#the quiet percussionist

[thequietpercussionist]

[sosleepytiredsleepy]

hi my favorite mutuals this is not disability related except that if i dont do it my band friend will only not kill me bc im disabled (/j) BUT dont let me forget to practice the piano oh god dont let me forgor 🥺🥺🥺‼️‼️‼️‼️

[doyoulikethissong-poll]

Kiltro - All The Time In The World 2023

Chilean-American singer-songwriter Chris Bowers Castillo moved to the port city of Valparaíso and became a walking tour guide. Back in Denver, Chris had looked for a moniker that reflected the evocative and subtly rebellious musical concepts percolating in his head, and settled on kiltro - a word used in Chile for stray dogs or mutts. He then teamed up with bassist Will Parkhill and drummer Michael Devincenzi, later inviting Fez García to join the band as an additional percussionist on Kiltro’s live gigs.

Titled Underbelly, Kiltro’s sophomore album crystallizes those dreams and experiences into a post-rock manifesto of dazzling beauty. Its songs combine touches of shoegaze, ambient and neo-psychedelia with the soulful transcendence of South American folk – the purity of stringed instruments, supple syncopated percussion and elusive melodies that define the works of Latin American legends such as Violeta Parra, Víctor Jara and Atahualpa Yupanqui. From the propulsive, chant-like groove of “Guanaco” to the art-pop panache of “All the Time in the World,” Underbelly is the kind of record that invites you to quiet down and listen, savoring every single detail.

"All The Time In The World" received a total of 65,2% yes votes!

[lookstairs]

Batboys Band meeting

Duke: Alright so Tim will be bass, Jason’s lead guitar, dami-

Damian: Wait why is Jason lead guitar?

Jason: Aww whats wrong little bird? Jealous

Damian: Of you? Pfft I just doubt your ability to be lead anything

Jason: Brat

Duke: Anyways Damian will be drums-

Jason: You know I saw a drum set at the store, it said ages 3 and up want me to get it for you Dami?

Damian: QUIET YOU STREET-

Duke: OK! Moving on, I’ll be-

Tim: Um why am I bass?

Duke: I don’t know it just fits I guess?

[Jay and Damian nod]

Duke: And I’ll be the lead singer!

Damian: What about Dick?

Duke: Dick will be the sassy percussionist

Dick: [Shaking a tambourine]

[hallo-anon]

141 Band/College Au Pt 2ish

I wanted their callsigns to be like school wide nicknames, so these are the stories/reasons for their nicknames.

Ghost:

We all know how quiet Ghost is, so I thought it would be funny if even as a percussionist, he has managed to scare the shit out of everyone. That includes Price and Nik, on multiple occasions.

Gaz:

This one was probably the hardest one. In the games, his callsign is Gaz because "because he doesn't say much, according to Captain Price." so I tried searching for a different meaning, and I found one. The story of Gaz's nickname was from one mistake by Nik. When Nik first heard Kyle's full name, he heard Gary instead of Garrick. He started calling him such and when no one corrected him, it turned to Gaz. Now everyone calls him that. No one has corrected Nik

Soap:

Johnny earned this nickname in his first year of guard. His captain at the time was amazed at how fast Johnny could toss his flag during his auditions. After he joined the team, everyone else took notice. One of the students said "It's like his hands are coated in soap or something." It just stuck.

Roach:

This one is my favorite. As a past colorguard member in highschool, I can tell ya, you get hurt a lot. Bruises, scrapes, friction burns from the silk. No matter how many times Gary gets hit by his flag/rifle/saber, he just keeps going. He got the nickname after a performance when his rifle but slammed into his nose. Even though his nose was bleeding, he preformed the entire time.

[solovivopaz]

Maya Biography

Maya Biography

Name: Maya

Species: Sea anemone

Gender: Women

Instrument: Percussion

Appearance:

Maya is a short sea anemone with light green skin that gives her a fresh and lively appearance. Its tentacles, which resemble a mane with a tail, are a vibrant purple color, which contrasts beautifully with its skin. Its unique and striking appearance makes it stand out in any setting, capturing attention both visually and aurally.

Personality and Traits:

Maya is a quiet and reserved person, often expressing her emotions through music rather than words. Her uniqueness is reflected in her exclusive use of an emoticon, (*), to communicate her feelings, letting the context speak for her. She is known for her diligent approach and passion for music, which leads her to always seek perfection in her performances. Although she initially appears shy, she is incredibly dedicated and possesses great inner strength.

History and Background:

Maya joined Ink Theory after graduating from a prestigious music academy, where she stood out for her talent and dedication. Her music teacher saw great potential in her and recommended she become a music instructor. However, Maya decided that she would rather gain experience creating and playing her own music before teaching others. This decision led her to join Ink Theory, where she found a home for her creativity and skills. In addition to playing with Ink Theory, Maya occasionally works as a freelance percussionist for other bands, allowing her to explore different styles and expand her musical repertoire.

Relations:

Karen: Maya has a close and friendly relationship with Karen, the pianist of Ink Theory. They support each other and share a deep connection through their passion for music. Karen is a positive influence on Maya, helping her overcome her insecurities and encouraging her to experiment with new musical styles.

Yoko: Maya and Yoko have a strong friendship based on mutual respect and dedication to the band. Yoko, as the band's leader, relies on Maya to keep up the pace and energy in her performances. Despite Yoko's occasional insecurity, Maya is always there to support her and offer words of encouragement.

Axol (my OC): Maya doesn't know Axol well, but she has heard about him through Yoko and Bibi. He knows that he is a close friend of Bibi and someone who can be trusted. Maya is interested in getting to know him better and seeing how he can contribute to the dynamics of their friend group.

Grandma: Maya and Bibi have a relationship of friendship and companionship. Maya greatly values ​​Bibi's positive energy and enthusiasm. They enjoy spending time together and always find ways to have fun, whether at work or in their free time.

Oonie: Maya and Oonie share a professional and friendly relationship. Although their musical styles may differ, they both have a deep respect for each other's talents. Maya appreciates Oonie's unique perspective on music and values ​​his contribution to the band.

Kitamura: Maya and Kitamura have a friendly and collaborative relationship. Maya admires Kitamura's dedication and talent as a drummer. They work well together and enjoy exchanging ideas on how to improve their music and performances.

Skills and Talents:

Maya is an exceptional percussionist, known for her rhythmic precision and ability to maintain energy during performances. His classical training has given him a solid foundation, and his experience working with various bands has allowed him to adapt to different musical styles. In addition to her musical talent, Maya has a great ability to work under pressure, staying calm and focused even in challenging situations.

Impact on Ink Theory:

Maya is an integral part of Ink Theory, providing the rhythm and structure that allows the band's music to flourish. His dedication and talent have contributed significantly to the band's success, and his unique style adds an extra dimension to their performances. Through her work both in and out of the band, Maya has proven to be a versatile and committed artist, inspiring others with her passion for music and her constant pursuit of excellence.

[shiitake-transcendent]

Hiding lore under the cut:

The Thems are an amateur band that play anywhere that will have them in the Land of Quint. As far as bands go, they aren't terribly uh. Good at it.

In order we have:

Adelaide (they/them), the group's lead singer and decent enough guitarist. They're a spirit from a dead world who manifested into physical form through spite and spite alone. They traveled for a long time before ending up in Quint and still haven't settled into the idea of staying here permanently.

The Mad Maestro (they/them), player of many instruments but favoring keyboard and keytar, depending on the day. As a holder of the title of Mad Maestro, they can bend reality to their will. Or, theoretically they can. Why would they do a thing like that? They're energetic and bombastic and really just happy to have some friends.

Tsundoku (she/they), the Thems' percussionist who's also been known to play the theremin on occasion. Her origins are unknown, though they seem to be a childhood friend of Maestro's. Their "body" is only a porcelain shell for some unknown horror within. Doku is quiet, and the most level headed of the group. This has resulted in an accidental "aura of mystery" that she would very much like to dispel, if only she could figure out how.

Anyway this concludes my initial lore ramblings on eldritch horror type beings in extremely mundane scenarios. Also these three idiots are roommates.

[screamingforyears]

IN A MINUTE: // A NEW MUSIC ROUNDUP….

“INTERSTITIAL ENMITY” is the lead single from @aberrationdeath’s forthcoming debut album titled ‘Refracture’ (3/22��@sentientruin) & it finds the Minneapolis-based quartet of JH (Aberrations), DH (Emanations), AW (Lacerations) & EC (Abominations) spreading their “Light-devouring abyssal death metal (featuring members of Void Rot, Suffering Hour & Nothingness)” vibe across 7 sprawled out mins of blackened DeathMetal.

“PASTEL PRISON” is the second single/lead track from @doodseskader’s forthcoming sophomore LP titled ‘Year Two’ (3/8) & it finds the Belgian duo of vocalist/bassist Tim De Gieter & vocalist/drummer Sigfried Burrough embracing their sensually soft side while dealing w/ an isolation that spawns a “longing & desire for companionship” across 4+ mins of grungily blown-out & caustically quiet DoomerNoize.

@lessercare are fucking back w/ “STREETWEAR,” a sampled taste from their forthcoming LP titled ‘Heel Turn’ (3/22) & it finds the EPTX-based duo of composer/lyricist/vocalist/guitarist Andres Chavez & drummer/percussionist/vocalist Zane Pacillas (w/ a special shoutout to bassist/guitarist Angel Yglecias) bringing those glammy gloomer goods across a surging 3:43 clip of six-string ringing, low-end pushing & passionately cooed PostPunk.

“SPLICE” is the lead single/track from @m00npuss’ forthcoming LP titled ‘Death Is Coming’ (5/3 @tgic_recs) & it finds the Denver based trio of vocalist/bassist Crissy Cuellar, guitarist Ethan A Hahn & drummer Cory Hager stutteringly agitating their way across 3 mins of murkily morose & start/stopping NoiseRock.

////

[dustedmagazine]

Elena Setién — Moonlit Reveries (Thrill Jockey)

Photo by Pablo Axpe

Elena Setién’s soft, eerie songs blend folk and jazz, pop and torch music in shivering nocturnal trance-states that haunt the space they live in. She has not, up to now, been much concerned with rhythm or propulsion — hers are not generally songs that make you want to move — but that all changed when she decided to collaborate with Wilco percussionist Glenn Kotche.

The two met when Kotche toured Spain with Wilco in 2022 and soon began conspiring to splice Kotche’s beats to Setién’s witchy melodies. Kotche’s A Beat a Week drum instruction manual served as a jumping off point. Setién constructed “Surfacing” and “Arrival” atop percussive patterns from the book. The process turned collaborative with Setién sending her ideas off to Kotche, him altering or embellishing them and sending them back. The idea of beats filtered into the other instrumentation as well. Setién’s guitar playing, while quiet, has a sharp rhythmic edge. One track, “Pintado II” grew out of Kotche’s On Fillmore project; it emerges as an intricate mesh of tonal percussion and Setién’s narcotic voice.

These are two very different artists who converge without compromising. The music exists in a neutral area that is distinct from either player’s comfort zone. “Asking” for instance, lets fly a rambunctious spray of percussion, a bit that rattles and clatters and intermittently explodes, rampaging all over the kit in a repeating pattern. It runs under the whole song, an ongoing undercurrent of punch and aggression that transforms Setién’s fluid melody, giving it urgency and fire. A cacophony of mallet play — xylophone, vibraphone, marimba, something like that — cascades in like splinters of multi-colored glass. The tune is sharper, more insistent than it might otherwise have been.

The title track is subtler in the way it employs rhythm, framing a baroque folk fairy tale narrative in ghostly motifs of harpsicord, guitar and glockenspiel. “When all our queens/Left wandering/They walked through fields/Through valleys deep,” croons Setién, in a fay, wondering way, amid glittering sonic architectures. Yet even the tracks where Kotche didn’t participate, especially “Coloured Lizards” have a syncopated swagger, a stop start guitar pattern anchoring Setién’s folk romantic delivery. She sounds a little like Josephine Foster on this one.

The idea of collaboration is to take you out of your own head, to prompt new ideas and approaches, and Moonlight Reveries clearly accomplishes that. This album won’t shock or alienate longtime fans of Setién—it’s not that far from what she was doing in Unfamiliar Minds—but it does extend the idea of what this songwriter is capable of. Bravo for that and for the risk worth taking.

Jennifer Kelly

[sunycartoons]

Rattlesnake is a Southern Rock band that becomes rivals to The Wandering Cryptids. Their story is rife with success, controversy and tragedy, all of which leads them to legendary status.

The band's heavily inspired by The Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Mountain and Molly Hatchet. You can listen to their playlist here! You can read more about the band under the cut:

Dale Gator-Dale is the oldest of the Gator brothers, and is the band's rhythm guitarist. He's a gentle giant with a big heart, and he tends to be too trusting and naive. He often serves as a peacemaker.

Doug Gator-Doug is the second oldest brother and is the lead singer/keyboardist. He's hot headed and strong willed, which often gets him into trouble. He's subconscious about his small stature and gets mad when people bring it up.

Rory Gator-Rory is the youngest of the Gator brothers and is the lead guitarist. He's very creative, optimistic and hyper, and tends to get himself into mischief. Rory is socially awkward, but he can be very friendly when he's comfortable enough.

Daniel Blackstone-Daniel is a close friend of Dale's and is the rhythm guitarist and sometimes lead guitarist. He's a stoic and reserved guy, often coming off as unfriendly. Really Daniel can be very nice, but he has a hard time trusting people.

Statch Walkman-Statch is another friend of the brothers and the second bassist. Statch is a moody guy who acts like he doesn't like or care about anyone, even though he very much does.

Bill Rommer-Bill is a friend of Daniel's and Statch's, and is the band's lead bassist. He's a quiet, chill dude that rarely talks and has a fascination for cars and motorcycles. He's the smartest one in the entire group.

Mojo Lerezzo-Mojo is the band's leading drummer and percussionist. He's a very extroverted, bombastic guy who loves to party and have fun. He can be gruff sometimes but he's also a kind-hearted man.

Lamar Williams II-Lamar is the second drummer of the band. He's one of those guys that's way too nice for his own good and is pretty much a golden retriever in human form. Lamar is very passive and tries to avoid conflict as much as possible.

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I really love these guys. For the first time in forever I actually feel inspired to work on these dudes and their story, thanks to their redesigns. Sometimes you gotta fix characters several times before you get them right. :D I'll upload their Toyhouse pages once they're done.

[thequietpercussionist]

Please reblog for a larger sample size!

[burlveneer-music]

Michael Byron - Halcyon Days - pieces for percussion, and other pieces for two pianists

Michael Byron’s “Halcyon Days” is unique percussion (marimbas, xylophones, vibraphones, glockenspiels, tubular bells, maracas) and keyboard music that’s both wild and pensive, played by an all-star group of new-music performers that includes William Winant, the William Winant Percussion Group (Winant, Tony Gennaro, Michael Jones, and Scott Siler), Lisa Moore, Vicki Ray, and Aron Kallay. Except for the final track (a piano solo written in 2016), these pieces are from a previously under-documented period of Byron’s work—the mid-’70s, when he composed unique and remarkable minimalist-styled music. This album treats us to clangorous clouds of polyrhythms and simple, direct, quiet works, both of which explore rich harmonies and bespeak a sense of transcendent motionlessness. Byron comments about the album, “Poet Anne Tardos wrote that ‘Time doesn’t pass. We pass.’ Most of the pieces on this CD were composed in the 1970s. It seemed like everything was beginning then. Lifelong friends were made, and improbable ideas were shared; composing neither began nor ended. This CD features virtuoso percussionist, and my oldest friend, Bill Winant. Over the last 50 years he has performed and premiered every percussion piece that I’ve ever composed.”. Michael Byron’s music tends to be harmonically rich, rhythmically detailed, and virtuosic. It’s often praised for its ability to create dense constructions out of relatively limited materials. His works have been performed and recorded by such new-music champions as Sarah Cahill, Joseph Kubera, William Winant, FLUX Quartet, Kathleen Supové, and Thomas Buckner. The Wire’s Julian Cowley has written that Byron is “one of those contemporary composers who can justifiably be classed as crucial. . . . Byron’s music dances with tremulous iridescence.” (Byron’s music has appeared on seven previous Cold Blue Music albums.) William Winant, tubular bells, maracas, marimba, xylophone, glockenspiel, and vibraphone William Winant Percussion Group (Winant, Tony Gennaro, Michael Jones, and Scott Siler), marimbas, xylophones, glockenspiels, and vibraphones Ray-Kallay Duo (Vicki Ray and Aron Kallay), piano four-hands Lisa Moore, piano Produced by Jim Fox, William Winant, and Scott Fraser

[holographicbutch]

Any time characters I like exist in a domestic setting I'm legally required to make a band au for them. So here are my mp100 band au thoughts (under the cut):

Teru: trumpet player 100%. This kid is loud and obnoxious and needs to be the center of attention. He's also incredibly skilled and rightfully confident.

Shou: percussionist. Do I even have to explain myself. I know my own kind when I see them. Mostly plays set, but once in a while will end up on a mallet instrument like marimba and his whole demeanor changes.

Ritsu: pianist. Gifted kid with a melow personality, but also a stubborn perfectionist. Fixates really hard on a song until he can play it perfectly. Burns himself out a lot. Notorious for wanting to play the most difficult songs and the rest of the group is like WHY. Will not rest until he can play flight of the bumblebee.

Mob: they just give him a triangle and whenever Reigen points at him he plays. Doesn't know how to read sheet music but he's trying. If he COULD actually play an instrument... I think it would be tuba. Training with the body improvement club helps w his stamina/lung capacity. Joined the band to get closer to Tsubomi.

Reigen: conductor. Look at that man's hands go. He was made for this.

Serizawa: flute. Reigen convinces him to join, since he's redoing his education, but all the students who don't know him are like why is this random man here. He's incredibly shy, quiet, and nervous at first, but his confidence builds over time. When he finally agrees to play a solo he blows everyone away.

Tsubomi: first chair saxophone, but she's not annoying about it lmao. Most of the sax players are stereotypically social and chatty, but she's quiet and reserved. Everyone tries to talk her into auditioning for solos, but she turns them down most of the time.

Tome: trombone. You know she's hitting people with the slide and making fart noises with it constantly. Sits next to Mob when he plays tuba.

Dimple: hangs around to try and fuck with Reigen's tempo, and also sometimes flips pages for Mob and answers questions for him when he can. Will also turn the metronome on at full blast. I think it would be funny if he possessed someone once and did like, a really dramatic opera solo, akin to the frog from over the garden wall.

[jayarelart]

alexis redesign!!! out of all of the band members he's the one i wanted to redesign the most because i felt that her old design was boring

some info about her below :)

full name: alexis rivera, stage name: cielo

24 years old

el salvadorian

she/he/they pronouns, genderfluid transfem + bi ace

the drummer/percussionist

Gamer™; their favorite hobby is video games but it's usually to avoid responsibilities and the scary outside world

actually had no musical experience before joining chasing rainbows, unless you count playing the drums in Rock Band 2 for the PlayStation 3 which is pretty much the same thing right

anxious. scared. joined chasing rainbows to overcome her fears and aim for something greater than just shutting himself in their room to play videos game

learned more about music thanks to jaden, though he still had to teach himself how to play the drums bc jaden's not a drummer

very shy and quiet, especially around new, unfamiliar people. definitely feels uncomfortable when made the center of attention.

overall a big daydreamer and often looks like she's in her own little world. he's a bit of an airhead because of this (not stupid mind you, just a bit spacey at times).

some songs i associate with her: hard times by paramore, the middle by jimmy eat world, may the odds be in your favor by meet me @ the altar

[wardensantoineandevka]

Hi there! It’s fun to see other former percussionists talk about the funky stuff we got to mess with in school. (At my school we played with boom whackers for an entire concert, it was absolute chaos and I loved it) Are there any bizarre memories that stick out from your band kid days?

Oh my God, boom whackers! We had a some of those, but I never was the person playing them 😔 It's always SO fun to get a full boom whacker piece though, it IS so chaotic.

I'm definitely forgetting some wilder shit (and tbh throwback to getting marimbas upstairs), but I do always think about one of the glockenspiels we had that was mounted on this like homemade dolly, stand, frame type thing. Y'know, the frame with the wheels. The glock was also like OLD, so a bunch of the keys were loose actually, like, they were simply set in the location and you had to adjust them during your rests so they wouldn't hit each other when you struck them. So, as high school bands do, we were rehearsing in a classroom, and yanno, always a challenge getting the ensemble positioned in a classroom, it's packed. I wasn't the one playing it at the time (I was on timpani), but during a rehearsal, in the middle of the piece, the entire frame just collapsed, straight down. Keys EVERYWHERE. Made the most awful sound. We spent the next twenty minutes searching for all the keys underneath everything and putting the glock back together.

I did also almost seriously hurt myself once. Like four of us were "loaned" out to the concert band. We were put up on a riser with the tubas (as one does), but the timpani were about as wide as the space we were allotted, dead center, and there was only a narrow strip to pass them to get to either side. I was (and still am) a clumsy bitch. During a rehearsal for I think the spring concert, the choir was rehearsing at the time, I tried to pass the timpani on the riser to grab something from the other side, but miss-stepped. The riser was about five feet up, which is about as tall as I was (and still am), so I plunged straight down. I reflexively grabbed the closest thing—the largest timpani. It, obviously, did not stay in place. So, I fell straight down behind the riser and I was taking the timpani with me. LUCKILY, the riser was also VERY close to the back of the stage and the space behind the riser was narrower than like a 30-inch drum. So, I hit the stage, but the timpani got caught between the riser and the wall. I did scream on the way down, I hurt my ankle quite a lot and scratched my arm on the edge of the riser, and the other percussion kids grabbed the timpani out of the space really fast. But, I'm pretty sure that would've hurt a lot if it fell five feet and landed on me.

In better things, it was really funny we played arrangements of "Tequila" for open houses (iirc I was marimba on that) and "Walk Like An Egyptian" (xylo), and we did have arrangement for the Spongebob theme (I believe I played timpani for that one, I played a lot of timpani). I do recall that we did also play "Mercury Rising" by Nathan Daughtrey (I was vibes on that), and our teacher said that was the first time he was really actually nervous about something we were performing, because it of how sparse and pass-along the sound is and the speed, but it was fine in the end. It has a really fun section that's just an out of time free-fall key run.

I remember a lot of the pieces we did but I'm annoyed I can't remember the one I did in my spring junior year. I recall myself and the other marimba player (Brian, he also played bass guitar, he was very quiet and sweet), our teacher was apologetic to us both that the part was not interesting because it was a lot of just four-mallet chords. But, it was really important for this that the bass-line was steady, and he could trust we'd handle that and not zone out and stray off-beat in the middle.

[aaronpaceluvbot]

mago (aaron pace x reader)

Title: MAGO

Summary: in which you and aaron are best friends, and he realizes things a little late (better late than never!). 

wc: 1.1k

Before you read: very loosely based off of the song mago by gfriend but not really?? but also kind of?? Also this is my warmup to get back into writing writing again! probably a little choppy and it’s not proofread so if there’s major issues lmk! gender neutral reader ?? but reader doesn’t get referred to by anything at all!

You remember when you first met aaron. The two of you were in elementary school and he sat next to you in class. Both of you were both pretty quiet kids, minding your own business and interacting with each other only when necessary. The seating arrangement was perfect for the two of you since you’d both rather focus on what you were working on than conversing with others. However, this was soon to be ruined. 

Your teacher changed the seating chart and now you were stuck next to kids that you didn’t know and quite frankly, stressed you out. They were loud and you couldn’t focus and all you could think was that you wanted Aaron back. So, during recess you approached him with an upset look on your face as you asked if he’d be willing to go with you to ask your teacher to put you two next to each other again. You were surprised when he said yes, but as it turns out - the two of you were in the same dilemma. You were both stuck next to seatmates that were for lack of better terms, not your favorite. You’d rather sit next to each other. 

After recess, the two of you made your trek back to class a little bit earlier so that you could ask your teacher about the new seating arrangement. “Ms. Smith?” You ask, peeking your head through the door. She was sitting at her desk and she made a come hither motion, so the two of you stepped into her classroom. 

“What’s wrong? Are you two in trouble? If so I’d be shocked-” She gets cut off by Aaron. 

“No… We just want to sit next to each other… We’d rather sit next to each other since it’s harder to focus with the people we sit by,” he says quickly. You’re surprised that he came up with that good of a reason that quickly. Your teacher nods.

“I see… well your grades have been a bit lower and you two have seemed to be less attentive in class, so I’ll make some changes to the seating chart for tomorrow, but for now, the two of you can sit together in the back at the half table, alright?” The two of you nod and thank her and head back to your new seats. 

When you two sat down, he was about to say something, but you beat him to it. “Here, this is for you,” you say, handing him one of your many friendship bracelets. He examines it and looks back up at you with a confused look. 

“What is this?” He asks, fidgeting with beads and sliding them around on the string.

“It’s a friendship bracelet! Since we’re friends now, right?” you ask, now afraid that he might decline. He slips it on.

“Friends.” 

—

The two of you head off to middle school, excited as can be. You both were joining band! You two were in the same class and you both branched out and met more people. You became friends with Cadence, Susie and Tom and Aaron became friends with other percussionists. Even though you both were making more friends, you still kept in contact and would talk to each other in your other classes. This stayed the same until high school, when you befriended a certain trumpet named Peter Dang. He was sweet, but he was sweet to everyone. But a friend to all, is a friend to none. He wasn’t the one that you grew up with and he certainly wasn’t the one who would be there for you all those times.

Aaron was the one who watched you run out of homecoming Junior year because Peter had the audacity to break up with you in the middle of the dance, even though you were his date. He chased after you, but not before giving Peter the dirtiest look he could muster. He found you in the parking lot, sitting on the curb by where you parked your car. When he sat next to you that night, he realized two things. He’s had a crush on you ever since you two were little kids and that you deserved a lot better than Peter. 

He let you bawl your eyes out into the fabric of his uncomfy suit as he tried to soothe you and make you feel better. “I really thought he was the one,” he heard you murmur. You shook your head and let out a dry laugh. “I guess not then.” The two of you stay like that, closer than you two had been in a while. 

“He wouldn’t be the one for you anyways. I’m pretty sure that if you asked him what color your eyes were, he wouldn’t know,” he mutters. When he realizes that you heard that, he makes a face and immediately opens his mouth to apologize. Instead of being upset, you laugh.

“I’m pretty sure he didn’t, if I’m being honest,” you say, shaking your head at yourself. “But it’s fine. At least I know you’ll always be with me. You’re such a good friend, you know that?” You ask, finally choosing to look him in the eye. Those words brought an odd pain to him. This wasn’t the first time that your friendship was referenced, but hearing it coming from you felt odd. It felt odd and it hurt that you didn’t see him as anything that could be more than friends.

“You know, this feels so silly, but a few months before I met Peter last year, I had the biggest crush on you. But I never really said anything until now because I was afraid that you’d hate me or something, but you probably wouldn’t because it’s in the past now, right?” you ramble. He internally winces. He had a chance to be with you all along? 

“I would care actually because I have a crush on you right now. I’ve had a crush on you since we were little kids,” he thinks. Your eyes go wide and he feels himself burning up. Did he say that out loud?

“Aaron,” you murmur, looking him in the eye. “Are you sure?” You ask, looking slightly upset. He nods. 

“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable or anything like that-”

“No. No it’s not that. Not at all. I feel relieved actually,” you say, giving him a soft smile. “I’ve liked you since you went with me to ask our teacher to switch our seats so we could sit together. I guess I just gave up hope on you liking me back, so I decided to ignore my feelings for you.” He nods at your words and pulls you closer. 

“Is that why you dated him?” You shrug at his words. 

“Not sure. It was probably for a lot of reasons that I won’t understand later on, but if I’m being honest there’s one thing I’ll always understand.” You leave it at that, and Aaron immediately knows what you’re referencing. 

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