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Hey chickadees!
So here’s the skinny: California Dreaming was something that Katie and I were super passionate about when we made it, and we still have a ton of love for it, but after some discussion we’ve realized that there are other things that need to come first. In my case, it’s a chronic illness and a new medication that I’ve been struggling with since June (those of you in the Discord know the details and have been so kind and patient); and for Katie, it is an incredible new opportunity fresh out of nursing school that takes precedence.
It would not be fair for us to leave you guys hanging any more than we already have, nor would we ever want to ghost you. We know that there are a few of you who are still so supportive of this game, and we can’t thank you enough for your passion.
Katie and I will be stepping down, but we would like to give others the opportunity to take over in our place if they so wish. If you think you’re up for taking the reins, please message us here on the main ASAP so we can make the arrangements. You will receive the login, the graphics, etc. We will only consider current and past members of the game for this position.
Thank you so much for your understanding, and we hope that we will write with you again in the future!
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Oh good, you made it!
Did you guys know Ky was coming? They brought Vance deLery, The Ghost! And just on time! Grab a drink, find a spot, and make sure you finish everything on the checklist. The band is just getting started – you have 24 hours to send in your account! We’re so glad you’re here!
I. OUT OF THE STUDIO
NAME/ALIAS: Ky
AGE: 28
PRONOUNS: they
                                                 II. ON STAGE
NAME: Vance deLery
FACE CLAIM: Ben Barnes
AGE: 35
TITLE: The Ghost
DREAM: Somebody
OCCUPATION: Guitarist/Vocalist for Indigo Dusk
                                               III. INTERVIEW
Answer the following questions in your character’s voice:
If you could do anything in the world for a living, what would it be?
“Make music. That’s why I’m here, that’s - it’s what I’ve been tryin’ to do all my life. Since I was old enough to know a note, man.” Not an exaggeration; his ma used to laugh, looking at all those polaroids she’d pinned up. Some beaming, black-eyed baby pawing at the keys of the piano in that schoolroom where she did her lessons. This kid perched on the bench, hand-me-down dress shirt tucked in nearly to his knees, crisp white cotton hanging off his skinny shoulders as he played his first something-like a recital. Keep going, sweetheart. Everybody’s gonna listen, you’ll see. Vance sighed, brushed his hair back. “Yeah, just - music. I want to make it, and share it with people. That’s what it’s for.”
If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
“It’d be warm, I’ll tell you that. Can’t handle the cold. Bad for playing in.” He flexed his hands, callused - by steel strings, sure, but busting out license plates, too, nowadays. “Warm. But, like… nice, you know?” A kind of heat that wasn’t so brutally bright, so strong that it’d crush the breath from your chest. Not that thick, sticky sort of warmth he’d grown up in. “Somewhere with real beaches. Soft sand for miles… I mean, California’s great and all, but… gets crowded, man.”
What is one thing that makes you different than anyone else?
“Ah… shit, give me a minute, there…” Experience made him sound like an asshole, didn’t it? Everybody was out there experiencing, all the time. Just, maybe, when it came to the sort of experience people sang about - how many of them had lived all of that? Especially these young things, coming up. Young things. Christ almighty, when did he get old? “I, uh - I’ve done this before. All of it, I’m… I’m doing it again, my second go around.” He nodded, took a deep, steadying sort of breath. “That’s the dream, at least, just… this time, I’m gonna do it my way. Like Frankie said.” Just like that.
                                               IV. BACKSTAGE
BEHIND THE MUSIC:
Vance, he could charm the birds from their trees, the girls right out of their bedroom windows - some of the guys as well, even if it was just their eyes saying so. All it took was a few chords off that beat-up guitar, a couple songs, that crooked smile. He had a certain style, and a sound, but… did he have what it took, to make it big? On his own, he might never have had the confidence to go chasing stars. But he had the boys, pulling him along in their twanging, roaring wake: fellow odd-one-outs around their little town, thick as thieves. There was the frontman, The Fortunate Son, howling himself hoarse out where he could strut his stuff and drink in the crowd. The drummer, The Peace Train - he hit things, hit ‘em at the right time, despite the metric shit-ton of weed he burned through. Their bassman, The Hard-core Troubadour, he didn’t have tricky fingers, but he had rhythm. That’d do. At least, when you had Vance handling the fancy slides and such.
They called themselves the Diamondbacks. Sounded badass, and upscale. So the argument went. Vance, he didn’t see much need to be any of that. That frontman had a way of convincing people, though. Vance, especially. Those heady summer days, passing a joint around by the river, made it real easy to see the light. Their music was good, and it was something else, part of that swell of southern rock n’ roll sound. Those songs they knocked around could be in. Just had to make sure the right people heard them.
First, the Diamondbacks had to get the hell out of Pine Bluff. As soon as possible. None of those boys had any real reason to stick around, no roots they weren’t ready to sever. Vance, he was still missing his mother, her car t-boned by a drunk the spring after she got him that third-hand Fender he lugged over to every practice. His father, he kept a closer eye on the beers in his fridge than he did on his son. But Mr. deLery made sure his boy knew how to take a punch. Did he ever. When the band finally rode off into the sunset, Vance was nursing a broken nose in the backseat - God, though, he’d never laughed so hard. Fuck the whole state. They were going to California.
Beyond there, the plan got a bit hazy. The financing, especially. None of them had much more than a crumpled pocketful of savings. That and a few bucks here and there from gigs was enough to squeak by on, but they hadn’t come all that way to squeak. They wanted to shine. That took cash, though; for new shirts, new drumsticks, the occasional haircut. And the drinking. And the dope, which flowed pretty freely in the big city. The Diamondbacks needed cash on their way to the top. As usual, that singer figured out the answer. He’d met a guy who could use some people. A real cool guy, into real cool things. Like acid, pills, heroin. Just needed a hand moving a little something, now and then, here and there. Vance didn’t like it, but. The Fortunate Son, the tightest friend he’d ever had, was telling him how they were going to save their band. So, Vance listened. It’d be okay, he got promised. It’d be better than okay.
And soon, it was. That cool guy had cool friends, as it turned out, and those cool friends had cool parties. After showing up at a few of those, the Diamondbacks were reading over a record deal, signing on the dotted line. The rest, as they say, is history. There was a promising first album, then, quickly, a record-smashing second, and a third that the radio just loved. Then, trouble. That fourth record spun apart as the band got lost in being bigshots. Vance, never as comfortable being the centre of attention as The Fortunate Son, never as incredibly high as The Peace Train, never as cool and collected as The Hardcore Troubadour, could feel himself burning away in the limelight. He drank to sleep, snorted to wake up. Started to find other things to do, in between. The pressure made him jittery, on and off the stage, and it didn’t help any that that cool friend kept calling. The guy didn’t like to hear no. Said he had strings to pull, if he had to. Going on tour was just such a swell method of distribution, and the money didn’t hurt the band any, did it? The Fortunate Son wasn’t worried. So, Vance tried not to be. He really did.
It all went to hell so fast. One day, they were on top of the fuckin’ world. Next, everybody was going down for possession, intent to distribute. Everybody, or somebody. So said the lawyer The Fortunate Son’s panicked parents had called in. They wanted to make an example, here. One would do. A sacrifice, for the rest of the band, but. With good behaviour, out in no time. Vance would do it. Right? Vance could give the judge those big doe eyes, get off easy. A nice cushy stint in county. It’d be nothing, and the rest of them, they’d fix up that album and keep going, for his sake. Then he’d be back, soon, and… The Fortunate Son, he was half-hysterical. All Vance could say was yes. For his best friend, for the band. It’d be nothing.
Only, that lawyer wasn’t so good as he figured he was. Vance was thrown a dime and a half in San Quentin, a week shy of his twenty-second birthday. Example made.
The band visited, for a while. Prison wasn’t kind, but Vance, he’d grown up keeping his head down. Withdrawal didn’t make it easier. Neither did the visits, honestly. Watching the band break down, from the outside - that stung. That was his life, what he took this long, long fall for. Gone. The days blurred together, a smear of grey concrete, grey food, grey sheets, and the odd, red burst of blood. He watched his hands, playing his way through old songs every night, tapping his fingers on nothing. Listened to the radio, when they allowed - catching the chords, guessing at the picking patterns. All he had to do was stick it out, survive. There’d be music on the other side.
Turns out that all his good, good behaviour would count for something - a few reductions, then, parole. After he hitch-hiked his way to Los Angeles, Vance started strumming along the boardwalks and street corners to make ends meet. He’d lost a decade, of playing, of living; rusty, roughed up, and altogether alone in the world, he had nowhere to go and nobody to see there. Didn’t even have that old Fender. But he could clean himself up and slip into bars and music stores, pick up a guitar, and earn a few coins. Just a week shy of his last pointless parole meeting, he was pulled aside for a proposal. A band, not just some crew of up and comers but a big deal, needed a guitarist, a singer. A replacement. Maybe they weren’t his style, but - could he do it? For the money to keep himself clean, sure. They didn’t seem to have caught on to that criminal record, but that was years ago; the Diamondbacks, and the scandal that snapped them apart, were just about forgotten. All the better for Vance. For the past two years he’s been doing what Indigo Dusk pays him to do, and not much more. This isn’t his band. It’s not his music. He bears them no ill will - he’s grateful, of course, for the chance - but he doesn’t feel at home with them, doesn’t get too personal. Vance is well aware he’s just filling a space onstage, and if he’s honest with himself, he’s not playing his best for them. But, very, very quietly, over the last few months or so, he’s started to slip out to open mic nights around Los Angeles. Nothing too big. Doesn’t want to trouble that contract, obviously… but he can feel it, the quaking in the foundation of this band he’s hitched himself to. They’re going the same way The Diamondbacks did, or something like it, anyway. And that asides, he misses making music that felt like his. Maybe The Diamondbacks weren’t that, either. But he’s out looking for his own sound, now, and if the audiences are any indication, he’s starting to find it…
                                                   V. ENCORE
Let’s start with a PINTEREST! https://www.pinterest.ca/jraphicpark/vance/
HEADCANON time!
Vance got his musical talent, and then some, from his mother - a music teacher. She realized early that her boy had spectacular pitch, listening to him plink along with radio tunes on her piano. He can do more than that now, but hasn’t let the rest of Indigo Dusk in on the fact. They’ve got somebody on the keys, don’t need him. And it hurts to play, in some ways. Piano was his mom’s music, her sound, and it brings back a hell of a lot of memories. 
He can also pick something pretty out on the banjo, and knows his way around a classic diatonic harmonica. Picked that one up in prison; being able to keep folks entertained has always served Vance well, even in his worst days. 
At this point, he’s mostly playing covers for the cafe and bar crowds; but Vance is slowly, surely, starting to throw in a tune or two of his own. It’s not just his sound that’s drawing people in, either. When he warms up, past a certain natural shyness, Vance has this unpretentious, genuine way about him, a self-deprecating kind of humour that sneaks in between songs. It keeps them listening, even if his music isn’t perhaps the kind of thing that’s hitting it big on the airwaves these days.
Though nobody was throwing those words around in 1973, Vance is what we’d call dyslexic and dysgraphic - meaning, very broadly, that he struggles to read and write. It’s not something he has an explanation for, and the ones given to him by teachers and schoolmates weren’t kind. He’s been treated like he’s not terribly smart, or like he’s lazy, or both, since he was a kid. Neither’s true, but he’s still sensitive about it, and tries to hide this fact as much as possible. People already tend to judge him quickly thanks to the backwoodsy accent. It’s not fair, but Vance knows the world isn’t like that. So he just gets on by, as best he can.
And then, obviously, a PLAYLIST! I’ll just list the songs, because I don’t have a proper Spotify set up (shocking, I know). Hope it’s okay that some of these are modern. Vance typically played electric with the Diamondbacks, in their more rock n’ roll style (think CCR, Lynyrd Skynyrd); left to his own devices, he prefers an acoustic sound heavy on the finger-picking. He’s got a genuine gift for that kind of playing, very much a van Zandt kind of talent. His voice, usually background to The Fortunate Son’s in the Diamondback days, actually has a decent range - soft highs to a bit of old country growl.
Highway Kind - Townes van Zandt Little Boy - Barns Courtney
Feel Alright - Steve Earle
Built to Roam - Shakey Graves
Leaving On A Jet Plane - John Denver
Deep Dark Wells - Joe Pug
Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash
My Poor Heart - The Glorious Sons
Satan and St. Paul - John Fullbright I’m Not a Saint - Billy Raffoul
Wasteland - X Ambassadors
Tearing At the Seams - Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats
And I Love You So - Don McLean
Everything Is Alright - The Glorious Sons
Unknown Legend - Shakey Graves
Bright Beginnings - Joe Pug
Lungs - Townes van Zandt
Don’t Take Your Guns to Town - Johnny Cash
History - X Ambassadors
Take Me Home, Country Roads - John Denver
Unlucky Skin - Shakey Graves
Meet Me in the Alleyway - Steve Earle
Panic Attack - The Glorious Sons
American Pie - Don McLean
Still Trying - Nathaniel Rateliff
And for a few more things, here’s some tidbits about the (ex)band, so far as wanted connections might go! Names and Titles are flexible. Faceclaims would be totally up to player, probably in the 32-37 age range.  
THE FORTUNATE SON
The oddest one out, back in Pine Bluff and the band, this character grew up as the spoiled and rebellious child of the biggest bigwigs that little town had to offer. Maybe he’s a Somebody, a country crooner or a real rockstar. Maybe he’s become a Power, staring down the kind of up and comer he used to be across a nice, expensive desk. Is he happy, now? Was it worth it? Who’s to say.
THE PEACE TRAIN
The roving spirit of the bunch, the real hippie, off in la-la land, ready to fire up a fat one the moment they left the stage. You could say that for this character - he loved the music, and couldn’t stand to see it compromised. He was a cheerleader, always ready to shove the rest of the band back on their feet and get the show on the road, eternally the sunny, can-do optimist. The weed probably helped with that, but still. Vance wound up moving plenty of product for him alone, back in the day. Now? Who knows he’s up to.
THE HARD-CORE TROUBADOUR
Once the bassist of The Diamondbacks, this character was always a hard-headed, take-no-shit sonofabitch. But he got shit done. While The Fortunate Son dreamed big and tried to smile and schmooze his way to what he wanted, The Hard-core Troubadour put in the thinking and paperwork that made stuff happen. He spent much of the friendship - and the band - frustrated. Vance was often the one who had to try and gentle things out between people, usually this stubborn bastard and their bombastic, self-righteous frontman. He might have moved on to another band, but it’s just as likely that he left music behind for managing or mixing at one of the labels.
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Based on our guidelines, the following dudes and dudettes have 48 hours to grace us with their presence:
✽ @marimarxagui ✽ @eddienyx ✽ @themarinalee ✽ @carmrid ✽ @vitalwildfire
The following cats are on hiatus:
✽ @rosaliekang ✽ @violentloch
Should a hiatus be needed, please contact the main at your earliest convenience.
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OC:
✽ N/A
Skeleton:
✽ The Ghost (Ben Barnes)
Total Apps: 1
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can The Joker be female? sort of a joan jett type?
Hello hello! We actually imagined Violent Vale as kind of the classic rock and roll boy group, a la Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, or Pink Floyd. 
If you want a Joan Jett type, though, the members of Indigo Dusk are still open, you can twist around The Tin Man or Free Bird skeletons, or you can craft a dreamer OC! 
As always, feel free to message us if you have any other questions. We’d love to help you figure something out that’ll work just right. 
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could you see Brittany Snow, Alicia Vikander or Inbar Lavi for The Believer?
All three could work. Great choices!
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SPOTLIGHT
NAME: Nicky Slick FACE CLAIM: Nico Tortorella AGE: 28 TITLE: The Pretty Vacant OCCUPATION: Guitarist for Violent Vale
INTERVIEW
If you could do anything in the world for a living, what would it be?
“You mean other than this or can I just say this? Because I’m already livin’ the dream, mate. Who wouldn’t want my life? Sex, drugs, rock’n’roll, literal piles of money, thousands of adoring fans. I’ve got it made and wouldn’t change it for the world. There’s nothing like being on that stage with the crowd going wild ‘cause I’m killing a solo. Other than this? Hell, never really thought about it.” Nicky took a puff from his cigarette and leaned his head back, contemplating as he exhaled slowly. “Nope, nothin’. Got no answer for you, sorry. This was always what I wanted to do.”  
If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
“Well, we’ve been a lot of places already. Hard to go anywhere without being recognized but then, why wouldn’t I want to be recognized? I’ve heard Las Vegas is fun, would be nice to check that out. What’s that fancy place in China with all the casinos?” He paused for a moment, frowning slightly as he thought before shrugging. “Whatever it’s called, there. New York was a bloody good time so I’d go back there, too. It’s a party wherever we are with me and the boys.”
What is one thing that makes you different than anyone else?
“You’ve seen and heard me play guitar, right? There’s a million wankers out there who play but none of ‘em do it as well as I can. I know how that sounds, but it’s true. Come to a show and you’ll see. I do things with a guitar most people only dream of. But honestly, do come to a show, mind. I’ll set you up right, backstage passes, the whole bit. Maybe I’ll even take you to the after party, ‘cause there’s always an after party, and trust me you haven’t partied until you’ve done it with Violent Vale.” He flashed a grin with an almost dangerous edge to it. “We’ll show you a proper good time.”
BACKSTAGE
Nicholas Hardy was never supposed to be a rock star, at least not according to his mom. Nicky always had other ideas, however. She did her best, raising him on her own in Bristol, but he was always a little wild. Some blamed the fact that there was no father to speak of in the picture and Florence Hardy was never forthcoming with details about who he might have been. Most outside the family assumed he’d died in WWII, given that Nicky was born roughly a year before it ended, but Nicky knew that couldn’t be. If his father had died honorably, as a soldier, surely his mom would have been willing to talk about him, tell stories, or even have pictures in the house. But Florence wouldn’t even talk to Nicky about his father so he came to the conclusion that the man must have abandoned them, must not have wanted him. His mother did the best she could and he’d always felt loved at home but the idea that his father hadn’t wanted him planted a bitter seed in his heart that grew as he did.
One thing that eased that bitterness was music. Nicky loved music from a young age and displayed talent early on. Florence wasn’t impressed with it at first but when it became clear he was going to do it whether she wanted him to or not she managed to scrimp and save enough of their already meager funds to get him his first guitar. She hoped, somewhat vainly, that he might just keep it as a hobby and go on to more stable pursuits. That wasn’t to be, however, since Nicky excelled at guitar and had a clear passion and love for it. He liked music more than he liked school, and, in spite of his mother’s strictness about grades and keeping it up, it wasn’t long before Nicky was cutting class to jam with his mates. The group of them had been friends for a long time and Nicky was often the one who got them into trouble but he was equally as often the one who could talk them out of it. He was certainly charming, even as a young punk of a teenager, though sometimes he was just as willing to get into a down and dirty fight as he was to talk his way out of it. Nicky especially railed against men in positions of authority. People said it was because he’d never had a father to be strict with him and teach him respect and they were half right. He saw the father he’d never known in all of those men who were trying to control him and wanted to spit in their eyes to show them he didn’t want or need them.
It only made sense that Nicky would get into the punk scene, scrappy and talented as he was. He and his friends formed a band and being on stage, even if they were the sticky stages of tiny little clubs, gave him a rush like no other. He came alive in front of an audience, hit them hard with his chords and left them wanting more and soon enough, Nicky Slick was born. Nicky plunged headfirst into the lifestyle his mother had never wanted for him. Sex, drugs, alcohol, and parties became a way of life and Nicky loved it all. The adoration from fans inflated his ego and his natural charm made him even more popular. He got to live fast and free and he loved every minute of it.
The ride got even wilder when they broke out of Britain and went to America, attacking New York and all it had to offer, which was quite a lot. Nicky was happy to indulge in any drug anyone would give him, chasing the same euphoria he found on stage. He was talented and he knew it and the world was his oyster. Who needed a father’s love when he had the love of thousands of fans? It was a real shame when the label pulled them out of New York and sent them to California because they were ‘too wild’, as if there was such a thing. They were supposed to behave themselves, party less and focus more on the music, but Nicky wasn’t quite sold on that. Why couldn’t he party and do music? He saw no reason why he couldn’t and has always been more than willing to convince anyone who might disagree with him that he can do it just as well as he does everything else.
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Please follow:
@nicky-slick
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hello! do you have any (additional) female fc suggestions for the gold dust?
Absolutely!!!
May we suggest: Amy Adams, Tracee Ellis Ross, Gina Torres, Thandie Newton, Sandra Oh, Jessica Chastain, Cate Blanchett, Famke Janssen, Halle Berry.
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Please follow: 
@sweetnlowellcrane
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Oh good, you made it!
Did you guys know Joss was coming? She brought Lowell Crane, The Hurricane! And just on time! Grab a drink, find a spot, and make sure you finish everything on thechecklist. The band is just getting started – you have 24 hours to send in your account! We’re so glad you’re here!
                                       I. OUT OF THE STUDIO
NAME/ALIAS: Joss
AGE: 32
PRONOUNS: She/her
                                                II. ON STAGE
NAME: Lowell Crane
FACE CLAIM: Henry Cavill (first choice), Chris Evans, Dan Stevens
AGE: 35
TITLE: The Hurricane
DREAM: Lowell wants to be a Somebody, but is too afraid to try again
OCCUPATION: Owner of Daredevil’s Bar
                                              III. INTERVIEW
Answer the following questions in your character’s voice:
If you could do anything in the world for a living, what would it be?
“Well, ain’t that a question. Not sure how to answer that. I could say I wanna be a lighthouse keeper, or a park ranger in Antartica. Or an astronaut. But that’s not really an answer, is it? Cuz nothing’s holding me back from, well, maybe the lighthouse keeper, and the rest, never gonna happen, and maybe I wouldn’t really like it anyway. Be a trip though, floating in space. Can’t imagine anything else feels quite the same, except maybe acid. I could say I wanna hit that perfect note, and it rings like a bell inside your chest, and everyone else is hitting it too, and you all just float in that perfect sound as long as you can. But I don’t think that’s really a job description. Or I could just say fuck it, I wanna be a rock star, cuz isn’t that what we all want, at least a little, if we’re still here? Can’t imagine a reason to stick around otherwise.”
If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
“Vietnam. I know, not the ideal vacation spot. Don’t worry, I’m not gonna go full Jane Fonda or anything. I went to some protests and sit-ins, but I can’t even claim I was that invested. That’s fucked up, right? If you fight for something, you should at least have conviction. Not like I’m pro-Nixon or anything, but I just … it was what everyone else was doing. And people liked to listen to my songs. What bullshit. I was cribbing off Dylan half the time anyway. We all were, but it doesn’t exactly make you proud, you know? I was running around playing flower child the whole time, and Mick was off getting his ass blown up in Khe Sanh. Or God knows where, everything was redacted, so fuck if I know. You know? Sorry, I can’t answer a question to save my life. Probably why I’m here and not an accountant like Ma always wanted me to be.Vietnam. I wanna go to see where he was, before he got sent home in a pine box. He was just a kid, he was supposed to be the smart one, he was supposed to get out of Texas and come see me and I was supposed to be his impressive older brother. Fuck, I sound like a bad country western song. Ignore me.”
What is one thing that makes you different than anyone else?
I can eat 50 eggs. (Author’s note: this is a reference to Cool Hand Luke, a 1967 film which in many ways encapsulates Lowell’s aesthetic and ethos. He’s also just a huge fan of Paul Newman and if he had any acting talent whatsoever, he’d want to be him.)
                                              IV. BACKSTAGE
Lowell Crane grew up in the unusually average town of Ding Dong, Texas, an hour outside of Austin. He was the first boy, the second child, and grew up singing in choir and learning to play the guitar, though admittedly he was hardly dedicated to the pursuit. It wasn’t until he hit puberty and discovered girls that musical talent became something he valued. Though he was born in Holland, he was often told he had ‘all-American’ looks, and even spoke Dutch, his first language, with a soft southern twang. He didn’t really consider it a career, but liked playing at parties and joined a band with his friends on a whim. They were just good enough to get to tour parts of Texas, and Lowell caught the fame bug. By the time he was in his early 20s, he wanted to take it further. As it so happened, he had a cousin in California who invited him to come out and stay for a while.
The California music scene was a hard hit of culture shock for Lowell, and he bounced around different bands, never quite fitting in, never really making a splash with anyone, but continuing because people said he had talent. He joined a band, The Lonely Boys, who were in need of a guitarist, and they toured for a couple of years before breaking up because nothing was happening, quite discouraged. Lowell took a plane to New York just in time for the Summer of Love, and all of a sudden, he was a flower child. Somehow that alchemical magic happened and he took off. He had a recording contract with a big name, he played at Woodstock, he was going to be another Bob Dylan. Then he got the news his younger brother, Mick, was dead, and simply … dropped out of his own life. He was just another broken person left behind by the hippie movement, and it took him until 1972 to drag himself back to something like normalcy. He ended up in an ashram in Southern California getting clean and seeking enlightenment. He got clean, but as for enlightenment, all he got were the keys to a dive bar in Los Angeles that one of the new converts no longer wanted.
Lowell has spent the last year building up Daredevil’s Bar as a venue for up-and-coming musicians, and it’s now one of those places where you “pay your dues” in the rock scene. People even say some of the big name studios scout there sometimes. Lowell is just the owner and the guy behind the bar who can tune your guitar, help you break down your setup after a show, and who only occasionally has to threaten the crowd with a baseball bat when they get rowdy. He’s still putting the pieces of his life together, and he’s aware on some level that his music career is done, but he can’t quite give it up. He’ll provide backup guitar for any of the bands doing shows at his bar in a pinch, but he doesn’t perform by himself at the bar, though sometimes he will hit up a late open-mic or jam with the few friends he has in town, or the odd person who remembers who he used to be.
                                                  V. ENCORE
Headcanons:
Lowell can play by ear and can play a song if he’s heard it once. He isn’t as good at remembering lyrics and will sometimes make up his own if he can’t remember them.
The last name “Crane” is an anglicized form of Krane or Krahn, which is Dutch. His family fled Holland after the war. Lowell’s parents lost most if not all of the rest of their family during the war. The effect on the Crane children of being the children of survivors has left the family split between those who strive to be as American and unobjectionable as possible, like their parents, or those who reject their parents’ attitudes and seek to be as unusual as possible.
Lowell is the second of five children, with three sisters and one brother, Michael Crane, now deceased. His sisters are Emmeline, Virginia, and Dorothy. Emmeline and Virginia are married and live in Texas, Dorothy currently lives in upstate New York on a commune with her female lover, and is estranged from her family, other than Lowell, who lived with her during his period of “dropping out”.
Lowell’s favourite food is peanut butter, and he eats it straight from the jar, to the consternation of his family and roommates over the years, as he often double dips the spoon to lay claim to a jar.
Childhood music: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DWSV3Tk4GO2fq?si=qDmRsNAZS9-XTnB27Abs0Q
Playlist reference/requests that Lowell will play: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX504r1DvyvxG?si=7xvqYDnBSxmyQ5WxX5He-w
Voice reference: Lowell sounds similar to, and his songs resemble, those of Nick Drake.
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SPOTLIGHT
NAME: Lana May; “Opal” FACE CLAIM: Elle Fanning AGE: 21 TITLE: The Lollipop OCCUPATION: Keyboard/Backup Vocals for The Gemstones
INTERVIEW
If you could do anything in the world for a living, what would it be?
‘‘Well i’m already doing it, you silly! This has always been my dream. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be a member of The Gemstones? I’m young, I’m pretty and I get to sing and perform in such a wonderful band. What more could I want from life? I consider myself really blessed. Do you know how many other young girls come into this town with big hopes and dreams? But they don’t all get to sing and play like I do. So, I don’t want to be selfish. I’m truly happy with what I’ve got. But you know, if I weren’t famous, I’d probably be a seamstress just like my wonderful mama. I love fashion. I really do.’’
If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
‘‘Truth be told, I’m really happy here in L.A. It’s the perfect place for me I think. But I guess maybe I’d go to New York City, I’ve heard it’s much bigger than all the cities here on the West Coast. It’d be a real adventure to get lost in New York. Or perhaps I’d go to Paris? I’ve only seen it on tv, but my oh my, it looks so glamours and chic. Audrey Hepburn makes it all looks so sweet.’’
What is one thing that makes you different than anyone else?
‘’My mom says it’s my smile. No other girl can smile like me. She says that the sparkle in my pretty blue eyes cannot be replaced with any jewelry. So, I guess maybe that? But everybody says that I remind them of cotton candy. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because of the way I dress. Does that count?’’
BACKSTAGE
Thumbelina emerged from a flower into this world, but Lana was created from the finest silk, sugar and gossamer - or so her mother’s bedtime stories oftentimes claimed. Born as Lana Mayor Young, she spent her idle childhood years in her hometown of San Francisco, as the only child of a local seamstress called Viola Mayor. The life of a single mother and a divorced woman had never been a fairy tale for Lana’s mother, but still the little Lana was loved and adored almost to the point of madness.
Vibrant dresses, heart-shaped sunglasses and pretty flowers in her flaxen hair, Lana lived a life most would be envious of thanks to her overprotective and caring mother. At school she was always among the favorite girls in class, simply drawing everyone in with her bubbly smiles, pretty eyelashes and saccharine personality that was practically contagious. Nothing ever seemed too hard or impossible for the young blonde; after all a girl with such a cherubic smile could solve any issue.
But when she wasn’t playing dress-up at her mother’s boutique store ( in hopes of imitating all the stunning clients ) or roaming around with her pretty Barbie dolls, Lana had the tendency to watch tv for hours upon hours and listen to the radio. There was something so undeniably entrancing about all the pretty girls in glittering dresses with shiny microphones in their delicate hands - and the way others looked at them made Lana all the more intrigued. They were revered and idolized and Lana almost immediately became enamored with the world of fame and music, and she wanted to be just like all the ladies on TV as singing in front of a tall mirror wasn’t enough for the little sweetheart.
And so it all started with the young blonde practically begging her loving mother with glistening tears in her eyes to let her join a local choir. At first, her mother had been rather reluctant to say yes to such a whimsical and peculiar wish, but then again saying no to Lana was practically impossible ( really, one cannot find a person strong enough to turn down such a delightful creature with bambie eyes ). Soon after that, she started attending regular practices and extra classes, hoping to improve her voice and make her wildest dream come true. But of course, it didn’t take her long to realize that being a part of a choir wasn’t even remotely similar to her perfect California dream.
However on one fateful sunny afternoon in Los Angeles ( while Lana and her mother were visiting one of her aunts ), a tall and older, but still rather handsome stranger in a black suit approached Lana, claiming she had the perfect face and personality for an upcoming band in his record label ( her voice was the least of his concerns ) and of course Lana was drawn to the whole idea like bees to honey. Convincing her mother was the hardest part in all of it, but too oblivious to see the potential troubles Lana almost immediately signed the pretty contract, more than ready to start a new glamorous chapter in her life.
And really, look at her now, with a new name that rolls off the tongue so smoothly, utterly fit for a stage. She has all she’s ever dreamed of and she lives inside of her pink little bubble, floating around like she’s in some silly dream. Her sweetness and charm are truly hard to ignore and she’s beloved and revered, but be aware my child, the sweetest apples are always the ones that start to rot first.
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Well, it's a marvelous night for a moondance!
and an even better night for bringing us some of our industry people!
Come on, haven’t you always dreamed of being a Power?
We know we have. 
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Oh good, you made it!
Did you guys know Sam was coming? She brought Nicky Slick, The Pretty Vacant! And just on time! Grab a drink, find a spot, and make sure you finish everything on the checklist. The band is just getting started – you have 24 hours to send in your account! We’re so glad you’re here!
I. OUT OF THE STUDIO
NAME/ALIAS: Sam
AGE: 29, but turning 30 in just under a month
PRONOUNS: She/her
                                                 II. ON STAGE
DESIRED SKELETON: The Pretty Vacant
NAME: Nicky Slick
FACE CLAIM: Nico Tortorella
AGE: 28
OCCUPATION: Guitarist for Violent Vale
                                               III. INTERVIEW
If you could do anything in the world for a living, what would it be?
“You mean other than this or can I just say this? Because I’m already livin’ the dream, mate. Who wouldn’t want my life? Sex, drugs, rock’n’roll, literal piles of money, thousands of adoring fans. I’ve got it made and wouldn’t change it for the world. There’s nothing like being on that stage with the crowd going wild ‘cause I’m killing a solo. Other than this? Hell, never really thought about it.” Nicky took a puff from his cigarette and leaned his head back, contemplating as he exhaled slowly. “Nope, nothin’. Got no answer for you, sorry. This was always what I wanted to do.”  
If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
“Well, we’ve been a lot of places already. Hard to go anywhere without being recognized but then, why wouldn’t I want to be recognized? I’ve heard Las Vegas is fun, would be nice to check that out. What’s that fancy place in China with all the casinos?” He paused for a moment, frowning slightly as he thought before shrugging. “Whatever it’s called, there. New York was a bloody good time so I’d go back there, too. It’s a party wherever we are with me and the boys.”
What is one thing that makes you different than anyone else?
“You’ve seen and heard me play guitar, right? There’s a million wankers out there who play but none of ‘em do it as well as I can. I know how that sounds, but it’s true. Come to a show and you’ll see. I do things with a guitar most people only dream of. But honestly, do come to a show, mind. I’ll set you up right, backstage passes, the whole bit. Maybe I’ll even take you to the after party, ‘cause there’s always an after party, and trust me you haven’t partied until you’ve done it with Violent Vale.” He flashed a grin with an almost dangerous edge to it. “We’ll show you a proper good time.”
                                              IV. BACKSTAGE
Nicholas Hardy was never supposed to be a rock star, at least not according to his mom. Nicky always had other ideas, however. She did her best, raising him on her own in Bristol, but he was always a little wild. Some blamed the fact that there was no father to speak of in the picture and Florence Hardy was never forthcoming with details about who he might have been. Most outside the family assumed he’d died in WWII, given that Nicky was born roughly a year before it ended, but Nicky knew that couldn’t be. If his father had died honorably, as a soldier, surely his mom would have been willing to talk about him, tell stories, or even have pictures in the house. But Florence wouldn’t even talk to Nicky about his father so he came to the conclusion that the man must have abandoned them, must not have wanted him. His mother did the best she could and he’d always felt loved at home but the idea that his father hadn’t wanted him planted a bitter seed in his heart that grew as he did.
One thing that eased that bitterness was music. Nicky loved music from a young age and displayed talent early on. Florence wasn’t impressed with it at first but when it became clear he was going to do it whether she wanted him to or not she managed to scrimp and save enough of their already meager funds to get him his first guitar. She hoped, somewhat vainly, that he might just keep it as a hobby and go on to more stable pursuits. That wasn’t to be, however, since Nicky excelled at guitar and had a clear passion and love for it. He liked music more than he liked school, and, in spite of his mother’s strictness about grades and keeping it up, it wasn’t long before Nicky was cutting class to jam with his mates. The group of them had been friends for a long time and Nicky was often the one who got them into trouble but he was equally as often the one who could talk them out of it. He was certainly charming, even as a young punk of a teenager, though sometimes he was just as willing to get into a down and dirty fight as he was to talk his way out of it. Nicky especially railed against men in positions of authority. People said it was because he’d never had a father to be strict with him and teach him respect and they were half right. He saw the father he’d never known in all of those men who were trying to control him and wanted to spit in their eyes to show them he didn’t want or need them.
It only made sense that Nicky would get into the punk scene, scrappy and talented as he was. He and his friends formed a band and being on stage, even if they were the sticky stages of tiny little clubs, gave him a rush like no other. He came alive in front of an audience, hit them hard with his chords and left them wanting more and soon enough, Nicky Slick was born. Nicky plunged headfirst into the lifestyle his mother had never wanted for him. Sex, drugs, alcohol, and parties became a way of life and Nicky loved it all. The adoration from fans inflated his ego and his natural charm made him even more popular. He got to live fast and free and he loved every minute of it.
The ride got even wilder when they broke out of Britain and went to America, attacking New York and all it had to offer, which was quite a lot. Nicky was happy to indulge in any drug anyone would give him, chasing the same euphoria he found on stage. He was talented and he knew it and the world was his oyster. Who needed a father’s love when he had the love of thousands of fans? It was a real shame when the label pulled them out of New York and sent them to California because they were ‘too wild’, as if there was such a thing. They were supposed to behave themselves, party less and focus more on the music, but Nicky wasn’t quite sold on that. Why couldn’t he party and do music? He saw no reason why he couldn’t and has always been more than willing to convince anyone who might disagree with him that he can do it just as well as he does everything else.
                                                   V. ENCORE
Aesthetic:
https://punk-alien-named-alan.tumblr.com/post/171850668009/punk-aesthetic
Playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5xhweEBaZJXomJj78EMweb
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Please follow: 
@lanamays
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OC:
✽ The Hurricane (Henry Cavill) 
Skeleton:
✽ The Pretty Vacant - (Nico Tortorella) 
Total Apps: 2
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Oh good, you made it!
Did you guys know Rhea was coming? She brought Lana May, The Lollipop! And just on time! Grab a drink, find a spot, and make sure you finish everything on the checklist. The band is just getting started – you have 24 hours to send in your account! We’re so glad you’re here!
I. OUT OF THE STUDIO
NAME/ALIAS: Rhea
AGE: 20
PRONOUNS: She/Her
                                               II. ON STAGE
DESIRED SKELETON: The Lollipop
NAME: Lana May
FACE CLAIM: Elle Fanning
AGE: 21
OCCUPATION: Backup Vocals/Keyboard for The Gemstones
                                             III. INTERVIEW
Answer the following questions in your character’s voice:
If you could do anything in the world for a living, what would it be?
‘‘Well i’m already doing it, you silly! This has always been my dream. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be a member of The Gemstones? I’m young, I’m pretty and I get to sing and perform in such a wonderful band. What more could I want from life? I consider myself really blessed. Do you know how many other young girls come into this town with big hopes and dreams? But they don’t all get to sing and play like I do. So, I don’t want to be selfish. I’m truly happy with what I’ve got. But you know, if I weren’t famous, I’d probably be a seamstress just like my wonderful mama. I love fashion. I really do.’’
If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
‘‘Truth be told, I’m really happy here in L.A. It’s the perfect place for me I think. But I guess maybe I’d go to New York City, I’ve heard it’s much bigger than all the cities here on the West Coast. It’d be a real adventure to get lost in New York. Or perhaps I’d go to Paris? I’ve only seen it on tv, but my oh my, it looks so glamours and chic. Audrey Hepburn makes it all looks so sweet.’’
What is one thing that makes you different than anyone else?
‘’My mom says it’s my smile. No other girl can smile like me. She says that the sparkle in my pretty blue eyes cannot be replaced with any jewelry. So, I guess maybe that? But everybody says that I remind them of cotton candy. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because of the way I dress. Does that count?’’
                                             IV. BACKSTAGE
Thumbelina emerged from a flower into this world, but Lana was created from the finest silk, sugar and gossamer - or so her mother’s bedtime stories oftentimes claimed. Born as Lana Mayor Young, she spent her idle childhood years in her hometown of San Francisco, as the only child of a local seamstress called Viola Mayor. The life of a single mother and a divorced woman had never been a fairy tale for Lana’s mother, but still the little Lana was loved and adored almost to the point of madness.
Vibrant dresses, heart-shaped sunglasses and pretty flowers in her flaxen hair, Lana lived a life most would be envious of thanks to her overprotective and caring mother. At school she was always among the favorite girls in class, simply drawing everyone in with her bubbly smiles, pretty eyelashes and saccharine personality that was practically contagious. Nothing ever seemed too hard or impossible for the young blonde; after all a girl with such a cherubic smile could solve any issue.
But when she wasn’t playing dress-up at her mother’s boutique store ( in hopes of imitating all the stunning clients ) or roaming around with her pretty Barbie dolls, Lana had the tendency to watch tv for hours upon hours and listen to the radio. There was something so undeniably entrancing about all the pretty girls in glittering dresses with shiny microphones in their delicate hands - and the way others looked at them made Lana all the more intrigued. They were revered and idolized and Lana almost immediately became enamored with the world of fame and music, and she wanted to be just like all the ladies on TV as singing in front of a tall mirror wasn’t enough for the little sweetheart.
And so it all started with the young blonde practically begging her loving mother with glistening tears in her eyes to let her join a local choir. At first, her mother had been rather reluctant to say yes to such a whimsical and peculiar wish, but then again saying no to Lana was practically impossible ( really, one cannot find a person strong enough to turn down such a delightful creature with bambie eyes ). Soon after that, she started attending regular practices and extra classes, hoping to improve her voice and make her wildest dream come true. But of course, it didn’t take her long to realize that being a part of a choir wasn’t even remotely similar to her perfect California dream.
However on one fateful sunny afternoon in Los Angeles ( while Lana and her mother were visiting one of her aunts ), a tall and older, but still rather handsome stranger in a black suit approached Lana, claiming she had the perfect face and personality for an upcoming band in his record label ( her voice was the least of his concerns ) and of course Lana was drawn to the whole idea like bees to honey. Convincing her mother was the hardest part in all of it, but too oblivious to see the potential troubles Lana almost immediately signed the pretty contract, more than ready to start a new glamorous chapter in her life.
And really, look at her now, with a new name that rolls off the tongue so smoothly, utterly fit for a stage. She has all she’s ever dreamed of and she lives inside of her pink little bubble, floating around like she’s in some silly dream. Her sweetness and charm are truly hard to ignore and she’s beloved and revered, but be aware my child, the sweetest apples are always the ones that start to rot first.
                                                 V. ENCORE
here’s a pinterest board !
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