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masterhandss · 4 years

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Hamefura♪ Idol AU! (part 3)

Thank you so much to the people who have voiced their interest for this AU! I honestly wouldn’t have planned on writing any of this and just planned to keep it all in my head if no one asked :’’DD Special thanks to @ineedglassesalways for the song reqs for this one! please check her out she has amazing art!

Please bare in mind that my thoughts are an absolute mess and that what i’m talking about switches between Fortune Lover and Hamefura at the snap of a finger. Most info is the same, so just try to understand which i’m talking about while reading fjhgsdjhfg

(Also i’m gonna start calling this “My Next Life as an Idol?! All Routes lead to Doom!!!” or HameFura♪ now hgfjsdgf)

Directory: Hamefura♪ Part 1 - Fortune Lover || Hamefura♪ Part 2 - hamefura

Edit: I added a cut bc i’m starting to sympathize with the people who has to scroll passed all this gjshgf

Random Plot and World-building stuff

Sorcier Entertainment is the biggest entertainment business for the past 2 decades, bringing out and producing the best quality of idols, actors, models, composers, musicians, DJs etc. It is a parent company to a lot of branches and agencies.

Sorcier Pro. is the main sub-branch of SorEn, being the most popular agency for producing the current hit in the market, which are idols. There a few other agencies within SorEn, but they wont be important until later. Geoffrey Stuart is the president of Sorcier Entertainment, and is the overseer of the main idol branch (no one knows why though, probably bc his lil bros are there). Entertainment is such an important and prevalent part of Society that the combination of the Stuarts holding power of the the entertainment industry, as well as Mr. Stuart being the prime minister, they are truly considered to be the most influential family in the country, which is added by the fact that every member of the family is an outstanding and well-respect individual.

Sorcier Pro. has a variety of high quality facilities for their idols, and even had a dormitory where they can stay in. This was done for the sake of maximizing the idol’s work hours while giving them a comfortable and accessible place of rest. Not all idols are living in the dormitories, and is usually just housing the popular ones at the time.

All of the main characters (except Sirius, and Villainess!Katarina) are living in the dormitory during the events of the “game”. Nicol and Sophia has rooms there, but they usually return to their home because they are more comfortable there. Katarina and Keith also regularly visit their parents whenever they are free, so their stay is a 50/50. Maria doesn’t visit her mother often (as her house is too far from her private school and work) so she’s always at the dorms.

A lot of the well known powerful, political and celebrity families (that are the equivalent to “nobles” in this world) are collaborators and sponsors of the company, one of the main sponsors being the Claes Family.

I thought of just making the setting an “Idol Academy” like in Aikatsu! and EnStars!, but I though nah, that’s just too easy. Industry idols are much more interesting to me, and that plot works better for a “idol rhythm game/producer simulator”, specifically for what M.C. gets to do in the game (plus I was listening to IM@S when writing the first part so hgfsdjhfdgsj)

Most prestigious families has their kids be home-schooled, especially ones that are involved in the entertainment industry. This is so that they can focus on their career while they are still young. The exception to this was Maria, until she became an idol and had to take a hiatus from school as Sorcier Pro. expects her to focus on expanding her career. She takes supplementary classes on the weekends.

Katarina’s solo unit name in Fortune Lover is Nobelia (a combination of “nobilis or noble” and “lobelia”, the blue flower of malevolence or evil). She sometimes gets temporary teammates to join for tournaments and projects, but she is a solo idol.

So the units are Fortuna (Gerald, Keith, Alan and Nicol), Amour (Maria, Sophia, and Mary), Nobelia (Katarina solo), Picotee (Sophia solo), Marigold (Mary solo), Alcea (Maria solo), Regalis (Gerald and Alan), Edel Herz (Keith and Nicol).

The name’s origins being: Fortuna as the greek of ‘Fortune’, Amour as the french of ‘Love’, Picotee as the dual colored flower (that can be white and red), Marigold (bc obviously) as the flower of passion, Alcea from alcea rosea (the pink hollyhock, which almost means strength and healing), Regalis as a root word/synonym to royal/royalty, Edel Herz being just a google translate of “noble heart” in german teehee (pls appreciate all the googling I had to do dhfgsjhfdg yes it’s mostly flower names bc I have no originality)

yes i changed the names form my original post, don’t call me out asdfgh

Idols don’t really need a stage name if they are a solo idol, but most popular idols are associated with one so it just became a trend to have both stage names and unit names.

In the original game, Maria’s default stage name is “Cinderella”, which you can then change into the username or player name. This is so that Maria can keep her name while still giving the players a custom name.

Maria’s original stage name is a nod to a lot of things: the “Cindrella syndrome” that her character is based on, The name of Fortuna’s fans/fanbase (as most players really are a fan of the boys), and is also a reference to how you are the main love interest for the boys (as you are their true Cinderella)

Katarina doesn’t retain the same stage name “Nobelia” as Villainess!Katarina does, in fear that it might her more similar to her, leading her to a doom end. She doesn’t have a stage name, unlike her friends. Her fans would call her “Bakarina” online though, but she never finds out about it jhagjsfg

Fortuna is an all-around male idol unit, one that can take on different images and genres with ease. The image of the unit changes depending on which boy is the center/lead of the song:

With Gerald, the music focuses on the instrumentals or the orchestra, giving a royal or heavenly vibe. The songs have an emphasis on righteousness, the beauty of life and a prosperous future. The songs for the fans usually has a theme of “reminiscent love” or “looking forward to a future with their partner”. A good example of a unit center song for his is Genuine Revelation from EnStars, and Flower as a solo song from his VA

With Keith, the music becomes more mature. The songs have more seductive lyrics, and has an emphasis on “forbidden love” or “having a secret relationship” with the fans. The lyrics are usually innocent in nature, until you read in-between the lines. Sometimes, his center songs throw a curveball and becomes about a “pure and innocent love” or “longing to be loved”. A good example for his solo song is Gekkoujou no Aria from A3 (please listen to it, it’s by Keith’s VA and the lyrics screams “Keith”)

With Alan, the guitar, violin and piano take the center stage.The music usually has more instrumentals than lyrics. The songs are primarily about being one’s true self, loving who you are and looking back at the past. Friendship and Identity are common themes in his songs. Sometimes, his center songs would throw a curve ball and be about something like “not acknowledging one’s feelings until it is too late”. A good song that represents his usually themes is Bokura no Kizuna from A3

With Nicol, the music is more slow and deep. The songs are usually about self-conflict, self-development and change. His songs sometimes have a theme of having an extreme adoration for the fans, a love so strong that time nor age can make it falter. “Being the only one for him” is the theme of his more popular songs. A good example for his solo song is Sword and Soul from his very own VA!

Yeah, basically the image of the center idol is reflected in the performance.

I don’t have a full list of idol song recommendations yet, but my friend who i mentioned above already recommended a bunch of good duo songs for the boys!: (feel free to suggest stuff if you guys have any :DD)

Gerald/Keith - Es No Yutsu from A3

Keith/Nicol- Plastic Poker from A3

Alan/Nicol - Don't Cry from A3

In the original game, all four boys we’re scouted while the girls all auditioned to become idols. Now, since they are all close friends, Gerald was able to market the talents of his friends and was able to get them all scouted into Sorcier Production.

Fortuna has a producer before Maria, but by the beginning of the game, he had to leave due to health reasons, leading to the sudden application for a new producer. While many producers offered to take care of the boys alongside their other idols, Fortuna insisted that they want a new producer who would focus solely on them.

Mary and Sophia also have their own producers, but they are barely present because they are busy handing other idols (and eventually, will let go of Mary and Sophia once they decide that they want Maria to produce them)

While Fortuna, Mary and Sophia’s careers were able to skyrocket quickly do to their appeals and talents, Katarina’s career grew slowly compared to her friends. This is because, despite to protests of her Producer Anne, she usually takes smaller gigs in far away towns, malls and small live houses. This is because Katarina wanted to perform in front of people who can’t easily access or attend live performances outside of the internet, just like her own small town in her previous life. She knew how happy she’d feel if there was an idol performance near her area, so she wanted to share that joy to other people.

Katarina doesn’t join her friends in doing acting and modeling jobs until much later, when Maria joins their group.

Anne Shelley acts as Katarina’s fitness instructor, personal health manager, and producer. She was brought into Katarina’s life even before she regained her memories, only exclusively as a health manager recommended to the Claes Family. She ended up taking on more jobs that involves watching over Katarina as the years pass by, as the young girl started gaining more and more interests and hobbies. Katarina wonders how Anne is able to be qualified for so many jobs, but she just sums it up as Anne being amazing! (Katarina: I guess she’s kind of like a maid!... or a babysitter...) Anne was (somehow) able to become a producer in Sorcier Productions and was easily recommended for Katarina due to their history. Anne cares a lot about Katarina in her happiness, and will do anything to support her (both version of her, in fact), so much that she is willing to juggle so many careers in order to stay by her side.

Katarina has a small farm that she tends to in her free time (since she doesn’t get a lot of job offers in the first place) that is located in the garden grounds near the main office of Sorcier Pro. Her visitors/helpers differ each day, depending on who is available (and who intentionally made themselves available to make sure they can spend as much time as they can with Katarina)

While her friends constantly get fan mail, the delivery man is always wondering why Katarina always specifically gets a small light box. In reality, it’s packages sent by Tom the gardener, from the Claes Mansion, showing her all his new prototypes for the snake toy. While Katarina first started out as making them out of paper before deciding on buying them online, she knew her family would be suspicious and question why she’s making such a purchase, so she was surprised when Tom started joining her in making fake snakes, until the snakes started to look even more realistic than the plastic ones online!

Maria Campbell: A Girl Chosen by Destiny

Since “Maria” is an involved protagonist, she gets to keep her name in the game, with her idol alias being the “username”of the player

Just like in HameFura, the game doesn’t give much on Maria’s actual history.

The game does have an implied personality for her, being a kind and hardworking girl who puts all her focus on the task at hand. The game implies that she is also a bit introverted, with her personality becoming more open and outgoing as the game progresses (implied through the slight changes in dialogue choices).

She’s a bit of a country bumpkin who moved into the big city in order to experience the world outside her town. She was able to gain a scholarship to a school in the city, and moved alone to stay with her aunt from her father’s side.

Due to her father leaving the family when she was young to due to rumors that she might be the daughter of a different man, Maria’s relationship with her mother is still very strayed. Thanks to these rumors, her father left her and her mother when she was young, and her town heavily criticized the two for the adultery that her mother apparently committed. These rumors stemmed form the fact that even as a child, Maria was beautiful (with clear blue eyes and bright blonde hair, that are in contrast to her mother’s dull eyes and dull hair). While her mother was fare-faced, the appearance that Maria had was usually associated with celebrities or artists, making people believe that Maria didn’t come from her father. Despite Maria’s mother claiming that none of it was true, the rumors got so out of hand that Maria’s father became ashamed of his family, leading him to leave without a word.

In the beginning of the game, she stayed with an Aunt from her father’s side, on the condition that she somehow pays the bills by herself, leading her to want to get a job.

Maria saw the announcement of Sorcier Production being in need of new staff, so she applied quickly in order to start saving money. Thanks to a set of misunderstandings, she accidentally got the role as a producer, despite her lack of credentials (not knowing that she was the beginning of a big project of SorEn)

Maria is an extremely hardworking person, believing that if she worked hard enough, she will be one day rewarded with the love that she’s always dreamed of receiving. Fortune Lover makes you think that Maria is naturally able to produce 7 idols, but in reality, it’s at the expense of Maria overworking herself to the bone, with almost no time for herself at all. Sometimes she sleeps in her small desk office instead of the household that she’s paying the bills of, in order to maximize her work hours. She dedicates every second that she has on the four boys, so when they shower her with love and attention, she was able to easily fall in love with them as well (and sadly becomes dependent on their validation as a personal reward for her efforts).

A month before one of Fortuna’s biggest live performance (or a little bit after Maria joins them as their producer), Maria oversaw the training of another idol who came to her and ask for help (not knowing that she was just trying to get close to Maria to get close with the Fortuna boys). Maria helped her train her dancing and singing, and even memorized her choreography in order to critique her steps. She became too dedicated in helping that idol improve, thinking that the girl wanted to be friends with her. When the event happened, the female idol was hit with bad karma and injured her leg just as the live started, leaving her unable to perform. This causes an uproar among the staff, as the set list was too complicated to change in such short notice. Gerald, who is aware that Maria has been helping their colleague, encourages Maria to take her place since she knew the lyrics and the dance. Thanks to the encouragement of the boys, Maria debuts in front of a huge crowd, gaining instant popularity as the cinderella idol that saved the live event.

Most of Maria’s job as a producer in arranging the schedules of the boys, staying in contact with their costume designer, staying in contact with their personal composers and lyricists, sorting through job offers, keeping watch of their health, watching them while they practice and accompanying them in their jobs. When she isn’t there to accompany any of them, another producer temporarily takes her place.

As Maria’s popularity increases, she is given job offers that prevents her from focusing on being a producer. Since the boys are very fond of Maria, they are very encouraging of her desire to become an idol too, and offers to help support her and themselves moving forward.

The game itself doesn’t make the changes in Maria’s occupation obvious, since Maria’s idol life is only prevalent in the Idol Rhythm Game Mode, but in reality the increase in workload is slowly eating her up (not that she’d let anyone know that)

Maria, as an idol, gets constantly harassed by her peers (especially Katarina) for being a nobody idol who took the spotlight away from them, as well as for being a close ally to Fortuna. A lot of scenes in the story mode is the boys saving her from the harassment (leading to a lot of good CG art that are sold as posters :P)

Depending on whose romance route you are on, Mary and Sophia start out as very hostile towards Maria, as her existence takes away the attention that their loved ones were supposed to give to them. Sophia warms up the fastest, as Maria’s lack of hostility towards her makes both her and Nicol easily attached. Even after the three starts as unit as Amour, Mary’s relationship with maria is mostly professional, before she slowly warms up to her somewhere near the end of the Alan Romance Route. The three can be considered friends, but they still seemed more like colleagues in the eyes of other people.

When Katarina meets Maria, she was very surprised to know that the Maria she played as in the game was a more humane person than the game shows up (somehow who isn’t perfect in every way, and works hard and long to be able to provide for both herself and the four boys)

Their meeting and friendship bloomed in the same way as the Otome Game version (because i’m too lazy to jot down every minor difference hgfjsdgf), surprising Katarina that baking hobby that was just mentioned in text or used as a plot device is actually real and flourishing, and is something she actively supported Maria.

Due to Katarina’s slow popularity gain, and Maria being a novice idol, they usually took and accepted jobs together since they both needed a boost. Instead of the quick burst of popularity that Maria has in the game, this time she wants to take each step slowly with Katarina, with the desire for them to grow at the same time.

Since Katarina is now aware of the hardships that Maria must be facing as both a producer and an idol, this time Katarina and Anne often help Maria with her paperwork and organization. Whenever Maria isn’t there to follow Gerald, Keith, Alan or Nicol, Anne now takes over if she’s available or she’d recommend a colleague that she knows would assist the boys like a pro.

Katarina insists that Maria doesn’t have to shoulder all her burden alone, and that she has all their friends around to help her and support her as they do with each other. Katarina tells her that it’s okay to ask for help and even offers her hand constantly (wow, Katarina can easily carry all these boxes of documents? My hero~) and Maria takes this lesson to heart.

Even though Maria felt nervous about joining Katarina’s friend group so suddenly, which even includes the very idols that she’s meant to watch over, Katarina was very insistent that Maria’s wonderful and warming presence would let her blend in so easily (Katarina isn’t aware of how the relationships of the characters were like in the original game since she never finished). Maria is eventually able to become friends with everyone, and is easily able to hold conversations with Mary and Sophia without Katarina around. Maria is there to act as a straight man to Mary’s exaggerated attempts at hindering the boy’s time with Katarina, and Maria often acts as an ear to Mary’s gossips about other idols. Maria, while not an avid fan of novels as Sophia and Katarina, can still join conversations about books by asking details, recommendations and insights on books she’s already read. Maria can easily get along with the boys as well, since they are in each other’s presence most of the time due to her role. They don’t hesitate to help Maria whenever they can (despite her resistance), and she’s usually the one who stops the arguments between Gerald and Keith whenever they are in the middle of a job.

Since Katarina ended p being so attached to Maria, the boys sometimes takes advantage of Maria’s role as a producer to have her work instead of attending to the woman of their affections (of course they feel somewhat bad about it, but it’s better than watching them look so love-struck with each other!) but it ends up backfiring when Katarina lets go of all her activities in favor of assisting Maria with her job as a producer.

Whenever Maria is free, she insists on borrowing the small kitchen in the Office in order to use the small over to bake some pastries and treats for her friends. Katarina constantly endorses the amazingness of Maria’s sweets, and they are both happy whenever their friends compliments the results of Maria’s hard work.

Compared to her work schedule in the game, Maria can now work comfortably as both an idol and a producer, thanks to the support and help of her friends.

Sirius Dieke: The 5th Love Interest

Sirius Dieke is a non-payable character in Fortune Lover, who usually appears in Gerald and Nicol’s stories and side story events to explain things about the world and the past relationship of the characters.

He is another idol in Sorcier Pro, and is an old friend to Nicol.

In reality, he’s actually a hidden character within the game that can only be playable if you get a Friendship Ending in the first playthrough. Getting a neural ending is already super hard, so Sirius being playable wasn’t revealed until two months after the game initial release. The game is so good at hiding this fact that not even the dataminers were able to find evidence of his existence outside of being an NPC.

Getting a Sirius Route is only possible in the New Game+ Mode, with story events and side story events dedicated to him alone. He only comes with only one new song though, so people in forums usually don’t recommend going to the Sirius Route in the second playthrough (unless you’re a completionist dgjfd)

There’s also the fact that Sirius’ Route has a completely different tone than the rest of the game. The developers of the game planned on removing his route in their game update, but due to the outcry of his fans, they kept it in, and even included a payed DLC where you can instantly unlock his route on your first playthrough.

In Sirius’ Route, it’s revealed that he was the son of a former celebrity and one of his maids, and that his real name is Raphael Wolt. His mother quited her job just before he was born. They were ultimately hunted down by Mrs. Dieke, who refused to believe that her husband had a mistress.

Raphael and his mother were kidnapped by people payed by Mrs. Dieke, and as his mother begged for her to spare their lives, Mrs. Dieke’s plans were revealed: Her own son is ill and was slowly dying from an illness, and in her jealousy of Raphael’s strong physique and health, she has decided to take Raphael as her own son, as both him and her original son both looked like their fathers more than their mothers.

In front of his eyes, Raphael’s mother was murdered in cold blood and Raphael was left to suffer from various degrees of shock therapy and blunt forces to the head in order to forcefully induce amnesia without killing him. He wakes up in the hospital bed with no memories of who he is, and Mrs. Dieke graciously plays the part of a concerned mother who is visiting her own son in order to sell the idea that Raphael is her own.

In the background, a news headline states that a mother and son was found dead in an abandoned warehouse.

The doctor tells Mrs. Dieke that her son “Sirius” might not recover his memories, and despite the glee in her voice, Mrs. Dieke acts and pretends to be devastated by the news. Unbeknownst to both of them, Sirius did eventually regain his lost memories over time and realizes that the woman claiming to be his mother is in fact the very person who had killed his only family.

Sirius learns that the reason Mrs. Dieke is so insistent on having a son was to be able to nurture and create a new star that would dazzle the entertainment world, with hopes of being able to live vicariously through her son’s career and success. Feeling disgust and hatred towards the woman that he is now forced to call “mother”, he plans to enact his revenge by destroying the entertainment world from the inside, exposing its ugliness to the world.

Sirius ends up becoming an idol because of the encouragement of his “mother”, leading him to be affiliated with Nicol and Gerald. He had already met them when they were all young, and he even planned to have them as allies in his quest to destroy the entertainment industry, only to find them as disappointingly bright eyed teens when they reunited.

When Sirius finds out that it was the effect of Maria Campbell, their new producer, he decided to wage war against her for acting as a thorn to his perfect plans. It’s revealed that a lot of the bullying scenarios in the story mode was orchestrated by Sirius himself, in an attempt to get maria to lose her reputation and her job.

Maria was able to trace back all the incidents to him, and confront him alone in the Office at night, before he left to go home. Sirius laughed and admitted to all of his past and crimes, and mocked Maria for having no proof against him. Instead of condemning him, Maria hugs him while telling him to change his ways. Despite the violent ways that he tries to get Maria off him, she doesn’t let go, trying to convince him that his way of acting in correspondence to his grief is wrong. Sirius cries as Maria spoke sense into him and dissected the flaws in his grand plan, until only the sound of his crying is left in the cold and empty office that day.

In Hamefura, When Sirius finds out that this was the effect of the “saint” Katarina Claes, he had orchestrated various events that could lead Katarina to being condemned by the public through her supposed “bullying” of the public darling Maria. This plans fails, so he plans on using Maria as a form of blackmail to get Katarina to leave the entertainment world in exchange for her friend’s safety. Maria disappears for a few days, causing her friends to be very worried for her, especially Katarina who is somewhat aware of the events that were occurring. During the search, she was able to find Sirius and tried to engage in some small talk, until she remembered a detail that her old friend Acchan said about a dark and secret love interest. Without any thought, Katarina questioned Sirius about Maria’s disappearance, surprising him with her sudden awareness.

Sirius admits to his crimes, and before Katarina can escape, Sirius hit her on the head so she can lose consciousness, but not before screaming about how he hates her ignorant enthusiasm, how she changed his pawns and made them better people, and how he wont let her take his heart and change him as well before he could enact his revenge, with tears in his eyes. This act leads to Katarina going unconscious for a few days. In this come state, Katarina was able to gain information from her old friend Acchan that she can use to save Sirius and Maria.

In the abandoned warehouse where “he” and his mother supposedly died, Sirius has Maria locked up, with no plans of letting her escape until he can guarantee that Katarina is out of the picture. He is shocked to find out that Katarina and her friends were able to find both of them; he goes on a rampage about how he wants to destroy the Dieke family and everyone associated with them and the cruel world they have created, before the feeling of despair and fear for his future leads him to almost taking his own life as a final escape.

Katarina stops him, and tells him that both of them has no future, as a secret love interest and as a villainess, and how she can’t save him the way Maria can. But that if anything else, she can a least stay by his side and take some of the weight off his shoulders, like what her friends have been doing for her since the beginning. Katarina calls him by his real name, Raphael Wolt, leading him to unlocking the final memory that he had lost from his temporary amnesia:

A memory of his mother, in her final moments, telling Raphael that she will always be by his side, and that she wishes for him to have a happy future, even if it wouldn’t have her in it. Katarina’s words made him realize that this wasn’t what his mother would wanted for him, leading him to see the error of his ways.

In both versions, it ends with Sirius turning himself in and confessing to the crimes of both him and Mrs. Dieke, leading to both of their arrest and the return/resurface of the Wolt Family murder case investigation. Sirius’ contract with Sorcier Entertainment gets terminated, and heavy manipulation of the media was used in order to prevent the story from coming into light.

Since Raphael lacked any crimes that would have him arrested, he was set free and left the Dieke family as it slowly fell apart from the controversy. He announced that he wants to spend his freedom as himself, but will one day come back to all of them as a better person.

Without Katarina realizing it, Raphael confesses that his rampage was caused by his fear of his desires for her and her company, and that he was scared that if she continued to open her arms to him in such an easy-going and warm fashion, he would lose all his will to have his revenge on the entertainment industry. Much to the annoyance of Katarina and Raphael’s friends, he takes her hand and promises to come back, to stay by her side, like she had promised to him.

In the Raphael Ending, Maria and Raphael meets again years later as both were on the way to work. Maria has already left the entertainment business and had no plans of returning, while Raphael became a changed man with a good heart and a steady job. Eventually, Maria was able to fall in love with the good man that Raphael was always meant to be/has become, and Raphael was able to rekindle the love and affection that he felt for Maria when they were still idols together.

Raphael had declared that he will back, better than ever! As an idol? who knows :3c But where will he go from here...?

Fortune Lover 2/Fortune Lover Re:Dive

Spoilers for Volume 3 of Hamefura and beyond, since this is about FL2

I’ve had a bunch of ideas that I’d like for Fortune Lover 2, but I’m not really sure if I want to put it out there because it seems too fanfiction-y in a way?

I feel like my ideas are straying far away from the original version, which disappoints me in a way, but then again, My Idol Game version of Fortune Lover is nothing like the Otome Game counterpart, so I’ll still write about it.

If you like the premise for an Idol Game style Fortune Lover, then feel free to just absorb the content above because for (my version of) Fortune Lover 2 to happen, Katarina will still get her bad end: Public Humiliation and Self-Banishment. I’ll save how it happens in part 4

In Fortune Lover 2, there would be 3 new produce-able idols, but in My Next Life as an Idol, there will be 5 new idols:

this is what i meant when I said the plot is gonna feel like a fanfiction :DD

Fortune Lover 2 isn’t really a sequel, as it is like a bulkier and softly rewritten version of FL, like how Persona 3/4/5 remakes are to their original games.

FL2 introduces a new Idol Agency that is affiliated with Sorcier Entertainment: Mahouka Production (also known as MahoPro), a recently established talent agency created by a mysterious Director. Despite being new, they were able to quickly gain a following through the eccentric idols in their line-up.

With a longer story, halfway through the game you start being introduced to three new male idols: Sora Smith, Cyrus Lanchester and Dewey Percy. They are idols that are under MahoPro, who dislikes the idols of SorPro and claims to be their rivals.

They start out as rival characters in the game, taunting you (Maria) and the idols of Fortuna constantly for a few chapters. Some time after your initial introduction, you slowly get to know the boys, until you’re finally able to gain their trust. You can then start to secretly “produce” them without their Director knowing (just like Shika from IM@S Stella Stage), which leads to gaining events, scenes, idol clothes, songs and CGs of the three new boys.

As the new character gets introduced later into the story mode, they are more of an optional route, as the game still prioritizes the original 4 boys over the new cast. You can still “romance” the 3 new characters, but since they are introduced late, it can only be done at the expense of focusing on them almost exclusively during story events and side stories so that you can quickly gain Relationship Points for them.

So basically, halfway through the game, you have the option to produce 11 idols: Yourself (Maria), Gerald, Alan, Keith, Nicol, Mary, Sophia, Raphael, Sora, Dewey and Cyrus. The first 5 being obligatory, while the last 6 are optional

Rufus Smith (or “Sora”, as he reveals to you his real name during the story) is new idol in MahoPro who was able to quickly gain a female following due to his attractive figure and maxed-out sex appeal. Many compare him to Nicol Ascart due to the fact that he is slowly taking a lot of his jobs (or works alongside him at times) due to his handsome face. While both of them are handsome models, the public is aware that there is no point in pining the two against each other since their beauty works in different ways.

In the story (and as hinted in a few side story events), he was a slum rat who didn’t have much for himself. One day, he met a man who had join him and his fellow slum dwellers into their territory, a man by the name of David. The man was able to give Sora a new perspective on life, his new name, as well as how to sing. After David died, he wandered around the country, doing dirty jobs for shady adults for money. A few years later, we was caught singing in the streets by a man who offered to take care of him and cultivate him as an idol at the age of 13, complimenting him for his beauty and his singing. While Sora rejected the offer, the man’s words never left his mind. He started out by singing in the street for change, then getting singing jobs at cafes/live houses/restaurants for money, until he suddenly got a small following as an underground idol. The Director of MahoPro offers a place for Sora, alongside with giving him jobs as a full-fledged idol that can help him provide for himself, leading him to be affiliated with Sorcier Entertainment.

Sora starts out having a rather sarcastic relationship with Maria, thinking that she is one of the many women who throws themselves at him to get his attention. He always gives her back handed compliments as always has a vicious tone when speaking. As the story progresses, Sora realizes that Maria isn’t disgusted by his history, and realized that Maria is truly a good and kind person. Sora starts to unconsciously seek her out, trying to reverse the bad impression that he must have left on her and to be with someone who doesn’t look at him lowly, like the other adults and idols of SorEn who dislikes people that aren’t of celebrity-upbringing.

Dewey Percy is a young idol that auditioned for Sorcier Pro. and won, but was rejected at the last minute in favor of a less talented wannabe-idol who was related to a famous actor. The Director of MahoPro came to Dewey with an offer as an idol, acknowledging his talents in music and dancing that he evidently have been polishing for years. In his town, Dewey was known as a Music Prodigy, as he was talented in singing, dancing, acting and playing instruments, though that’s not to say that those weren’t the effects of his own hard work. Because his family wasn’t the absolute best financially, he decided to audition as an idol in order to get jobs despite being young.

Dewey is revealed to be somewhat of a childhood friend to Maria, as he lived in the same town as her. Despite this, he is very wary of her due to the bad impressions left on his by Sorcier Pro. after he almost lost his chance at becoming an idol. Dewey absolutely hated asking for help, even when it was draining him down. He is very desperate to keep his title as a music prodigy, even though he knows it’ll be drowned once he’s in a battlefield of idols. (Also he tries very desperately to be seen as a mature and hot idol, despite his youth and appearance giving him a cute one instead lol)

Maria realizes how hard Dewey is pushing himself, and convinces him over multiple instances that he doesn’t need to be hard on himself and suffer alone. Maria offers herself as a shoulder to lean on, making Dewey embarrassed but happy at the idea that he can finally have someone to rely on, and that he doesn’t need to be alone anymore. They were also able to bond about their similar upbringing, making Dewey feel at home in the arms of Maria despite being miles away from their town.

Cyrus Lanchester is an idol from a different agency, who was transferred to MahoPro by the time the events of the game began. He has a very strict personality, and is an overall perfectionist as an idol. He was let go from his original Agency because his strictness and tendency to scold his fellow idols caused his peers (who are a bunch of lazy and stuck up children of celebrities) to take him out because they didn’t vibe with his attitude. Before his original producer was able to tell him that he was done as an idol, the Director of MahoPro offered a place for him in their new agency.

While being grateful to the Director for taking him in, he does not hold back in letting everyone know about his distaste for their odd Director. While is he very talented as an idol, he is just using it as a chance to learn more about the industry and gain connections that he can use to be a part of it in the near future.

While he doesn’t start as wary of Maria as his fellow male idols, he insist on keeping distance with her due to the fact that they are of different agencies, as well as the fact that he is not good at dealing with women.

Notes

(I’ll have to rewrite Cyrus and Dewey’s descriptions after Volume 7 comes out, since I don’t have much to work with. I’ll add the Sora, Cyrus and Dewey endings in the edit as well.)

I know some part of Maria and Sirius’ backstory doesn’t make any sense but just use your imagination lol hgjgfjsfgd

More about Katarina, the silhouettes, the Director, and how it affects the story on the next part :DD my fingers really hurt from all this typing hgjsdgfjs

If ever i’m dissatisfied with what I have here and end up changing things, don’t be surprised jhfjshdgfs

Next Part is gonna be plot points that I want for this AU and a bit of FL2, so sorry if the next one might not be that exciting fsjhgfjsd

feedback and suggestions are very much appreciated! Thank you to the few people who are interested in this AU :DD

93 notes · View notes

shadowracers · 6 years

Text

Shadow Racers - The Hero - Prologue

In a junkyard, somewhere in Massachusetts, rests the burnt and destroyed chassis of a Ferrari 512 BB. It once belonged to a legend of the streets, a man who was feared by all but loved by those who knew him. On one faithful day in 2015, the man made a brave and heroic sacrifice in order to protect his family and friends from an unstoppable foe. His sacrifice led to his loved ones’ victory and survival.

That Berlinetta remains there as a memento to the legend this man once was. He was the scum of society - a street racer - and yet, when he died, he died as a hero.

He told a young man close to him, before his heroic sacrifice, that he wanted the young man to continue his legacy - to take up the throne he worked so hard to claim and defend it from their enemies on the road.

So much for that.

===========

Present Day

November 3, 2017

7:00 AM

Boston, MA

A Condo in Downtown

A light turns on in a dark room.

A young man, still drowsy, walks over to the bathroom. There, he brushes his teeth, washes his face, and wanders to the kitchen to get some breakfast. After pouring himself a bowl of cereal, he moves towards his table to eat.

It’s like this every morning. Get up, eat, get ready for work. For Dillon Tsuchiya, age 23, it’s always been the same for the last two years. Ever since his life got turned upside down due to an...incident, he’s been struggling to find a purpose in life. At one point, he was a rising star in the world of street racing in Japan. Then, after moving to America, became the most feared driver in a high-stakes rally competition. But this is now ancient history, according to Dillon. Now, he works at a retail store, helping to stock shelves of food, appliances, and so on.

While he eats his cereal, he notices a bird outside his window. Strangely, this reminds him of his past life.

Dillon: The memories of old… The Complex, the cars, the smells… the life.

A phone buzzes near his table. An alarm is going off. It’s time to go to work.

After showering, and putting on his uniform, Dillon heads to the condo’s garage, where his car awaits him. Pulling out the ‘Acura’ key, he starts it up (rather quietly), and drives to the store, where he’s spent the last two years trying to find a life for him.

On the way, he reflects on what he thought at the table, the memories of former glory.

Dillon: There’s nothing left for me in that world. You told me to continue the trend… but I can’t without you.

With that, he continues on his way.

===========

8:00 AM

Cambridge, MA

“Another day, another car.” Steel thought to himself. He was up early, and had been occupying himself by reviewing his to-do for service work this day. A bunch of everyday commuter cars...And a Ferrari. A 458 Italia, in bright red. The Ferrari was a regular at his workplace, and the man often bragged about being a street racer. Every time Steel hears the stories, he dies a little inside. He lost something valuable to him -- his mentor and father figure. Dag died two years ago. Since then, he hasn’t been able to look at a car without flashing back to that charred chassis.

“Well, ain’t much to do without the boss.” he muttered to himself. He grabs a Chevrolet key off the coat rack in his apartment and heads down to his car to drive to work. He had to give up all of his monster cars when the Mafia came for him. They took all of the cars as collateral.

His phone buzzes. “Unknown Caller” comes up.

Steel: “Yello, Jacob speaking.”

???: “Have you seen him?!”

Steel: “Oh...Hey Aria. No, haven’t seen him because he’s dead.”

Aria: “HE IS NOT DEAD! I WILL FIND HIM!”

The call abruptly drops. Steel shakes his head and goes to another boring day of work.

“I wonder how the kid’s doing…?”

===========

11:30 AM

Service Center on Interstate 93

A little Toyota SF-R pulls into a service center and parks near a gas station.

For October, it was surprisingly humid.The owner hops out, heads to the restroom, purchases some food, and heads back to the car. While eating his burger on the hood of the Toyota, his phone rings.

???: “Hello, Eddie Wood speaking”

???: “Hey Ed, we got the parts you asked for. Shall we send them to your house?”

Eddie: “No no, actually I’m out of town at the moment, so just hold on to them for now.”

With that, he hangs up his phone and returns to his burger.

Eddie Wood, age 18, graduated from high school back in June. His parents don’t really care what their son does with his life, as long as he stays safe and always comes back home to visit. He probably didn’t get the “safe” part, since Eddie wants to be a racer. He wants to be at the top of the racing world, and be admired by millions of people, around the world. However, with only a little Toyota sports car, nobody’s taken any notice of him. But it doesn’t phase him. Eddie’s main inspiration to becoming a racer stems from a team he used to follow intensely, known as the “Shadow Racers”. They won almost every event they entered, and had a vast amount of cars to choose from. Two years ago, they mysteriously pulled out of every single racing event in the country, and disappeared. From that point, Eddie always planned to find out what really happened to the famed team, and join them. So much did he want to join them, he decided to drive 500 miles from his hometown down to Boston, where the team was based.

Eddie: Oh, better get a move on. I need to start my search for my dream team.

With that, he threw out the wrappers of food, hopped into the SF-R, and headed back out onto the interstate in search for the legends of his childhood.

2:25 PM

Downtown Boston

Eddie: “EH?! You’ve never heard of them before?!”

???: “Nope, sonny-me-boy.”

Eddie let the old geezer continue his walk to the park. That had to the 52nd person he asked if they knew what happened to the “Shadow Racers”.

Eddie: I for sure thought they would be big here! The amount of attention they got… HOW CAN NO ONE KNOW ABOUT THEM?!

Frustrated with his lack of progress, Eddie leaps into the Toyota, revs it to the redline, and peels rubber out of the car park. For a mere 150 HP, it laid down a decent set of elevens.

Eddie, determined to not give up, decided to drive around and look for street racing hot spots in the hopes of finding any clues related to the Shadow Racers. By chance, he keeps finding himself at the same junkyard over and over again. Something seems to be pulling him in from outside…

After coming to junkyard for the 4th time, he decides to look around. It was an average place; minivans, Corollas, pick-up trucks, the usual sort of crap. And yet, something called to him. Some kind of intangible presence that he could not identify.

On his fifth drive-by, he spotted something vaguely familiar deep in the back of the junkyard.

A burnt chassis of a 70s supercar, but he couldn't tell what. Intrigued, Eddie got out of the Toyota, and walked over to the block of steel. Once he got close enough, he spotted a name on the chassis rails.

“Ferrari”

Then it hit him. The low slung body, the four round taillights, he was staring at the shell of a Ferrari 512 BB, one of the more underrated cars the company made.

This made him gasp.

Eddie: The leader of Shadow Racers had a Ferrari 512…

And once he realized that, he went berserk.

Eddie: “I’VE FOUND IT!!! THE LONG LOST RELIC THAT IS THE DEVIL!!!”

Steel: “And you’ll be quiet about it.”

A powerful hand comes down on Eddie’s shoulder. When Eddie turns to look, he’s met with a muscular, large man.

Steel: “Couple of fellas told me you were looking ‘round for the Shadow Racers. That charred chassis is all that’s left of the team leader.”

Steel sighs. He glances at Eddie.

Steel: “You look like a high schooler. They had a kid a little above your age on the team. He watched this -” He gestures at the Ferrari. “ - unfold before his eyes.”

Eddie: “Wow… That must have been painful. What happened to this kid?”

Steel: “Ain’t seen him since. Story goes that he was supposed to inherit the leadership. Never heard from him again.”

Eddie ponders this. If the old leader...died, then this kid must be the guy to talk to.

Eddie: “But wait, how do you know this? Were you a member?”

Steel: “Nah. Ain’t that dumb. You’d be surprised who comes through auto shops these days. If I were you, I’d keep this Ferrari a secret, yeah?”

Eddie: “Y-yeah, of course.”

Steel: “After all...Hiding in the shadows is what we do best these days.”

Steel pats Eddie on the back with a bit of force before turning and walking away. Eddie only catches a glimpse of Steel’s Camaro before it peels off for destinations unknown. Now he’s alone with the destroyed Ferrari…

Eddie: No… It couldn't have ended like this. I'm sure the old leader would have wanted his legacy to continue. This kid, I must find him.

With that, he hops into the little sports car, and drives to the hotel where he is staying at for a few days. After obtaining his room card from the receptionist, he opens his room door, puts his bags near the TV, and flops onto the bed. His head is spinning with how he could find this kid. A kid? Owning one of the most popular teams in the country, and abandoned it? It didn't make sense.

6:00 PM

Then, he remembered what the muscle man said.

“After all...Hiding in the shadows is what we do best these days.”

Eddie: We… He was one of them, and there's more out there.

This got his attention. If there were more, there was still a chance of finding someone who wants to bring back the team to it's former glory.

But, the search would have to wait till tomorrow. It had been a pretty long day for Eddie, since he was driving for most of it. It was late afternoon, on a Friday, all he wanted to do was relax.

Except he remembered he had no food.

Unwillingly, he got up from the bed, exited the hotel, and walked two blocks over to a big superstore. It looked pretty new, since it had a modern design on the outside. The theme continued once he entered. Eddie thought he was in a hospital, given how clean the floors were. Snapping out of his daze, he heads over to the ready-made area. He figured he eat something light and reasonably priced, given that he had Mexican food for the last week. Eddie couldn't decide what he wanted. There are so many options, you would have thought that this was a restaurant. Seeing a worker over at the produce section, he hollered the guy over. The poor guy nearly dropped all the boxes he was holding when he heard Eddie's cry of dismay. Setting them down, the man walked over. He was a young chap, average weight, with thick, black glasses.

???: “Yeah, what do you need lad?”

Eddie: “I was just wondering what you would recommend from this selection?”

The worker looked at the menu for a long time, before finally saying “Get the roast chicken”. Eddie thanked him, and the worker turned around to finish his task. The guy had a moody expression, liked he was suffering from some sort of illness. As Eddie looked at him, his chicken arrived.

Eddie: “Ah, the perfect meal for a Shadow Racers recruit.”

A large crash follows immediately after Eddie said that sentence. The worker knocked into the boxes he set on the floor. Luckily, they were empty, so no mess was made, but the sound of the crash pierced that section of the store.

Bewildered, the worker got up, and walked over to Eddie. He looked a little pissed off about something.

???: “Hey kid, forget about that team. It's dead.”

Eddie didn't understand...

…for about 10 seconds.

Eddie: “You… You’re the kid that inherited Shadow Racers!”

===========

6:00 PM

Canton, MA

Steelworks Auto Shop

“I wonder where that Ferrari went…” Steel thought to himself as he waited for another client to come in. He looked over at the work floor and a decent-sized crater that sit in the middle. He shakes his head. He was trying to work on Dillon’s AE86 a second time before the engine block dropped out and damaged the floor.

“Glad that thing is gone. What a piece of shit it was.”

He sighs and starts scrolling through local and foreign BBS services. Some talk here about a Corvette, some talk about a LaFerrari, bla bla bla. “As active as ever, huh...” he muttered before moving on.

He looks over at his Camaro. He can tell it wants to be free of the traffic and road laws.

“Not right now, old girl. I gotta live my life.”

===========

A Superstore in Boston

The two men locked eyes. The air was cold. It looked like a heavyweight title fight was about to take place on the produce aisle of the store.

Despite the fact that both men looked skinnier than strands of noodles.

The worker, who was indeed Dillon, the inheritor of the Shadow Racers team, spoke first.

Dillon: “Who told you about...it?”

Eddie: “I’ve been a fan of the team ever since it started, back in 2015-”

Dillon flinches a little, upon hearing “2015”. The year where everything changed.

Eddie: “- and I’ve been a fan ever since. Watching you guys tear up the Gumball Rally tournaments, you guys are my heroes. Or should I say, were.”

Dillon: “Why waste your time finding them? They died two years, along with their leader!”

Eddie: “Whose Ferrari still sits at a junkyard? That’s how you honor him? Whatever happened, he died for the team, for you! To continue the life he wanted! You can’t let the legacy die, when there are other teams out winning races, your races!”

Dillon looks down, his hair covering his eyes. He knows it. Dag wouldn’t have wanted this. He said it himself. But how, how could he bring back the team out of the shadows?

Eddie feels saddened. He never thought he would meet his heroes this way.

Then, he asks Dillon the nagging question.

Eddie: “Why did the Shadow Racers end?”

Dillon turns away, thinking, remembering the past. He promised himself he would never think about those times again, that it will only bring him sadness and pain.

But he couldn’t help it.

He sighs deeply, and motions Eddie to follow him. Dillon mutters “It was the end of my shift anyway”, and takes his keys out.

Eddie follows Dillon to the back of the store, and out to the employee parking lot. There, he sees a silver NSX light up.

Eddie: At least he still drives a sick car.

Dillon again motions to Eddie, this time to get in the passenger seat. Eddie does this, and Dillon hops in the driver’s seat. After closing the door, Dillon sighs again, and begins to tell his story.

Dillon: “We weren’t a normal team. Usually, racing teams sign their drivers through contracts, and they have a working relationship. We weren’t like that. We lived under the same roof, bonded with each other, and deeply cared for one another. All this was possible through the leadership of one man, Dagurasu Trenton. To the outside world, he was a dark, cold man. The “Devil”, as they called him. But to us, he was a gentle, kind, respectful man, with great wisdom, and good sense of humor. He helped train me and a couple of others to be better. Not just as drivers, but in general, too. That rally championship….. the Gumball, as you called it. That broke us. At first, all seemed well. We were competitive, and managed to win some events. We raced with all our strength, but respected every other competitor to the fullest, and they did so to us as well. Except the organizers… They had other plans. Little did we know the Russian Mafia was behind the whole event, which makes sense now, given the prize for winning outright was $50 million. They went to great lengths to stop our progress, and when we discovered them… We fought back. One day, in California. Me and Dag were being chased by a group of them. His Wangan Devil 512, and my White Rocket Mazda RX-7. Gun shots flying everywhere. Suddenly, Dag slammed the brakes, and trainwrecked the Mafia SUVs. Next thing I know, I hear a giant explosion, and turn around to see fire everywhere. I had to keep going, knowing that's what he would have wanted. When I got back to the team in Easton, news broke of his death from our trusty mechanic. After the hearing of his will, I received ownership, 3/4s of his wealth, and the property that was our base. But I’ve done nothing since then. He was the man, the one who lead. I, meanwhile, was just a bratty university student trying to drive faster.”

Eddie was shocked, to say the least. He could NEVER imagine what they could have gone through. The pain, the sorrow, a life-changing experience.

Time passed as both men sat in the hybrid supercar, motionless. It was now 7:00.

Eddie: “I met a man at the junkyard where the Ferrari is, he told me about you, and what happened to your leader. Drove a red Camaro, says you two haven’t seen each other since the incident.”

Dillon chuckles to himself.

Dillon: “Ah Steel, that mechanical genius. We really haven’t seen each other in so long…”

Eddie: “Then, let’s go see him!”

Dillon turns to Eddie slowly. He knew the memories would keep coming back if he went there. But, seeing Eddie’s expression, it reminded Dillon of how he was when he first joined the team. Maybe, just maybe, the racing bug was coming back to him…

Dillon: “Well…. Alright. Put your seatbelt on.”

The NSX roars into life. Despite the electric motors, it still sounded like an event. It pulls out of the lot, and onto the busy streets of Boston, heading for what used to be the old base.

===========

Canton, MA

7:00 PM

Steel stretches out as he checks the lobby to his business one last time. Nobody came after the cancelled Ferrari appointment. He locks the doors to the building and arms the on-site security before turning to his car.

“Well, seems like traffic sure died out. Maybe I’ll take you to extra-legal speeds.”

Steel gets in the car and cranks the key. The Camaro lazily rumbles to life and then grumbles as Steel drives off towards his house in Cambridge. After a few minutes, he pauses and contemplates something...He makes a U turn and starts driving towards Easton.

Once he reaches a quiet part of Route 138, he takes a deep breath and checks his mirrors. No one in sight.

Perfect.

He pins the throttle, causing the car to sink hard as it digs in. It takes off accelerating with a vicious roar, and he tears through traffic light after traffic light.

It doesn’t take long until he tears past Town Spa Pizza, a popular joint in Easton.

“Oh, shit.” he says out loud. He quickly gets on the brakes, causing the car to throw itself forward against its tyres. The strips of rubber can only let out agonized screeching in response to this, as they cling to what’s left of their traction.

Steel made sure everything was sorted out and drove like a good boy the rest of the way.

He pulls into the complex he used to call home. Outside is a rotted Lotus Esprit, a project he never got to finish.

“Heh. Wonder where Erich went…”

He hears a car in the distance…

===========

At the Same Time…

Eddie: “Hey… Is that big building it?”

Dillon: “Yes. It hasn’t changed a bit.”

As they get closer, Dillon notices a red Camaro parked in the driveway.

“Never remembered a Camaro being part of the fleet”, he thought. He switches off the NSX, and steps out into the dusk-environment. The air is cold, like a spirit hangs over the place. Nevertheless, Dillon tells Eddie to get out, and the two start walking up towards the front door.

That is, until they notice someone standing by the old Esprit.

Dillon: “S-steel?”

Steel: “Well, shoot! Dillon, what brings you around here? And who’s the kid?”

Dillon: “Me? What brings the ol’ mechanical genius back? And as for this lad, I thought you would know…”

Eddie steps forward, looking a little shy.

Steel: “Ain’t you that kid from the junkyard? ...Right, you are.”

Steel shakes his head and glances at Dillon.

Steel: “Ya make sure you weren’t tailed? Aria’s back in town...Got a call from her this morning.”

Dillon: “Oh for God’s sake… Probably the only thing I didn’t miss was her craziness.”

Dillon turned to Eddie, and then back to Steel. His expression dampens.

Dillon: “This boy showed up at my store, talking about the Shadow Racers. Apparently, he’s one of our biggest fans, and wants us to return with him as our new recruit…”

Steel looked at the Esprit, and pondered.

Steel: “Ah, well...We ain’t a team right now. None of us had any reason to keep running. ...Shit.”

Steel looks like he just remembered something.

Steel: “Fellas, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go inside. I hope it’s still there…”

Steel heads straight for the old main entrance to the building and kicks aside a brick on one wall to reveal a key. He heads inside without hesitation.

Eddie: “Where is he going?”

Dillon: “Beats me. But, he’ll probably come back. Eventually…”

They can hear a few things shifting around, Steel cursing, and then rapid footsteps as he hurries right out of the building holding a folder and something in his right hand.

Steel: “Good God! There’s a rat nest in there!”

Dillon facepalms while Eddie frantically searches the ground for any rats that may have escaped.

Steel: “Dillon, read this when you can. I gotta take care of this little jumpin’ spider I found hiding in it.”

Steel shoves the folder in Dillon’s hands and heads off for the closest patch of grass.

Dillon closes the folder, and looks over at Eddie, who is still looking for rats. Steel is by a grass patch, trying to release the spider.

“All that’s left of the Shadow Racers…”

Dillon: “Hey Steel! Got a minute?”

Steel: “Yeah, what’s bothering ya? I take it you read the file…”

Dillon: “No, but maybe later. After hearing what the boy over there said to me... I should be better than this. We all should be. He wouldn’t have wanted this. Screw the Mafia, I want to bring back the Shadow Racers.”

Eddie nearly pisses himself. The Shadow Racers are coming back???

Steel: “Well...Shoot. Ya got me in a bit of a pickle there. If we’re gonna get this started, we oughta work loosely. No fixed bases until we got what we need, aight?”

Steel took the folder from Dillon, and held it between his arm and chest.

Steel: “Well, I oughta go find my good tool set. I don’t see why we ain’t starting any sooner!”

Eddie: “Count me IN!!!”

Dillon and Steel look at him strangely.

Steel: “Hold your horses, kid. You gotta prove yourself.”

Dillon: “You sure do. I will test you personally, to see if you have what it takes. But before that, I better contact Chris. Wherever the guy is…”

Steel: “Probably annoyin’ some amateur about the circle of traction and why his car is oversteering.”

With that, the three men look into the sky, just managing to catch the sunset over the horizon. Their shadows grow in the fading light, as do they rise. The Shadow Racers have begun to emerge from the darkness...

Sort of.

Steel: “Which one of y’all farted?!”

End.

#super long post #story #shadow racers #super cars #toyota sf-r #acura nsx #chevrolet camaro #steel #dillon #eddie #the hero

9 notes · View notes

lil-loucifer · 7 years

Note

1-50 fool

1. Your first OC ever?

Not gonna lie, it was a fuckin Naruto OC I made when I was six

His name was Rei and he specialized in fire-based jutsu

2. Do you have a personal favourite among your OCs?

Uhhhh, right now I think my favorite is Aurelio Morgenstern, since I’ve been spending a lot of time trying to develop him lately

3. Have you ever adopted a character or gotten a character from someone else?

Not really?

4. A character you rarely talk about?

Fuckin Enfer Incendie. A guy with an asshole french name that translates inaccurately into “Hell Fire”

He’s a demon who uses, you guessed it, fire-based powers.

5. If you could make only one of your OCs popular/known, who would it be?

I can’t decide oh fuck but it’d probably be Enoch Branwen???

6. Two OCs of yours that look alike despite not being related?

A lot of my old OCs are white with dark hair because I wasn’t creative back then (Still have trouble with creative designs tbh)

7. Are your OCs part of any story or stories?

I sent a character in for an SYOC a while ago, but she stopped writing it…

8. Do you RP as any of your OCs? If you do, introduce one of your RP OCs here!

Sorta? I’ve been putting together an RP/suggestion blog using Aurelio Morgenstern as an RP character

He’s a demon hunter who lives in a relatively uneventful small town that’s still high in supernatural activity. There’s a local demon hunter community there, but he’s kinda shunned for fighting using the magic of a demon, Azazel.

9. Would you ever be willing to give any of your OCs to someone else?

I mean, I’m 100% down to give Lucian Caelius Luminita to a friend of mine for her story, bc I have nothing to use him in.

10. Introduce an OC with a complicated design?

I… Totally suck at designing overcomplicated outfits, so my OCs normally wear simple clothes

11. Is there any OC of yours you could describe as a “sunshine”?

Aria Hamilton (not related to Hamilton in any way, seriously) is the only upbeat character I’ve ever created.

12. Name an OC that isn’t yours but who you like a lot

A friend of mine and I have been developing this fuckin story for like, a month or so, about her character, Crystal Ruiz, being raised by one of my (sort-of) good parent OCs.

13. Do you have any troublemaker OCs?

Wayland Smith is a huge crack-type character who unintentionally winds up causing catastrophic destruction in the most ridiculous ways that often come off as impossible and inhuman. What’s worse: This man cannot die and literally only exists for me to come up with ridiculous scenarios to have a good laugh.

I made him for The Sims Freeplay and he became the guy who pissed everyone off whenever I got a daily mission that required negative interactions.

14. Introduce an OC with a tragic backstory

Wilk Argentum: part of an extraterrestrial race made to assimilate with the human ace to determine whether or not they were worth saving after their society collapsed following a major thermonuclear war.

He got along with the remnants of society well, and went on several adventures with people who befriended him, but ultimately, he unwittingly fulfilled his primary programming by condemning the human race to death, despite it being the only thing he’d ever known.

15. Do you like to talk about your OCs with other people?

HELL FUCKING YEAH MAN ASK ME ABOUT ANYONE YOU SEE ON HERE I’MA ANSWER ANYTHING

16. Which one of your OCs would be the best at biology (school subject)?

Faith Branwen, probably.

17. Any OC OTPs?

I got these new characters, part of a four-person superhero team I made up for DC Universe Online, and two of them; Wendigo (Power: nature-aligned magic and shapeshifting into man-eating creatures) and Morningstar (Power: Creation-based abilities) slowly develop from casual dating to really strong-ass feelings for each other

There’s also this guy, Dante, who I always wind up shipping with his ex, Michael, but I don’t know how I’d get them back together yet.

Also most of the characters I ship with my friends’ OCs have a special place in my heart, especially if we develop their relationships :3

18. Any OC crackships?

Not really?

19. Introduce an OC that means a lot to you (and explain why)

Jack Winters was the first OC whose story I really shared with another friend, and we got super close from sharing the stories and eventually getting to know each other, and not just our OCs. Hey guys, shipping gets you places.

20. Do any of your OCs sing? If they sing, care to share more details (headcanon voice, what kind of songs they like etc)?

I only really have one OC with confirmed singing talent, and that is Alto Artrose, who is, ironically, a soprano.

21. Your most artistic OC

Wilson Pendleton is basically Delson Rowe pre-superpowerification.

22. Is there any OC of yours people tend to mischaracterize? If yes, how?

A friend and I normally joke about Lucian Luminita being a much worse parent than we actually portray him in the story; mostly due to him being a single father, who is also a vampire, raising an angry werewolf child.

23. Introduce OC that has changed from your first idea concerning what the character would be like?

Dante “Seraphim,” also known by his codename Lucifer, was originally going to be called Lucifer as his true name, and be a child of the personification of Death, being sent to ensure that people die when they are supposed to. And if they don’t, they get murdered by the Reaper’s Son.

The idea was scrapped, but eventually revisited by several other OCs later.

24. If you could meet one OC of yours, who would it be and why?

Aria Hamilton, because she’s the only one here who isn’t fucked up.

25. The OC that resembles you the most (same hobby, height, shared like/dislike for something etc?)

My fuckin Homestuck self-insert, Luke Napier. He’s basically me, but physically fit, attractive, and actually handles his responsibilities properly.

26. Have you ever had to change your OC’s design or something else about them against your will?

Nah, not really.

27. Any OCs that were inspired by a certain song?

Dante “Seraphim’s” story wound up being heavily influenced by the song “Take Me To Church,” with it’s whole ‘growing out of religion’ theme.

28. Your most dangerous OC?

Enoch Branwen, the “Atropos” of this Branwen Moirai. The Branwens preside over the mortality of gods; when an immortal’s time has passed, it is Enoch who is sent to dispatch them. She has killed numerous entities, and is responsible for the Fall of the Old Gods.

29. Which one of your OCs would go investigate an abandoned house at night without telling anyone they’re going?

Aurelio Morgenstern, Wilson Pendleton, and Sora Williams; the problem children.

30. Which one of your OCs would most likely have a secret stuffed animal collection?

Maybe Enoch’s girlfriend, who still doesn’t have a concrete name.

31. Pick one OC of yours and explain what their tumblr blog would be like (what they reblog, layout, anything really)

Aurelio Morgenstern blogs about his activities as a demon hunter, not that anyone really listens.

32. Which one of your OCs would be the most suitable horror game protagonist and why?

Ian (motherfucking) Grey. This kid’s story throws him into a killing field made for children with magical powers, where he eventually gets possessed by the Wormwood Star; an entity that throws his magical abilities into overdrive.

Ian has a natural affinity for healing magic, and the Wormwood Star strengthens him to the point where he can heal from injuries almost instantly. The horror of his game isn’t the threat to your survival, it’s from all the pain you endure as you fight your way out of this hellhole. Your enemies can’t kill you, you can’t kill them. But they will hunt you and hunt you until your mind breaks and you can’t fight anymore.

Basically, imagine Dark Souls with no weapons.

33. Your shyest OC?

Can’t really say :c

34. Do you have any twin characters?

Dante “Seraphim” has a twin sister, Aria. Her codename is Lilith.

35. Any sibling characters?

Aside from the “Seraphim” twins, the Branwens are one of my favorite sibling groups!

They’re like the moirai, but they decide when gods die. Faith, the eldest, predicts the lifespans and destinies of the gods when they’re created. Wolfgang, the middle child, watches over the world and ensures that all the gods and deities are doing their jobs, playing their roles, and having faith in the Branwens’ writings.

When a god steps out of line, or refuses to lie down and die, they send Enoch to do what must be done.

36. Do you have OC pairs where the other part belongs to someone else (siblings, lovers, friends etc)?

HELL YEAH I do.

37. Introduce an OC who is not quite human

Lucian Luminita is a vampire, the Branwen siblings are sorta-gods, Dante and Aria “Seraphim” are half-angel and half-demon, respectively, etc.

38. Which one of your OCs would be the best dancer?

Enoch Branwen and Aria Hamilton.

39. Introduce any character you want

Lemme tell you about Become Death:

He’s an ally of that superhero team I mentioned earlier, with Wendigo and Morningstar. Obviously, “Become Death” isn’t his real name, but it’s a nickname that just stuck.

Death is an enigma. He doesn’t really know who he is, where he’s from. He just knows that his job is to punish the wicked. The evil. He takes no pleasure in killing, but it’s what he does best.

Before he died, Death was an infamous serial killer. He was brought back to life by an unknown entity for an unknown purpose, but now, he works in the dark to preserve the light.

He also hasn’t been developed beyond the fact that he wears a fancy suit, and there’s a skull mask grafted onto his face.

40. Any fond memories linked to your characters? Feel free to share!

Most of the fondest memories I have about OCs is just taking about them with my friends!!

41. Has anyone drawn fanart of your OCs? If yes, maybe show a picture or two here (remember sources & permissions!)

Throwback to the time I commissioned my sister to draw my Persona 3 OC and he came out looking exactly like a fucking Haikyuu character with a gun (tw for suicidal imagery and guns)

42. Which one of your OCs would be the most interested in Greek gods?

Uhhhh my fuckin Percy Jackson OCs

43. Do you have any certain type when you create your OCs? Do you tend to favour some certain traits or looks? It’s time to confess

Dark clothes and expensive fashion, friends. A lot of leather.

Also punk rock. It’s good.

44. Something you like about your OCs in general

They all have pretty unique concepts and stories, as far as I’m told.

45. A character you no longer use?

Luke Napier. Every incarnation of him has ben replaced with a “Jasper Morris.”

46. Has anyone ever told you that you treat your OCs badly?

Nah, nobody’s seen me write a story ^_^

47. Has anyone ever (friendly) claimed any of your OCs as their child?

I’m pretty sure @theninjabookworm101 has at one point during our friendship.

48. OC who is a perfect cinnamon roll, too good for this world, too pure

Nobody is innocent

49. Which one of your OCs would most likely enjoy memes

Aria Hamilton, purely for the sake of poking fun at her crush

50. Give me the good ol’ OC talk here. Talk about anything you wantIf you want, you can tag your ask answers with #yetanotherOCmeme so I can check them out too `v´9

Hnnnnggghhhh alright so lemme tell you about this time I tried to do worldbuilding

So I made this fuckin steampunk-themed world once, right? And it’s still largely unfinished, and there’s only one real place that’s developed in any capacity and that’s the city of Durendal in the nation of Wayland. The Waylandian city is widely known for being amongst the most historical cities in the world. It was one of the most rapidly-advancing cities during the industrial revolution. It was in Durendal where most scholars and inventors joined together to create the first stable airship. It is in Durendal where the strongest council of magicians established its headquarter. It was in Durendal where the infamous Wick Rebellion was cut down by Royal Protector Daniel Maxim. And it is in Durendal where the Licht Sisters will face off against a conspiracy against the Grand Sovereign of Wayland itself.

(That’s not really an OC thing, but hey, it’s the only story concept I have saved rn that I didn’t share from)

#ask me(mes)#OC asks #punk-rock-pixie

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2700fstreet · 7 years

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OPERA / 2017-2018

The Barber of Seville

APR 24 OPEN REHEARSAL

Washington National Opera

Music by Gioachino Rossini Libretto by Cesare Sterbini Based on the play by Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais

Who’s Who

Figaro: a barber, surgeon, matchmaker, etc. (baritone—a middle-range male voice) Count Almaviva: later disguised as “Lindoro” and “Don Alonso” (tenor—the highest male voice) Dr. Bartolo: a doctor (bass—the lowest male voice) Rosina: his ward (mezzo-soprano—a middle-range female voice) Berta: his servant (soprano—the highest female voice) Don Basilio: Rosina’s music teacher (bass)

Take a listen… So…first things first. It’s not too often an overture is almost as famous as the opera itself, but thanks to a cover by Bugs Bunny and numerous other references in pop culture, this opening music has become a standalone hit. Even Rossini knew it was super catchy—he used musical material heard in this introduction in a total of three operas.

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So, What’s Going On?

Spain, the seventeenth century.

Almaviva (pronounced ahl-mah-VEE-vah), a young, handsome, and ridiculously wealthy count from Madrid, has a problem: He’s caught feelings for a girl who lives miles away in sunny Seville.

Almaviva’s packed up all his things, adopted a humble disguise (just in case his girl turns out to be a heartless gold digger), and moved to the lovely lady’s hometown. He’s also managed to track her down in the house of Dr. Bartolo (BAHR-toh-loh), who’s a well-known physician in the area. Sadly, though, that’s as far as Almaviva has thought his plan through. Now, he just sits beneath her balcony and sings cheesy love songs in the hope of getting her attention.

But the count’s luck is about to change.

By an unbelievable coincidence (just go with it), Figaro (FEE-gah-roh), an old friend and servant to the count, has set up shop in Seville as a barber, surgeon, pharmacist, gardener, matchmaker, and all-around Mr. Fixit. Amazingly, he has an “in” with Dr. Bartolo: Figaro is the doctor’s favorite factotum, or handyman. Happily reunited with Almaviva, Figaro explains the count’s beloved is actually the doctor’s adopted ward.

Take a listen…

You may not know The Barber of Seville, but we’re willing to bet you’ve heard this song before. In Figaro’s introduction aria, “Largo al factotum” (“Make way for the factotum!”), he boasts about his local celebrity status while simultaneously complaining about his needy clients. This piece requires the breath support of an athlete and the crisp pronunciation skills of a world-class rapper—an operatic performance practice called “patter.”

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Turns out Bartolo’s ward is just as interested in Almaviva as he is in her. His serenades have caught her eye (and ear) and, despite being kept under lock and key by the paranoid doctor, she boldly introduces herself by dropping a note out of her window: Her name is Rosina (roh-ZEE-nah). And she wants to know about her singing suitor’s intentions.

Caption: The count’s romantic tunes have a positive effect on Rosina.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. There’s someone else with an interest in Rosina: Dr. Bartolo. Out on the street, Figaro and Almaviva overhear the old man as he lets slip he has plans to marry his ward.

Shocked, Almaviva decides to up his game. With Figaro’s help, the count answers Rosina’s note by presenting himself to her as “Lindoro” (leen-DOH-roh), a poor pretty boy with nothing to offer but his heart.

Rosina thinks he’s dreamy and flirts back. Convinced he’s won her affection, the count conspires with Figaro to use the barber’s connections in order to shake things up in the Bartolo household. If anyone’s going to marry Rosina, it will be “Lindoro.”

Take a listen… In her aria, “Una voce poco fà” (“A voice (from) a short time ago”), Rosina entertains herself by thinking about all the traps she’ll set for her tyrannical guardian so she can eventually have her own way and run off with her new crush. Listen for the series of flashy passages of fast notes in the soloist’s vocal part (a skill known as coloratura). Some of these notes were written by the composer, but some have been improvised by the singer—a type of vocal display that’s become tradition over the years. Rossini probably wouldn’t have minded the changes; in his day, when a melody was repeated, it was common for the singer to give the repetition her own unique and beautiful spin without altering the basic structure of the song. (Press the “CC” button for an English translation.)

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Sadly, though, Dr. Bartolo’s not entirely as stupid as he looks. Thanks to Don Basilio (bah-ZEEL-ee-oh), Rosina’s music teacher and one of Bartolo’s cronies, the doctor learns that Count Almaviva is in town. Bartolo has heard through the grapevine that the count has designs on Rosina (but has yet to discover Almaviva’s been making moves on Rosina in disguise). As a result, Basilio suggests they hatch a plot to discredit Almaviva with some slanderous fake news.

Take a listen… Meanwhile, elsewhere in the doctor’s house: Figaro visits Rosina to warn her about Bartolo’s marriage plot and suggests she write “Lindoro” a love letter as proof of her affection. Rosina’s one step ahead of Figaro, however—she’s already written a note behind Bartolo’s back. Check out the vocal pyrotechnics here:

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Caption: Rosina surprises Figaro with a pre-written letter for “Lindoro.”

Later, the ever-suspicious Bartolo discovers how Rosina’s been communicating with her unknown Romeo. Yet before the doctor can punish her, a drunken soldier stumbles into Bartolo’s home asking for room and board. (Guess what? It’s actually the count...disguised as “Lindoro”…disguised as a local military man. Again, just go with it.) The prank spins out of control, however, when the ruckus he makes disturbs the neighbors and the police come knocking at the doctor’s door. Not to worry, though: The count privately explains he’s actually a nobleman, and the police back off. Still, almost everyone is severely confused.

Take a listen… Chaos abounds in Bartolo’s home as Figaro, the count, Rosina, Bartolo, his servant Berta, Don Basilio, and the police try to figure out exactly what’s going on (we’re guessing you can feel their pain). Listen for the metallic ringing of the sistrum, a rare instrument used to symbolize the banging sounds reverberating in the characters’ bewildered heads.

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Are you still with us?

Okay, moving on…

Let’s recap: Rosina and the count (posing as “Lindoro”) still dig each other. Figaro’s still trying to get them together for good. Bartolo knows a nobleman named Almaviva is interested in Rosina but has no idea the guy who keeps popping up at his doorstep is actually Almaviva in costume.

Smash-cut to…

Take two. Almaviva puts on a disguise… again.

This time, the count tries to get closer to Rosina by posing as a substitute music teacher—“Don Alonso” (ah-LOHN-soh)—sent by an ailing Don Basilio (except Basilio knows nothing about it, of course). In an effort to get into the doctor’s good graces, “Alonso” produces Rosina’s love letter, claiming he stole it from Count Almaviva, who everyone knows is after the doctor’s ward. “Alonso” suggests he can use this letter to turn Rosina’s affections away from her beloved by telling her the count has given her correspondence to another woman as a cruel joke. Bartolo loves the idea. (Remember, though: Rosina really doesn’t know of any “count” at this point. This is all in Bartolo’s head, and Almaviva is taking advantage.)

Rosina enters and instantly recognizes “Don Alonso” as her secret love. Figaro then arrives and distracts the doctor so the count and Rosina can make some serious eye contact. The barber also manages to secure a key to Rosina’s window so the lovers can elope that very night. Things are going pretty well until Basilio bursts in, clearly not sick and clearly very confused. To make matters worse, Bartolo overhears the count chitchatting with Rosina, realizes the whole “music lesson” has been a setup, and goes absolutely crazy. Figaro and Almaviva scurry away, but the count never has a chance to tell Rosina why he’s given Bartolo her love letter.

Furious, Bartolo decides to try out “Alonso’s” letter plan—with one important twist. He tells Rosina that her disguised admirer is actually a secret agent for the wicked Count Almaviva, that her false suitor has given her love note over to the count, and that both Figaro and her mysterious lover plan to hand her over into Almaviva’s clutches. (Remember: Rosina has no idea that “Lindoro” and the count are the same person.)

And the gamble pays off. Feeling bitter and betrayed that her letter has been trifled with and worried that “Lindoro” is a spy for a random creepster count, Rosina agrees to marry her guardian.

But will the story end there? Can Figaro help undo this mother of all mix-ups? Will Rosina uncover “Lindoro’s” true identity and be able to forgive him for his deception? (Hint: It’s a comedy, so there’ll probably be some sort of wedding…but who will be our bride and groom?)

Good to Know

If you feel like you’ve heard the name “Figaro” before, that might be because you’re thinking of The Marriage of Figaro, which is a completely different opera by a completely different composer (Mozart), but about the same guy. The Barber of Seville (or Il barbiere di Siviglia, in Italian) is actually one of several operas based on a trilogy of plays written by a French author named Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais (1732–1799), which follows the ups and downs in the life of Figaro, a talented working-class jack-of-all-trades, and also sheds light on the less-than-exemplary behavior of Figaro’s wealthy employers. All of the three plays (The Barber of Seville, The Marriage of Figaro, and The Guilty Mother) were ultimately turned into operas—and The Barber of Seville was actually transformed into an opera more than once.

In fact, when his version first burst on the scene, Rossini’s Barber wasn’t even the most popular setting of the story. That honor went instead to an alternate adaptation by then-operatic rock star Giovanni Paisiello, whose supporters were reportedly so loyal that they mercilessly heckled Rossini and his singers on the night of the new Barber’s premiere in 1816. Yet though Rossini’s version wasn’t an instant success, it soon made its way to London, Paris, Berlin, and, eventually, New York. Today, Rossini’s Barber of Seville is among the most frequently performed operas in the world.

Side note: If you were to read the Beaumarchais plays in chronological order, The Barber of Seville comes first and The Marriage of Figaro comes second. This makes Mozart’s opera a sequel to Rossini’s, even though Mozart, whom Rossini idolized, wrote his piece earlier (weird, we know).

Check This Out…

The Barber of Seville was written in a nineteenth-century Italian style known as bel canto (literally, “beautiful singing”), which featured songs designed to demonstrate the beauty, speed, and agility of the human voice. Listen up for arias featuring Olympic vocal feats such as rapid-fire melodies or long, extended phrases where each syllable takes up several notes and the singer has to stretch their vocal range from the highest to the lowest extreme…and then back again. (Keep in mind: Lots of bel canto arias were written in two parts, so when a soloist starts singing a lovely, lilting tune, you can bet a cabaletta—a galloping melody with occasional freewheeling improvisation—will follow.)

Notice how Almaviva’s voice and gestures change with each new disguise. Even though it’s the same man in every scene, do you think it’s believable he’d be able to fool so many people? Is he able to fool you at any point during the show?

How the set, costume, and lighting designs help recreate seventeenth-century Seville and give you hints about the story and its characters. Do the sets and costumes give you any clues about the differences in social class between someone like Figaro and someone like Bartolo? Does the lighting provide you with a sense of how hot it must be in sunny Spain? Does Rosina’s simple white dress seem to represent or foreshadow anything specific about who she is or who she might become?

The moments of speech-like singing that occur between songs. These are usually accompanied by a keyboard instrument, the harpsichord, and are collectively known as “recitative.”

How Rossini uses instrumental effects to depict a rainstorm. Would you know a storm was brewing even if you didn’t have the lighting or stage directions to tell you? How? (Hint: Think plucked strings and swirling winds.)

Think About This…

Who exactly is the hero of The Barber of Seville? Does the story have more than one protagonist? Based on the melodies given to each of the characters, whom you do believe Rossini intended the hero (or heroine) to be? Who do you feel makes the biggest impact on stage and within the music? Why?

It’s common for lead female singers in opera to be cast as sopranos (the highest female voice available), and yet Rossini wrote Rosina as a lower-voiced mezzo-soprano with a darker sound. As such, he often takes tremendous advantage of the character’s lower range (like when she sings about behaving like a “viper” if she’s been pushed too far). Do you feel this voice type suits Rosina? Do the lower notes give you any added insight into her character?

Take Action:

In the aria “Largo al factotum” (see above; it’s the “Figaro! Figaro! Figaro!” one), Figaro describes himself as a resourceful Renaissance man who gets things done—a quick-thinking, highly sought after, frightfully-fabulous factotum.

Care to rise to the Figaro challenge?

Try adding one or two extra skills to your list of talents so you can adopt the title of “factotum” for yourself. Investigate some digital tutorials or local classes in fields you’ve always wanted to try and start exercising some new brain cells. Think you’d make a great illustrator? See if there’s an art teacher who offers training sessions online. Have a feeling you’d make a wonderful chef? Sign up for a weekend cooking class at your neighborhood college or adult education program.

Now here’s the important part.

Take your newfound skill and use it to spread some love across your community (kinda like Figaro). Got some violin lessons under your belt? Show off your musical prowess at a nursing home or shelter. Spent your free time learning all you can about soccer on YouTube? Volunteer your services and help coach a little league. If you’re comfortable with social media, post pictures and stories about how you’ve used your new abilities for the greater good with the hashtag #imthefactotumofmytown.

Explore More

Go even deeper with the Barber of Seville Extras.

All photos by Cory Weaver.

Major support for WNO is provided by Jacqueline Badger Mars.

David M. Rubenstein is the Presenting Underwriter of WNO.

WNO acknowledges the longstanding generosity of Life Chairman Mrs. Eugene B. Casey.

WNO's Presenting Sponsor

Generous support for WNO Italian Opera is provided by Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello.

#opera #barberofsevilleat2700F

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