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you-did-well-moon · 4 years

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Seventeen reaction to S/O learning how to play the harp and Guzheng/Zither

Type: Pure fluff uwu

im sorryyy i accidentally deleted the ask so ima have to type it out

@that-lost-carat-unicorn asked Hii :3 How are you?? Is it okay if I make a request for Seventeen where they S/O is learning how to play harp and Guzheng/Zither???

A/N: After 6 months its here. I know it really did take a long time and im very sorry about that. It wasn’t until recently I got time to actually write it. Anyways, the only time I won't accept requests is if it says so in my bio!! This was actually a pretty cool request for me since I got to discover, see, and hear two new very interesting and beautiful instruments. please don't be afraid to talk to me or to request!!~Moon

S.Coups

The leader had managed to escape and get a ride to your company building. He hadn’t seen you in a long time due to your most recent world tour. He made sure his face was covered as he got out of the vehicle thanking the driver. He went to your group’s practice room only to search all the member’s faces and not find you. One of the girls saw his confused and worried face through the mirror as she smiled turning around. He was informed that you were down the hall practicing for a special performance you were asked to give at MAMA this year.

Curiosity tugged him down the hall to the practice room you were currently in only to grow when he heard different music than what he was used to hearing. He could tell it was an instrument, and he cautiously opened the door peaking his head in. He saw you sitting in a chair with the harp in front of you, and an older woman placing your hands on certain parts of the instrument. You looked up at the mirror spotting him. Smiling you excused yourself standing up and walking towards him.

Sungcheol reached his hand out and as you took it he bought you into his embrace. When he grabbed your hand, he felt a weird sensation. Bringing your hand closer to his face he saw calluses and marks lining your finger tips. “Do they hurt?” he asked. You shook your head saying it only stung for a bit. Kissing your fingertips he told you to be careful. He opted to sit down to the side and watch as your hands grew sure in their movements. He had a proud smile on his face, and he basked in the moment. His girl was talented, and no one could deny that.

Jeonghan

Surprisingly, Jeonghan had gotten home ready to fall asleep with you in his arms after so long. Only to open the door, and not find you at your usual spot on the coach reading a book or cuddling with your cat, Han. He figured you were probably in another part of the house. He looked in the kitchen, the bedroom, and the restroom not finding you anywhere. Quickly getting tired of the where’s Waldo game, he picked up his phone calling your number. The phone rang, and you didn’t pick up. He felt an inkling of worry prick at his chest, but he chose to wait a bit getting into the shower in the meantime.

As he was drying his hair, he heard the front door open and close. Opening the door he left the towel in the bathroom, and he walked into the living room space. There you were hair out of place, the tip of your nose pink from the wind. A bright smile on your face as you placed a big case on the floor and your coat along with your scarf on the coat hanger near the door. As you saw Jeonghan your eyes seemed to light up, and you scurried up to him grabbing a hold of his hands and jumping in excitement.

"Hannie, you won't believe it but I'm learning how to play this really cool instrument called a Guzheng and-" Jeonghan instead bought his hand to the back of your head bringing your face into his neck. At that moment he really didn't care about anything but the fact that you were safe. "Let's go to bed" he said leading you into the bedroom. Your disappointment was clear on your face, but Jeonghan wasn't looking at you. You thought he'd be more exited. You pouted the whole time as you got ready for bed. By the time you got into the warm covers Jeonghan was on his side falling asleep. He seemed to feel you seeing as he turned around throwing an arm across your tummy. He called your name, and you hummed in reply. His hand reached for yours holding them in a loose grasp. "I don't care what you do as long as you're happy. As long as you smile at the end of the day you can do anything." You fell asleep with a content smile on your face.

Joshua

Everyone said it was better to learn how to play an instrument at an early age, but your parents never really thought to put you in any kind of lessons, and you were too busy being care free to really put any thought into things like that. Now that you were older, you regretted it. Being young, living alone, and a aspiring author didn’t really take much out of your schedule. In fact, your schedule had been empty for days except for writing and the occasional going out to the market or for a walk. In the end, you had seen an add for harp lessons and now having both the money and the will for it, you decided to go and check it out.

The classes were given inside a prestigious school for the creative arts, so there were also people who had played the harp their whole lives. At first, everyone was welcoming and kind. Until Jian and her two friends arrived with their instruments in studded cases and backpacks decorated with medals and badges they had won from various contests. They had begun to berate and make fun of the beginners (including you), and since the others didn’t seem too keen on standing up for them, it left you to put your foot down and take the worse of the cruel words. It was worth it when your peers came to thank you after class.

No one had ever stood up to Jian, until him. He had come one day to class meeting up with his friend, one of the best harp players in the school. You hadn’t noticed him because you had been talking back to Jian after she had told the class we couldn’t play the instruments to save our lives. “Jian, how many times have I told you that if you were a better person I would actually consider even befriending you.” Both you and Jian had looked at the person with shocked faces. After sputtering out a thank you, you would come to learn his name was Hong Jisoo, and you would continue to build on your relationship. He was a man with a kind personality and a soft heart. You had been walking around a park cheeks flushed from the cold when a hand first brushed against yours only to eventually encase yours. Your head snapped in his direction not being able to find his eyes since his head was bent towards the ground. “You know, I think it’s really brave of you to try something new. Braver than I could ever be. I think, give it a few more days, and you’ll be better than half those students in the school.” You had laughed throwing your head back hooking your arm through his, and putting your head on his shoulder. “You’re too much sometimes Joshua Hong.”

Jun

At a young age you had loved playing the Zither ravishing in the way it’s sound rang around the room at the pluck of the strings. The beautiful instrument began to collect dust as your life went on, and your life got busy with school. You soon forgot the feeling of the strings against your fingers, and by college any memory of the instrument was pushed away by the heavy notion of the real world and it’s struggles.

Jun was helping you pack, you getting ready to move out of your childhood home and into your new apartment. This was a big milestone for you, and you and Jun spent the day laughing and joking around. Although jokingly told not to touch anything, he couldn’t stop himself from opening the photo album of you as a todler. As he looked at the pictures he saved certain ones getting ready to tease you for them only to stop when he came across a picture of you holding a familar instrument. He heard a a sigh behind him turning around to find you with a longing look on your face. You shook your head pulling him up so he could help you pack up the last of your belongings.

No matter what he did, the picture and the big smile on your chubby cheeks woudn’t leave Jun’s head. He felt the oppurtunity of something more when he thought about the lovely instrument, besides, your birthday was coming up. When he gave you the present, and you instantly recognized the shape of the box he couldn’t stop the skip of his heart and his sheepish smile as you glanced at him with a fondness shimmering in your eyes. As you tested the strings and the familar sound echoed in your ears he placed his hand on your knee lovingly saying what he thought was right at the moment,“I fully believe you can do amazing things with this, and I won’t stop supporting you.”

Hoshi

You were a single independent woman. With a job as a journalist speaking out against the injustices of humanity. A independent woman who currently had to take care of her sister because her parents had conveniently chosen to go on a cruise, and dumped their youngest on the unsuspecting oldest. You were a women who had bills that weren’t going to pay for themselves, but those could wait. You had a sister to spend some quality time with. Your schedule was more packed than it ever had been, but you couldn’t really say you hated it. It made the days go by faster and tired you out easily. Plus, you felt like you hadn’t seen your sister smile so brightly in so long.

Now you even had a little hobby to show off when people asked you questions about yourself. After a few classes you came to realize that you were the only relatively young person in the class. Great. It wasn't until one day when the class was interrupted by a short guy who you hadn’t seen before come in with Gayu (a boy who came regularly with his father) close behind him. Because of his loud conversation with the class instructor you found out he was simply bringing Gayu to class in place of his uncle. Gayu and your little sister, Lyn had gotten quite close, so the younger boy had come to sit in the seat to your right next to Lyn. That left the only open seat to your left. You silently cursed not planning on meeting anyone, especially this cute, today.

He turned around eyes searching for Gayu only to find him sitting next to a pretty girl, hands tracing her instrument in wonder and curiosity. You saw the boy come in your direction a flustered smile adorning his lips. While at first, he was a bit shy he quickly got more comfortable as the class passed revealing his loud endearing self. You couldn’t say you weren't falling for him, but then the next class came and Gayu’s father came. No sign of the handsome young man was seen. It was like he never existed. It wasn't until the end of the class that Gayu’s father confronted you asking for your number. You were shocked. He had a wife. Seeing your wide eyes the male quickly back tracked telling you it was for Soonyoung. You agreed and it didn’t take much for you two to get close. The time went by fast, and your parents came back. Not having Lyn meant you didn’t have to go to the classes anymore, but you really liked playing the Zither. When you told Soonyoung this he responded with, “ The instrument has become a part of you holding a special place in your heart. At the end of the day if it puts that lovely smile of yours on your face, I would say it’s worth it”

Wonwoo

You were a child raised in a home of warmth and kindness. Your parents were both musicians playing the harp for events and a famous orchestra. You had your differences, but in the end they were your parents, and you adored them. You were wrecked when they were killed in a car accident when coming from a show. You didn't eat much or sleep because of the constant nightmares. Soon you would avoid anything that reminded you of them including their beloved instrument. You didn’t listen to music much always avoiding it. The only time you allowed yourself to go on memory lane was when you would visit the book store they had always bought you to as a kid. You could say you were surprised when you fell in love with a musician you had met there.

Of course you had tried to avoid any romantic feelings, but Wonwoo was persistent and eventually won over your heart. Although he always wondered why you refused him so harshly, he didn’t press. Spending time with Wonwoo and being his partner exposed you more to music than in the last few years of your life, and in a weird way it allowed you to heal. As the anniversary of your parent’s death rolled up you took a leap, and you decided you were ready to let go of all the pain you had kept after your parents departure.

Feeling the harp’s strings against the pads of your fingers bought a sense of comfort, and every time the harp’s gentle sound rang around the room you could hear your parent’s voices telling you everything was going to be okay. When Wonwoo questioned you, you simply told him you had grown a bit bored and needed something to spice things up. It wasn’t until one day you told him to get in the car, and you drove to the cemetery. Walking up the hill you stared at the gravestones introducing Wonwoo to your parents. As you told him everything Womwoo smiled at you eyes shimmering with what you could only describe as pure adoration. Bringing your joined hands into his coat pocket he said “It may sound cheesy, but you continue to amaze me every day, and I fall more in love as well. What ever you do, I will always be by your side.”

Woozi

Being a main producer of the group Woozi was a but busier than the other members. That also meant that he wasn’t able to spend much time with you, but you were fine with it knowing it’s what he truly loved. Of course, you guys texted but even that was limited. You guys hadn’t had a chance to really talk in such a long time, so Jihyoon had no idea you had picked up on playing the Zither, a musical instrument of Chinese origin.

He didn’t find out until one day when he came back to the apartment and tripped over the instrument’s case which you had left near the door in your haste to dive into the covers of your comfy bed. He was confused at first not knowing what it was until he opened the case seeing the instrument. He felt guilt wrap around his heart, but he gently closed the case making his way into the room to get ready for bed. Even when you guys did manage to meet up for dinner you didn’t tell him seeing his tired eyes. You were blissfully ignorant to the fact he indeed did know about your newfound passion.

You didn’t find out until the day you were on your way to the Pledis building ready to pick Jihyoon up for a day spent together since he had a free day. The radio host came on in a fake exited voice announcing Seventeen’s new song. You felt a light smile tug at your lips as you listened to the song, but you heard a familar sound in the instrumental of the song. Having spent so much time being the one behind the strings, you could recognize the Zither’s unique sound anywhere. When you questioned him about it he just shook his head fondly saying “Anything that makes you happy makes me happy. You should have let me know sooner.”

Seokmin made it a point to give you at least two phone calls everyday. One in the mornings, and one at night. You had just finished college deciding to take a brake until you submitted all the resumes you had prepared for life after college. Having nothing to do and always wanting to play a instrument you signed up for classes forgetting to tell your dear boyfriend in the midst of all the chaos. Coming to classes you expected an old man with a grumpy attitude. You didn’t at all expect a young man around your age with a bright smile on his face. His name was Zuhi, and you quickly became almost like siblings.

Seventeen had just finished promotions for their newest comeback, so Seokmin had some free time. He drove to your apartment ready to suprise you, and take you on a date only to find you gone. He called your phone only for his heart to launch into his throat the moment he heard a unknown man’s voice. You had been struggling with a particular chord all week, and being so close you told Zuhi to anwer your phone when it rang not thinking it would be your boyfreind on the other side. Seokmin asked the man if you were there and where you were with Zuhi responding that yes, you were in fact there on the verge of breaking his prized instrument, and the adress of the practice lessons.

Seokmin’s head was clustered with voices of insecurity circling all the way to the building. Seokmin knew you loved him, but that didn’tt stop the doubt inching it’s way into his heart. He had been texted the floor and room number, so he made his way anxiously tapping his foot as he waited in the elevator. He didn’t know what to expect when he opened the door but it was certainly not you grumbling to yourself as you closed a case and an unknown man snickering on the other side of the room as he sweeped the floor. As soon as you saw him your face was overtaken by a huge smile as you ran into his arms. He also couldn’t stop the beam stretching onto his face, any doubt dissapearing. He waited for you to pack up giving the man a nod as you walked out hand in hand. You exitedly told him everything about the lessons, and he listened with tentitive ears only replying with things like “Keep going to the lessons. Find something that makes you happy. Don’t worry babe you’ll get it in no time.”

Mingyu

You were a university student being a vital part of the orchestra group there since you were one of the best violin musicians there. You loved your instrument and had actually never grown curious about the other instruments. You didn’t really care for them, and learning how to play them seemed like too much of a hassle. You already had something you were good at, so why stray away from it. Maybe the harp had caught your eye a few times, but Dani was the leading musician for that, and she was very good at it. She had given you a few lessons, but you always went back to your beloved violin.

Then, Dani being as clumsy as she was, had to trip when going down the stairs of the orchestra hall effectively spraining her wrist and rendering it useless. Dani had been the only harp player in the orchestra, and with an important event coming up and you being the only one with even a little experience, the orchestra instructor had no choice but to make you learn how to play the harp. You knew it wasn’t anybody's fault, but you couldn’t help and get cranky and snappy with the added stress of college life. Luckily, you had your boy friend to help you through it. Coming home to warm dinner and a clean house definitely calmed your sour mood.

You couldn't say you hated the harp. In fact, you quite liked the way it's strings felt against your fingers, but the timing could have been better. One day when Mingyu had called you, and your voice seemed off he decided to pay a visit. Getting there he couldn't help but shake his head fondly at you. The corners of your mouth were turned down, but there was a softness in your eyes that increased when ever the harp seemed to create the sound you wanted it to. Leaving the bag of take out on the desk near the door he grabbed a stool placing it next to yours. His thigh touched yours and as you finished he reached out tilting your head laying it on his shoulder. “I’m proud of you for coming this far. It will all pay off in the end, I promise. Whatever instrument your hands choose to play just know you will always have this hand to hold.”

The8

You didn't know what to do. Being a trainee at pledis seemed easy, and you were never one to get distracted from your ultimate goal of debuting. But Minghao came with his rare smile and passionate eyes making your heart skip a beat whenever you saw him. You had been friends for a long time, and you figured you’d rather take rejection than spend your whole life hoping for something that would never happen if you didn’t grow a pair. You really liked Minghao, so go big or go home right? Yeah you were trying to learn how to play an instrument from his home country.

MInghao was confused. His best friend who usually had some spare time, now had a packed schedule. He was not talking about Jun. He was talking about you. His dearest friend with shimmering eyes and a smile that made his heart do weird things. His best friend. Anytime he tried asking you about what was keeping you so busy, you always came up with the weirdest excuses. Something about helping your grandmother or feeding your dog. Your grandmother lived on the opposite side of the country, and the only pet you had was a hamster. It wasn't until you forgot your phone on the rare occasion you did find time for him, that he got to see how you were really spending your time.

He could hear the unique sound of the familiar instrument before even opening the door to the practice room a staff member had informed him he would find you in. He was impressed when he saw it was you behind the calming sound, but was much more focused on the red hue creeping into your cheeks when your eyes landed on him. As you explained to him why were you learning how to play the delicate instrument, he couldn't help but to duck his head to hide his own reddening cheeks shaking his head as he reached out for your hand smiling brightly. “I would have liked you no matter what you did. As long as you like it, you should really think about continuing it. I’ll support you no matter what.”

Seungkwan

You and Seungkwan didn’t really have a problem with your relationship going public, and if you got any hate it would probably disperse as time went on. Carats were a loving and kind fandom, so Seungkwan trusted they would accept you when the time came to let them know. For now, your relationship would only be known by close friends and management. You were a student for a small creative arts college, and you were currently learning how to play a unique instrument called the Guzheng. Seungkwan always made you play for him, even when you were barely starting. At the end he would always praise you teasingly squishing your cheeks and cooing at you about how much of a fast learner you were.

Sometimes he would even sing a song that went along with what you were playing (usually a ballad). He was the voice, and you were the instrument. That being said, he was not the instrument. Can you imagine his surprise when they were presented with his girlfriend’s instrument on a variety show, and whichever team got the Guzheng to sound closest to the song would get food. As they went on to their 7th try with no one even coming close, Seungkwan found himself wishing you were with him. He wanted to make a joke about the irony of the situation, but he couldn’t because your relationship wasn’t public yet.

Everyone was getting frustrated, and although Seungkwan was used to his member’s teasing, combined with the frustration of not being able to play your instrument and missing you, he snapped. Right after Hoshi threw a light hearted jab at him, Seungkwan started yelling about how if you were here they would have already lost a long time ago, and he at least had a girlfriend that he could go home to. Everyone was shocked at the sudden reveal of his relationship, and news about it spread fast. You weren't upset instead just cooing at your boyfriend about how cute he was when he was angry. He only replied with “It’s not my fault I have such an amazing and talented girlfriend.”

Vernon

You were a person of the creative arts, just not the musical arts. You liked drawing and painting more, but your parents wanted you to be like your sister, so they enrolled you in classes for harp. From the start, you felt a lot of bitterness towards your parents making you hate the harp and anything to do with it. You were stubborn, and although you complied with the classes, you always had a frown tugging at your lips. Even after seeing you upset your parents forced you to take the classes. You surprisingly continued playing the harp all the way up to college while secretly taking art classes on the side. You actually also played at a little café a few blocks from your university.

That café is where you met Hansol, your present boyfriend, who you told about your situation right off the bat. He always suggested just telling your parents you weren't interested in the instrument, but you always rejected the idea. To be honest, you had grown quite fond of the harp over the years. Even if forced to lean it’s various strings and sounds, it had grown on you. You were at a crossroads, not wanting to pick between the harp and the brush, and you didn’t have to worry about the choice for a long time.

You didn’t have to worry about the choice until a friend of your sister’s who attended your college and had an art class with you told your sister who in turn told your parents. Your parents then called you demanding for you to choose one then angrily hanging up. You went to Hansol in tears in a panic over not knowing what to do. He simply wrapped his arms around you rocking you from side to side before leaning back and wiping away your tears with the pads of his thumbs. He smiled at you and said “Why don’t you just choose both? I know you y/n, and I know you can easily take both because of how deep your love for both runs.”

Dino

Throughout Chan’s life, he had many crushes, but he was sure they had never been as strong as the one he had on you. Your father was one of the managers, and you often came to visit him since you hadn't seen your dad in a long time because of your stay in America. Visiting your dad meant you also often spent time with the group, and it didn’t really take much for Chan to fall for you. He found you interesting, and you had a personality that always attracted him. You were also one of the only ones who treated him as an adult instead of the innocent maknae who used to have duck hair.

He was especially fascinated when he found out you were learning how to play a Chinese instrument called the Zither. Since your father wanted you close, you could often be found practicing with your instrument in one of the Pledis practice rooms. Coincidentally the room you used was close to the room Seventeen used. This allowed Chan to always peak when he was passing by. He always thought you looked beautiful when you played the instrument. Well, Chan always thought you were beautiful, but that’s not the point.

What he didn’t know, was that you knew he would peak when ever you were practicing thanks to the mirror opposite the room’s door. You also knew about his crush on you, and you returned his feelings. It wasn’t until one day when he was watching you play with heart eyes that you turned around towards the door and told him to come in. Chan was shocked when you “caught” him, and he continued to be shocked when you said you knew about his crush and he should hurry up and confess. He managed to come out of his surprised state when he sputtered out a “I like you”. He continued after that with “You’re just amazing and interesting, and- even though I'm not your boy friend I'm really proud of how far you’ve come. You never gave up..” The both of you stayed in the room talking, and you came out hands joined with bright smiles on your faces.

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feuillyys · 6 years

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Tbh, what do you think the Les Amemes™ would do for jobs?

(i realized halfway through this that you might have meant for this to be about 100% less serious than it ended up being but)

enjolras becomes a motivational speaker, and it’s something that shocks everyone. he spent a lot of time in college unsure of what he should do that would have the most positive impact on society and on the people in his life, but it all started by accident when he was filmed going off his soapbox and getting emotional and somehow went viral. he becomes really well known for helping inspire people to overcome their temporary situations, for feeling comfortable in their own skin, for coming to terms with and accepting their gender and sexual identities even if no one else does. he gives a TEDtalk once and all his friends make memes out of it but it stays in the top ten most viewed for weeks after it airs. he finds the best way to make an impact is to inspire others to start trying, too.

grantaire is the art teacher at an elementary school. he had a little bit of success selling his own artwork but put it aside when he found out how fun it was to spend day after day with little kids. he found it wasn’t so hard to get up in the mornings when he was doing it for something he loved. (plus he invested in a really good coffee machine. like. a really good one). he loves teaching the young ones because they don’t care about balance or lines or composition, they just want to create and he misses how simple it used to be. he has an entire scrapbook at home filled with every creation he’s ever been given and when he’s feeling particularly low he pulls it out and smiles at all of them and then let’s himself paint for fun, just like them.

courfeyrac spent a lot of his years struggling to decide what he wanted to do with his life. he didn’t decide on purpose to become a teacher, but it seemed like the logical choice as soon as he filled his schedule with education classes. he’s the teacher that everyone loves, eccentric in his fashion tastes and always making the assignments crafts, but his success rate is exceptionally high and he genuinely cares about his students. he teaches them to be kind, and accepting, and helps them come to terms with their passions regardless of what they are.

combeferre becomes a pediatric surgeon. it’s hard at first, and he comes home to his apartment some days during residency and just cries for hours until his phone rings and he has to go back. but he turns out to be exceptional at it, and he turns out to be a phenomenal teacher to all the residents who come after him. kids adore him because he talks to them like regular people, he teaches them about the medicine and space and moths and Star Wars and any other interests they have, and parents love him because he’s the best there is at ensuring that their kid wakes up safe and sound.

feuilly is a social worker, specializing in children, families, and schools. he takes special care in following up on all of his cases, and he always finds the perfect family for a child to stay with. he takes on a lot of pro bono cases—god knows he can afford it with all the random jobs he takes on the weekends. he has an eery sixth sense for knowing when a fit is right or wrong, but he never closes a case unless he’s certain he leaves a family more whole than when he met them.

bahorel tried law school, he really did, but his passion laid elsewhere. as soon as he dropped out, he convinced his family to help him open a youth arts center where he devotes his time helping kids of all ages advance their skills in drawing, painting, acting, singing, dancing, all of it. the kids he sees come and go often tell him they owe their successes to him, and he cries and hangs up copies of their graduation pictures or stage productions on the wall of his office.

joly gets his medical degree and promptly decides to open up a free clinic. he raises awareness for chronic illnesses and specializes in treatments for amputees, he starts a foundation that is constantly raising money, proceeds going to his clinic so that he can continue treating people but also going to research because medicine is about progressing. he doesn’t necessarily want to be the one to do the research, he chose to work as a doctor in a clinic for a reason, but he knows it’s important.

bossuet becomes a therapist. he’s hand rounds and bouts of bad luck but it’s left him with lots of advice and lots of empathy to give. he makes sure to let each of his clients know that their choosing to come must be on their own times and he takes special care getting to know each and every individual one of them. sometimes when their eyes go tight at the mention of money, bossuet will wave them out the door at the end of the session laughing about how the credit card machine is broken, isn’t that silly, it’s just his luck—and his patients come back the next time extra grateful for him.

jehan is a writer; but the kick is they write under a pseudonym and only a few people in the world actually know. when they finished their first official work, the fame wasn’t as important as the message seemed, so they searched for a publisher who would support the pseudonym and has only told a few people outside of that what they actually do for a living. the rest of les amis assume they just work odd jobs whenever they feel like it. but jehan writes, and sells a lot of copies, and they love it endlessly.

marius is a professor of linguistics at a university. he knows so many languages and is so fiercely passionate about the way language is structured and formed and evolving—his classes almost always fill up first, and have waitlists that are pages long. the students love how interesting he finds words, many of them are entranced by the way he always sees the world through rose-colored glasses, and a lot of them are there to giggle at the way he blushes and stutters just so when someone compliments him in any way.

cosette gives music lessons out of her house. there’s literally not an instrument she can’t pick up and have mastered in five minutes, so she teaches it all. piano, guitar, harp, accordion, a didgeridoo one time, a cello, a trumpet once, singing, even dancing. she just cares about music and wants to give everyone the chance to learn. her youngest student is four years old and her oldest is eighty three, and alongside teaching them musical theory she shows them how to use music to always see joy in the world.

éponine models for a while, before she finds her groove more comfortably in designing clothes. she gets a lucky break when a successful model catches sight of one of her designs, and begs her to let him wear it on the next catwalk. when she isn’t designing clothes, she’s helping r out at the school and teaching new techniques to the elementary kids who hang off of every word she says. she’s always dressed to the nines, but unbeknownst to the majority of the fashion industry is the way she spends her free time making clothing to give to people who can’t afford it. she donates a lot of her creations to homeless shelters, and often enlists gavroche to help her find places to give out clothes.

musichetta owns a restaurant chain. it started off as just a small café hidden behind the streets of paris but got really popular for its delicious sandwiches and atmosphere. her shops are social media famous, and many people visit her now just to take aesthetic pictures of the shop and order a panini and a coffee to go. she beams with pride and her creation but still works at the original, wiping counters and greeting guests and, even occasionally, taking pictures when asked.

bonus;gavroche wants to be just like his sister when he grows up. his style in clothes is a lot different from her edgy chic vintage, but he loves how much she loves it and finds his own ways to make his clothing unique and fun.

#les amis #les mis #les miserables #headcanons #this got wildly out of control and i cried at least twice bc of how soft i am for my boys so #anyway #remy rambles #asks #anon

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sinceileftyoublog · 4 years

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Manu Delago Interview: From Sleep to the Snooze Button

Photo by James Styler

BY JORDAN MAINZER

After 2018′s elements-facing Parasol Peak, Manu Delago decided to look inside his own head. Circadian, released a year ago, explored the different stages of the sleep cycle and circadian rhythms, a project inspired by his trouble sleeping when on tour with artists like Bjork and how it made it difficult to distinguish dreams from reality. The result is gorgeously hypnotic narrative. The title track explicitly mirrors the sleep cycle with its repetitions of patterns and occasional blips. “The Silent Flight of the Owl”, inspired by Delago’s encounter with an owl he may or may not have dreamed, uses soft woodwind swoops to imitate the sound of a flying owls wings. And spritely, loud closer “Zeitgeber” is meant to be a stage of sleep but the space in between sleeps, waking up and maintaining awareness and activity throughout the day.

Despite the album’s ambitions, though, Delago wasn’t done: earlier this year, he revisited album centerpiece “Delta Sleep” (recorded in the middle of the night) with 7-plus hours of remixes meant to be listened to while sleeping. And now, he’s shared an album of live recordings of a different kind of grueling cycle: the tour. Announced with a live video of the ensemble performing “Uranus”, Circadian Live is a mix of recordings from the 18 concerts performed in Europe across 21 days, consisting of songs from Circadian plus rearrangements of tracks from Delago’s back catalog. It stands out from many live albums by truly offering something new for fans of Delago’s music. For one, the performances from Circadian songs offer differences to the recorded versions, bits of improvisation and extensions, sounding like a new album more than a live album. (You can really only tell this is a live album when audience members clap in the middle of “Zeitgeber”, thinking the song had ended.) Moreover, it gives you the chance to revisit old songs in new ways. The Pete Josef collaboration “A Step” is presented as an instrumental, while Silver Kobalt banger “Down to the Summit” is adapted as a gentle, acoustic track. And “Satori”, an over-10-year-old collaboration with Christoph Pepe Auer sees Delago and the saxophonist join forces along with the rest of the ensemble for an even greater sum.

I asked Delago some questions over email about Circadian Live. Read his responses below!

Since I Left You: How has your sleep been during the pandemic?

Manu Delago: Usually pretty good, thanks. I think my average sleep per night has gone up quite a bit since there’s no more touring.

SILY: On a song like "The Silent Flight of the Owl", which has a specific backstory, do you think about that story every time you're performing it?

MD: Not really. It’s usually quite early on in our concerts, and I’m trying to settle in. Getting used to the stage and sound and ideally playing well.

SILY: Why did you decide to release the video for "Uranus" as a preview and/or representation of the rest of this record?

MD: When the studio album Circadian came out, we already promoted three singles/videos, so for the live album, I just wanted to put the focus on another track. It features the warmth of the clarinets and accordion but also has an amazing trombone feature towards the second half of the piece.

SILY: On Circadian, "Zeitgeber" is such a symbolic endpoint, starting the cycle again. Why didn't you finish your sets with it?

MD: We kind of did finish our sets with it, like an alarm clock in the morning, but then we also play a couple of encores afterwards which were like the snooze button.

SILY: Did people every night think that "Zeitgeber" was over after the initial pause towards the end?

MD: I have a feeling that many people did, but I’ve never asked them.

SILY: How did you decide which songs from your back catalogue to play on this tour and include on this album?

MD: That was almost an evolutionary process. I’ve been playing some of those tracks for many years, the oldest one dating back to 2006. And then you realize which songs work well with which instruments and which ones I still enjoy performing.

SILY: Do you think "A Step" takes on a new life or different quality without the vocals?

MD: I think it certainly works as an instrumental piece, even though it’s quite different. I’m not trying to replace the amazing vocals of Pete Josef, but creating a new sound world with the Siberian crystal harp, wooden temple blocks, and very warm clarinet and string sounds.

SILY: You were able to include Christoph Pepe Auer on this tour. Would you have played "Satori" even if he wasn't able to join? How did you come to extend the length of the song so much in the live version?

MD: This track goes back to 2006 and I’ve played it more than 200 times with Pepe, so it has been great to have him in the ensemble, but I have also played the track with other line-ups, too. Every night, he played a killer solo in the middle of the track which contributes to the extended length. But also our genius trombone player Alois Eberl played an amazing intro to the song which was different every night. Since we did 18 shows on the tour and recorded all of them, at some point, I was considering releasing an album of just solo trombone intros because they were so special.

SILY: These performances are entirely acoustic. How did you go about adapting a song like "Down to the Summit”?

MD: The acoustic live version is a bit more chilled than the studio version, which at some point goes quite aggressive and electronic. To me, the core elements of the piece are its harmonic progression, the melody floating on top, and a long gradual build-up. But to me it works in an acoustic version that goes to 70% rocking-out as well as in a 100% rocking-out electronic version.

SILY: What's next for you?

MD: Over the next weeks, we’ll be touring Circadian Live with my ensemble, and I’m hoping that as many shows as possible will take place. The next big and new project will be the ReCycling Tour in May 2021, where my band will cycle 1600 kilometres and play 26 concerts on the way.

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