writing out possible modulations, and playthroughs of the chords, I’m choosing to leave this as a V-I(4/2) progression and accepting my loss that I do not know what chord exists in the downbeat of m.12. However, I can say that resolving to something that is not a root tonic further creates this sense of melancholy.

Bringing us to our next phrase at m.13, similar to our previous phrase a vi chord but instead of resolving to an A# it resolves to the root D#. M.14 is identical to m.10 with the exception of the lower octave A#3 before resolving in m.15 to a ii chord until the fourth beat of the measure which leads us into measure 16 - resolving to a IV-V half cadence by the end of the measure. 

Reaching m.18 we are returning to our original phrase. This is where our cello enters for the duet, in which I have some observations about musicality first. As the piano is using a significant amount of pedal to sustain the sound, the cello utilizes a wide vibrato to create a warm sound. Notably, this doesn’t occur as significantly when entering with the lower notes. The cello is confident, encouraging the piano forward and maintaining a solid momentum even with the hesitance the piano has shown. 

M.18 we begin on a I chord, supported by the cello playing a low F# as the root. In the pause between phrases, it's as if you can feel the performers breathing together before they move to m.19, our vi(add7) chord. 

Measure 20 I have quite a bit to talk about. Stacked chord analysis is not my forte (pun intended). From what I could hear, there is a B1, F#2, B2, F#3 in the cello, while the piano continues with a IV(add7) chord. B1 is impossible to play on a cello with traditional tuning, in order to achieve this note they would have to tune their lowest string - their C string - down a half step. The chord B1/F#2/B2/F#3 is also impossible to play on a single instrument. If one cello tuned their C down to a B, then they could feasibly play the bottom chord, possibly the two B’s in octaves. It is possible for a cellist to play an F#/B/F# chord, however it would be uncomfortable and not result in a good tonality with it being a triple stop - but, the second cello could split the chord and play a different combination (F#2,B2 or B2,F#) with success. Other solutions to this could be having a double bass play the pedal B, as it would be within their ability on and remain in the correct octave, or having the piano cover the pedal B. This massive chord then resolves simply to a half cadence V chord in measure 21. 

Entering our last section, m.22, we return to a phrase similar to the beginning, with a confident I chord. With each measure we go to a more traditional chord progression to a V-IV-V in measures 23, 24, and 25 respectively. In an exciting turn of events, we land on a I chord in our final measure. The first PAC in the entire piece, and yet, it doesn’t sound as if the piece is finished. Throughout its entirety, all the phrases have been a form of inauthentic cadence. We end on a Perfect Authentic Cadence, a V-I, it should sound resolved. And yet, it continues on. The notes ring, and if left on repeat (as I have done for this analysis), it makes sense for it to continue. 

In conclusion, I believe this duet is in an general AABBAA format, with A being Major key tonality and B encompassing a minor key tonality. This piece is a conversation, it’s full of emotion and hesitance and is a fantastic representation of everything we’ve seen Arthur and John go through so far in the podcast. I can’t help but think of “I’ve come so far…and I have miles to go before I sleep” with this piece as a reflection of that. This composition is saying “Look, see how far we’ve come, what we’ve done to get here. How we’ve changed and grown.” All this to say, it’s an amazing story and an amazing composition. If you made it this far, I’m glad you came along in this musical journey with me and feel free to add anything I may have missed (or possibly mistaken). 

[ranchstoryblog]

Ranch Story Community Q&A Volume 3: Igusa Matsuyama Returns!

Igusa Matsuyama, the legendary artist behind the Story of Seasons series since the original 1996 game has once again agreed to a Q&A featuring questions from fans from around the world! A big thank you to all the members of the community who helped make this possible.

Some aspects of the text have been altered to match localization people are familiar with. (Japanese names to English names, for example: Bokujou Monogatari (牧場物語) was formerly localized as Harvest Moon and is now localized as Story of Seasons, etc). Images were not part of the original text and have been added as a visual aid. Though we translated as many questions as we could, we did not include questions involving personal information or regarding unannounced releases. Please understand.

If you would like to read our original correspondence (in Japanese), that will be provided in a separate post.

Additional cosplay photo provided by Foxface from our community Discord.

Translations: @artycharmy (correspondence, outline) Editing and Clean-up: Jerome, @artycharmy, and @regularcelery

——— Anonymous asks: What is the relationship between Jamie and the Harvest Goddess?

Igusa Matsuyama: Jamie was treated as a fairy or spirit. I'm sorry, but I'm not sure if there's any points that link them and the Goddess.

Editor's note: the term Matsuyama uses is "妖精."

Tomato asks: I would like to ask about what their inspiration was for the outfits designs in the original release of harvest moon another wonderful life. Since I got reminded of the girl clothing brand Mezzo Piano when looking at the I love Kuma/I love bears outfit.

Igusa Matsuyama: I remember the only thing I thought of was using Spring-like colours! (All designs were made with seasonal colours In mind) When I knew that Daachan, who was planned to be used in a lot of events, wouldn't actually play a big role in the game, I put him on the T-Shirt so he could at least get some attention as a mascot-like existence.

Pansy asks: If you were able to create your own game for the Story of Seasons franchise, with no rules or limitations whatsoever, what do you think it might look like?

Igusa Mastuyama: Since I love dogs, I'd like to try making a Story of Seasons that's set in a world just full of dogs. Though that dream of mine probably won't come true.

Anonymous asks: The look of Story of Seasons has changed a lot over the years! What would you say is more challenging to create - simple designs, where you have to work with very little space, or complicated designs, where you have to consider many little details?

Igusa Matsuyama: A long time ago there were a lot of things you weren't able to replicate in video games. There were constraints for things like the number of colours and patterns for hair styles and clothes. It was difficult to work around those constraints, but at the same time a lot of fun. Nowadays, it's the complete opposite. Now we can design anything with hardly any constraints. And unlike a long time ago, now I'm asked to make more complicated designs, like patterns and decorations. However, if it's a big request, sometimes I run into quite a lot of trouble when designing. They each have had their own difficulties.

Anonymous asks: Hello, Matsuyama! Thank you for bringing the worlds of Bokujou Monogatari to life for many years. Your art has had a huge influence on me!

One of my favorite candidates is “Rock” from “A Wonderful Life.” I’d love to know any particular influences for his character design from 21 years ago, and his new design for the remake.

Igusa Matsuyama: I was told that he was a young, wannabe playboy, so I somehow ended up with that sort of design. For the remake, I made his clothes a little looser without changing his design, so he'd look even more playful. I, too, wanted to avoid changing him as much as I could as there are other people among the staff that also like the original for his “Rockness”. So, he got that makeover after everybody shared and checked their opinions with each other.

Jerome asks: On page 130 of the "Special Comic" manga there's artwork of Super Famicom characters that have never been printed anywhere else. Do you or Marvelous still have these? It would be great to see them in more detail in the future some time.

Igusa Matsuyama: They're all characters that appeared in the SNES version of "Harvest Moon." Nina's parents, Ellen's mother, Ann's father, Maria's parents (The mayor couple). I'm sorry. My SNES illustrations have gone missing...

Raven Bloom, Ryan, and Moth ask: How did you feel when your designs for the men in A Wonderful Life were repurposed to be bachelors? What do you think of the changes made to the bachelors in the remake of A Wonderful Life? I miss the “Bruce Campbell” look Matthew used to have.

Igusa Matsuyama: Matthew (マシュー) is Masshu (マッシュ) in the Japanese A Wonderful Life (Editors note: Charmy made a careless mistake when translating the questions, sorry Matsuyama san 🫣) When I first heard this name, the first thing that came to mind was Evil Dead's protagonist, Ash. You're right. I designed him after Bruce Campbell. I still love Bruce Campbell today. When Wonderful Life was under production, I had heard they weren't going to make a girl version, so I designed him not as a love interest, but as a quirky character. Knowing that he'd appear in the remake as a marriage candidate, I redesigned him as a character that would be liked by many. I hope you can enjoy the game for its nostalgia, as well as for being a shiny, brand new release.

Salmon Axe and Anonymous ask: I personally adore Doraemon x SOS game. Are you interested in working directly with or collaborating with other franchises in the future? And is there a series outside Story of Seasons you would like to work with now as a guest artist? (Could it be Pokemon?)

Igusa Matsuyama: I've loved Doraemon manga since I was a kid! Working as a guest artist? Hmm, I'm happier being the main illustrator, so nothing in particular comes to mind. I enjoy a lot of games in my free time, such as Fallout, Far Cry and Border Lands.

Anonymous asks: Even though we never see his face, was there ever a concept of how Woofio would look without his costume?

Igusa Matsuyama: I designed Woofio as the being that is Woofio, so there's no design of him without his costume.

Idris asks: Your style has upgraded a lot over the time to match the trends. Do you think you will ever go for an old school look (early HM) for a SoS game again? What do you think is the secret to your art’s charm?

Igusa Matsuyama: What I'm particular about when designing for Story of Seasons is making characters with head/body proportions and an atmosphere that go well with that release. First, I listen to the client's request then think of a design according to that. These days, game visuals have gotten fancier and fancier, so there's not many opportunities for characters with short proportions to make an appearance. To me, what's important when designing is "playfulness." More so than "pretty" or "cool" and such, I get attached to the character, have fun making the character. I find joy in character creation itself.

MacGyver asks: Yasuhiro Wada has shared some interesting stories about how chaotic the original game's development was. Is there anything interesting you remember from around that time? 

Igusa Matsuyama: Now it's a memory I can look back on and laugh about, but I'm not sure how much I can talk about it so please forgive me. If Wada hadn't been there back then, then "Harvest Moon" wouldn't have become a thing.

Toyberb and Anonymous ask: There’s a lot of different cow designs now, which is your favorite to draw?

Igusa Matsuyama: I've loved drawing animals since I was a kid, so I love all of the cows. Although the easiest one to draw is the cow with the big nose.

Anonymous asks: Were there any games where you made designs for protagonists of genders that did not end up available to play as? (Like a girl protagonist for Save the Homeland/Hero of Leaf Valley or a nonbinary protagonist for any game before A Wonderful Life)

Igusa Matsuyama: There's so many designs that got scrapped, but as far as I recall, there's not really many where that character's setting itself was scrapped. (Excluding Thumbelina, mentioned below)

Koharu asks: Were there ever any character designs made for other older SNES characters like Ellen for 64? Some magazines had Marie with blue hair, like the SNES character, so it made me wonder if she (SNES Maria) was meant to also be there at some point.

Igusa Matsuyama: I'm not in the position to make settings or scenarios where characters from other games appear, so I can't say, but I like the idea of older characters making an appearance!

Amina/k0iisu asks: Hello! I really love Hiro’s design specifically. Could you tell me a few facts about him/his design that might not be well known information? Thank you so much! I love your art :D

Igusa Matsuyama: Thank you very much! Hiro is a future doctor, so I tried to make them look as much like a doctor as I could. Also, to make him look friendlier, I designed him as your average everyday boy you'd see in the neighbourhood. He doesn't have a flashy face or hairstyle, but he's one of my favourite designs, too. I wrote this in the guidebook too, but what I like about him is the Asian flair I added to his clothes and the spot of colour around his feet.

Bunbun asks: I'm excited for the Nendoroid that was announced of Claire! I hope there will be ones of HM64 designs too. Since you have a lot of figures on your blog, how does it feel to be able to add one of your own characters to your collection? Are there any of your other characters you hope will get figures of?

Igusa Matsuyama: A nendoroid of Claire! I'm looking forward to it too, but when is it going to be released? If it's possible, I'd like one of Woofio.

Editor's note: Preorders are open for Nendoroid Claire now!

Chickee asks: A purple-haired princess character was rumored to have existed in Harvest Moon 64, but she didn't make it to the published game. Did you create a design for this character?

Igusa Matsuyama: That's probably Princess Thumbelina. Wasn't she Incredibly small? What I designed didn't end up being used. Speaking of HM64 characters, I pushed for them to include a pet turtle, but in the end it only appeared as an ornament. For A Wonderful Life, I asked for a turtle to be included again and designed a tortoise with a scarf, but it didn't make it as a pet and appeared only as a wild turtle that walks around the pond. I'm waiting for the day they finally include a pet turtle in the game.

emery flower147 asks: omg  I saw the pics where the AWL girls are in a team and Muffy has a shotgun and stuff? Do you think any other characters would work in a cool team like that?

Igusa Matsuyama: For the Friends of Mineral Town guide book, I had the five girls, Popuri, Marie, Ran, Elly and Karen work hard as Harvest Sprites. Also, for the guide books, I drew Pete (The old male protagonist), Sarah (The GB version female protagonist), and Claire doing whatever I wanted them to. I don't know if you can call it cool or not, but it was fun being in charge of that.

Ixur asks: A lot of the PoOT character designs for the regular villagers seem more popular than the marriage candidates in my region. Is that something that's been noticed by you/Marvelous in Japan? Lars, Clemens, Beth, and Misaki for example.

Igusa Matsuyama: Marvelous doesn't really talk about that sort of thing so I'm not sure if they're aware of it or not. I don't do social media so I'm also not sure which characters are popular. I'm happy as long as the characters are liked. The design on Lars’s shirt is modeled after my beloved dog, so I’d be especially happy if you like his shirt too.

Anonymous asks: What do you think about people cosplaying your designs?

Igusa Matsuyama: It makes me very happy! I'm no good at sewing, so I really admire people who can make their own clothes. It's an honour having the designs I made be made into real clothes, and I think it's great to have fun acting out the characters.

Afro Fae asks: When creating designs for characters, how do you settle on a specific color palette? Do you take color meanings into account with a character's personality or do you go purely off of feeling?

Igusa Matsuyama: I keep in mind the overall colours the client asked for while designing. Sometimes I propose a new colour when I think there's one that fits better. I'm also careful when choosing colours and everyone's traits to make sure it's easy to tell which character is which when seen from a distance. However, in the cases of families and such, I do the opposite and give them all a common colour to give them a sense of kinship.

———

From all of us at Ranch Story, we'd like to thank Matsuyama from the bottom of our hearts for answering our questions again! Whether a fan has only just discovered the series or has grown up alongside it, so many people have loved these characters and worlds that Igusa Matsuyama brings to life, so it feels truly special to be able to have this opportunity. We'll end this article with Matsuyama's own words, as well as a parting gift.

Igusa Matsuyama: I'm so glad I could answer your questions again. I'm the one that should be saying thank you. It means the world to me knowing that everyone enjoys my illustrations! I added an illustration as thanks. I'll keep up the hard work!

[hiver-vin]

Io sono l'Italia | Romano x reader

A/N: sorry if this is bad !! I’m a bit rusty,,

Warnings: Fem!Reader, Italy making moves on reader, probably ooc

“Are you Italy?”

Your voice rung out through the empty hall, echoing through Romano’s ears. The question almost didn’t seem real at first.

There’s no way you were asking him that.

But a small tug on the sleeve of his shirt confirmed it and almost hesitantly he turned around to face you.

You seemed a bit taken aback by his annoyed expression, was this really the guy Germany told you about? He matched the description almost perfectly…

His brow furrowed as he looked at you, his harsh glare making you more and more nervous.

“I-I think I have the wrong guy…” you laugh nervously as you throw your hands up. “I’ll just-“

“What is it exactly that you want?” He cut you off before you could scuttle away, crossing his arms over his chest. He told himself he couldn’t care less, but he was curious not only about the new nation in front of him, but if you had business with his brother than that made it his business too.

“Oh I just… Mr. Germany if I needed some help getting settled to find Italy, that ‘he’d make me feel right at home’.”

Romano let out a small exhale at your impression of Germany, finding amusement in the way you deepened your voice and furrowed your brow to mimic him. Romano scratched his chin, thinking for a second. He probably wasn’t the guy you were looking for- his brother was a lot friendlier than he was, he probably would just make you feel more nervous… but, you were kinda cute. As far as he was concerned he had been given the opportunity to chat up a cute girl before his brother could swoop in and ruin it for him…

“Yeah, alright.” He shrugged, motioning you to follow him as he turned around. “I’ll give you a tour.”

He watched as you let out a sigh of relief, a smug smile creeping onto his face.

“Yeah… that’d be nice… if it’s not too much trouble.”

“Sorry if I worried you, bella. Im a bit weary of strangers…” his now more relaxed demeanour helped ease you even more as he showed you around the large meeting building.

He threw in occasional flirts and compliments whenever he could, really buttering you up in anyway that he could. You seemed to be enjoying the attention so he didn’t mind cozying up to you a little bit for the time being. He knew once this tour was over and you were eventually introduced to everyone else you’d forget about him quickly, but for the time being it was nice to exist in these walls, just the two of you with your undivided attention.

“Maybe after this, you’d like to get lunch with me? Just the two of us?” He asked slyly.

You seemed to have warmed up to him quite a bit and if it was possible he’d like to keep it that way for as long as possible. He had to admit he liked being ‘Italy’. He had come second to his brother his whole life, just this once he wanted to come first.

You laughed sheepishly. “Aw, I-“ you were suddenly cut off by the sound of someone calling out to you both. Romanos face immediately fell as he turned around to see exactly who he was avoiding.

As Italy caught up to the two of you his smile widened. “I’ve been looking for you two everywhere!” He beamed. He quickly took your hand in his, all you could do is blink as you were a bit taken aback by his hyper behaviour.

“Oh wow! You’re the new girl? You’re so cute, I can’t wait to get to know you! I see you’ve met my brother, Romano! Are you two getting along? He’s a bit grumpy isn’t he?” His sing-songy voice just kept coming as he bombarded you with questions and compliments, it was almost dizzying. Romano let out a frustrated huff as he grabbed hold of his brothers arm, yelling something at him in Italian.

“Non vedi che siamo nel bel mezzo di qualcosa!? Idiota…”

Italy whimpered slightly, letting out a weak laugh as he looked back over to you.

“See I told you he was grumpy…”

Romano stood between the two of you, glaring at his younger brother as he continued to talk to him quietly in a language you couldn’t understand, it was weird watching them talk amongst themselves but you had the feeling it didn’t really involve you regardless. Eventually Romano huffed and threw his hands up, seemingly giving up on his brothers relentlessness.

He turned to leave, looking back at you one more time.

“I’ll uh… see you around.” He huffed.

You quickly reached out to him, grabbing hold of his arms. He blinked a few times as you followed closely behind him.

“We… still have a tour to finish.” You laugh nervously. “Why don’t we get back to that…”

“Are you sure?” He asked, gesturing back to his brother who seemed just as confused.

“Very.” You stated blankly. After a moment you both awkwardly waved goodbye to Italy, who looked like some kind of wounded puppy. You kept walking silently beside each other in silence, each of you unsure of what to say. You studied his annoyed expression, although you’d only just met today you had gotten relatively comfortable with Romano, considering him to be your first new friend.

After while you cleared your throat, finally speaking up. “You’re brother seems like… a handful… for me at least.”

He let out a small exhale, finding your remark amusing. “He is… but you’ll get used to it…”

He looked away, scratching the back of his neck.

“He’s far easier to get along with though, I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to run back and go along with him instead… you might have more fun that way.”

You shake your head, a small smile on his face. “I think I’m good, like I said he’s a bit too intense. I’ve had a good time with you.”

His cheeks reddened as he looked away from you, pouting slightly. “I feel like I should admit to you I’m not exactly the Italy you were probably sent to find…”

You shrugged. “Yeah, I figured as much when we ran into your brother. But as far as I’m aware you’re still Italy so… it all kinda worked out, yeah?”

His entire face burned a bright red at your words and he found himself stuttering. It was true, he technically was Italy- why did he care so much about the fact that you thought that too.

“Whatever.” He grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m starting to get hungry, let’s get out of here and find something to eat.”

———————————————————————

Translations: Io sono l'Italia | I am Italy

Non vedi che siamo nel bel mezzo di qualcosa!? Idiota | Can’t you see we’re in the middle of something!? Idiot

Sorry if these are wrong! I do not speak itialian </3

[swaps55]

What was the deciding factor that made you write Opus from everyone else’s pov and not Sam’s? Going back and reading it again while waiting (with rabid patience) for Mezzo, I’m truly seeing how fleshed out you’ve made Sam. And is it possible that we see another pov from Hannah? The small piece that was in Mezzo was really eye opening

It was a couple of things!

One is that we spend three games looking through Shepard's eyes, and if I was going to cover canon events in a fanfic, I wanted to look at them through the eyes of someone else to give events we all know about already a fresh perspective.

The second is that one of the things I wanted to do with Opus was really emphasize the 'larger than life' aspect of Shepard's legacy. As the player character of a video game, Shepard by design is the center of the Mass Effect universe. They are the only person who can save the galaxy, the person everyone looks to as a leader, the person through which all decisions flow. But fanfic isn't a video game, and a question I really wanted to answer about Sam specifically was...why him? What makes him the person who saves the galaxy? What makes him a hero? Because "he's the player character" isn't an answer.

Part of answering that question was making him feel larger than life to the reader. And one of the ways I thought I could do that was never letting the reader really see what's going on in his head. His narrative is entirely filtered through the eyes of others, so that all you see is what others think of him. They all offer pieces of the full picture of Sam, but no one has all the pieces. And even the people who love him the most - like Kaidan - still get him wrong sometimes. The reader is the only one who gets the most complete picture of him, but even you are missing one vital piece of the puzzle - Sam's.

It felt like a fun way to add a little mystery to who he is. There is always some part of him that's unknowable, which feels important to a character who exists as a symbol to so many. There's a person underneath the mantle, but you have to work for him, and what you get is a little different depending on whose eyes you're looking through.

It's been an interesting and really fun challenge to develop a main character whose thoughts you never see, but who nevertheless has a lot of depth and compels people rather than frustrates them when you don't know what he's thinking.

As for Hannah Shepard, I am all but certain we will get another POV from her. Her involvement in Mezzo and in the next story, Requiem, continues to evolve in ways I am really pleased with. I'm learning a lot about her, and I hope you will be surprised with the direction I think her character arc is going to go.

[glassprism]

Hey there GP! Could you please give me your top 3 Disney princess Christine's? For me: Caitlin Finnie, Anna O'Byrne, Gina Beck. Thank you!

I guess this is where I betray that I'm not much of a Disney fan (or is too much?), when I ask... how are we defining a Disney princess?

Are we going vocally and if so, what kind of vocals?

Operatic with a sweet undertone? Then Amy Manford, Joke de Kruijf, and Rebecca Caine.

Maybe we want to go a little more modern, a little less vibrato, but still classical. Then Valerie Link, Lily Kerhoas, and Caitlin Finnie.

Or how about just kind of squeaky: Robyn North, Maria Coyne, and... Meredith Braun, there's so many of them.

What if some belting is involved? Leila Benn Harris, Chumisa Dornford-May, and Katie Hall.

Or maybe they're just secretly a mezzo... looking at you, Nicky Adams, Katie Knight Adams, and... I'll just go for it, Emmy Rossum.

Or are we going with their demeanor?

The classically feminine, demure, gentle ladies: Patti Cohenour, Lucy St Louis, and Gina Beck.

The intuitive, observant, brainier girls of the Renaissance era: Alison Kelly, Jennifer Hope Wills, and Rachel Barrell.

The fearless, strong-willed, modern, "I am not defined by a man" princesses of today: Meghan Picerno, Kaley Ann Voorhees, and Celinde Schoenmaker.

The sweet, innocent, joyful women that fit into any period: Kim So Hyun, Yang Chenxiuyi, and Holly-Anne Hull.

So what's your pick?

[always-a-joyful-note]

Love the way that Tamaki and Sogo are initially constrasted as opposites until it turns out those opposite lifestyles still resulted in very similar pains. Rich family vs poor family -> abandoned by said family and lost a precious family member to death. Approaches life through self defense vs approaches life by giving in to others -> both stemming from family issues and loneliness. Pursued idolhood to find someone vs pursued idolhood to find themselves -> influenced by a precious outside force (sister vs uncle) whom they could not reach in the end for some reason. Says too much vs says too little -> they are failures in communication

But of course we can't forget how they do meet in the middle (the mezzo (aka moderate, middle, half....)). How they try and find a way to communicate, how they find both themselves and each other and what they need, how while they don't reach the person they want to reach they do reach each other, etc....

[vi-sigoth]

Watching the most recent interview with Ellen/Eliot Page makes me so fucking ill that I don’t have any jokes left in me about her appearance. I just feel like crying when I look at her. Juno came out when I was in high school, and a lot of people told me then, and continued to tell me, when I was in my early 20s, that I looked like her. I don’t think we bear a huge resemblance to each other but we could be related, maybe cousins or half-sisters, and we both presented sort of quasi-androgynous, not butch at all but not extremely feminine either, and we have very similar low-timbred voices and I had and still have kind of weird, off beat humor, sorta like the character that Page played in Juno. I don’t think we looked like each other more so than my general demeanor and mannerisms sort of reminded people of Page. I always took it as a compliment. Ellen was very pretty to me. I was a fellow flat-chested, low-voiced brunette, someone that a lot wouldn’t consider, looks-wise, a feminine bombshell knockout. And that was devastating to me when I was younger. I hated my perceived ugliness. Hated my flat chest. Hated being tall and having a low voice. Hated all the jokes made about me when I was in music school about how I was “a man” (I have a low mezzo-soprano singing voice and can sing contralto roles pretty easily too). As I left my teens and then my 20s behind, I gradually started to like the way I looked. I started developing my own personal clothing style that was flattering to my body. I started not caring if others didn’t like my appearance. So some guy got insecure because I was taller than him? His loss. Some guy didn’t want to date me because of my tiny A-cups? Good, I don’t want to be with someone that shallow anyway. A lot of men thought I was too weird? I am weird and I’m not about to stop being weird anytime soon. My husband loves the way I look, and the way I am, and that’s good enough for me. And I learned, even as I became more conservative and traditional in my leanings, that the TERF girls are really correct: there is no wrong way to present as a women. A butch lesbian with a shaved head that wears nothing but cargo shorts and t-shirts is just as much of a woman as the girl who loves 1950s fashion and rolls her hair every night and applies makeup every morning.

But I don’t think Ellen got to have that realization. I think Ellen grew up as a child actor, suffered grooming, abuse, and the casting couch (she said as much in her memoir) and then suffered years of cultural grooming and brainwashing from Hollywood and leftist media that tells women that they are either Kardashians or men, and there is no nuance and no in-between anymore. Look like an inhuman bimboid sex doll freak like Kylie Jenner, or just simply, quit participating in it, and become a sexless object. Ellen Page has allowed a doctor to cut off her breasts, and she now exists in a bizarre state of not being a woman, but not resembling a man either. Her voice is bizarre and uncanny, coming from vocal cords too thick for a female throat. If she continues taking testosterone, she will have joint problems, as her muscles continue to grow too big for her 5’1 frame. She will be at a massively increased risk for liver failure and heart problems. Her vagina will possibly atrophy so much, that it will be impossible for her to have any sort of penetrative sex at all.

I laughed along with everyone else at that absurd picture of her at the Met Gala a few years back, but it’s not funny to me anymore. She looks like a lost little girl, wearing clothing not meant for her, that don’t fit her. That never will.

[altosys]

random tpc headcanons

-spheer has a treenut allergy. idk, they just look like they would lol -ajaceare has a love-hate relationship with the harry potter franchise. like you bet your ass she'd know every single fact about it. -pentellow is pansexual. pantellow. -circubit cut his hair in his corrupted form. -iris is convinced via pentellow's cooking that al dente pasta is undercooked -pyrare would own a van if he had any type of vehicle -cubic would blast eminem in their headspace. just to piss cube off. -once circubit unmasks (if he even does mask at all) he becomes the most autistic motherfucker you'll ever meet. like once you accidentally bring up his spinterest there's no going back -circubit has chromesthesia (i once brought this up to brittany - the tpc creator brittany, not my headmate brittany - she probably saw it as a request so it might not end up as canon. oh well) -pentellow would abso-fucking-lutely be voiced by athena karkanis. ok maybe its because her nickname is a baking item, or because of her general personality, but yeah. (ok maybe she reminds me of sheree, so what) -ajaceare owns a bunch of potted plants. not just any potted plants, though. the specific gay ones. like the ones that lesbian witch cat-owners have. so in other words ajaceare is the epitome of lesbian. -dub has never tried tiger tiger ice cream (the orange and licorice one) and refuses to try it solely because "what kind of ice cream is orange" -cyanide has probably spent at least $150 from dub's bank account on claire's stuff. and 85% of it is pusheen merch. -iris grew up with watching salad fingers and jacksepticeye. -purpex is an esfp. -cintagon is autistic. idk they just dont seem allistic to me -pentellow's favourite total drama island character would be lindsay. -circubit's favourite total drama island character is chris mclean; he probably said "alright campers, todays challenge is..." every 3 seconds in his tdi phase. -cyanide enjoys murder drones -dub has tried to use corruption to make his hair fluffier -cube and cubic are literally just yin-yang from inanimate insanity. (aight brittany, where's the episode where the two find a vending machine and cubic wants dr fizz but cube wants water-) -circubit listens to lostwave -pyrare once caught barracuda and dub trying to make meth in his kitchen (it failed miserably, if pyrare wasnt there the house would've burned down) -circusic hates eminem; circubit knows all the lyrics to the real slim shady, without me, stan, lose yourself, and a shit ton of other classics. -if the tpc universe had plurality as a known concept, "corruption-genic" would be one of the most researched pages on their pluralpedia. -dub dies a little inside every time someone makes a mitosis joke about his eyes -you could easily lose ajaceare in a hot topic. like next thing you know she's on the top rack of the goth dress-shirts looking down like a fucking bat -circubit has spent an hour in spencer's just browsing, wondering "would i actually look good in this or do i think it just looks good on its own". he has also been to the back just for shits n' giggles. -ajaceare would only go to spencer's for the lava lamps and mystic stuff -iris' favourite lego ninjago character is kai -cube has never seen inanimate insanity, for some fucking reason -cyanide can play river flows in you on piano -cyanide's singing range is mezzo-soprano to soprano; her voice would be similar to vocaloid sonika -pyrare's favourite vocaloids are kaito and yowane haku -cubic recommended that cube should listen to otone peke, saying they were "the best vocaloid fr fr" -pentellow watches ouran highschool host club

[cr4yolaas]

mezzo forte — half return

track 4: the horse | masterlist | track 6: workaholic methodology

translation notes: nanay = mom; lola = grandma; ulam = a filipino dish that goes with rice; sinigang = a soupy dish containing meat, veggies, fish sauce, etc.

the air conditioning rattles inside the dining room, the noise serving as background noise to a scene that reminds hajime of home. an amalgamation of steamed bok choy, marinated pork belly, and acrid fish sauce wafts through the air. this week's ulam is sinigang. her favorite, he recalls.

the empty space beside the pair leaves a bitter taste of emptiness and longing on their tongues, but neither expresses it, nor are they aware of the other's parallel feelings. instead, they sit in comfortable silence while hajime's nanay spoons the soup into a serving bowl and his lola plates the freshly cooked rice, the scene reminiscent of childhood summers spent together under the blazing heat with the promise of good, hearty food.

billows of steam dance up, up, and up into the ceiling and drift away into nothingness, all while two chairs squeak against wood, alerting the table of the women's arrival. tooru thanks them for the meal excitedly. something is amiss.

"it's too hot to eat sinigang in this weather," his mother scolds, despite carefully pouring a spoonful of the soup into her own bowl of rice. "you should've asked me to cook something cooler. i would've been fine with cooking those korean cold noodles you always like."

"it's fine," her son responds earnestly. his words are slightly muffled from the bits of meat and veggies stuffed in his cheeks, a habit he hadn't grown out of since his youth. "it tastes good, anyways."

tooru's eyes light up with his own taste of the meal. "really good. it tastes really, really good. they don't have food like this in argentina, you know."

hajime's lola chuckles at his remark, her back flushed against her seat and her hands folded on her lap. "i'm sure you missed this," she remarks. something in her tone is airy yet playful. "hajime told me about your travels. have you found any lovers overseas? any romance?"

"oh, yes! it's good for you guys to find someone to settle with at your age," his mother chirps in, and the two men are choked with shock.

unease riddles itself into both of their bones. there's a truthful, honest answer that they're both capable of crafting in their heads. but if there is one thing they have in common, it's that they're stubborn. so, together (unknowingly), they push away their respective realities and opt for something vague. something that prances around the bushes of what they know to be factual.

the argentinian is the first to speak up. "i have a little bit of an interest in someone, but i don't think i plan on doing anything about it soon." there's an awkward chuckle tacked onto the end of his statement and a crack in his syllables, but he tries desperately not to think about it. he glances over at hajime in hopes that whatever his friend says will save them from the pressure.

"same for me. work's too busy these days, i can't focus on those things right now, nanay."

much to his demise, it doesn't save them, at all.

--

"...and we walked around the villages for quite a bit, talked to a few locals; it was fun. i think the scenery helped with my writing block."

the man across from her wears a corporate smile and it irks her, almost. he's not the ideal image of a manager. she'd envisioned something more friendly, something therapeutic, far from the person sitting on her couch writing down notes dutifully.

"that's good," he exclaims absentmindedly as he continues to jot down note after note after note. she wonders what he could possibly be writing about. her poor time management skills? her diminishing motivation and lack of individualism in a growing sea of competition? she doesn't want to imagine it.

he pauses for a moment. the notebook in his hands plops neatly onto the coffee table, and his hands settle onto his lap. it's too professional. too robotic. "have you considered going on tour?"

"sorry?"

"well, i was talking to your label, and they believed that it'd be a fitting time for you to do a tour around the country considering the rapid success of your most recent album." the man's stare burns laser-ignited holes into her flesh, as if he isn't asking her to consider the offer, but rather telling her to do it.

"but i thought they wanted me to begin working on a new album," she quips. there's a small edge of bitterness to her voice that leaks out against her will.

her manager, with all the neutrality and competence he can muster, chuckles softly at her concern. "of course, we already thought about that. we were wondering if you would like to try having a third party produce your instrumentals, in order to lessen the burden and ensure faster production. all you'd have to do while on tour is work on your lyrics and record. it's time efficient, and distributes all the responsibilities as opposed to you handling everything on your end."

she wants to laugh at him, but she knows it's improper and rude when all he's trying to do is maximize her profit -- the job that he was assigned to do. but she can't quite fight the twitch beneath her eye and the shifting of her weight in her disturbance. "look, i understand you're trying to help me, but-" her breath hitches. a tinge of anger bubbles up in her throat and she's scared it's going to make things worse. her hands grab at the fabric of her pants as if to restrain herself from unleashing something she doesn't quite mean. "i've been doing everything the same way every year -- i've composed every song, i've written every lyric, all the music videos are directed by me, and i don't get why you would think changing any of that would help."

anxiety crawls up the surface area of her spine and clings onto her. her manager is silent, evidently deep in thought, and his eyes drift away to the window. his hand smooths his hair away from his forehead, the action embedding some sort of fear into her that she knows is misplaced. "let's talk about this another time. i'll give you a while to consider the deal. i hope you can compose a clear and concise answer by then," he speaks, his tone far too formal for her liking. he excuses himself before she can respond, and before she can think about what he said, the door closes (nearly slams) shut behind her.

she can't help the small yet fleeting curse that spills from her lips, nor the sigh that escapes shortly after. irritation is a cruel and ugly feeling, she decides.

but the door squeaks open just as quickly as it was shut. footsteps -- heavy, loud, and slow -- approach the couch from behind. when she looks up, she's met with a pair of faces looking down at her.

"we brought drinks," tooru chirps out in an attempt to alleviate the friction coagulating in the air. "and food. from iwa's mom, of course."

the upturn of her lips is beyond her control. "i really need that," she breathes out. hajime shakes his head at the misery before him.

"what'd you do?"

"i didn't do anything. it's just more grievances from the industry. they want this, they want that; anything that'll grant them more money will do."

the two make themselves comfortable beside her, with the more lively of the duo on her right and her muse on her left. tooru pops open the bottle of soju unceremoniously while hajime pries open the tupperware lid on the table. the scene is welcoming and warm, a stark contrast to the cold monotony of her manager and the white-hot resentment simmering in her lungs. it feels right.

her eyes fall to the desktop at the side of the room and the haphazard arrangement of materials on her table (a leather notebook filled with vague compositions of soon-to-be-lyrics, the same pen she's been using since her second year of high school, an expensive microphone provided to her by her label that she needs to clean more often), and for the first time in a long while, she finds herself questioning the importance of her career. gone are the days of drafting cheesy songs in her bedroom and singing about the infatuation that seems to have altered her perception of the word permanently; she's become a cog to the machine and she only realizes it now. something in her aches.

hajime's stare follows hers, his cheeks puffed up with warm sinigang and rice. he questions the furrow in her brow and the displeasure in her gaze and finds his mind running back to the other night. the syrupy words and heartfelt verbiage clearly addressed to someone he may or may not know plague his mind, and he wonders if he'd find something similar in the notes sprawled across her desk.

tooru is silent. as opposed to his friends, whose eyes are cast to the same point, he's stuck watching them. the proximity of their legs, the coordination in their movement, the warmth that exudes from their combined presence; it all slowly chips away at whatever buried hope he'd carried with him from argentina to his home country.

it's a half return to normalcy. they're all bound together by long-time loyalty and care, but with the transfiguration of their hearts, it's different. there's a shift in the air attributed to maturation and growth. they don't want to acknowledge it.

♪ sorry if this is vague </3 i don't want to explain too in depth in fear of exposing too much plot but essentially this a moment where they realize that they can't really go back to normal (as in, the way they used to be as friends) with all of their changing lives and changing feelings

♪ i say this every time but i hope this chapter makes sense LOL its a lot less silly and more just a feeling of dread

♪ slightly based on half return by adrienne lenker (such a beautiful song)

♪ tooru definitely did gossip with hajime's mom and grandma while they were cooking. he loves listening to them rant about their annoying neighbors or lovesick coworkers

♪ i hc that hajime speaks in taglish (tagalog + english) on accident sometimes with yn and tooru but they've listened to his mom and lola talk enough that they understand

♪ i dont have much to say i just want to get to the next chapter already

taglist: @froyaoya @causenessus @guitarstringed-scars @yuminako @chemiru @sunnyskiezzzz @httpsivy @itsdragonius @theycallmenanamisgirl @wyrcan @19calicos @hunnies4bunnies @mawenskiblue @diorzs @loverlunaire @mfcherry @solaqes

[chatter-crow]

music hcs for the lu gang

because i’m a choir kid (derogatory)

Sky - Baritenor, decent singing voice. Plays the harp and if you gave him a piano he could play a scale.

Four - Tenor. Doesn’t sing. No formal training in any instrument but can play some pretty good percussion because of being a smith

Time - Bass, the only one in the group. If you give him an instrument he can probably play it. Strongest on the ocarina, of course. He has perfect pitch.

Twilight - Baritone leaning bass, sings a lot. Can’t really play any instruments other than the little whistle Ilia gives him. Enjoys music.

Wind - Tenor, but his voice hasn’t dropped yet so who knows how he’ll actually end up. Very good tempo, hence being a conductor with the wind waker.

Legend - A tenor to out-tenor all the other tenors. I have no doubt this man can hit the most ear-shattering, Ariana Grande, Mariah Carey-esc high notes. For instruments, he can play pretty much anything if you give him thirty minutes.

Hyrule - Tenor, although he doesn’t sing. Can play a flute (?) pretty well.

Warriors - Baritone, has a really good voice. Pretty awful at instruments though, can barely play an ocarina without it making an unholy screech.

Wild - Tenor, but their voice is pretty raspy and singing only makes it worse. They don’t have any conscious memories of learning, but if you give them a piano they could play a decent tune. They enjoy humming along to the Stable Trotters songs.

Extras:

Malon - Mezzo soprano. Wonderful voice, but doesn’t play any instruments

Ravio - Tenor, voice similar to Legend but less high notes. Somehow never learned how to play instruments even though he lived in Legend’s house and had the world at his fingertips.

[stargazer-tps]

Undertale Voice Musings + Choir

Fact: I am a huge choir nerd.

Fact: Back in like 2019, I made a soundfont using the Undertale characters' voice blips, and recently re-made that soundfont to work better, creating things like this:

This one is "Your Fault" from Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods. Featuring Asriel as Jack, Sans as The Baker, Shyren as Cinderella, Gaster as Little Red Riding Hood, and Temmie as The Witch.

In addition to making a soundfont that just re-pitches the blips as they exist in-game, I also made one that loops a portion of the sound so the notes can be sustained, which means I can make cool choir pieces like these:

This one is "Dunkelian Lullaby," a choir piece I composed a while back. If you like this one, I do plan on selling the sheet music for it on MusicaNeo as Eila Mirlen! Keep an eye out for it there ;)

This one is "Love is Love is Love is Love," by Abbie Betinis, from the Justice Choir Songbook. If you're a choir nerd or a teacher looking for free, accessible, quality music, I would definitely check it out!

Anyway, the fun part is that if you listen closely, even in the sustained soundfont, you may be able to pick out the characters' individual voices. For example, Sans and Gaster tend to be pretty loud. Flowey and Temmie are also pretty obnoxious (I have them turned way down in the last example, but they should be in your right ear.)

Some Notes on Ranges

The thing about these guys is that they are... not real and literally just cool synthesizers, so technically they can sing in any range. However, like with voices, they do have ranges they sound the best in and—related specifically to this soundfont I made—here are my notes about where I would place each character in a choir! (Note that I often break these assignments when I arrange choir stuff with these guys just because the number of characters on each part is out of balance otherwise.)

Temmie and Gaster have the largest ranges, being able to sing 5 octaves (although Gaster cheats and goes back down the octave sometimes, like a Shepard tone—I’ve futzed with his voice enough already and don’t feel like fixing it). Temmie’s 5 octaves, surprisingly, starts an octave lower than Gaster’s. (Damn, Temmie.)

Shyren, Mettaton, and Undyne are close behind. They can each sing 4 octaves; Shyren’s range sits one octave higher than Mettaton and Undyne’s.  (Admittedly, Undyne’s very low range sounds a lot like burps, but it’s very strong anyway.)

Toriel, Asgore, Asriel, Flowey, and Alphys have a large range of 3 octaves, Asgore starting lowest, then Flowey, then Asriel and Toriel and Alphys.

Sans and Papyrus have the smallest ranges, at 2 octaves, and they are exactly the same.

NOTE: technically—being synthesizers—all of them can sing past these given ranges. But at the low end they tend to sound burpy and bad, and at the very high end they might be too quiet to be worthwhile.

Ideal Ranges:

Note: many of them can sing in multiple ranges—as seen above—but these are the ones I put them in most often based on where their original voice clips sit (the root) AND the vibes they give me (with some exceptions).

Alphys: Alto - root = F4

Asgore: Bass – root = E3

Asriel: General Treble (tend towards soprano range) – root = A-A♭4

Flowey: General Treble (tend towards mezzo range) – root = E4

Gaster: Baritone/Tenor – root = all over the place because I used 7 different clips for him. Most of the fun timbre switching happens in the two octaves between C3 and C5.

Mettaton: Baritone/Tenor (tend towards tenor range) – root = E♭4

Papyrus: Baritone/Tenor (He CAN sing in a lower range, but it’s not quite as nice as the higher range) – root = E♭4

Sans: Tenor/Countertenor (controversially, I might add. IDK, he can sing in a low range but IMO it sounds... bad, especially when he’s not sustaining the notes because then he just sounds like he’s burping. Actually, for that reason I usually stick him on alto parts) – root = E-E♭4 (you could argue I have the octave wrong, but even then, his root is E-E♭3 and I would still probably stick him more in the tenor range than the bass range—pitches lower than his root sound... not very good. I think he just has a very resonant voice.)

Shyren: Soprano – root = B♭4

Temmie: Soprano – root = G4 (with the caveat that if she’s not sustaining notes, the mezzo-range is stronger for her)

Toriel: Soprano/Mezzo – root = E♭4 (I try to put her and Asriel on different parts because *technically* their voices are exactly the same; Toriel’s speaking voice in-game is just lower. I did add some vibrato to Toriel’s voice to help a little.)

Undyne: Alto/Contralto – root = B♭3

Other Notes:

Asriel sounds good staccato but is really pitchy when asked to hold a note. (I went back and fixed this. But now it’s a headcanon that he can’t hold a pitch any better than your average human child can, I guess.)

Gaster’s sustained low range is also incredibly pitchy. A little sharp, maybe, up until A3. (I fixed this, too. He also no longer jumps octaves in the middle of his range for no reason.)

Papyrus is also INCREDIBLY pitchy when sustaining notes. (This got fixed. But now the headcanon is that he’s maybe a little tone-deaf, or maybe he just gets overexcited and pushes himself sharp or flat.)

Sans actually sounds like… a lot BETTER when sustained, throughout his range because it no longer has the quality of a burp.

Shyren’s voice is strong but her major scale sounds minor when she sustains notes and its weird??? Very flat. (This was also an error on my part, because my tuning skills are bad at 9 o’clock at night. Maybe she tends to fall flat when she’s nervous.)

Temmie sounds good no matter what range. A little trumpet-like, though, and can be overpowering.

Toriel also sounds really good sustained and a lot stronger. She’s still pretty quiet tho.

Alphys’ high range is stronger when sustained.

Undyne’s fine. Weaker in the high range in general.

Flowey is LOUD and OBNOXIOUS.

Range Samples

The image above just shows you which notes and stuff are playing in the above example. Each character starts with "speaking" on the same pitch their voice sounds in game (approximately, in some cases), then a two-octave scale to show off the qualities of their low, mid, and high ranges.