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androidcharles · 10 months

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Rockin' the House Chapter 2

*accidentally posts the second chapter on AO3* Haha... whoops?

Uh, either way... chapter 2 is here! Along with chapter 3 I guess I'll be posting THAT in a minute. Here is where the band starts, but what kind of obstacles will lie in Amelia, Charles, and Dave's path?

(also @bluetorchsky I borrowed Accordion and Violin for this story, I hope you don't mind, I also hope I didn't make them too out of character...)

Charles looked at the board in the park nearby his home, looking for anything particularly interesting. A couple of places were offering some guitar lessons while some people were looking for help with moving, cleaning, and such. The public board was always fun to look at because he felt like he was connecting with people, even if it was something as simple as a lost cat or dog.

He skimmed the board and gasped as he noticed something that wasn’t there yesterday. He scanned the ad, reading the text as he smiled to himself.

OPENING SOON! Galaxy Bar Livehouse Drinks and live music every weekend!

WANTED! Local talents and bands for tryouts! Performs every month on the weekends! Call the number below for more info!

He studied the paper, taking a picture of it before smiling and messaging Dave.

Dave was sitting on his couch at his apartment, seemingly on cloud 9. The past week he had been IM-ing and chatting with Amelia had been wonderful and what was even better was the date they went on. There was only one person who didn’t seem to approve of his newfound relationship, but he would have guessed that Rupert wouldn’t be a fan of him dating a Toppat.

He didn’t have much to say but only warned him about what he was getting into. As Dave let out a sigh, he suddenly got a ping on his phone. He opened it up and his eyes widened as he looked at the message.

xXBold_Action_ManXx: You wanna do something crazy?

After a bit of chatting, Dave met Charles in the very same park he found the ad in as he stared at it, a little perplexed.

“A band? Aren’t you guys supposed to be doing other things? I mean there’s the occasional cases that you guys get and of course Project SAI isn’t going to find itself…” Dave said.

“We’ve been hitting a few roadblocks on that front. Plus this’ll be a fun little distraction you know!” Charles said, “I can play guitar and you can play the drums! Now all we need is a bass player!”

“Uh, do you know any bass players?” Dave asked.

“Hmmm…. Not really,” Charles said, “But maybe I can teach someone to play the bass! It can’t be that different from playing the guitar right? After all one has six strings and the other has four strings…”

“Some bass guitars have six strings,” Dave said, “And I don’t think that’s very wise. If that’s the case, we’d have to wait a while to try out because we’d be spending so much time trying to teach someone to play.”

“That’s true…” Charles let out a small sigh.

“But if you’re willing to do it, I’ll be happy to take part! Let’s see… tryouts are in two weeks, but these live houses always rotate out bands like clockwork. Especially since most of the time they get discovered by higher talents. So maybe in a few months we can try out!” Dave said.

“Alright, let’s see who’s willing!” Charles asked. So the two got to work messaging whoever they could think of, but found their efforts a bit fruitless.

Charles started with Ellie, who was a bit perplexed as to why she was being asked, but seemed uninterested.

RoseyRose: I’m tone deaf as heck, remember? I’m not gonna be much help to your band…

xXBold_Action_ManXx: With a little practice, you could be a good bass player! It’s all in the technique.

RoseyRose: Sorry Charlie. Maybe ask someone else? 😅

Charles messaged Henry next and got a less than serious answer.

N00BSLAYER2006: I’ll do it, but I’m only playing the triangle 😂

xXBold_Action_ManXx: Geez, I don’t know why I asked you to begin with…

N00BSLAYER2006: I mean I can learn an instrument, but we already have a lot on our plate as is. Maybe you should ask somebody else? 🤨

Charles figured that Dave would probably already be asking Rupert, so he got a little desperate and messaged General Galeforce. The response was expected.

H_Galeforce: I don’t think you’d want an old man performing on stage with you, you know.

xXBold_Action_ManXx: Yeah, I figured you’d say that. 😥

H_Galeforce: Plus it’s been a while since I’ve picked up an ax. I’d rather not take that risk, especially at my age. I have a feeling you’ll find somebody, don’t worry. Just don’t let it distract you from your work, alright?

xXBold_Action_ManXx: Yes sir.

“Any luck?” Dave asked. He had just gotten done messaging Rupert, who had given him a resounding “no” mostly because he had other things to worry about. It made sense, after all, if Rupert was going to become captain, he shouldn’t distract himself with frivolous things like this. Plus Charles deduced that if they spent too much time together, they would get sick of each other.

“So who’s left?” Dave said, “I asked a couple of people from work and they didn’t seem to be interested…”

“Time to get truly desperate!” Charles said.

“Who are you gonna contact!?” Dave shouted as Charles opened up his messenger once again.

xXBold_Action_ManXx: Hey

Burthalowmew9000: No

xXBold_Action_ManXx: I haven’t even told you anything yet, much less asked anything.

Burthalowmew9000: I’m gonna be real with ya, Chuck, it’s probably something I’m not gonna be interested in.

xXBold_Action_ManXx: Don’t call me Chuck… 💢 So you don’t wanna be the bass player for our band?

Burthalowmew9000: No, I don’t But Amy might

xXBold_Action_ManXx: Amelia? Why? I thought she only knew how to play the ukulele…

Burthalowmew9000: She’s been taking lessons from yours truly over the past few months. She might not be stage material, but if you practice enough, I have a feeling she’ll be in performance shape for whatever thing you’re planning

xXBold_Action_ManXx: Does she know how to read music?

Burthalowmew9000: Nope You’re on your own for that one, Chuck.

xXBold_Action_ManXx: I said don’t call me Chuck 😠 Well, alright I’ll ask her.

He quickly switched tabs and began to message Amelia.

xXBold_Action_ManXx: Are you busy?

GlitterToppatGirl: Yes I am, obviously.

xXBold_Action_ManXx: No you’re not, because that’s not your I’m busy message.

GlitterToppatGirl: Try again later. What do you want?

xXBold_Action_ManXx: Join our band.

GlitterToppatGirl: What

xXBold_Action_ManXx: You saw what I typed. Hold on, lemme send you the pic. pictureid20395018_0611624.png

GlitterToppatGirl: what

xXBold_Action_ManXx: Would you prefer us to talk about this IRL?

GlitterToppatGirl: What? I mean, yeah. Uh, IDK why you’re bugging me about this though…

xXBold_Action_ManXx: Than let’s meet at the cafe and we can chat about it there 😊

GlitterToppatGirl: 👍

Charles stood up as he motioned for Dave to stand up.

“We’re heading to the cafe to talk about this with Amelia,” Charles said.

“The one where-” Dave said awkwardly.

“Yeah, the one where I almost died, yeah,” Charles said.

“I wasn’t gonna say that but sure…” Dave said softly as they started to head out of the park. They walked down the street, talking about various songs they liked as they headed into the cafe. Charles tried to put on air of confidence as Dave shrunk back a bit, almost trying to hide behind Charles.

“Let’s just sit somewhere and wait for her, OK? She might be a bit,” Charles said, “Don’t worry, if any of these guys give you trouble, I’ll give them trouble back, got it?” Dave meekly nodded his head as they sat down at one of the tables.

“I wonder if they have any conversations about heists they’re planning,” Dave said softly.

“Nah, I’ve already tried eavesdropping here. They can’t exactly talk about much here without getting in trouble, because this is a public place,” Charles said, “Though I wouldn’t be shocked if there was an underground operation…”

“Do you see it?” Dave asked as Charles looked at the floor.

“Nah, nothing. There’s a basement, but if there’s anything down there, I don’t know what it is… ah everything is android proof these days!” Charles said, “That’s why I wanna blend in so badly, I swear.”

“Well, declaring you’re an android out loud is usually the first step but… shouldn’t you be proud of who you are?” Dave asked.

“I am. I really am trust me it’s just… there are days where I feel like I want to be normal, you know,” Charles said softly, “I don’t know if people can handle the idea of an android like me walking around…”

“I mean I still like you! Even before I found out you were an android. And there’s other people too who love you even if you’re an android…. Is this why you wanted to do this? With me? You want to feel more normal?” Dave asked.

“Ah, well, I guess you could say that,” Charles said, “Maybe just maybe… I can feel like a normal person…”

“I’M HERE!” Amelia shouted, slamming the door open.

“Ms. Amelia, would you refrain from being so boisterous when coming in?” one of the employees said as Amelia spotted Charles and Dave. She ran over to the pair, sitting down next to Dave and leaning on top of his shoulder.

“You got taller!” Charles said, “Did you finally hit your growth spurt?”

“Charles, can you click the link I just sent you?” Amelia said snidely as Dave rolled his eyes.

“What’s a link?” Charles said, “Ah, wait, that’s not why we’re here.”

“You wanted to start a band right?” Amelia said.

“I don’t know why, but yeah,” Dave said, “I’m humoring him because it’s not like I have anything else I’m doing between my job and… you know… wallowing in my own anxiety.”

“I’m sorry,” Amelia said, “If I had known how harsh they were to you back than… I would have done something!”

“It’s fine, it’s fine! I’m getting better! It’s been… a while, but I’m getting better!” Dave said, “And this might be a good distraction, you know.”

“Dave can play the drums and I’m the guitarist,” Charles said, “And Amelia, Burt told me you’ve been learning how to play the bass, so you can be our bassist.”

“Oh, that’s… great…” Amelia said.

“What’s wrong, sweetie? You don’t think you’re that good?” Dave asked.

“Stage fright? Since we’re a pretty new band, we probably won’t stand out too much until we do a few shows,” Charles reassured her.

“No, no, it’s just, I’m not sure… if… well, how long have you guys been playing your instruments?” Amelia asked.

“Well… general dad gave me his guitar when I was two and a half years old!” Charles said.

“And I played the drums in the jazz band in high school,” Dave said, “Though it’s been a while since I could afford a set to play…”

“Yeah, you guys have been playing for a while, but me? I’ve only recently picked up the bass guitar. Burt’s been a great teacher and all, but performing in front of people seems to be a bit much…” Amelia said.

“Don’t worry. We have about two and a half weeks to prepare. That’s plenty of time to get something prepped and try out. And if we make it, we’ll have plenty of time then to think of an original song or two!” Charles said, “Don’t worry, alright?”

“I’m in!” Dave said.

“Oh, what the heck. I’m in too!” Amelia said, “So where will we be practicing?”

“Mmmm… renting out a studio is a bit… pricey,” Charles said, “I don’t have a lot of disposable income between commission money and my allowance.”

“You get an allowance!? From who!?” Dave said.

“Henry,” Charles said.

“He doesn’t give you a paycheck!? Don’t you work for him!?” Dave shouted.

“Yeah, I get a paycheck from him too, I just consider the work commissions you know, like my paintings,” Charles said.

“Yeah, I get allowance from my daddy all the time,” Amelia said.

“Seriously?” Dave said, “You two still get an allowance?”

“What do you spend all your allowance on, Charles?” Amelia asked.

“Helicopter maintenance. It’s a pricey job, so I have to make sure to keep up. I’ve got all the supplies I need, but I’m short on cash this month because of it…”

“So renting a studio is out than,” Dave said, “Maybe we can practice at your place, Cha- eh?”

“No no no,” Charles said, “Our neighbors… are crazy… one time I played my piano at three in the morning… they acted like I committed a crime.”

“I mean, considering the time…” Amelia said, “What about your place, Dave?”

“Amelia, you’ve been to my apartment. It’s the size of a postage stamp. And my neighbors are crazy too. Like one time, Rupert came over to stay for the night and we were talking around nine PM and I got a noise complaint. And we were whispering too!”

“That’s out of the question than… maybe we can practice at the manor?” Amelia asked.

“Are you sure that’s OK with your dads?” Charles said.

“Well, as much as they hate what you did, they seem to really like you,” Amelia said, “And we just got finished rebuilding our music room.”

“Do you guys have a candy room?” Dave asked softly.

“Yes.” Dave’s eyes sparkled as he took Amelia’s hands.

“I love you,” Dave said.

“What about the band?” Charles asked.

“WE CAN PRACTICE IN THE CANDY ROOM!” Dave shouted.

“I don’t think my dads would appreciate that…”

“So, it’s settled than? We’ll practice at Amelia’s place starting tonight?” Charles asked.

“Eh, tonight?” Dave asked.

“Are you sure?” Amelia said.

“Do you have to work? Are you, uh, planning anything?”

“Like I’d tell you, but no.”

“Not really…”

“Than we have to start tonight. If we practice every other day up until tryouts we can at least be in performance shape. It’ll have to work out!” Charles said.

“Ah, alright, I’ll see if I can get us a practice room,” Amelia said.

“And before we head out there, I figured I’d pass this along,” Charles said, “Dave and I stopped by the music shop on the way here and grabbed this for ya.” Charles handed Amelia a book with music sheets for bass guitar players in it.

“Eh? What’s this?” Amelia asked.

“It’s sheet music. You have to learn how to read it,” Charles said.

“Why?” Amelia asked. Charles slumped in his seat before banging his head on the table.

“Why… why she asks…” Charles said softly as Dave chuckled.

- - - - -

Charles hovered the helicopter over the helipad on top of the roof as he carefully landed, checking his surroundings to ensure that no one else was around. He looked up to see Amelia waving at them.

“I’m a little nervous…” Dave said.

“Just stick by me and you’ll be fine,” Charles said, “Plus, I made sure not to bring anything important with me. I’m just gonna have to hope some Toppat isn’t petty enough to strip this thing for parts…” Charles headed out of his seat and opened the helicopter door, smiling as Amelia motioned for them to follow her.

“The music room is on the first floor, right near the gardens. You remember the gardens, right Dave?”

“Yeah, you showed me all those flowers you grow. And the greenhouses as well!” Dave said.

“Mhm,” Amelia said, “This will be a lot of fun. I got us a practice room booked for pretty much most of the night so we can practice as much as we want.”

“That’s good,” Dave said, “How long should we practice for?”

“Until we get sick of it!” Charles declared.

“So, an hour maybe?”

“I should probably warn you, if you want a snack, you’re better off getting them from me. The kitchen staff is quite kind except for the head chef. I don’t know why, but I was never able to really get along with them…” Amelia said softly.

“Who are they? I bet you once they’re hit with the Charles Charm, they’ll let me have all the midnight snacks I want!” Charles said.

“Please stop saying that. Um, well, don’t worry about it OK? I have plenty of food for us and if you want to stay over-”

“I’m not going that far,” Charles said.

“Ah, right. Well, here we are.” Amelia stopped in front of a set of double doors, opening them up to a wide circular foyer. There were various cubbies with locks on them to protect the instruments within, with several signs going on about ensuring that the instruments were clean before putting them away. Sitting at the desk in the office was a very bored looking Toppat with a musical staff going around his hat, obviously guarding the instruments so they could be rented out proper. In the middle of the room was a raised up stage, with two circular rows of seats surrounding it, obviously meant for private performances.

On the right were five or six studios, one with the recording light on while on the other side were several doors leading to practice rooms of various sizes.

“I’ve got a drum set set up in here so we can practice as much as we want,” Amelia said, opening one of the doors and revealing the set up. There were two music stands, two chairs, two amps for Amelia’s bass (which was nearby) and Charles’ guitar respectively and of course a bright beautiful drum set, which made Dave’s eyes sparkle as he practically barreled towards the set, his eyes glowing as he sat down behind it, kicking the pedal to create a small beat.

“I missed this feeling SO MUCH!” Dave shouted as he started to hammer away on the drums with the drumsticks.

“Well, I guess Dave can get warmed up. Amelia, did you read that music book I gave you?” Charles asked.

“Yep! I didn’t understand it!” Amelia shouted.

“You were supposed to study it so we could play music together…” Charles said softly as he grabbed his guitar out of his case, plugging it into the amp.

“Can’t you just tell me what to play like Burt does?” Amelia said.

“No, because if we write our own songs, you have to be able to read what’s written or else we won’t be able to play!” Charles shouted. Amelia shrunk back, but nodded her head as she grabbed her bass and opened the book.

“Uh, let’s see… Charles, do you think you can help me read this?” Amelia said.

“Ah, geez…” Charles said softly as he walked over to her music stand. Dave kicked the pedal of his drum set, smiling weakly.

“I guess it’ll be a long night, huh?” Dave said softly, mostly to himself.

For about two hours, the three of them struggled to perform together as they argued about various clefs and notes and such. But after a while, they started to get the hang of performing together through it all as they finally managed to finish a song together.

“You were behind by a bit Amelia, but you’re getting better,” Charles said, “I guess you’re better at playing by ear than playing through sheet music…”

“Well, I’ve still gotta learn it right. You’re gonna write our music?” Amelia asked, “Including the lyrics?”

“The lyrics… huh…” Charles said, “I haven’t thought about that. Uh, let’s worry about that later! I could use a break from all this.”

“Yeah me too. Amelia, I’m sorry I yelled at you earlier, I don’t know what came over me…” Dave said.

“It’s fine! We have to work together after all,” Amelia said, “Anyway, we can’t eat in the music room, but there’s room next door that’s perfect for-” As Amelia opened the door, she gasped as she saw two very large looking Toppats sitting in the stage area of the music room.

“Accordion! Violin! I didn’t know you guys were working here tonight!” Amelia said.

“Hello again, Amelia,” Violin said, “And of course, hello Dave.”

“Hi you guys… it’s nice to see you again,” Dave said meekly.

“And who is that?” Accordion asked, pointing to Charles. Charles looked behind him, mostly out of humor before Amelia let out a small sigh, slapping him.

“This is the Unit CC I was telling you about,” Amelia said.

“I’m not Unit CC anymore! I’m Charles Conroy Calvin! I’m an android just like Amelia!” Charles said.

“Ah, I see…” Accordion said, “So you’re the one Amelia was seeing behind everyone’s back, huh?”

“When you say it like that…” Amelia said softly, almost a little saddened by what Accordion said.

“We heard you guys practicing in there. You’re coming along nicely,” Violin said, “What song were you guys playing just now?”

“It was an ancient song. Charles seems to know a lot of them,” Amelia said.

“When I was working for the government, I pillaged a lot of bunkers. You’d be surprised at what ancient songs you can find down in those places!” Charles said.

“I didn’t take a former government agent for the pillaging type,” Violin said.

“Ah, well you’d be shocked,” Charles said, flinching a bit, “Hey Amelia, why don’t we try to come up with some lyrics during the week and see what fits us most?”

“Ah, yeah, that’s good,” Amelia said, “Let’s go eat and we can practice some more!”

- - - - -

Throughout the week, Charles, Amelia, and Dave coordinated their schedules for practicing together. It was a bit difficult to get their schedules to line up exactly, but that didn’t stop them from practicing on their own. Eventually, the next time they were able to meet up, they were more confident than ever before to play.

Charles had managed to write an original song after their first practice and IM’d it to Amelia and Dave, who had been practicing it all week. They were back in the music room at the manor for the second time this week, talking about what they had practiced.

“Did you have a hard time reading the notes?” Charles said, “I was half tempted to label them for you, you know.”

“Nah, I just used a cheat sheet,” Amelia said.

“I’d scold you for that if I didn’t occasionally use my android powers for things like that too,” Charles said, “How about we all play it together and see if we can keep up?”

Charles started to play the first part as Amelia tried to keep up with him, coming in on her cue as Dave drummed along to the beat. Eventually they started to match up little by little as the song came to a close. Charles had a bit of a disturbed look on his face as he gazed at Amelia.

“Amelia, are you sure you practiced what I sent you?” he asked, his voice a bit dark.

“I DID! I practiced it and everything!” Amelia said, “I practiced it so much that my dads got mad at me for playing when I wasn’t supposed to!”

“I practiced my part just fine…” Dave said softly.

“Well, you got a little excited on some parts, but you were able to keep up with me fine. Amelia was a bit behind though,” Charles said.

“Geez, when it comes to music, you sure are harsh,” Amelia said softly.

“I’m sorry I am! We have about a week and a half to actually get this done right and we’re meeting every day after this! I wanna make sure we actually sound like a legitimate band!” Charles shouted.

“You’re doing fine, Amelia, just make sure you’re paying attention to us,” Dave said, “You seem to do heists just fine. You’re always multi-tasking during those.”

“Yeah, yeah, but that’s different,” Amelia said, “I guess if I think about it like that…”

“That’s a bit ridiculous, but if it’ll help you play better, then do what you want,” Charles said, “Why don’t you run a metronome app while we’re playing too? So that way you can keep up with us?”

“And maybe you can use an editing program to make notes on the parts you’re having difficulty with so you can prioritize those a bit more?” Dave asked.

“R-right,” Amelia said, “Let’s see, let’s see… Charles what does that little symbol next to that squiggly line mean?” Charles gave Dave a pleading look, who only shrugged.

“She’s doing her best. This is the first time she’s ever been exposed to something like this, so it’ll take her a while for her to learn,” Dave reassured him.

“Yeah. Let’s run through it again and this time, let’s look at the parts we’re not doing too well with,” Charles said.

Two hours of yelling and practicing later, the three of them were sitting in the stage, a bit exhausted as they looked up at the ceiling.

“I can’t believe how hard playing music really is. I thought it was one of those leisurely activities…” Amelia muttered.

“It’s only leisurely if you don’t take it seriously,” Charles said.

“I guess that’s what we get for doing this,” Dave said, “Are you sure you wanna try out on the day of? We can always hold back for when they actually need people.”

“I don’t wanna miss this opportunity! Besides, once a position like that is snatched up, it’s usually months before another opening happens, even if it’s a starting club,” Charles said, “I know it’s seems impossible, but I have a feeling we can at least sound decent if we practice hard enough.” Charles leaned back a bit, staring at the ceiling before looking to Dave and Amelia.

“I’m sorry I’ve been so harsh on you guys. I guess my passion for music burns a little brighter than you two’s. If you wanna step out, I understand completely,” Charles said softly.

“You’re only harsh because you want us to learn, right?” Amelia said, “So it’s good that you are. I’m glad you’re teaching me how to read sheet music. It’s hard to understand, but it’s really great.”

“Yeah and this is the first time I’ve gotten to play legitimate rock and roll!” Dave said, “Even our jazziest songs didn’t get as exciting as the part you wrote for me!”

“I tried to keep in mind you’re a human and that you probably couldn’t play really difficult parts. It was so hard to balance simple and complex,” Charles said.

“I could probably play something with a triple bass drum, actually! I’ve done it before!” Dave said.

“Wow…” Amelia said, hearts appearing in her eyes as Charles giggled.

“Well, while we’re resting, why don’t we take a look at the lyrics we wrote? You guys wrote something, right?” Charles asked.

“Uh, well, I did write a few things that might be considered verses,” Dave said softly, taking out a small notepad.

“I wrote something too!” Amelia said, accessing her notepad application and scrolling through her recent files.

“Well, let’s see them then!” Charles said, motioning for Dave to hand him the notepad. He opened up his messenger application as he read through Amelia’s notes.

Sunset on the beach Finding myself approaching The full breaking point

And so I run off Into the grainy sand and Make my final move

“What the heck is this?” Charles said, “All these verses are haikus…”

“They are?!” Amelia said.

“Why are they all haikus…” Dave said softly, giggling a little.

“Don’t laugh!” Amelia shouted, shoving Dave as he laughed.

“It’s adorable! I kinda like it!” Dave said. Charles laughed as Amelia’s inseams steamed up a bit, putting her hands in her face as Dave planted a soft kiss on her cheek.

“Well, read my lyrics next,” Dave said. Charles scanned his eyes over the page, feeling a bit sick to his stomach as he read them.

The world going around A cloud of sugar and fairy tales Rising over the land Heading down the trails

And-

“I CAN’T READ THIS ANYMORE!” Charles said, throwing the notebook across the room.

“Geez, you don’t have to be that harsh, it can’t be that bad…” Amelia said softly, walking towards the notebook and picking it up.

“Those lyrics are too sugary soft… what the heck kind of message are we trying to send…” Charles said softly.

“Well, what did you write, oh great band starter?” Dave asked as Amelia cringed at the lyrics Dave had written.

“Um… I’m messaging it right now,” Charles said as Dave and Amelia opened up their messenger apps to take a look.

In a forest deep Black night sky above A fire rages onward Obscuring everything in sight Obscuring everything I love

Wishing for another tomorrow No hope in sight So I keep running into the night So I keep running into the night

“These lyrics are a bit dark…” Amelia said softly, “If we were a metal band, it would work, I guess…”

“Yeah, it’s almost as if they’re trying to tell a story,” Dave said, “Are you… OK, Charles?”

“Huh? Oh yeah, I’m fine!” Charles said, “I guess I’m not good at lyrics. Amelia, how come all your verses are haikus?”

“I guess when I think of poems, I think of haikus?” Amelia said, “They’re the first thing I learned how to write…”

The three of them were silent as Charles let out a small sigh.

“I really am sorry guys. I didn’t think this would be so stressful,” Charles said.

“I think you’re the only one who’s stressed right now,” Dave said as Amelia snuck out of the room.

“Yeah, but I wanted to do something fun together, but this is becoming less and less fun, you know,” Charles said, “Maybe it wasn’t worth it.”

“I’m having fun! I mean, it’s hard, but I’m having fun! And plus I get to spend lots of time with Amelia too, which is a bonus,” Dave said, “It’s really nice to be able to play music and write something all our own. I have a feeling we’ll figure it out as time goes on.”

“Ah… thanks for the vote of confidence I suppose,” Charles said, smiling.

“Hey!” Dave and Charles jumped slightly as they looked to see Amelia, standing with Accordion and Violin.

“So, how do you guys feel about a bit of coaching?” Amelia said as Charles and Dave exchanged some worried glances.

- - - - -

After a week of coaching from Accordion and Violin, the band was now performing much better then it had before. Amelia was finally able to keep up with Charles and Dave, Charles had managed to finally cool off and stop being so harsh and Dave learned to speak up a bit more so he could put in some input of his own.

At the end of their second original song, Charles breathed out a small sigh as he looked at Violin and Accordion for approval. Violin clapped his hands together, smiling at them.

“Much better than last time. I have to admit Amelia, you’ve come a long way since you first started playing,” Violin said.

“Hey, I wrote the songs!” Charles said. Violin only glanced at him as he shrugged before smiling at Dave.

“Dave, you’re also coming along nicely as well. You just have to make sure you don’t get excited,” Violin said.

“You sound just like my band teacher a long time ago…” Dave said softly, panting a little bit.

“Did you get over-excited in high school too?” Charles said.

“A bit too much. One time I demanded a drum solo… it was a jazz band,” Dave said. Accordion covered his mouth as he smirked and Charles and Amelia chuckled.

“Charles, I hate to admit this, but… you’re doing great as well. In fact, you may be the only thing holding this band together,” Violin said.

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Charles asked as Amelia shrugged uncertainly.

“Well, I guess we can call it for now… by the way, what’s our band name?” Dave asked. They all exchanged glances as Accordion leaned forward.

“You guys don’t have a band name? They’re going to ask for it when you go up there to try out,” Accordion said.

“I was more concerned about the songs!” Charles said, “Uh let’s see… it shouldn’t be too hard to come up with a band name!”

The three of them spent thirty minutes brainstorming ideas while Accordion and Violin helped the Toppat in charge of the music room do some organizing. After thirty minutes however, they hadn’t come up with anything really meaningful.

“I wonder if people like Dim Lighthouses or Fading Trails had this hard of a time coming up with a band name,” Amelia said.

“I mean, if you pick a random thing and add something melancholy to it, of course it’s a good band name,” Charles said, “But I’m not sure if I like any of these names. Who suggested the ‘Friends Power Squad?’”

“Uh, I think that one was me,” Dave said sheepishly.

“Hmm… how about we think about us? As a whole?” Amelia asked.

“You mean using our names?” Charles said, “Every time a band’s named after a band member, it tends to go south.”

“How about we use our old names? Unit CC… Unit AM…” Amelia suggested before Dave piped up.

“THE FRIEND UNIT SQUAD!”

“NO!” Charles said.

“Fine! How about CC in the AM then?” Dave said, rolling his eyes as he leaned back in his seat. Amelia and Charles exchanged glances once again before Charles beamed.

“That seems like a great name!” Charles said.

“Yeah, but what about your name? It isn’t-” Amelia started before Dave shook his head.

“I just came up with it off the top of my head. It doesn’t have to include my name,” Dave said.

“Are you sure?” Amelia said, her eyes dark with concern as Dave nodded his head.

“I’m sure, Amelia. Besides, it’s a cool name. It feels a bit more unique you know,” Dave said.

“Maybe we can call ourselves CC in the AM with Dave?” Charles suggested.

“NO!”

“That’s kinda stupid actually…” Charles flinched at the feedback as they both giggled. Amelia motioned for the two of them to stand up.

“We should probably get back to practicing. After all, we’ve only got a few days before the tryouts,” Amelia said.

“Yes, let’s do it! Let’s practice till we’re perfect!” Charles shouted.

- - - - -

The day of the tryouts officially came forward, with many messages along the lines of “Good luck!” and “You can do it!” filling their inboxes, they made their way to the live house to finally try out.

The three of them sat nervously in the audience area as they listened to the bands audition. There were a few more bands then they had anticipated and some were actually being rejected. They had a feeling some of them were already established bands, some had some followings on social media according to some internet searches.

The person in charge of the auditions and the live house owner, Ozwald Galaxy, seemed to have some criticism for each of the bands that performed. Which made them even more nervous then they already were.

“Alright, let’s see… CC in the AM?” Ozwald called out as Charles took a deep breath, confidently striding up as Amelia tried to fake some confidence, but was struggling a bit. Dave was already an anxious mess, so he practically scurried up to the stage when Charles and Amelia snapped at him to come on up already as Charles plugged in his guitar into the provided amp. Amelia did the same as they tuned their instruments, Dave getting used to the drums as they looked at Ozwald, who looked a little bored.

xXBold_Action_ManXx: Play with confidence. Break a leg.

GlitterToppatGirl: Gotcha. And thanks.

They played both of their original songs, without lyrics of course as they tried not to pay attention to any little mistakes. Play with confidence and don’t let the pressure get to you. That was the advice that Charles took to heart and hoped that Amelia and Dave would do the same as well.

When they finally finished the last bar of their song, Charles breathed a sigh of relief as he looked at Ozwald hopefully, a little perplexed when he had a sort of confused expression on his face.

“Is there any reason you guys don’t have lyrics to those songs yet?” Ozwald asked.

“Ah, well… we were going to write lyrics but… we haven’t really come up with anything that really matches our sound yet,” Charles said.

“I see, I see,” Ozwald said, writing something down on his clipboard, “I have to admit, your sound is pretty interesting. Very familiar in a pleasant way, very pleasant indeed. The bassist was off by a bit, but she adjusted as much as she could and improvised whenever she was behind, the drummer didn’t have much confidence when he came up on stage, but played like he had a thousand times, and as for you-” his eyes glimmered as he gazed at Charles “-you’re a bit too flashy. But your confidence is the only thing holding this band together.”

“That’s great! Right?” Charles said.

“I didn’t say that was a good thing. Your band mates need to build up their own confidence rather then relying on your own or they’ll struggle in the end,” Ozwald said, “But you guys seem to have a very unique sound. I really like it a lot. So, if I give you about two more weeks to prepare, would you be willing to perform again in front of an audience?”

Charles looked at Amelia in great shocked as Dave pinched his arms as if to check if he was dreaming.

“We got the gig?” Amelia asked.

“Yes, you did. I want you to perform in July, on the fifteenth. You can manage that much, right?” Ozwald said.

“We’ll show you our best, sir!” Charles said.

“That’s what I like to hear,” Ozwald said, drawing a circle on his clipboard before he looked down the list again, “Next up is Round-Up Gang!” Charles and the others cleared the stage as Amelia bounced up and down, Dave taking deep breaths as they exited the live house, almost turning in a tornado of energy as they ran down the street before sitting on a nearby bench.

“I can’t believe… I can’t believe we actually did that!” Amelia said.

“Well, believe it!” Charles said, “I can’t believe we did it either!”

“I can’t believe you weren’t scared of that Ozwald guy!” Dave said, “He seemed so cold and merciless.”

“Oh come on, he was like a kitten compared to half of the sergeants I had to deal with in the government forces,” Charles said, “But he’s right you know. In order to really play well, you guys have to build up your confidence. And I think I know just how to do it…”

“Please don’t make me do push-ups,” Dave said meekly.

“No no, I was more referring to Amelia. I was going to sing, but I was thinking that maybe you should do it,” Charles said.

“Me? Seriously?” Amelia asked. Dave nodded his head in agreement as Amelia shook her head.

“C’mon, you have a great voice! Plus, it will help you build your confidence a little. Especially when it comes to your performance,” Charles said, “Before you say no, think about it as another way to build you up and help you understand music better!”

“Well, I guess it can’t be helped,” Amelia muttered.

“You have a very pretty voice, Amelia! So it shouldn’t be too hard for you,” Dave said, “By the way, what are we going to do about the lyrics? Your lyrics are too dark, mine are too… cutesy according to you guys… and Amelia’s are too formal.”

“I think I have someone who could probably write good lyrics for us!” Charles said. Amelia and Dave exchanged glances, wondering who on the Great Continent they could trust to write lyrics.

#the henry stickmin collection #fan fic #fanfiction #the narrators stories #charles calvin #amelia copperbottom #dave panpa

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ris-multi-fandom · 1 year

Text

Here’s day 14 of Housevember22!

Fandoms: House MD

Pairings: Gregory House x James Wilson

Characters: Gregory House, James Wilson.

November 14th: Instruments.

Greg House opened his eyes one Saturday morning, his sleep disrupted by a horrible noise coming from the lounge. He dragged himself out of bed, going in search of the noise that was offending his ears. This led him to James Wilson who was sitting on the couch with a guitar in hand.

”Are you assaulting my guitar for a reason? Possibly to summon a demon with god awful music?” House asked.

”Well I was looking for a way to get you out of bed but now I’m curious as to how you can actually play this thing and make it sound good,” Wilson replied plucking at the strings and creating a noise that made House wince.

”Well for a start you’re left handed so you’re holding the guitar upside down,” House commented.

”Yeah, that might be a problem,” Wilson said, putting the guitar back in its place. House watched him as he sat back down before turning around and opening the closet that was behind him. He rooted around for a bit before pulling a guitar out.

”Here try this one,” he said, handing it to Wilson.

”You just happen to have a left handed guitar sitting in your closet?” He questioned, taking it from his friend.

”I won it in a poker match, the guy was an idiot and got cocky, he had a full house, I had a straight flush, the rest is history,” he explained, “I wasn’t sure what to do with it, it’s been stuck in my closet for months now, I was going to sell it but it’s beautiful and was custom made. It was too good to let go.”

”And now you’re going to let me play it?” Wilson commented.

”Why not?” House shrugged. Wilson put the guitar on one knee and plucked at a few strings, still creating horrible sounds in place of music, “put your fingers like this,” House said, sitting next to him and placing his fingers on the strings, “this chord is G, and instead of plucking at random strings try strumming,” Wilson did as House said and actually managed to produce a sound that didn’t hurt their ears. House then taught him a few more chords before showing him a strumming pattern to follow.

”Wow that doesn’t actually sound too bad,” Wilson smiled.

”It doesn’t,” House agreed, grinning slightly at how much Wilson was enjoying himself, “now I want you to play the chords like this, G,2,3,4,C,2,3,4,Am,2,3,4,F,2,3,4, got it?” Wilson played the chords as House instructed and House smiled, “good now keep repeating that same tune,” Wilson did as he was told and House went to sit at his piano, playing a little melody that worked well with Wilson’s guitar playing. They continued to play together until Wilson stopped, rubbing at his hand which had cramped up.

”Sorry, hand cramp,” he said.

”That’s alright, that can happen at first, after playing guitar as long as I have you don’t really notice it anymore,” House replied, coming over to sit next to the oncologist. He took Wilson’s hand in his and began to massage it.

”That feels a lot better already,” Wilson sighed and House smiled at him.

”I can teach you some more chords later on if you want,” he told the younger man.

”Sure,” Wilson replied, “but first we can go grab some breakfast, that was the reason I wanted to wake you up in the first place.”

”Alright,” House responded, “I’ll go get dressed,” and with that he gave Wilson a kiss on the forehead before heading to their bedroom to get changed.

#hilson #hate crimes md #house md #hilson fanfiction #greg house #gregory house #james wilson #house x wilson #housevember22

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gamerswift13 · 10 months

Text

Speak Now (Taylor's Version)!

Hey!

So some of you will know this, others may not, but Taylor Swift recently re-recorded her 2010 album titled Speak Now, and it was released roughly 40 hours ago at the time of posting. When ‘Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)’ was announced back in the first week of May this year, I wrote a thing about how I feel about the original album. If you haven’t read that, you may want to to get caught up on how and why I feel things so deeply for this record in particular.

Since way back in February 2021, when Taylor first announced that she was re-recording a bunch of her old albums, starting with Fearless, I have been waiting for this moment. I won’t get into the whole sordid story about why she’s doing it, or how much I wish Scoote* B*aun would get hit by a car, but it’s a whole thing. What I will say is that in the long run, I am honestly happy that this happened because the re-recordings are flawless. Seriously, I’m just wonderstruck (lmao 😉). I haven’t listened to this record as much as I wanted to before writing this - I’ve listened a few times, but mostly I’ve just been thinking about it. I was b i g excited for this to come out, but I can’t lie, there was some anxiety too - this record is so important to me so it had to be flawless; and I think Taylor nailed it. Anyway, I have waited for this for a long time, and now that it’s finally here I have Some Thoughts.

I went back and forth in my head about how to do this, and I decided the best way would be to nail down exactly which songs I was most nervous or excited about, and then do a broader breakdown of the rest of the album, so here we go: starting with…

Mine

‘She is the best thing that’s ever been mine.’

Taylor always opens her records with one of the strongest tracks on said record, and this one is no different. I adore the original, and the re-recording is incredibly faithful to it. The only differences I noticed in this track versus the original were a few unsubtle moments where the growth and refinement of Taylor’s vocal range in the past thirteen years really shine through. It’s the same song, but new again.

Sparks Fly

‘The way you move is like a full-on rain storm, and I’m a house of cards,’

This song has always been one of my all-time favourites from any artist ever, and this new version is just as intense and moving as the original was back when I first heard it somewhere around 2012. This re-recording gives me chills. I am literally trying not to cry right now as I sit here writing this and relistening to it. Every line in this song is flawless. And oh my god, the strings. During the track, I find it difficult with my audio processing problems to tell if it’s a guitar, a violin, another string instrument, or all of the above, but whatever it is it makes this song so much more powerful.

Speak Now

“She floats down the aisle like a pageant queen,”

‘Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)’ is the first track here where Taylor’s strengthened and refined voice is apparent in almost every lyric. While it’s maybe not one of the biggest or strongest stand-out tracks on the record, but it has a very special place in my heart from when the original record made its indelible mark on me. Not a lot is different here, besides the sound of Taylor’s voice, and I think that’s okay.

Mean

“You, with your switching sides and your wildfire lies and your humiliation.”

Mean is so much fun, it always has been. The up-tempo of it contrasted against the subject matter has always worked really well for me. The opening is so peppy while she talks about how hard critics had been treating her, and how badly she used to take it when it happened. But I love how the song goes from ‘upset’ to ‘f**k you’ by the end. This re-recording feels really good, too, because the line “some day I’ll be big enough so you can’t hit me,” feels like both a prophecy from 2010, and a vindication in 2023 that she was right all along.

Better Than Revenge

“He was a moth to the flame, she was holding the matches.”

This is the one I was most anxious about going into this new version. For one, I really love the original song, despite its one glaringly large problem, but I was also nervous about whether or not she would change the lyric, and if so, to what? The first time I heard the new lyric, I was reading the prologue in the booklet that came with the CD hard copy of the album, and even though I wasn’t super paying attention I noticed it. I skipped back a few seconds to hear it again, and looked up the lyrics in the booklet so I could sing along and get it into my brain. I really like the new lyric a lot, and I expect I am going to think about it a lot in the future, too.

Haunted

“Something keeps me holding onto nothing.”

Haunted has always been a big favourite of mine to just scream-sing along to when I need to release some sadness energy, even the acoustic version is great. This version is… something else. It’s always been something of a rock song, but I feel like Taylor really leaned into that here, and the result is flawless. I sent Castles Crumbling to my sister (not a swiftie) during my first listen to the record, and she liked it so much that she listened to the rest of the album - during her listen, she sent me back this text:

This new version is incredible, and I’m so happy to have it in my life. And I’m stoked that ‘Haunted (Taylor’s Version)’ may have made a Swiftie out of my sister. 😁

Ours

“The stakes are high, the water's rough, but this love is ours,”

I love the way Taylor kept the little southern drawl from the original track here. This is the one track on this record that really makes my heart flutter. There’s very little in this track that feels different from the original, but I think that was a really inspired choice because it was honestly practically flawless the first time around. This song also has a really special place in my heart because the original video was the source of one of my favourite reaction gifs to use on social media or in texts (see below!).

Wrapping up… 🎁

The rest of the re-recorded tracks here are gorgeous, and you really can hear the different inflections and tones in Taylor’s voice as she sings these classics from her early career in the studio again. Altogether, I love this release of Speak Now and I really feel like if someone were to ask me which version they should listen to, my answer would be overwhelmingly this one; it truly is the definitive version of the record. It was honestly tough to nail this list down to just seven favourites out of the 22 tracks, even with excluding the From The Vault tracks which I will get to in a second. I’m so happy to have this space to gush about this record, and I really hope you enjoyed reading about my feelings!

From The Vault 🔓

As I said above, I excluded the From The Vault tracks from my list because I simply don’t have a ton to say about them yet. I have only listened to them a handful of times, so expect a follow-up post in a few weeks, once I’ve had more time to sit with them and form Some Opinions. What I will say right now, though, is that the immediate stand-outs for me were Electric Touch, I Can See You, and Castles Crumbling. I’m excited to listen to them a bunch more times. I also wanted to mention the Surprise Announcement video at the end of the album on Apple Music, too. Many hardcore swifties will probably have seen a version of it before elsewhere, but I had not - I have been avoiding any streams from The Eras Tour in hopes that I’ll someday get to see a complete version on Netflix or something - and y’all, this video almost broke me. I so wish I could have been there in person to feel the energy of the crowd!

The End 🔚

Well that’s it from me for this week, friends. Thanks so much for hanging out and indulging me while I am once again back on my Taylor Swift bullshit. If you want to see more writing from me, as I mentioned above you can go back and read about why Speak Now is so special to me, check out other things I've written on Substack, and as always you can check out my Letterboxd movie reviews. I recently reviewed Single White Female (1992) and Poseidon (2006)! Also! Please remember that if you have comments, questions, suggestions, or just want to say hi, please hit me up in the comments or at any of the socials in the links below.

Stay safe out there y’all and have a great week. You’re the best thing that’s ever been mine! Ka kite anō au i a koe. 💚

Rebecca

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mjlovescm · 2 years

Text

18- #1 Groupie

Completed, 27 chapters, “She’s an angel” Rodrick Heffley x black fem reader

Author's note: This chapter is in Rodrick's pov

“I don't know, man, it does kinda sound like you are jealous.” Ben tells me as I open the garage.

“Yea Rodrick, why do you care some much who she goes on dates with.”

“It wasn't a date, it was a hangout.” I correct Chris. “And y/n's my best friend, and I'm like her only friend.”

“Aren't we her friends too.” Chris says unplugging the speaker wires.

“Yeah, but only because of me.”

Chris and Ben share a look, something they'd been doing a lot around me. I ignore it, as I always do, and we continue to move our instruments into my van. Once everything is inside, we get in the van and I start driving. Not to the gig, but to y/n's house.

I send her a quick text message to let her know I was outside before hopping out of my car.

𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚞𝚝𝚎 :) -𝚢/𝚗

I smile when she replies instantly. Quickly putting it away and replacing it with my normal scowl. And as she promised, a minute later, y/n is outside the house and practically skipping towards me. Well, at least doing her best attempt in those big black boots.

I swallow as I take in how she looks. I told her she didn't have to dress a certain way for the concert, but she insisted.

y/n we both know this isn't heavy metal

But she looked hot as always, so who cares.

She was wearing a tight cropped black shirt with a skull on it. Not a scary skull or even a regular one. A cartoon skull with a bow on it. Her bottom half was a short leather skirt stopping at her thighs with fishnets and lastly a pair of long black boots. Also, leather, which added a few inches to her natural height.

“See anything you like.” She says with a smile, hands motioning up and down her body.

“You look so fucking cliché.”

Her lips pull into a dramatic frown. I smile at the expression, and she does the same. Happily, she walks well, more like a waddle. To the other side of the van and gets into the car.

The drive to the gig is quick. Once we were there, we all get out and start moving things out of the van. When we're done, the boys go backstage, leaving me to help y/n find a good spot in the crowd.

“Make some noise for Löded Diaper.”

It's a roller coaster of anxiety every time we perform. The planning and thought of it is pure excitement. Then you're actually sitting on that stage and your body is buzzing with nerves. Finally, the lights are on us, and we just start playing. Almost like my hands start moving on autopilot.

Nothing really compares to the feeling.

“I know the drummer!” y/n yells. “He's my best friend! GO RODRICK!”

Except maybe having sex. With y/n. I twirl one of my drum sticks in my fingers and point it at her with a smile. We play a few more songs, ending the last one with a drum solo. And even though my focus is on my drums and even when the crowd roars cheering me on, y/n's voice is the only one I hear.

“You guys did so good!” She exclaimed, practically jumping into my arms and pulling me into a hug. Voice rough from yelling.

Our bodies swing around as we struggle to keep balance. I hold her tightly, so we won't fall over. Once we have some balance, I set her down, loosening my hold but breaking the hug.

“We're we really that good?” I ask only so I can hear her say it again. My voice rough as well.

“So good, I think I might have to be Löded Diapers number one fan.”

“You mean my number one fan.” I tell her with a cocky expression.

She makes a fake thinking face.

“I don't know about that. I kinda have a thing for guitars to be honest.” She teases me her fingers playing with my hair at the back of my head.

I scoff dramatically.

“Drummers are way better.” I whisper against her neck teasing her back.

“You have to be really good with your fingers to play those strings, though.”

Not replying to the comment. I drag my lips against her skin from her neck to her jaw, then her ear. A small gasp leaving her at the feeling.

“And I'm not good with mine.” I hummed before pulling away and looking into her eyes.

She stammers for a second.

“I never said that.”

“Good because my number one fan would never say something like that.”

“I guess that makes me your number one fan.”

“I guess it does.” She smirks.

Unknown to me or y/n the other boys watch from afar as we talk.

“Maybe he isn't in the friend zone.”

“The way she was screaming his name in there, definitely not.”

Next chapter ;)

All chapters :)

#mjlovescm #black fem reader #rodrick heffley #rodrick x reader #diary of a wimpy kid

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abimess · 2 years

Note

How do you think Wanda would react to reader writing that song????

Well, anon, let me show you what I think (about this ask, inspired by this song)

The Story Of Us special blurb - Something New

"You've been stuck in this room since this morning." Wanda humorously remarks as she enters the small studio you built in the backyard of your house, chuckling amusedly at your figure surrounded by several papers on the floor, a pencil in your ear and a guitar in your lap.

Upon hearing the sound of your wife's voice, you immediately lift your eyes upward, smiling kindly when your eyes meet hers.

"I wrote a song for you." You tell as you stand up, "for all of you." You add, shifting your gaze briefly to her belly, and Wanda bites her lower lip in a smile.

"Really?" She asks, laughing softly when you hum in confirmation. "Can I hear it?"

"Of course!" You say excitedly. As Wanda takes a seat on the small couch in the room, you pull up the keyboard stool, taking a seat in front of her. Stroking the strings of the guitar, you clear your throat for a moment before you begin to sing.

A few days ago, Wanda gave you the fantastic news that she was pregnant.

The two of you have been trying to make this happen for a few months now, but artificial insemination is never easy. So when the redhead prepared a surprise to tell you of the pregnancy, you exploded with happiness.

But with this happiness also came a lot of insecurities. Would you be a good mother for the baby? Or would you be to them what your parents were to you? And even with all your efforts, what if you did something wrong?

The doubts were many and often kept you up at night. Still, the bliss of living this new moment, expanding the family with Wanda as you always wanted… That was priceless, and no insecurity was going to stop you from making this dream come true.

And this is exactly what you sing about, the soft melody of the instrument accompanied by the truths you carry in your heart. Wanda smiles the whole time the song goes on, her eyes filling with happy tears.

"[…] I hope I'm ready, for something new." You finish the song with a few more strums on the guitar, smiling almost shyly under the intense look of adoration from your wife.

Before you can ask what she thought, she pulls you by the neck, and you have your answer in the passion of her kiss on your lips.

"We'll both be ready when the time comes." She says in an almost whisper, her forehead resting on yours. As her hands caress the back of your neck, you rest the guitar on the side of the couch to bring yours to her thighs. "We will."

"What are you going to do with it?" The redhead asks curiously, pulling her face away from yours enough to look at you, and you sigh. "Well, I'm certainly not going to sell it. I might publish it like I've done with some others, but… I don't know. It's too special for me to just release a single, you know?"

Wanda nods in understanding, but then a thought crosses her mind, and she looks at you with a knowing grin on her lips. "I have an idea."

"Oh yeah?" You ask in a mix of amusement and curiosity, and she hums in confirmation. "But you'll need to wait a few months." She tells you, a cheeky smile on her lips. "Nine, to be exact."

You narrow your eyes at her suspiciously, but Wanda just giggles, leaning forward and kissing you once more. And at that point, you would agree with any idea she wanted to propose.

#wanda maximoff x reader #abimess answers #anon

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invisibleraven · 1 year

Note

28 rulie or peterpatterlina

Bonus story: my husband propsed to me while we were taking down the Christmas decorations. In February. It's fine

It had just turned to November and the three of them were out for a drive when Luke groaned.

"What did you forget?" Julie asked from the passenger seat, used to her boyfriend's forgetful nature.

"No, it's just... those people already have their tree up," he replied, thumbing at the house they had just passed. "It's not even Veterans Day!"

"Yeah, that is a bit gauche," Julie replied. "We usually don't put them up until after Thanksgiving."

"Oh hard same," Luke agreed. "Otherwise it's tacky. Plus you sick of looking at it."

"Can't we wait until December?" Reggie asked. "At least then Channukah is over this year."

"Is there such a thing as Channukah decorations?" Luke mused. "Other than the menorah I mean?"

"There are!" Reggie exclaimed. "Lots of blue and white, but it is all pretty menorah and dreidel centric. I am okay not decorating for it though."

"We can totally put up the white fairy lights and call it Channukah decorations for you cariño," Julie said, earning her a smile that could have melted butter. "But that doesn't solve when we put the tree up."

This would be their first year living together, though not the first the three of them celebrated both holidays, so the debate on when to put things up raged on, with Luke and Julie finally conceding that they could wait until after Channukah, which ended just before November did. So they all got their way, even if they agreed that they much prefer mashed potatoes with the turkey than latkes.

They day of the decorating started early, with Julie demanding they do some major cleaning first, as there wasn't room for the tree with all the instruments laying around. Those got relocated to the studio, or Luke's office, but only after Reggie threatened to string tinsel on them if Luke didn't move his guitar.

They hung their stockings over their mantle piece; Julie's a knitted one from childhood her abuela had made her, Luke's a recent one that Emily had knit after his childhood one got one too many holes from years of use. Reggie's was one that Ray had bought him after he and Luke started dating Julie. It had a Yoda in a Santa ha on the front and his name lovingly embroidered on it by Victoria.

The tree was a mish-mash of old and new ornaments, crafts they had made in childhood, pictures throughout their lives, ones that Ray and Emily had donated, and a few jokey ones that Willie had found them while thrifting. It wasn't the prettiest tree, but Julie declared it perfect once her mom's angel figure bedecked the top of it.

The holidays were lovely, full of good food, laughter, and some quiet, loving moments. It was on the 26'th that Reggie turned to both of his partners and asked "So when do we take it all down?"

"January 6'th," Julie said firmly.

"Eh, before February," Luke answered at the same time.

"February?" Reggie asked. "Dude, no."

"It's pretty and festive!" Luke argued.

"Not into February it's not!" Reggie retorted. "I'd be happy enough to take it down now. I mean, Christmas is over right?"

"You ever heard of the twelve days of Christmas?" Luke replied.

"Twelve Lucas, not 30," Julie spoke up. "We take it down January 6'th. That's the last day of the holiday, and also when we're all due back to work. No arguments."

"Yes boss," both boys replied before relaxing back on the couch, staring at the twinkly tree.

"It really is pretty," Reggie said sometime later.

"Yeah," Julie sighed, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"Still want to take it down ten days?" Luke asked then cowered as Julie turned her glare on him. "Okay okay." He then snuggled in, and the three of them fell asleep in the glow of the lights from the tree.

Everything came down on January 6'th, just as Julie wanted.

Well, except maybe the mistletoe. Reggie kept a stash of that handy at all times, because that was one decoration he was fine with having up year round.

#filled prompts #ficlet #rukebox #peterpatterlina #julie and the phantoms

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leelei1980 · 1 year

Text

Part 14- Beauty and the Freak

Birthday Boy🌶️

Mature 18+ Smut Minors DNI

Ronnie

" We don't have a lot of time Steve, he'll be back in just a second. We are still on for Saturday right?"

Steve leaned in."Yes. To my knowledge he has no idea. He is going to be shocked."

" That is the plan! " I looked over Steve's shoulder and saw Eddie walking back with Robin, his movie selection in hand. I backed up. " I'll have to call you in the morning before I go to school is that ok? That is pretty much the only time Eddie's not around."

"What about later tonight?"

" Sometimes he drops me off at home then parks down the street and sneaks in my window."

" He is like literally always around you."

" Makes it hard to be sneaky huh?" I laughed. I watched Eddie walk over and put his movie on the counter grab a box of candy." Sour patch kids? "

" What is wrong with sour patch kids? They are sour, then sweet- just like me."

He smiled his big toothy smile.

" You are the only person that buys this candy, Munson." Steve shook the box and put it back on the counter.

" What would you pick Steve?"

"M&Ms. Hands down. Popcorn and M&ms best combo ever. Sweet and salty."

" Oh Salty , just like you?" Robin laughed.

" Haha Robin." Steve shook his head.

I laughed. " Let me guess, something scary?"

" Creepy, not scary."

" You think it is soooo funny when something jumps out and scares the crap out of me."

" It makes you cuddle closer." He smiled again and put his arm around my shoulder.

" If I cuddled any closer I would be in your lap."

"Best seat in the house sweetheart."

" You guys are gross. Take your movie and disgusting candy and get out of my store!" Steve joked.

" Ok, ok we are out of here. Bye guys!" We walked out and got into the van.

Time to lay down some groundwork, " So Saturday, I was thinking maybe we could take a ride to the grand opening of that new music store, I have heard that their instrument selection is stellar, like they have everything.,I know you need new guitar strings and picks right? Then maybe we could stop and get lunch?"

" Sounds like a perfect way to spend my birthday baby." He smiled." Usually Wayne makes me my favorite dinner and we just hang out. I'm kind of bummed that he isn't going to be home this year."

" That sucks Eds ." I rubbed his knee." What do you want for your birthday dinner baby?"

" Mac and Cheese."

" I make a yummy Mac and cheese. I got you covered."

" That would be awesome, thank you princess."He smirked ." Do you remember what happened the first time you made me dinner?"

I smirked back at him." Like I could forget! We had sex for the first time ever on the counter,

for the second time in the shower, then the third time when I came out in your Hellfire club shirt. Pretty sure we would have gone for four, sleepy eyed, wild haired, raspy voice sex if you hadn't been woken up by our little nosy dysfunctional family."

" I felt totally robbed, I told Steve that. I told him that instead of a lazy morning in bed with my girl in my arms , cuddling, I wake up to frantic knocking and all of them barging into my house because Red was nosy and saw a car in the driveway. Then they had the audacity to stare at you when you came walking out. You looked fuckin smoking in nothing but my shirt and your little undies, hair all wild from sex and sleepy eyes still half closed. I didn't get a chance to fully appreciate you in that moment because I was too busy telling my friends to stop staring at you because they are perverts and don't know how to be gentlemen. I mean, I kind of get the shrimps, they had never seen a half naked girl before but Steve? Like dude, don't drool over your buddy's girlfriend. That's just good manners."

I laughed. " I thought I was going to die, the worst part was when I realized my bra was still on the kitchen floor! There is no discreet way to go over and pick it up without everyone knowing. Thank god you threw me your jacket."

" It's just that we never get to stay together over night and wake up together. I really do feel robbed that I didn't get wake up with you snuggled up to my chest or watch you sleep."

" I remember that I slept so good that night. I am a horrible sleeper too. I think it was because I just felt so comforted with you there. I don't think I tossed and turned at all."

" Maybe you were just exhausted from all the boning."

" Jesus" I shook my head and chuckled. " It is quite possible it was from the boning. You have a way with words Munson."

" It's my inventive and colorful vocabulary that keeps you coming back for more Sweetheart ." He smirked.

" I'm pretty sure it's the boning that keeps me coming back-"

He barked out a laugh" THIS is what keeps me coming back. Your sass and wit."

" I thought it was my rack."

He rubbed my leg." I love you so fucking much. I swear to god you were made for me."

" Good morning!" I said into the phone early the next morning.

" How can you be so cheerful? It's 6:00!" Steve grumbled into the phone.

" I know, I'm sorry! So surprise party Saturday, horror movie themed, I am going to take him out of town to that new music store then out to lunch- how long do you think we will need to set up?"

" We will have the kids here to help, Robin and Nancy, couple hours?"

"I know you are close with the parents, what are the chances that they would let them stay at a co- ed slumber party at Eddie's?"

" I don't think that they would be worried about the shrimps so much as they would be about us older kids hooking up."

" If it makes them feel better we can do it at my house, Mom and Bill will be home. I just want them to be able to stay, then we can truly have an all night movie marathon. I think they would love that."

" I do too. So your mom will be cool with it? "

" Im sure. We will take over the basement."

" What about Jason?"

" I will have a discussion with him. If he doesn't like it he can leave. He has a million friends, he can go to someone's house."

" Good luck with that. Oh! Robin and I found some old scary movie posters in the storage room at family video- we can use them for decorations and maybe some balloons?."

" That is awesome! We should see if we can find like, scary movie costumes too or something. Then they could wear them when they jump out and say surprise, scare the shit out of him, he would love it, and it would be payback for me, I mean he is always scaring me."

Steve laughed." I am pretty sure Max has every scary mask you could imagine , she scared the shit out of me once with a Mike Meyers one.."

" Perfect! Thank you so much for helping me with this party Steve. I really can't thank you enough. Wayne is great but I don't think Eddie really got any of this when he was a kid. I think he will love it."

" Its no problem Ronnie. I am glad to help. Eddies my friend, your my friend. It's what friends do."

" I just really appreciate it."

" So I will talk to the parents, ensure them that we will all be on our best behavior and an adult will be present."

" Awesome. I will take care of food, Eddie wants Mac and cheese for his birthday dinner so I will make a big batch , I will order pizza, we can make popcorn and I will pick up a bunch of candy. Oh, and we will pick up a birthday cake."

" I think we got it all covered."

"Perfect! I am going to let you go, I've got to finish getting ready. I will call you Saturday before we head back to the house to make sure things are all set back here. If you guys need more time I will stall."

" Hopefully we won't, but I am sure you can find ways to distract him."

" I am sure I can come up with something." I smiled to myself.

" On that note, have a good day at school. Say hey to my girls at lunch for me."

" Sure thing Harrington, you have a good day too! Bye!"

I got up early Saturday morning, every thing was prepped for Eddie's party, my mom agreed to the Sleepover and so did the other parents after hearing that she would be home. I asked her if I could borrow her car to drive Eddie around and she agreed. I grabbed her keys, the spare key to Eddie's that his Uncle gave me and headed out. When I got there I unlocked the door as quietly as possible and tiptoed back to his room, quietly shedding my clothes as I walked back until I was in nothing but undergarments. His bedroom door was cracked open so I quietly snuck in. He was passed out, sleeping on his side ,sheets partially covering his body. I could hear his deep breathing. I took a moment to appreciate his sexy body, well At least what I could see of it . His broad shoulders, muscular chest and and trim waist. It's no wonder that wanted to jump his bones every time I saw him. I carefully lifted up the cover's and slid in behind him. I draped my arm around his waist and snuggled up against his warm body. He made a little Mmmmm, noise in his sleep, I kissed his shoulder, lightly brushed his hair away and kissed his neck. He made another noise and I smiled. I wonder if he thought he was dreaming. I ran my hand down his chest, he stirred.

" Good morning birthday boy," I whispered in his ear.

He slowly rolled onto his back and smiled, " this is way better than the dream I was having." His voice was gruff and sexy from sleep.

" I thought that maybe we could make up for the morning cuddles we missed out on that morning the gang invaded." I leaned over and lightly kissed his lips, I smiled at his sleepy eyed grin." Your so fucking adorable Munson."

" This is the best birthday ever." He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me up on top of him. He rubbed a hand over his face. " Jesus fuckin Christ sweetheart, your so goddamn hot."

I smiled down at him. " I wanted to wear something I thought you would like." I am not the type of girl that usually wakes up and takes an hour to get ready but this morning I put a little more effort into it, I twisted and pinned most of my hair back except for a couple of loose curly tendrils, did a Smokey eye with some plum colored eyeshadow that I knew would make my eyes pop and that matched the lacy plum push up bra and panties that I decided to wear under my red sweater and black skirt, which were currently laying in the hallway. I topped my lips with a clear gloss knowing that there was no pint in wearing lipstick that was just going to smear off anyway. I have never been comfortable in my own skin until Eddie. I was self conscious and embarrassed and always trying to hide my curves, Eddie loves my body just the way it is and that made me confident, enough so that I bought fancy undergarments just to show off to him. This bra had my breast popping, and I knew it would drive him crazy.

" Baby you could wear absolutely nothing and I would like it, but this," he ran his finger just under the lace and against my skin." This is..." he trailed off as he pulled the guitar pick necklace out from my cleavage." I don't even have words baby. The hair, the makeup, the lace-"

" I can feel your appreciation, literally." I smirked and pushed my self off his chest and sat up. He groaned as I slowly slid my body along his boxers ,teasing . I could feel how hard he was underneath me already and it made me wet. I lightly ran my nails across his chest and saw goosebumps instantly. He sucked in a sharp breath.

" Baby your killing me here."

" Baby it's time for me to repay you for being the most giving, considerate lover in the world, always looking out for my needs, first." I leaned back down and kissed him, deeply this time pressing my body tightly to his., I nipped at his lip lightly with my teeth and he moaned again. I kissed my way down his jaw, his neck, nipped at his shoulder and got quite a reaction from that.

"Jesus Christ Princess-"

I continued trailing kisses down the middle of his chest, dipped my tongue into his bellybutton and then stopped at the waist of his boxers. I looked up at him. " Slide these off and sit on the edge of the bed for me baby? Please?"

He looked down at me, brown eyes wide. I took his hands and pulled him to sitting up position. I hopped off the bed and kneeled on the floor and patted the bed in front of me. " Best seat in the house baby." I winked. I watched him swallow hard and swing his legs to the side. I slid his boxers down and there it was. I had never given anyone a blow job before but I figured that there probably wasn't really a way to mess it up. I looked up at Eddie as ran my hands along the inside of his thighs, I watched his breathing quicken I lightly stroked his rock hard member with my hand. I watched him bite his lip, so goddamn hot. I licked my lips then slowly leaned forward eyes locked with his and slid my mouth around his cock. The noise he made was almost feral, so I kept going, slowly bobbing my head back and forth. I felt his hands move down to my head, felt his fingers in my hair. I pulled away a moment and licked the length of it and then I wrapped my hand around it and stroked. Whatever I was doing seemed to be the right thing from his reaction. When I slid my mouth around it again he groaned my name. I was so turned on.

He lightly tugged my hair." Stop baby,"

I pulled away quickly, " Am I doing something wrong?"

" No baby, " he pulled me up and sat me on his knee. " I want to be inside you. I want to cum together."

I stood up and slid off my panties then lowered my self down onto him. A moan escaped my own lips as he filled me. He kissed my throat and buried his head in my neck as he unclasped my bra and slid it down my arms. My breasts were in his mouth and his hands were on my hips as I rocked slowly back and forth taking in every inch of him.

" It feels so fucking good inside you Princess, so tight.." He breathed into my ear." Are you going to come for me?"

I bit my lip and nodded. He thrusted up as I rocked faster and I thought I was going to lose my mind.

" Open those beautiful eyes darling "

I opened my eyes and locked eyes with him as we both climaxed together. There was nothing sexier than the look on his face as he released. He reached up and took my face in his hands and kissed me, kissed me so hard that I thought I would never catch my breath, then he held me to his chest. " I love you so much baby. I fucking love you so much."

" I love you too Eddie, with all my heart." I got up off of him and snuggled up beside him on the bed. He kissed the top of my head and wrapped his comforter around us.

" That was fucking fire baby." He lifted my chin and kissed me again." Absolute fire."

I looked up at him and smiled. " It's always so good baby."

" Baby when you looked up at me, with your big beautiful eyes and licked you lips right before you- God," he smiled and ran a thumb over my lips.

I blushed. " I didn't know what I was doing."

" Baby, you knew exactly what you were doing."

" I have had butterflies all morning. "

" I'm going to have butterflies all day thinking about it."

" Really? So if I look over at you and see you with a dreamy look on your face it is because your thinking of me," I leaned in close to his ear and whispered, " with your cock in my mouth?"

He turned to face me a sexy smile on his face. " Fuck. I think we need to go wash those filthy words out of your pretty mouth. Your my dirty little angel ."

I felt my face getting hot. Taking it to a whole new level today."Hey, I think I owe you, what, nineteen birthday spankings?"

" Prefer to do the spanking." He wrapped his arms around me and threw me backwards on the bed. I laughed and tried to crawl away and as I did I felt a light smack on my ass.

" You better watch out Munson, I might start to like it." I felt him grab my legs and pull me towards him. I giggled and flailed and in two seconds he had me underneath him and arms pinned above my head. I wiggled underneath him.

He looked down at me concern on his face. " I'm not hurting you am I? Are you ok?"

" Your not hurting me. I kind of like it" I smiled and kissed him." I must warn you that I do watch a lot of wrestling, I will probably get out of this. I am not down for the count yet."

He laughed a playful look in his eye." Ok try, try to get out of this."

I bit my lip in concentration, how the hell was I going to do this.He laughed as I contemplated what to do.I wrapped my legs tightly around his waist and started moving from side to side and when I had enough momentum I rolled us right over. He looked just as shocked as I did when I pinned his arms up above his head." I'm a motherfucking ninja!"

He laughed till he couldn't breathe." I shouldn't have doubted you Sweetheart, but for a second I thought we were rolling right off this bed."

I laughed. " I did too!" I looked down at him. " So Munson, you seem to be in a very vulnerable position right now."

" It seems that I am, maybe you should take advantage of it."

I leaned down and kissed him." I suppose I should."

We lazed around after our morning shenanigans trying to kill time knowing that I wouldn't be going back to my place until 5:00 that night. I drove Eddie to the new music store and bought him some guitar picks and new strings for his birthday, he tried out a couple of sweet electric guitars while he was there, drawing in a little crowd that clapped and cheered when he was done. After that we got burgers and shakes at a cozy little diner.It made my heart full to see him so happy today, smiling, holding my hand , stealing kisses or walking with his hand in my back pocket. Just genuinely happy. I looked at my watch.4:00. I should call and see where they are at.

" Baby, I'm going to call my mom and check in with her, let her know that both her car and I are safe. You know she worries."

" Sounds good sweetheart, I'll go wait in the car, I want to check out the new patches I got for my vest. Take your time. Tell Lucy I said Hi!"

" I will!" Ran over to a phone booth and dialed my mom's number. She picked up on the second ring

."Hello?"

" Hey Mom! How's it going? The gang all there?"

" Yes, coming along nicely, everything should be ready on schedule! How are thing going with you?"

" Eddie says hi, Mom he is going to be so surprised! I think he is having a great day, he had a crowd of people cheer for him while he played at the music store. It was awesome."

" The gang is working hard, it looks great downstairs, very creepy."

" Well I will see you guys soon! Thanks again Mom for everything."

"No problem, anything for Eddie, he's such a sweet kid. See ya soon! Love ya!"

" Love ya!" I hung up than ran back to the car. Eddie was singing to himself when I got into the car.

" Hey Princess, how's Lucy?"

" She's good. She thinks you're a sweet kid. Boy do you have her fooled."

He smiled." I am sweet."

" Says the boy that slapped my ass earlier."

"Says the girl that liked it." He leaned across the center console and kissed me.

" Think you can pretend that our sexy shenanigans didn't happen when we go to my house later for dinner?"

" I promise I won't tell your mom that you're a sexual ninja." He laughed and it made me laugh. " This morning was amazing. This whole day has been amazing. Thank you for making it so special."

" I love you." I leaned forward and pressed my lips against his.

" I love you too baby. " he smiled widely

" Even when I have a filthy mouth, and almost roll you off the bed?"

" Especially when you have a filthy mouth and rough house."

I smiled . " Your really going to love me after you try my Mac and cheese."

He rubbed his hands together" I can't wait."

" Well soon enough. Sit back and relax baby." I put my hand on his thigh like he always does with me.

" I can't relax when your hand is that close to my dick."

" How do you think I feel when you rub my thigh every road-trip?"

" Does it fire you up Princess?"

" Does this fire you up?" I ran my hand further up his leg.

" Baby, I can't be walking into your moms house with a massive chub."

I blushed." Sorry Eds."

He smiled and laughed." Don't worry about it Princess. You just have that affect on me."

I drove us home taking my time, driving on all the back roads stopping to get drinks and sour patch kids for Eddie, he cranked the music and sat back smiling. It felt nice to drive him around for once, as much as I love the man his driving could be a little frightening sometimes. I looked at the clock as we pulled into the driveway, 5:15. Perfect.

We got out and Eddie took my hand and dragged me around the side of the garage. " I need one more kiss from my Angel before we go in and I have to be on my best behavior , so I'm going to make it count ." He smiled and wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me in for a very steamy kiss. When he pulled away he smiled and took my hand and we walked into the house.

My mom came running out of the kitchen big smile on her face." Happy birthday Eddie!" She pulled him into a tight hug and I smiled as I watched his reaction. He smiled and lightly pat her back.

" Thanks Lucy! And thanks for having me over for dinner. I hear Ronnie make a killer Mac and Cheese."

" She does. She is an excellent cook, she got that from me. " she beamed

" I remember that Chicken soup you sent over for me when I was sick, it was amazing."

" I'm going to go put that Mac and cheese in the oven." She kissed his cheek ," Hope you have a great birthday kid." She smiled and went into the kitchen.

He looked at me and smiled then whispered," I think your mom likes me."

" Was it the death grip hug or the kiss on the cheek that clued you in?"

" If I wasn't so in love with you I would totally make a move on your Mom."

I laughed and playfully pushed him. " Your such a dork." I took his hand. " Come on, I got you a present, I want to give it to you."

" Baby you have already made this the best birthday ever."

I dragged him down the hallway and to the basement door and opened it up." It's down here."

The room was completely dark as we went down the stairs and when we reached the bottom the lights flicked on and everyone jumped out in their scary masks." Surprise!"

Eddie jumped back in surprise, then stood there a minute taking in what was going on. The gang was all here, faces covered with Mike Meyers, Jason and Freddie Kruger masks, fake plastic knives in hand. "Happy birthday!"

" Holy shit! This is fucking awesome!" Eddie had the biggest smile on his face.

Everyone took their masks off and went over to give Eddie a hug, smiles on their faces knowing how much this meant to him. The room was decorated with movie posters and red and black streamers and balloons, it looked awesome. They had a snack table set up and in the back of the room a tv and VCR with a pile of movies. There were sleeping bags and pillows scattering the floor.

I smiled as I watched our friends laugh and talk, Dustin's hands flailing around as he chatted. They were the best group of friends anyone could ever have.

Steve walked up to me smiling." I think we pulled it off. Look at him, I don't think I have ever seen him smile so much."

" He's so happy." I smiled watching Eddie, then turned to Steve." You went above and beyond Harrington, this looks amazing. I couldn't have done this without you. I can't thank you enough." I gave him a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek.

" Well your welcome." He ran his fingers through his hair and smiled. " It was like herding cats keeping these kids on task. They get distracted so easily, then you throw fake weapons into the mix and it's total chaos. Damn kids."

" You're the best Mom ever Steve." I smiled

" I take that as a compliment you know. It's hard raising kids these days." He gestured over to Eddie." He

is particularly giddy , I can imagine that you might have had something to do with that?"

" We had a very nice day." I blushed.

" From the way he keeps looking over at you and smiling I would say it was very nice indeed." He raised his eyebrow.

" I don't kiss and tell Harrington, I'm a lady."

" I know you are. He's lucky to have you. I've known him for a while now and have never, ever seen him like this. He was letting this town get to him. Then you came into the picture, gave the kid a chance and look at him."Steve gestured to him, he was laughing at something Robin said.

" Well it helps that he has the greatest group of friends ever. I am honored that you guys took me in. I haven't had friends like you guys in forever."

" You're a part of our little dysfunctional family of outcasts and nerds." He put his arm around my shoulder.

" You ,Steve' the hair' Harrington is neither outcast or nerd so how did you get involved?"

" I am founding father of this group I will have you know, and I guess maybe I am more of a protector of the outcasts and nerds than anything."

" I see that, you are very protective of them."

" Well they aren't as strong as me so someone has to be the muscle."

I laughed." Eddie's not the muscle?"

Steve laughed." The kid is a string bean, wiry and fast I will give him that. And street smart. He would would fight for you though."

" Wouldn't want him to get hurt."

Steve looked down at me." So I have to ask, because it has always kind of been in the back of my mind, did you have a thing for Eddie before we went out on our date? Or were you really just not into me because I was using all my smoothest moves ."

I bit my lip," I think I had subconsciously had a thing for Eddie since the moment he walked into Mrs. O'Donnells class that first day of school. I just never thought I would have a shot with a guy like him. I had never gotten any attention from guys before so why would I now. Then when I started tutoring him and we started spending more time together, I developed a crush. "I looked up at him."Steve you have got the smoothest moves of any guy that I know, and it's not that I wasn't into you, you're gorgeous and charming and way out of my league. You have quite a reputation, I had never even been on a date."

" So it was already kind of there then."

" Yeah, I just didn't know it. I also couldn't believe that you even asked me out to begin with. from what I hear you were the big man on campus, I am the biggest nerd in the world."

" Dustin is the biggest nerd in the world."

" Ok so maybe I'm not the biggest nerd in the world." I smiled " You made me feel so special that night. You made me feel like I was a girl that someone could want. I don't know if that makes any sense to you or not, but it was very special to me and I won't ever forget it. "

He smiled down at me." I was your first date? First kiss?"

" Not first kiss, but best kiss I had ever had at the time."

" Until Eddie?"

" Until Eddie, but Steve it was still a very, very nice kiss. Second place best kiss ever."

" Well that makes me feel better. I just never had a chance with Mr Dungeon king or whatever stealing your heart first."

" Your my very best guy friend. And now you have Nance again, you guys are destined to be together, you have history!"

" We do, I love Nancy. I knew she wouldn't stay with Jonathan. They don't have the chemistry that we do. "

" You guys are the perfect couple."

" We were, until you guys. It's like you've been together forever. You guys are so like infatuated with each other, the way you look at each other."

As if right on cue Eddie looked over and gave me the sweetest smile then excused himself and came over.

" Deep conversation over here?"

" I am known for my intellectually stimulating conversations." Steve smiled.

" That is exactly what I think of when I think of you."

" No I was just saying that you guys are like the perfect couple. It gross and annoying but also kind of sweet."

" You know what's sweet Harrington? You helping to set all this up. It is so awesome." Eddie gave in a side hug. " Thanks dude."

" Your welcome Munson. Happy birthday. I'm going to go set up the popcorn machine I 'borrowed' from work so we are set for movie time."

"Thanks again Steve!"

Eddie slid around behind me and put his arms around my waist. " This is fucking awesome, thank you. "

" Of course baby. "

" So all night scary movie marathon?"

" The shrimps were pretty excited about it. My Mom agreed to chaperone so they could stay over. You get to sleep down here with Mike, Dustin, Lucas and Steve."

" So in other words I won't be sleeping tonight."

"Probably not." I smiled." It's good bonding time."

" it will consist of them hounding me for insight on the next D&D campaign, and them trying to get details of our love lives."

" Guys talk about that too at sleepovers?"

" These guys do. Don't worry sweetheart, I won't disclose any information."

" Your not going to tell them that I almost flipped you off the bed this morning with my sweet wrestling skills? I'm pretty proud of that move."

He laughed. " I am pretty sure if I told them that Mike would cum in his pants. The kid is has a huge crush on you."

" He doesn't say two words to me."

" It's because he's afraid I'll kill him." He laughed.

My mom opened up the door and yelled " Dinner is ready guys! Come and get it!" And then there was a rush up the stairs.

After dinner and birthday cake we returned to the basement and presented Eddie with a gift certificate to a tattoo parlor that we all pitched in for and he loved it. Then it was scary movie marathon starting with Eddie's favorite Nightmare on Elm Street , then moved on to the Halloween movies, then Friday the 13th. It was nice to have our group together in the same room. With everyone's extra curricular activities and work schedules it didn't happen very often. I was going to miss this when I leave for college so I had to soak it all in now. Everyone stayed strong until around 2:00 in the morning and we knew it was about time to part ways and go to sleep.

" Sweet dreams birthday boy." I pulled Eddie into a big hug.

" Of course they will be sweet, I'll be dreaming of you,." He smiled and kissed me. " Thank you for making this my most memorable birthday ever.”

#eddie fanfic #eddie munson smut #eddie stranger things #eddie munson

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jo-harrington · 2 years

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More Eddie Munson/Stranger Things Headcanons

Because I am just consumed entirely, as we all are. Don’t know about anyone else but the little bit of healing of my inner-teenager as I overanalyze this character? It’s so nice.

Please note that I might reference one of my previous headcanons here. Also…minor domestic violence/child abuse trigger warning; it’s just a quick mention but still. Double also…Keeping it family friendly but minors please DNI.

His mom got him an electric guitar for his birthday but died before she could give it to him. It was a big, expensive gift but she got it used—chatting with the regulars at Benny’s, hearing one of them mention their kid who got bored of it and now they can’t stand the clutter so they just need it gone—and she knows he’s been through a lot and been a trooper through it all. She’s got it all hidden away in the boathouse with the rest of Rick’s clutter—mini headcanon is that Rick can’t keep a secret for the life of him, so she can’t even tell him. Then fast forward after she’s gone…that bittersweet moment when they’re moving things out of Rick’s house and they find it. Neither Rick or Wayne know how to give it to poor Eddie. Eddie absolutely cherishes it for the rest of his life; he takes such good care of it. It’s not the most metal looking, which is sort of why he gets the Warlock after the fact. But all of the shows before that? He’s playing that guitar and he stars off the show dedicating the performance to his mom.

The first song Eddie really obsessed over and taught himself was Eddie Van Halen’s Eruption. Eddie would have been…about 11 or 12 when Van Halen’s first album was released in 1978 (depending on when his birthday is). At this point he’s only really learned from his mom and just what he’s taught himself but he’s just astounded by the cacophony of sounds and the sheer speed. He’s trying to figure out the tapping, trying to get his fingers to strum faster, and the more he practices, the better he gets. And the better he gets, the more he improvises and all of the pain and grief he has after losing his mom just explodes.

Eddie is in choir in 8th grade. Ok don’t know about anyone else’s middle school experience but for me, once you hit middle school, you either played an instrument in band/orchestra or you were in choir. Eddie up in arms that he couldn’t join band with his guitar and also the fact that guitar wast considered a string instrument for orchestra. But he isn’t…too put off by choir. When the little old lady teacher is testing everyone’s vocal range and he belts out some rock verse and it’s crickets. (“Ahem…very good Mr. Munson.) His buddies in class clapping him on the back but the other kids who are shyly singing in front of others just a little mortified.

And that’s kind of the thing that intimidates other people about Eddie—even his friends sometimes—he’s unapologetically himself. Which we know but diving a little deeper? He is so sure about his likes and dislikes and he’s a good person to talk to if you only give him a chance. He’s got so many stories. He dislikes small talk but when it develops into a genuine conversation? He will talk with you for hours. He remembers everything about you that you’ll share with him because he knows that not everyone is so open, so if you share something with him, you must trust him. He learns that from his uncle, from his mom…fast forward to what he starts dealing…yeah there are his classmates having parties and whatever but then there’s also the regulars who need a little something extra when they’re having a long week. And it’s so unexpected for this kid to put his hand on their shoulder and ask if everything’s alright. (If it’s a neighbor, maybe mentioning something to Wayne…Wayne doing a wellness check a few days later, inviting them around for coffee or something.)

I think someone else touched on this headcanon but I have ways to tie it back in my brain…Eddie starts dealing so he can have some spending money but also to help Wayne out a little. He’s always been an observant kid—hell, if you said the wrong thing to dad, you’d end up with a sore arm or a split lip or worse—so he knows Wayne is doing his best to make ends meet. And his mom before that. I’m not from Indiana but a quick search mentioned that you could get a job at 14 with parental permission; he asks Wayne as soon as he turns 14. He’s already found the theater manager at the Hawk is looking for an extra usher on the weekends. (“I wanna help you with things around the house.” “ You don’t need to help, son; I’m your guardian, that’s my job. You can get a job when you’re 16. Just enjoy being a kid for now.”) Eddie then thinks about Rick…money wasn’t as big of an issue when he and his mom lived with Rick. Rick would always let him pick whatever junk food or snacks he wanted, no questions asked. Rick seemingly always had a job to go to at the most random hours. It was perfect. It takes a lot of convincing, and Rick is a hard man to convince. Because he sees Eddie as something of a son too, and he knows this is just asking for something wrong to happen. But again Eddie has a good head on his shoulders and he knows how to keep a secret. And...ugh why the hell not.

Eddie sneaking money to give to Wayne. Again, read someone else's iteration of this and I just love it. He tried to shove a handful of bills into Wayne's wallet once while he was sleeping...and he got caught so never again. (Wayne became a light sleeper as soon as Eddie came to live with him. What if the school called? What if Eddie was sick?) Eddie makes up some excuse about wanting to go out with friends and needing a few dollars and patiently sits through a lecture about stealing and just asking if he ever wanted/needed something. Then Wayne gives him a ten and a pat on the head before going back to sleep. The OPPOSITE of what Eddie wanted. Eddie then resorts to looking for any and all places Wayne could be hiding money in the house so he can just slip some extra cash in there. His mom kept a coffee can in the laundry room at Rick's, or in the kitchen when his dad was still around. He ends up finding it tucked into one of Wayne's mugs, tucked in the very corner, a little dusty...it was perfect. It becomes the norm for years. Wayne figured it out eventually but always uses the extra cash for Eddie.

Eddie is the kid who always runs out of room in his notebooks, runs out of loose leaf paper, wears down his pencils. He’s just writing stories or drawing DND doodles or lyrics for Corroded Coffin originals. (He always tries to write the next chart-topping metal song but tell me it doesn’t end up as a ballad like…90% of the time.) His mom always knew when he needed new…well whatever he needed. It takes Wayne a minute. Maybe the first note home from a teacher saying “Edward wasn’t prepared for class with a notebook.” And it’s only October. Where did all of those notebooks we just bought go to? He tries to play the tough guy act…nothing awful but if Eddie’s losing his school supplies…well he just needs to be more responsible. Cue Eddie bashfully showing Wayne the notebooks full of doodles and stories and whatever. (“I was going to ask for a new one this weekend …a-and I swear I’ll only use it for school things. I just had this idea…”) Maybe mentions something about his dad not wanting him to be so wasteful. And Eddie knows that Wayne isn’t like his dad…but they’re brothers,I’m sure the resemblance gets to the kid sometimes. Anyway, Wayne just melts. Check him making sure Eddie always has a couple extra notebooks or a sketchbook or whatever when they do the school supply shopping to keep on hand.

Eddie spending free periods in the library. Again this could just be my experience but I was the kid who wanted to hide in the library at lunch or during study hall, and you couldn’t just go. You needed a pass from a teacher and they were so stingy as signing passes unless you were actively working on an assignment. Because they didn’t want you in there chatting with friends. Eddie just wants a clear head to work on things for Hellfire. The school library...it's not the most private place or has the best selection of books he typically would reference to prep for a campaign but he can make due. Maybe it's here that he develops that satanic rumor/reputation as someone comes across him at one of the corner tables and he's working on a scroll or some prop and it has runes and a pentacle and of course rumors spread at Hawkins High.

Eddie make his Hellfire Dice Tower in shop class in junior year. There's a YouTube video breakdown about ST4 and there are brief clips of Eddie's hellfire props and one is this dice tower with Hellfire Club scratched on the side (found a post on Tumblr too and I think I reblogged it the other day). It's the whole situation with Jonathan and Argyle making the birdhouse in woodshop and Eddie is like "that's dumb I'm gonna make something I will actually use" and makes the dice tower instead and it's arguably a tougher project, but he doesn't care.

Also Eddie taking home ec at some point because Wayne has stressed the importance of being self sufficient and that includes cooking and fixing your car, and mending your clothes. Like all of those roughly stitched patches ok? It fits the aesthetic...until Mrs. whatever taught him how to neatly stitch the patch on. (The teacher also thinks he's a sweetheart and he gets an A in that class FOR SURE.)

And now further on that note, Eddie's not the best cook, but any of the recipes he learned in home ec? He's a pro at them. Pancakes? The best you'll ever have. Macaroni and Cheese? He crumbled salt and vinegar potato chips on top from his lunch...best in the class. It doesn't hurt that it's all comfort food and makes him think of his mom and that's kind of the motivator.

I have so many more thoughts. So many. I will absolutely write more, but if there's anything specific you want, so long as I feel comfortable writing it, I will noodle on it and put it out into the universe.

#eddie munson headcanons #eddie munson #stranger things

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b-sai-des · 8 months

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What to Take From Roger Waters' "Time" Redux

I’m a huge fan of Pink Floyd’s music and I love Dark Side of the Moon. It's a big year for the album, as a lot of people are celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Pink Floyd released a remaster earlier this year, but Roger Waters (former Pink Floyd bassist and songwriter) has announced a "redux" of the original album as well, and not with the Pink Floyd members. I previously was not all that knowledgeable about the relationship between Roger Waters and the current members of the band. I had a general understanding of his role while in the band and knew that he and the band aren’t on the best of terms even now. I’ve also heard about his controversies regarding antisemitism and the Ukraine War. All this is to say that this made me very skeptical when I heard that about the redux. Is this really necessary, and is it motivated to be a sort of “fuck you” to David Gilmour and the others?

To Waters' credit, in his announcement he talked about how he wanted it to complement the original, not supersede it. He praised his work with his band members making the original, and said that he wants to gain something new from the concept and ideas of the original album. NME cited him saying in a press release that "...I started to consider what the wisdom of an 80-year-old could bring to a reimagined version." I was morbidly curious what this would be like, so I decided to take a look into the single for Waters’ version of “Time,” which he released last month. The original version of "Time" is one of my favorite songs of all time. I’ll admit that I went in cynical, but I tried to be open minded when I listened to this re-interpretation. Ultimately though I came out not too impressed, as the overall approach in this version seems to dampen its own potential to really distinguish itself from the original.

Here’s the new song: https://youtu.be/NcEHCVLMjAU?si=7uzb328PNX_du_OJ

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In case you haven’t heard the original: https://youtu.be/Qr0-7Ds79zo?si=JJxUL7xPUMycPLuU

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The main characteristic that many articles (like the NME one) have noted about the track is its atmospheric, low-key approach, drawing us in as we hear the straightforward spoken word introduction. “The voice had been there all along. Hidden in the stones in the rivers. Hidden in all the books. Hidden in plain sight. It was the voice of reason.” These new lyrics tie well into the theme of the song, time creeping up on you. It speaks to that new perspective, an older one who’s being reminded of the original’s message, truly closer to death. It’s quiet, just the deep piano and singular drum beat. Then comes in an acoustic guitar, piano and ambient synth. It elicits a more straightforwardly emotional tone, which I’m liking. The original version is more bombastic and it plays like a heightened version of the sadness that this song is trying to be more grounded in its focus on. The original felt elemental, primordial, speaking to eternal dread persisting infinitely, and this new version seems like it’s trying to make a more personal version of that.

Then the four drum beats together hit like how the original song did in its transition into the first verse. The bass and a slow drum beat are mostly all that’s accompanying the first verse, and there’s an occasional eerie piano that I really like. Low strings build up to the chorus, where the effect of double vocals on the production add the sense of a sober yet kind of hypnotic limp onwards. The words carry more weight with this, as if they’re echoing in the mind as time weighs down on you. The low strings are effective in emphasizing the sullenness. As the chorus ends and goes to the instrumental section, an organ and ambient high pitched synth of sorts joins in, and then another synth and strings add a level of contemplative sadness that’s unique. The organ seems to call back to the old times, it reminds me a bit of “House of the Rising Sun”.

But this instrumental section here doesn’t expand enough before returning to the next verse. When it went to the next verse, I didn’t feel the contrast that much, and it kind of blends together. The next verse’s more energetic violin feels out of place for the tone the song is trying to establish. I don’t want to suggest “what they should have done,” I’m not claiming any expertise, but as I kept re-listening to the track I felt myself wanting the instrumentals to build up more in some way. I like that they died down as Waters says “sinking,” emphasizing that word. At the same time, the music stays lower than the instrumental section for the rest of the song, so it feels like the build up from that instrumental section didn’t have a satisfying payoff. And when the strings and synth die down for the “Home again” verse, it doesn’t feel like there was a big enough contrast for that to have the seductive comfort that the original’s “Home again” had.

The goal of this redux seems to be staying low-key throughout, but that just feels like a detriment to the emotions this was trying to convey. One of the most impactful parts of the original song was whenever the big operatic vocals came in as the drum beat changed to a slower one. There, it felt like you were floating in slow motion, and the tragedy of time’s passing felt more impactful. That song feels dynamic in its different drum speeds and hard and soft parts. Despite being sung by an older man and with the same drum speed throughout emphasizing the hypnotic passage of time, the ambient instrumentals and strings of the new song feel constrained when they could have really had an emotional, raw sense of powerlessness. The vocals are kind of similar throughout as well. They work really well to convey the droning of time, especially the chorus with the double voice effect, but the “home again” ending portion feels too raspy and one-note, and Waters doesn’t seem to feel a particular sense of sadness here. Overall it feels kind of muddled and doesn’t hold your attention the way that Pink Floyd’s does. I don’t mean to judge the new version for having a different approach fundamentally to the old song. But, for me at least, one hits much harder emotionally than the other. Waters seemed to want to maintain the general polished-ness of the original as opposed to being more raw, but without the operatic grandeur that made the original’s pristineness work so well, I have to wonder what there is to gain.

I think my perspective on this might be colored by another re-imagining of another song by an older perspective – Johnny Cash’s world-weary reflective cover of the Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt.” Cash completely recontextualized the lyrics there and still did so in a generally low-key manner. Both Pink Floyd’s Time and Nine-Inch Nails’ Hurt have the angst of a younger voice that’s struggling immensely in their lives, and Cash turns that into the looming dread of a man nearing death. The thing that makes Cash’s version so memorable is its emotional vulnerability in all aspects. When the chorus comes the instrumentals rise to a climax and match the lyrics, fully articulating its sense of desperation. With Roger Waters' Time, the instrumentals never get their chance to fully express that same level of emotion. The same goes for Cash’s vocal performance – he feels like he’s about to break, with his voice faltering in the chorus as the piano, guitar, and bass reveal the anguish that his voice seems like it’s struggling to conceal. It leaves me with chills every time.

Johnny Cash's "Hurt" cover: https://youtu.be/8AHCfZTRGiI?si=c67jhF_ZRAIN_F4B

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"Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails: https://youtu.be/42V6ho11NSw?si=JOlWcZ7usUkXtgQi

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I don’t mean to say that Waters’ “Time” is devoid of emotion or meaning. The general approach is interesting in fact, giving a more reflective, sullen tone. The thing though is that this feels really held back in its efforts to be so calm. I may be wrong or incorrectly judging the intentions and what Waters and the other musicians are doing here, and I am definitely projecting my own desires of what I would want from a "Time" re-imagining. Far Out Magazine said this of the track: "Waters’ version of ‘Time’ is slower, less intense, and more directly introspective than its predecessor. Waters sings the song in a low hum rather than the impassioned belting that David Gilmour brought to the song’s verses or the delicate whisper that Richard Wright brought to its choruses." I personally feel like that passion replaced with quiet introspection in turn has come at the cost of some of the track's emotional impact, at least for me personally.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this! Let me know what you think about the “Time” redux. I’m open to different perspectives!

#pink floyd #roger waters #rock #classic rock #rock music #music blog #music discussion #music discourse #new music #music analysis #music news #nine inch nails #johnny cash #Youtube #dark side of the moon

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galaxgay · 8 months

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I saw your post analyzing some of the music from good omens season 2 and I was wondering what your thoughts were about Crowley and Aziraphale specific motifs? I feel like for a lot of characters in season 1 and 2 we get specific sounds and melodies that belong to them (I'm thinking of Anathema's string instrument from season 1 and Maggie and Nina's song in season 2) and Ive been trying to figure out what Crowley's is. I think his has church bells, occasionally an organ, and maybe a violin(I'm very bad at being able to identify instruments) because many of the songs that come on while he's on screen have at least one of those sounds (He's Smoking, My Car Is Not Yellow, Crowley Goes Large, Crowley and Muriel) but it's hard for me to pick out specifically what melody is his (the only thing I've got so far is that it sounds sorta halloweeny like haunted house type music). And for Aziraphale, I cannot even begin to figure out what his might be. Even in the last couple of songs that are from the episode 6 scene with just the two of them, I don't know if I can really identify which parts are specific to either of them (if any) So yeah, what are your thoughts? Do you have any insight into what their individual motifs are made up of?

Honestly Im not sure! I haven't listened to much of the soundtrack outside of the intro (fake fan I know) and im definitely due for a rewatch but when i do Ill pay attention!

Off the top of my head, I'd say Electric Guitar is one of Crowley's symbols- influenced of course by his love and character association with Queen.

As far as Aziraphael, I have no clue.

I'll have to get back to ya on that one!

#crowley #good omens #aziraphale #aziracrow #good omens music

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skaterboyfriend · 2 years

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Kent comforting angsty Sam? 👀👀

my goddd i think there is a lot to be said about just how much kent's absence really fucked up sam. sam seems to let nothing bother him- he's an older brother, he's the man of the house, he's working two jobs while keeping up with sebastian, abigail, and penny- he has this sort of emotional maturity a lot of people don't pick up on, rather dismissing him as some innocent boy who never learned to grow up. no- this is far from correct as sam had to grow up SO QUICKLY with his father gone overseas and the way he acts- his bright personality- it is a byproduct of him actively choosing to do good and be kind over and over again. this is a super long introduction but it sets the foundation that sam wasn't always like what we see in canon- he OF COURSE was an angsty little teen thinking the world was against him and took it out on whoever and whatever he could! more under the cut <3 thank you for this ask! i love talking about themmm <3

*naturally sam, with a lack of a father figure, had a tough time grasping certain concepts that jodi was unsure on how to tackle - sam c. 11 years, before vincent was born, living in the city with his mom that seemed to be so tired all the time- there was this bubbling anger that just festered within him and he couldn't place why. he'd act out in school, frequently get involved in fights- jodi begged kent to come home to support his family through this- sam was going through some major changes as he started to grasp the world around him, realizing that things just might not get better and he's going to be stuck as this little boy with mommy and daddy issues. kent obliged, and took a brief leave from duty, heading to the city to try and support his oldest- although he has not the slightest clue how to ...

*upon seeing kent home from wherever the FUCK he was, sam goes livid. he either completely ignores kent or jabs at him how he should go back to fighting the government's war - he and mom are doing just fine without him. and obviously, kent would BLOW UP too, barking that sam needs to learn some manners and treat him with respect! jodi frequently intervened, upset that they both are acting horribly and need to CALM DOWN!!! late nights with kent back home, the two would talk in hushed whispers in bed about how to help sam- his distrustful of authority figures and hates doing as he's told affecting his school and home life. what to do...

*one morning, kent rummages through the small garage, which is cluttered with the years, a layer of dust wrapped around various photo albums, old shoes, boxes with memorabilia jodi couldn't bear to toss. stumbling upon his father digging around, sam lingers, watching the soldier pull out a large irregularly shaped box... dust blows everywhere and the two sneeze- both have pretty bad allergies, a small smile shared between kent and sam upon seeing how they in the end are rather similar with their blonde hair, brown eyes, crazy bad allergies <3 kent pulls out a glossy red electric guitar- a few scratches on the side, the strings are all snapped apart- but sam's eyes widened as kent brought over the instrument towards him. bet you didn't know your old man was a pretty good player back in the day... how do you think i got your mom to fall for me?

*the two spend the day running around town, visiting music shop after thrift store after pawn shop, picking up a new set of strings, some picks, a nice guitar strap fitted for the young boy- kent teaches sam how to play some chords, the night ending with sam's honorable attempt at the obvious first-time song for beginners: stand by me! with his mother tearing up with how sam seemed to have stars in his eyes when playing the guitar. kent had to depart the next morning but not without sitting down with sam, a hand on his shoulder, a small smile: every time you lose it, every time it seems like there's no point- you've got to take that and turn it to hope for something better. i do it everyday, hoping that somehow someway, i'm protecting you and your mother. you know i love you. and i'm proud of you. and sam finally realizes just how much his father loves him- how it all was for sam, it always was! ever since, sam couldn't put down the guitar, working and working on it, practicing and getting better, turning his fear for the future to love for the present! <3

#sam #kent #headcanons

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dustedmagazine · 1 year

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Dust Volume 9, Number 3

Emergency Group

As AI takes over the creative professions, it may seem pointless for actual, struggling human beings to sit down to listen to music made by other human beings, to think about what they hear and to string together sentences about how they felt about that music and what it means. But, in a sense, Dusted has always been a bit pointless, as have many of the under-heard, under-loved musics we follow. Still, since there’s no money in it, we can’t be starved out. We may not win an us-against-the-machines battle, but there’s no reason to surrender. And so, this month, we gather our low-tech resources to consider another batch of excellent, under-the-radar releases from folk artists and metal thrashers, jazz improvisers and pop craftspeople. Contributors include Bill Meyer, Ian Mathers, Jennifer Kelly, Justin Cober-Lake, Jonathan Shaw, Tim Clarke, Bryon Hayes, Margaret Welsh and Andrew Forell—not a robot in the bunch.

Joseph Allred — What Strange Flowers In The Shade (Feeding Tube)

What Strange Flowers In The Shade by Joseph Allred

We’ll be dealing with the pandemic’s fallout for years to come, but some consequences are lined with silver. Locked up in a grad school apartment, Joseph Allred spent a lot of time getting acquainted with the less-handled items in their sizable collection of instruments. Best known as a mystical acoustic guitarist of the Takoma school and a spiritually astute singer, they also have a lengthy, if less documented, history of appreciating and performing plugged-in music. What Strange Flowers Grown In The Shade arose from Allred’s deep dive into the delights of effects pedals and a Fender Jaguar guitar. Bolstered by remote contributions by the Rolin-Powers Duo, Magic Tuber Stringband, and others, Allred set the sound-mixer for slow stir and the spotlight for the center of the resulting thick swirl. The outcome sounds a bit like Mike Cooper might if you packed him off to a cold, damp clime with nothing to play but choral recordings, and he embraced the circumstances (don’t try this at home, folks; Cooper would be more likely to embrace your neck with an asphyxiating grip if you did him such a disservice).

Bill Meyer

John Atkinson — Energy Fields (AKP Recordings)

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It may have taken John Atkinson just two weeks on a residency in Wyoming (surrounded by the sounds of coal mines, wind farms, oil refineries, and hydropower plants) to get all of the field recordings he microedited into the four tracks that make up Energy Fields, but it took him another two years to figure out how to stitch them together. In that time, his longstanding interest in both the manipulation of found/sourced sound and in climate issues haven’t exactly dated. On the industrial rumble of “Black Thunder” and the galvanizing drones of “Spiritual Electricity” you can practically see the extractive machinery Atkinson was surrounded with, whereas the record’s second half moves to a calmer, more meditative and even hopeful place. The results are evocative and sometimes troubling soundscapes deeply rooted in our current ecological moment.

Ian Mathers

Emergency Group — Inspection of Cruelty (Island House)

Inspection Of Cruelty by Emergency Group

Two side-long slabs of fusion-y free improvisation are led by long-time Dusted favorite Jonathan Byerley (Plates of Cake and Anti-Westerns), with seasoned jazz players Robert Boston and Andreas Brade in tow. WFMU DJ, writer and bassist Dave Mandl rounds out the foursome. A 1970s futuristic cool hangs over the whole enterprise, in its chugging rhythms, its radiant runs of electric keyboards, its motorific jams. You are meant to sniff out hash-scented whiffs of Silent Way into Jack Johnson-era Miles Davis (despite the lack of brass) in all this, but Return to Forever is a closer match, and maybe CAN, too. There’s an underpinning of jazz, but it wigs way the fuck out from there. I’d give the edge to urgent, driving “Part 1,” nearly half an hour long but constantly evolving, ever fascinating. “Part 2” is shorter, but not by much, but also less visceral, more of a head piece. It dozes deep into a psychedelic dream, where fairy dust keyboard notes drift down from pastel skies, sparkling all the way, and deep pulses of bass power the machinery that makes the illusion work. I’ve never loved keyboard-heavy fusion but I like this, go figure.

Jennifer Kelly

Tomas Fujiwara's Triple Double — March On (self-released)

March On by Tomas Fujiwara's Triple Double

When percussionist Tomas Fujiwara convened his odd sextet a few years ago for their second album (2020's March), he had them record some extra material intended as segues between tracks. He decided the session warranted its own album, and new digital-only release March On centers on the 30-minute titular improv. The freedom of the set should suit fans of the artists involved (including Gerald Cleaver, Mary Halvorson, Brandon Seabrook, Taylor Ho Bynum and Ralph Alessi). Each of those musicians write and perform surprising, free-sounding music, but with careful composition structuring the adventures more carefully than might be expected. “March On” puts them in full improv mode, a task that succeeds largely because they've learned to interact so well with each other in a variety of ensembles over the past decade or so.

The Triple Double structure still holds, offering surprises in one level simply by changing configurations. The band's name suggests basketball, and the group plays a never-stagnating motion offense. We move from a horn duet to a guitar battle to a drum-guitar-trumpet trio with ease. Given the crowded space, each musician stays out of the others' way while still finding moments to become a focal point. The album closes with Halvorson and Seabrook briefly partnering for “Silhouettes,” 45 seconds of weird tone an unsettling conversation. It closes the album well, hinting at more mysteries within an ongoing conversation.

Justin Cober-Lake

Full of Hell and Primitive Man — Suffocating Hallucination (Closed Casket Activities)

Suffocating Hallucination by Full of Hell & Primitive Man

A glib assessment of this collaboration between noisy grind band Full of Hell and the doomy monster that is Primitive Man might note: it’s 26 seconds of Full of Hell and 34 minutes of Primitive Man. For sure Suffocating Hallucination is dominated by the agonizing assaults of volume associated with Primitive Man’s excoriating, magma-paced music. But folks should recall just how adventurous the last few Full of Hell records have been, replete with excursions into hair-raising harsh noise and muscular hardcore. Open your ears to the textures of the record’s first two tracks (the sublimely titled “Trepanation for Future Joys” and the aptly titled “Rubble Home”) and you’ll hear both bands at work, responding to each other’s force and fury. Is that good? Depends on your appetite for unhappiness. This reviewer is compelled by the record’s final 18 minutes, in which the haunted factory sounds of “Dwindling Will” leach into the perversely magisterial “Tunnels to God.” As novelist Stephen Wright once observed, “If you can’t ascend, you might as well descend.” This music will get you there.

Jonathan Shaw

Drew Gardner — The Return (Astral Spirits)

The Return by Drew Gardner

Folks following American “don’t call it primitive” guitar music have likely noted Drew Gardner’s redoubtably picking in Elkhorn, where he handles the usually-electric, six-string side of their bases-covered attack. Most folks don’t get to sound so sure in a minute, and it turns out that Gardner is a man with a past. He has been multi-instrumentalist since the 1980s, and during the mid-1990s he was an active participant in San Francisco’s free jazz scene. Around the same time, saxophonist John Tchicai had a teaching gig in Davis CA; he retained Gardner as a drummer, and when Gardner had a chance to record at Guerilla Euphonics in 1995, he returned the favor. Also on board were Church of John Coltrane alto saxophonist Roberto de Haven and, on one track, Marco Eneidi, also on alto. Gardner and bassist Vytas Nagisetty stoke the furnace, alternating a full head of steam with more judiciously applied rumblings, and the twinned reeds give Gardner’s themes a distinctly pre-electric Ornette feel. No doubt there’s a good reason why this music didn’t come out at the time, but it wasn’t on account of the music’s quality.

Bill Meyer

Hourlope — Three Nights in the Wawayanda (self-released / Tymbal Tapes)

Three Nights in the Wawayanda by Hourloupe

Hourlope is a collaboration between Anar Badalov and Frank Menchaca, and Three Nights in the Wawayanda is the third part of an ambitious trilogy that began with Future Deserts, continued on Sleepwalker, and reaches its fantastical culmination here. Hourlope pair elusive electronic backing with Mechaca’s measured spoken word delivery, and the results are frequently beguiling. It feels like music from another time, both harking back to the origins of ambient electronica in the 1990s and reaching forward to imagine fresh new musical forms. The album’s finest moments are the more abstract, beatless pieces, such as the Fennesz-esque “Thumper,” and centerpiece “Green Navy/Rain,” a stunningly evocative two minutes in which Menchaca’s words perfectly complement the eerie atmosphere of the music.

Tim Clarke

Brett Naucke — Cast a Double Shadow (Ceremony of Seasons)

Cast A Double Shadow by Brett Naucke

Wine, beer and spirit clubs are not new, but the Asheville-based VISUALS winery is taking the concept beyond liquids with its Ritual of Senses club. It’s pairing rare, locally fermented products with components meant to delight the other senses. Packages are meant to arrive at the solstices and equinoxes and include a seasonally appropriate auditory component. Brett Naucke’s Cast a Double Shadow is included in the club’s winter solstice edition. Having spent most of his life near Chicago, the sound artist is now based in Asheville, hence his participation. Naucke blends a sonically diverse array of genetic material into a recombinant organism well-suited to survive the longest and coldest wintery night. Icy synths and brittle samples are bolstered by a lushness that carries a kernel of warmth inside of it. Bubbling arpeggios create the illusion of motion, and since a moving liquid cannot freeze, Naucke’s compositions remain lively amid the pervasive frostiness of the hibernal season. Those lucky enough to pair these ice-melting sounds with VISUALS’ liquid accompaniment will surely enjoy a synaesthetic intoxication. Imbibe responsibly, folks.

Bryon Hayes

The Natural Lines — S-T (Bella Union)

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Matt Pond may not be Matt Pond PA anymore, but he’s making the kind of clever, earnest indie rock as always, with some of the same people, notably Chris Hansen, his longtime guitarist and co-producer. This self-titled full length follows on the 2022 EP First Five, revisiting pensive, string-soothed “Spontaneous Skylights” and adding ten new warbly gems. “Monotony” feels like a COVID song, specifically a song about a musician’s experience of COVID, its clamped guitar stuttering as Pond sketches adapting to a smaller world. “When you start to think about the way you breathe, it doesn’t mean you believe in monotony,” he observes in a wavering voice that struggles to remain upbeat. But the music swells and with it, Pond finds his footing. “Climb the drums to feel the fall, stab the strings to feel anything,” he sings. Later, “A Scene That Will Never Die” turns moody introspection into bell-clear, chiming triumph. Pond’s voice is always bruised, rueful, real, but the music surges in waves of joy. If you’re still climbing out of the last couple of years, take heart. Matt Pond is, too, and he’s got a new band and an album to help.

Jennifer Kelly

No Cosmos — you iii everything else (Lighter Than Air)

You iii everything else by No Cosmos

Montrealean jazz trumpet player Scott Bevins inhabits a fluid convergence of jazz, electronics and R&B in this eight-song debut, drawing out languid, lucid melodies in brass and roughing them up with a battery of percussion from drummer Kyle Hutchins. Bright, reiterative bell-tones frame “kindergentlepatient” in Reichian pointillism, but the trumpet rings out a long-noted, clarion melody, a little echo clinging to it like a shadow, flickering underneath. “Almost Lost You,” an early single, slaps a slinky downtempo beat onto musing post-Miles cool, and floats traceries of soul vocals over its slouching groove. Less overtly accessible, but ultimately more rewarding, “0 to me to me to me,” ruptures its Rhodes-chilled serenity with continual explosions of drumming. I like it best when Bevins lets the chaos slips into his stylized precision.

Jennifer Kelly

Party of the Sun — Capsule III EP (Trailing Twelve)

Capsule III by Party of the Sun

Backwoods psychedelia springs up like mushrooms in the wilder parts of northern New England. Party of the Sun, an acid folk trio from the Monadnock Region (where yrs truly also resides), made these gently expansive tunes on a working sheep farm, following in the muck crusted footsteps of MV+EE, Sunburned and Akron/Family. Akron/Family, admittedly, hailed from New York, but the resonance is strong anyway, especially to that first slow-burning album, where the creak of rocking chairs, the rumble of thunder, seeped into translucent, transcendent melody. Here, “See Space” is all murmur-y, sunlit radiance, guitar and keyboards picking out glittering patterns under Ethan McBrien’s soft, considering tenor. “Forget Me Knot” coalesces out of a cloud of buzzing sonics, warm, widely spaced guitar chords emerging like the emerging light of morning. Harmonies swell, in a natural way, and drums thump up a climax, as the song balloons from quiet contemplation to something epic. “Smoke Bush,” with its subtle thread of female harmonies, eddies and swirls and lilts like a lost 1960s folk off-take. These tunes grow naturally out of reverie and solitude, but they don’t stay that way. They invite you in.

Jennifer Kelly

Anastassis Philippakopoulos — piano1 piano2 piano3 (Edition Wandelweiser Records)

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2020 was a rotten time for too many things to count, but it was a great time to stop and settle into some new music. That opportunity could not have been on anyone’s mind when Elsewhere Music released Anastassis Philippakopoulos: piano works mere weeks before the lockdowns began, but it was a perfect response to the moment. The Greek composer’s compositions, as performed by Melaine Dalibert, were distillations of reflection and deliberate action. This album, which contains earlier works performed by a different pianist, exchanges pith for elongation, but in other respects it’s a continuation of Philippakopoulos’s poetic dialogue between profound silence and unassumingly beautiful sound. Each note bears the weight of consideration, as though the composer carried out a moral inventory before committing to its placement in moderate proximity to another one, and the restrained touch of Serbian pianist Teodora Stepančić honors the music’s austerity.

Bill Meyer

Sif — Darkstalker (Self-released)

Darkstalker by Sif

Nuthin’ fancy here, folks, just 25 minutes of satisfying blackened doom. Richard Murphy has been making records as Sif for a few years, and the project has gotten progressively heavier, shifting from bummer drone meditations to this current thumping and crunching incarnation. The tape’s opening track “Kingseeker” slowly morphs from a repetitive churn to a sludgy groove, which situates the sounds in Louisiana’s long metal tradition (just what goes on down there?). It’s beautifully paced and just recalcitrant enough to insist on returning to the opening riff, rather than seeking any sort of catharsis. The title track spends some time foregrounding Murphy’s chops on bass, with the sort of heaviosity-worship one associates with Conan. Tremolos and more varied textures eventually cut into the song, with some heroic intent. But mostly Murphy wants to wield tone like a mace to your forehead. Hit me again, man. It’s good.

Jonathan Shaw

Ultrabonus — El Gimnasio en Casa (Kitchen Leg)

EL GIMNASIO EN LA CASA VOL.1 by ¡ULTRABONUS!

Recorded a lifetime ago (well, in 2020, same difference) and released this past December, the unprocessed immediacy of El Gimnasio en Casa bears no left-in-the-can staleness. Berlin-based, multi-national four-piece Ultrabonus offers brief, melodic garage-punk tunes delivered with crisp, swaggery style by Argentina native Ignatz B. The title charmingly translates to “the home gym,” and the sunny lo-fi psychedelia is appropriately threaded through with calisthenic noodling. Nothing groundbreaking here, but Ultrabonus does what it does very well. Fun, cool stuff.

Margaret Welsh

99Letters — Makafushigi (Disciples)

Makafushigi by 99LETTERS

Japanese producer Takahiro Kinoshita’s companion piece to his 2022 Kaibou Zukan (Anatomy Picture Book) takes his concept of gagaku techno into a seamy, industrial and far darker direction. Makafushigi (Mystery Tape) is, like its predecessor, built on samples of traditional instruments and vocal styles used in Japanese Imperial Court music. Introduced from Chinese and Korean sources, Gagaku music has continued under Imperial patronage since the 10th century. As 99Letters, Kinoshita fuses these ancient sounds with modern electronic music in ways that are as malevolent as the demons of mythology and as sinister as the underbelly of organized crime and ultranationalism in contemporary Japan. The tracks on Makafushigi are washed in a seamy mix of grit and clamor, a grim, grimy world of back alleys, dingy bars and low-tech manufacturing. It’s a haunted netherworld as alienating as it’s compelling. Fans of Haxan Cloak & Demdike Stare will find much to like here.

Andrew Forell

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