discomposer | golden peacock inbox

[Hiyori's sense of direction isn't much better, truth be told. When he and Jun were filming a TV program in a rural area, he once wandered off and somehow discovered a new spring. The locals were so impressed they named it the "Hiyori Spring!"

But anyway. He smiles brightly when he sees Leo. At last, he emerges from his cave!]

Isn't it nice? It's so comfy! And it's just perfect for the season~♪

[He does take note of Leo's shabby clothes, but that, too, is expected. When he takes Leo's photo, he can either crop out the ink stain, or just have him change! But the latter might not be necessary. A cute face can make up for a lot. He should know.]

There's all kinds of stuff like that on sale. Cute sweaters, Santa hats, you name it! The only thing I haven't bought yet is a tree, since I'm not sure which room to set one up in. No one seems to know how long this room swap thing will go on for. But speaking of rooms, let's go look at Jun-kun's! ♪

[ When in Florence overseas, Leo once wandered into another country entirely when distracted composing and had to call Sena to come find him with little more than a selfie picture, so Hiyori is...possibly winning still, it's fine, save Knights from Leo as usual - ]

I love sweaters! And I want a knit scarf - wait, hey, are we gonna exchange gifts?

[ It's nearing that time...Leo can forget about this kind of thing easily, but as long as it's on his mind. He does follow Hiyori easily enough. ]

We should! ♪

[He chirps back, smiling warmly.]

Just you, me, and Jun-kun.

[Not Rinne, because he's a statue now. But Hiyori's had a month to process that at this point, so he won't break down crying again at the thought.

In any case, he tucks away the scarf idea. He can find one of those in the shops, no problem! And he already has a couple of gifts ready for Jun. Although maybe he won't have Jun unwrap the Santa-themed lingerie in front of Leo...

As for Jun's J suite, Hiyori leads Leo over there! And, well, this is where we start handwaving. First of all, we'll say Hiyori either left the door slightly ajar, or has some other system of getting back inside without the true owner being present. Maybe the door unlocks when you tap out the rhythm of an Eden song, just like Rinne used to do when knocking on his suite?? In any case, he swings the door open!]

Here we are~♪ Welcome to the new and improved House of Eve!

[And now we handwave even more because Jun-mun and I haven't discussed what a high-ranked suite for Jun would look like in much detail yet. But the inside of the suite is plenty big and customized to suit Jun's preferences, with some considerations added for Hiyori, too. There's a kitchen with ample space to cook meals, a big living room, and it looks like there's an exercise room with fancy equipment down yonder, too. Impressive!]

Edited 2024-12-18 15:26 (UTC)

What kinda things would Nami like? Now that I think about it, I don't even know for sure what circles he's in? I mean, I mostly pay attention to my own and some of what the other Knights are in, and there's no overlap there I don't think...I know Nagi's with me in Dramatica and Suo in Biblion, and you're with Naru and Rittsu in things, but...

[ He can only keep so much extra information in his mind and almost all of the extra is Knights related when it isn't music related.

Anyway he's going to beeline for a couch because there's probably? A place to sit? And flop there. ]

Oh, d'you think he'll make a Christmas cake? It's not Christmas if you don't have cake!

[ And look at him bringing it up before December 24th at three in the morning or something. It's progress... ]

[He leaves his shoes at the door (Leo is expected to do the same; they don't live like barbarians around here!) and follows him into the living area, where there's definitely a couch to sit on. A very nice couch! Lots of room!]

He's never been very materialistic. But the boring go-to answer is probably "exercise gear." As for his circles, he's in the manga one, and then he was in that games circle with Rinne-senpai. I'd say we could always use more games, since you never know when we'll be trapped in our room again.

[Hiyori hid there during the bulk of October after a run-in with a monster. And they both holed up the whole week in Hiyori's suite while the Springtime game was going on. If another game encourages guests to mount other guests like animals, they'll want to hide out again, surely. And then they'll need ways to pass the time!

Or will they?

He'd still find the Diamonds game distasteful. But maybe he's a little less inclined to hide from the lewdness of the resort nowadays. Maybe he's changed a little.

Or not. ~It's a mystery~!]

It's either that or we'll have to buy one. But there's something special about a homemade cake, don't you think? Those have a special ingredient~♪

[(It's love!)]

Anyway, I listened to that song you wrote. It was nice, sweet and uplifting. And I'm sure it'll resonate strongly with Esikko-kun! ♪

[Then, remembering Leo is bad at names, he helpfully clarifies:]

That's the prince I was talking about! One of your potential matches. And I've got plenty more where that came from~♪

[ Leo may be a wild child but he's also Japanese and lived with Sena for the past while before the game, aka the strictest member of Knights. He automatically takes off his shoes and borrows guest slippers if there are any, no worries.

Reiterating who Esikko is...probably the smart move here. ]

I knew you'd be nosy about it! ♪ Hey, how's that even gonna work? I mean, if it resonates with him.

[There are two pairs of slippers! One is for him and one is for Jun, usually. But since Jun is out for this thread, that means there's one pair for him and one for Leo!]

I'm not sure what you mean by "work." I was thinking I'd pass the file along, and then he'll listen and tell me how he feels! Or tell you how he feels. Then I guess I should send a picture, since your cute face is also a charm point. And I can send the song to other matches if you'd like. Rise-chan, Leona-kun...

[He pauses, cocking his head.]

I wonder if music sounds different when you're hearing it with lion ears?

[ Obviously time to invest in a third pair, if only for whenever Leo wanders over for Christmas cake - not like Leo cares about wearing slippers or not, though. ]

I'm bad at finding places! [ Genuinely logistically how's he supposed to find these people!!! Especially when names mean zero percent to him - ] As to that, I dunno, but if they're not Tenshi-like the song that would be best suited would probably be different. I mean, it was an even split on what would be best for Tenshi anyway.

[Better than airing out his smelly feet in their room whenever he comes over!]

That's what you're worried about? Why not simply choose a meeting spot? Or perhaps they can visit you!

[Finding Leo matches and sending them directly to his room... it's like DoorDash, only sleazier.

Then when he hears that next bit, his eyebrows slowly raise.]

Hm? You wrote your solo with Eichi-kun in mind?

No, why would I do that? But figuring out what someone "like Tenshi" would like isn't that hard if the similarity is at least enough that you're remarking on it. It's probably not an exact match, but parts of that song should have been close enough to the things that would speak to that brand of loneliness. But unless everyone you're talking about has the exact same type, other songs I've written would probably be better for other people.

[ So the reason he asked about "what kind of loneliness" was halfway to narrow down what would work best. ]

I also figured someone like Tenshi would also probably want "something not shared before". Anyway, people visiting me is probably easiest for me!

Edited 2024-12-18 21:33 (UTC)

Is that all you meant?

[He loses the surprise.]

Well, you were right on the money. A song for a princess all alone in her big castle should suit him and Eichi-kun just fine~♪ Though I already know that if I said that, Eichi-kun would just say, "Hm? But I'm not a princess, though? You really are losing your sanity," since he's never been any fun.

[He leans back on the couch. Their prediction about the song being suitable for Esikko will turn out to be right later, but as for the question of what to send to others...]

You must have plenty of other songs, so I guess we could tailor it based on the person. Is there any type you don't have a song for? I'm just curious, since I always thought you had a song for everything.

I've written that guy songs before, I know what his tastes are. And I halfway based it off of you 'cause you wouldn't have said it like a warning if it weren't significant.

[ His One Thing is musi; Leo finds it easiest to communicate like that. He tips his head into the back of the couch, looking at the ceiling thoughtfully. ]

Hm, among Knights discography for sure there's plenty I don't. But that isn't all I've written. You didn't say enough about the other prince for me to have a guess, but a "cute idol" girl...the best song is one I didn't write for my voice. Naru's the one who relates best there, don't you think?

It's just an obvious resemblance, that's all! I met his child self once, and that version seemed even more like Eichi-kun, since he hadn't started dyeing his hair yet. I guess that's not really relevant, though. As for the other prince, he's more like a lazy lion! But I know he cares about his kingdom. And he's fond of Jun-kun, so maybe something that fits Jun-kun's image would work best. Something that shows strength, wildness, and resilience! ♪

[At least he thinks that's what Leona likes about Jun. He doesn't know for sure, but he can hedge a guess.

In response to the bit about Naru, he says:]

True! I may be the cutest idol, but Arashi-chan would understand a girl's heart better. Her or Anzu-chan.

[And then he joins Leo in staring off into space.

This is another reminder that Leo has no one from his unit here, even if that would be a mixed blessing at best. It's also another cruel reminder of how long they've been away from home. After a pause, he admits:]

Sometimes I still take pictures of cute things I saw in stores or at cafes, so I can share them in the Pretty 5 groupchat. But then I always remember they're not here, and it wouldn't reach them if I did send it. I guess that's what they mean when they say old habits die hard. Even though I haven't been in the circle for that long.

That's the kinda thing Naru would send to our group chat! Suo was always trying to organize work stuff in there, and Rittsu would send blurry pictures of various things that looked like aliens to me, and Sena sends lots of Florence scenery. But, Naru sends her favorite things in addition to promptly giving Suo responses about work.

[ Leo sends massive image spam of sheet music whenever he's finished something he wants them to do or Ritsu to help play so he's perhaps worse. ]

...anyway, I'd already begun chat sessions with each of them for their latest solos before I got here. I'm the one who pens everything, but it's pointless to write something they don't feel a vibe with for their unique solos. It has to be something they feel accurately represents their hearts, that they wanna belt out and then go, that's who I am! When it comes to the four of them I'm confident I could work that out with almost no oversight, but...I wanna always be sure it's what they want to be singing, in matters like those. There were mostly just finishing touches to put on all of them, but I can't run the finished products by 'em now, nor any of the other pieces for their voices.

Edited 2024-12-19 02:19 (UTC)

Her approach sounds like my approach! I'm always sharing cute things, and things that deserve love! Like pictures of Mary, and pictures of myself! ♪ Then Ibara's texts are almost all business, and then Nagisa-kun's can be somewhat cryptic. But they're still cute! And sometimes he sends random things like his grocery list, which is also cute! ♪

[They're fresh in his mind, those group texts are. He got his phone back recently and spent tons of time achingly pouring over old conversations. And since his phone's been mysteriously found, does that mean Leo's could be found, too? But he shelves that thought for now and focuses on the music discussion.

Or actually, he doesn't need to shelve it, because the two topics dovetail together nicely!]

I'm sorry your work's been hindered. But I do have some good news. Not only can I sing you the finished lyrics to my own solo, but I have music to go along with it! Let me just run into the other room real quick and I'll show you ♪

[He gets up from the couch.]

Did you compose it here, or did you have some of it done already?

[ He can wait like a good kid if there's a song at the end, although Leo is kicking his heels like...well, a kid. He's a dork. ]

The demo was done, but I was still tweaking the lyrics a bit. Then it got shelved for a while so we could prepare for SS. But now, it's been reborn...♪

[He said he'd go into "the other room," but that's a leftover habit from talking about his own suite. In truth there's more than just one other room; this place is huge and there are several. But it isn't long before he returns, carrying his phone with him. The very same one from canon, with the same phone case! (Not that Leo would probably remember an insignificant detail like that.)

Rather than sit back down, he stands in the center of the carpet, swiping at the screen to pull up the audio file. Once he finds it, he places his phone in the portable speaker conveniently located near the couch—having a fancy suite with the latest tech sure is nice, even if it's only temporary. And then he walks back to the same position as before, meeting Leo's eyes with a smile.]

First, let me tell you what it's called. This song is called...

[He pauses, and then dramatically proclaims:]

"Accept My Love!" ♪ That's the title, but it's also my wish! Ready to hear it?

[ He absolutely does not recognize the phone but he can make the connection given the circumstances - as usual, though, Leo is way more interested in the music than he is anything else. ]

Of course! Lemme hear it from the top!

[ He won't interrupt, since it's music. ]

[In keeping with the season, Leo looks like a child waiting to meet Santa. It's cute, and Hiyori appreciates it! This song is a little more "Valentine's Day" than "Christmas," but no matter. He'll deliver the gift of music, and the gift of love!]

Very well! Then let my words sink deep into your heart, and let my smile become your smile! ♪

[He puts on the music. As the instrumental comes on, he takes a breath, preparing to sing his heart out and perform his most dazzling self. And then, he sings!]

♪~♪~♪

[The song reveals itself to be a seductive number one could tango to. He doesn't tango, but he does dance, swaying with the music and keeping his eyes locked on his lone audience member. As for those lyrics he tweaked?

They're heavy. How ironic, after the conversation they had about crushing someone with the weight of their emotions. The lyrics don't speak of a gentle sort of love, one that kindly asks to be returned. There are no nascent fluttery feelings, just all-consuming need. The very first line demands the listener not take their eyes off him, and the refrain about accepting is love is both a plea and a demand. There's no room for rejection. He won't allow it, and why should he? His love is more limitless than the sun, promising to cure all loneliness and grief. The answer to fans' prayers—literally, he sings. Let your lonely heart overflow, and he'll fill the emptiness with love.

As he told Leo, he really did sing the song once already to someone. That boy was ungrateful and unappreciative. A poor audience member, though the way he blushed furiously was sort of cute. He doesn't expect Leo to react that way, nor does he want him to.

And yet he holds nothing back.

If anything, he ups the fanservice compared to when he sang for Fuuta, especially towards the end. During that earlier performance, he divided his attention between Fuuta and their crowd of onlookers. This one, however, is all for Leo. The one he's promising to love is Leo, not just with his words, but with his body. He dances towards the couch, an arm outstretched as though seeking to grasp Leo's hand or cheek. It's not the only thing his hands do. He slides them down his body, places one over his heart, brings fingers up to his lips and blows kisses. There's plenty of hip-wiggling. If you asked him about all this, he'd say it's just the sort of fanservice the song calls for!

In reality, he might be testing him, or perhaps even taking his frustrations out. In his heart he can't help but wonder, Why is this okay? Why is it okay for him to slip into his idol persona now, but not use that other persona he mentioned in their text convo? Leo said it had to do with closeness, that he understands people by listening to their songs. But doesn't he get it? When he sings, it's almost always as the idol, Hiyori Tomoe. When he performs, he's in "that" persona.

Being an idol isn't about being your unvarnished self and forcing other people to love it. Being an idol is about becoming someone lovable.

Maybe Leo doesn't understand just how scarce a resource love can be. It can be snatched and taken away, blown away by the wind just like he sings about in his solo. Of course Leo wouldn't understand. He loves everyone! In that sense, he effortlessly does what Hiyori's trying to do with this song. And isn't that the difference between those so-called geniuses that Eichi admired, and everyone else on Earth?

He dances during the interlude, his heavy (and frankly pretty unsexy) Christmas sweater causing him to sweat from the exertion. But it doesn't matter. His voice is absolutely booming during the final chorus, as he sings with all of his passion, all of his frustration, and yes, all of his love. He places one knee on the couch so he can lean over Leo, bowing his head until his springy hair brushes Leo's forehead, right in time for him to sing that "Entrust yourself to me" line. And then...]

Tatatara tatatatara tatatarata! ♪

[It's over.

There's a sheen of sweat covering his forehead and a faint flush to his cheeks as he draws back. He hops off the couch and turns off the music before it can go to the next song. And then he straightens up, hands on his hips as he smiles innocently and says:]

And that's my new solo! ♪

[ Leo absolutely is not getting flustered like Fuuta did, but then this was kind of set up as "hearing Hiyori's new solo". He assumes, automatically and perhaps incorrectly (?) that when he was asked to hear it he's being asked as the composer, the one who writes everything Knights does and who has penned songs for other units when asked or needed. So he's listening critically - though not unkindly or anything here, he does like the song and Leo's incapable of sitting still to anything, so his fingers tap out the beat on his knee. The music is probably set in stone, but Leo likes to think about how he'd do things anyway - it's fun to work things through in his head as he hears a new song, to pick it apart and then put it back together in different arrangements in his mind even if it goes nowhere at all.

The choreography, too, he's looking at as a fellow idol. There's his semi-usual bright smile and at the very least his gaze is focused because if there's one thing Leo can always give his full attention, it's music.

...Although it's sort of split and not entirely on Hiyori when he's also thinking about the moving parts of the performance, playing the sounding board more than the audience in his own thought here. Hiyori gets close and Leo beams up at him and claps at the end, laughing a little. ]

Tatatatara~! I like that part. ♪ I think I can hear the influence of this place on it, though I never heard any other version, so that could just be me reading it toooootally wrong here? I feel like it's a marked step up in the choreography, too, in terms of what you're willing to put into it. ♪ Has Nami been working on his solo, too? If he has, I'll have to hunt him down later and shake it outta him.

[ Leo really does apparently feel it is illegal that they could have been hiding music from him, go figure. He doesn't mind any other kind of secret, as he said - he hadn't much cared about Rinne keeping them, either, and he sometimes keeps things to himself, but... ]

Thank you, thank you~♪

[He smiles warmly while Leo claps for him. What else can he do except be satisfied with that response? He was taking out his frustrations, but he didn't expect that to come through. It'd be a problem if it did, rather. And he definitely didn't expect to fluster Leo, so he's not disappointed about that. He sits back down on the couch.

Though he does say, in response to the "I think I can hear the influence" part:]

Oh, no, this and that are completely separate.

[Whatever that means.

The sweat under his collar is a bit uncomfortable, but that's his fault and he'll endure it. In response to the question about Jun, he replies:]

Yep, he should've been! I've heard him practice it before. Neither one of us wants to get rusty, so we try not to skip practice even now that our shuffle unit's on hold. And Jun-kun always keeps up his exercise regimen, too.

[Jun is so diligent about practice, in fact, that he once turned down Monika's offer of sex because he had to get to practice (unbeknownst to Hiyori). That's his hard-working junior!]

Edited 2024-12-19 20:12 (UTC)

So what was it, then?

[ Leo's curious enough to ask but doesn't bother to specify, figuring it's enough for Hiyori to go on as he pulls his legs up to sit cross-legged instead. Leo doesn't practice a ton himself but he is notoriously difficult to herd into practices back home as well. ]

What was what? You'll have to be more specific.

[He's not trying to be difficult. Leo said he heard an influence, but what exactly did that sound like?]

I figured that you'd worked the lyrics over some since coming here. Was I wrong, or was it just like that back home, too?

[ It was more the vibe, the heavy vibe - but then, he wonders how this solo contrasts against the others in Eden. It's not like Leo has any way to know what those were about, which now that he thinks of it he's kind of annoyed by. Back home he'd have gotten to hear hundreds of thousands of new songs by now. ]

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1/2 :')

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