come and lay your bones on the alabaster stones

[scalpedsociety]

Who: Aramat and YOU! (Certain prompts are locked for certain people though.)
What: A month in the life of the pianist.
When: Throughout March
Where: Various Places Around Vista City and Pride HQ
Warnings: Possible sex, mentions of triggering things and whatever else. Will warn in advance. Prompts are in the comments.

Throughout March, Aramat is rather busy with various things, recording for Crown of Thorns, performing in clubs, searching for apartments to spend some quiet time in, and perhaps other errands. Of course there's always time for fun as well...

Comments

[FOR USAGI] 01: do you love the hymns they taught you/or are songs of earth your choice?

[scalpedsociety]

Possibly on a Thursday or a Saturday, a familiar face comes in near Thistle Do Nicely and waits for Serena. They had this conversation yesterday and a promise is a promise. She's gonna take this cute girl out for real Americana Barbecue for lunch and no one will stop her.

She stands next to Avery, a tiny thing in black.

[lightthedarkness]

Usagi always seems to be the perfect contrast in appearance to Amarat. She's in soft pink and blue pastels, flowers in her hair, as always, whenever she worked during the day. She looked up and brightened even further at the sight of the older woman.

"Miss Amarat!" she offered a little wave. "Good afternoon! Welcome back to Thistle, how can I help you today?"

[scalpedsociety]

She leans up against the counter. "I wanna take a pretty girl out for lunch, can I do that?"

[lightthedarkness]

"OH!" she suddenly was bouncing like the rabbit she was so well named after. She clapped and nodded.

"You came right on time too! Yes please! Hold on one second!" She took off her apron and hurried to the back, grabbing her grab. "MRS. OPHELIA I'M GOING ON LUUUUUNNCH!" could be heard from the front since Usagi was in the green house.

As Usagi came back out front a soft "Have a good lunch, dear! I'll be up front in just a moment!" from Mrs. Ophelia trailed behind her as she closed the employee door. Bag on her arm she came over to Amarat and was quick to grab her arm, hugging it close.

[OPEN] 02: and what they can tell you depends on what you believe

[scalpedsociety]

Writing and recording for Crown of Thorns is hard work. Aramat has to sit and write down the compositions for her parts in piano, playing out each melody for the band to make sure it fits, if it doesn't, then go back to drawing board.

When the notes go by the band smoothly then she records them. Today's recording is... rather difficult. For some reason she can't seem to grasp a note today. Aramat isn't even sure why.

The melody sounds familiar to her and it's breaking her concentration. Like a skipping needle paid no mind to by the person that put the record on, even to screams. The smell of his breath, the coldness of his instruments...

"FUCK!"

Before anyone knows it, Aramat ends the session abruptly banging on the keys harshly and crumpling up her paper and leaving in a rage without any explanation. She can't be found anywhere in the Pride, except at the very top, smoking cigarettes.

[consocius]

The HQ's roof top is a place Sora is familiar with too, though he's not a smoker. There are just times when he feels like he needs to get as high up as he can, and the penthouse's balcony doesn't do it.

Oddly enough, when he comes here, he doesn't stand or lean or look out over the city. He lays down, and looks up at the sky. There have been occasions when he's fallen asleep here, even: night or day, makes no difference. But he's not sleeping now, and the sound of someone else coming up here causes him to sit up and look around, surprised to see another person.

"Hey... I didn't think other people came up here very much," though he doesn't sound displeased at all at the idea of company. "Miss Tamara, right? Or..." He pauses, looks up as he tries to recall what the new name was that he'd heard people call her. "Aramat?"

[scalpedsociety]

She recognizes Sora. That adorable child from the boyband. While she isn't too familiar with his music. (In fact, according to her fans. Flashstep is horrible and everything wrong with music. Never mind both her band and his are from the same label.)

"It's Aramat." She looks up to him with a smile. "Hello Sora."

[OPEN] 03: dontcha know no one alive can always be an angel?

[scalpedsociety]

Aramat figures that maybe it's just the Pride building that's bothering her. So she decides to use that Pride money to find an apartment. She's not allowed to live in it, but she'll be using in the way people use hotel room to get away from others. It's just a temporary place she can relax without the eyes of everyone on her.

She'll be dragging some poor soul along with her to various luxury apartments, but none of them stand out to her. It's the same cold, clinical space to her. Too new, not lived in enough.

[worthlesspride]

"You know Ara, you haven't liked any of these apartments. What about them don't you like?"

Tooru leans on his cane, and raises an eyebrow at his band mate.

"These are all wonderful, what is it about them you don't like?"

[scalpedsociety]

Aramat sighs and sits almost ungracefully in a nearby chair.

"None of them seem... lived in I need a place with history, and charm to it."

[OPEN] 04: performance | The Echo Club | 'Trust in Me'

[scalpedsociety]

The Echo is a nearly all genres club, although most of the artists that play there tend towards the Alternative sound. It not actually called that name, but music fans call it that and the name stuck.

After Aramat's smash Valentine's Day concert in Club Lunacy, fans begged for her to come to the stage again. And sure enough, she answered their prayers. Dressed in rather light fare for someone obstinately a goth musician. Still her appearance sends her adoring fans into a tizzy.

"Hello Everyone, how y'all doing?"

The crowd responds with a roar. "All of you are doing nice, great. As an artist, I am required to give you different things. Things that surprise you and may even piss you off-"

"Like Kairos?" A fan answers.

"Yes, like that EP some of you hate so much. But at least I'm challenging y'all, the audience. In this gig, I might do styles you may not agree with. But that's why some of y'all love me right? So I'll start off with something in my style. Anyone familiar with Animated Movies? This one is from a classic, The Wilderness Tome. This is called, Trust in Me."

The song begins, a slow rolling melody along a harp and drums. And Aramat moves her hips in a way along the mic stand that almost resembles the hypnotizing snake this song was originally sung by.

Trust in me, just in me
Shut your eyes and trust in me
You can sleep safe and sound
Knowing I am around

Her voice is dark, husky, even rolling at times with the melody.

[OPEN] 04: performance | The Echo Club | 'Trust in Me'

[liarmonstersnappydresser]

It's been a while since he has come to check in one what if his favorite fans. Bill watches quietly from the sidelines, ensnared by the power of those vocals. There she is, Aramat Drawdes, the dark goddess herself. This song certainly isn't her typical fair, but its far from unenjoyable. The deeper syllables roll off her tongue, like distant rumbling thunder, dripping like silky black ink. How soothing.

There's just one problem, the words are wrong. The memory of a tanned piece of parchment flashes to the forefront of Bill's mind; it's disjointed scrawl practically infused with the intent of its written words:

TRUST NO ONE.

But never mind all that. It isn't as though he doesn't lie on a daily basis; lieing is really the only way to be honest these days, the mindless sheeple of Vista couldn't comprehend much else. He does have his sax case, perhaps a duet isn't out of the question.

[scalpedsociety]

Aramat happens to spot Bill in the crowd and it's not entirely sure it's it's the music that might summon him up to the stage later after this song, the slow beckoning movements of her hands, or the fact that there is something in her music that's calling directly to him, not obviously but subconsciously.

It's not quite forcing, more an offer.

Slip into silent slumber
Sail on a silver mist
Slowly and surely your senses
Will cease to resist

[OPEN] 05: performance | The Echo Club | 'Sea of Love'

[scalpedsociety]

The next song she sits by a person with a guitar and not much else.

"I don't usually talk about who inspires me to sing a certain cover or write a song. But this time, maybe I should. This one is about a great person I know of, they know who they are.

Soon the crowd starts to wonder who this person could be. Then the music starts, a simple but heartrending guitar, Aramat sings to the crowd simply but full of emotion.


Do you remember
When we met
That's the day
I knew you were pet
I wanna tell you
How much
I love you

[twoscompany]

As the song continues, there is one person who is watching, who, as the song subsides and ends, stands and walks towards her. No doubt the crowd is going to explode in some way, soon, as she brings a hand on Aramat's shoulder.

"Care for a duet?"

[scalpedsociety]

Everyone is taken in for surprise, including Aramat herself. It's the woman she managed to get into an insane chase with her fans. The fans recognize her as Garnet, the mega-popular keytarist from Cosmic Indulgence. So popular, she could go solo anytime she wants.

"Of course. What do have in mind?"

The crowd goes absolutely ape-shit crazy at this.

"Holy shit, that's Garnet!" "I wasn't expecting her at the concert." "Someone call Xanxus!"

[OPEN] 06: performance | The Echo Club | 'Night'

[scalpedsociety]

"Sometimes when you have to say something, as forbidden as it is, it tends to come out anyway. Be that regular talking or through song. You can take this however y'all want. But it was something building up after a long time. It's called, Night."

Aramat merely stands as the song begins, a mere lone violin setting the scene.


It’s getting late
It’s getting dark
In the end of the night I can feel your warmth
Come up close
Close to me
Cause In the end of the night I can feel you breathe
Don’t be afraid
Don’t be alarmed
In the end of the night you’re in my arms
I’m on my bed
My bed of stones
But in the end of the night we’ll rest our bones

Then the drums kick in and the intensity only builds from there.

Re: [OPEN] 06: performance | The Echo Club | 'Night'

[psyvampexperiment]

That intensity, in her singing, in the accompanying music holds Sariel, watching from the offstage, listening in a quiet rapture. The words have a dark yet gentle passion all their own, a loneliness that he would help alleviate if she allowed it. He'll watch in silence till the song comes to an end, then, under the cover of the fans cheering and applauding, he'll come to her side, leaning down to her and peering at her with a smile.

"May I join milady for a duet?" he asks, bowing his head.

[scalpedsociety]

The fans go in shock, and certain members of of certain ships squee. All these performances with thugs and other poor characters and finally Datura gets to perform with someone worthy of her.

"Of course. What do you have in mind?"

[OPEN] 07: performance | The Echo Club | 'All The Pretty Little Horses'

[scalpedsociety]

After some fairly intense performances it seems almost quaint that things end with Aramat giving them a lullaby to close the concert.

"This is an old standard in Southern Americana. If you don't like things sounding too folksy for you, you may not like this. This is 'All the Pretty Little Horses'."

The band starts up a country-sounding, almost folksy tune, as promised.


Hush a bye, don't you cry
Go to sleep little baby
When you wake you shall have
All the pretty little horses

She can't explain why, but she's getting the visions again. 12 other women, including herself all singing this lullaby to each other.

[OPEN] 08: where is the sense in these desperate dreams?

[scalpedsociety]

After the performances, Aramat is still available to sign things, take pictures and overall just be a doll to her fans. (Even though all she wants to do lately is be left alone.)

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

One fan's been hanging out the whole show -- and as much as he's enjoyed it, he can't help but be concerned. Something about Aramat just read wrong the entire time, as lovely as her music was, and watching her at the end did nothing to reassure him.

So Jecht hung out some distance during the signing and the meeting, only drifting her way when the crowd started to diminish and he had a hope of catching her.

[scalpedsociety]

There was really a lot of Pride artists at this concert, wasn't there?

There is finally some light in her face when she sees him. The man 'Sea of Love' was dedicated to. "Jecht."

Hey there

[bass_instincts]

Shin isn't much of a fan per-se, but he might start being one soon. He finds her after the show and shoots her a charming smile, "Great show tonight. I can see why so many people came out to see you. You're almost as beautiful as your voice."

[scalpedsociety]

At first she thinks he's just another fan. Possibly one of Xanxus' that she earned with Kairos. But no...

It's one of Virgo's newest recruits. "Why thank you."