Accidental Fame w/ UniqueChance & Book Hoarding Dragon

[Chaotic Moth]

Ahmelia looked out at the horizon over her bicycle. She was happily living in Norway, though not happily satisfied with where her financial situation. She knew that it would be extremely difficult to make it in the city with her low income. High living expenses were just the way things were in Norway. Hence, why she was currently bicycling through the city streets in the rain instead of driving a car. But, as much as there were setbacks, she couldn't be happier. Lia was finally living in Norway to follow her dreams.

She wheeled up to her small apartment and parked her bike underneath of a nearby tree. She then chained it around the trunk of the tree and locked it. Putting her hands on the straps of her backpack, she heaved it up higher on her back and made for her apartment. She wound her way up the winding alley staircase, and put her key in the door as she arrived. Opening the door, she dropped her keys on the adjacent counter and tossed her backpack on the kitchen table. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and saw a notification from her friend lighting up on the screen.

She smiled as she read a quick message from Tom. Ahmelia had met Tom not too long after she had first moved to Norway. She had taken some local college music courses, and then the rest was history. She took to Tom rather quickly, though Lia won't admit to the fact that she wore him down. Her vivacious nature could be a little overwhelming for some, but she hoped that she wouldn't lose him as a friend anytime soon.

Texting back, she typed out a quick message.

Hey, Tom! I just got home from work. Wanna come over a make a video or two?

She turned her phone screen off and wandered into the kitchen to get something light to eat. Settling on a sandwich, she opened up the fridge and got the necessary ingredients. Sandwich made, she set out for the couch with her phone in hand. Sitting down roughly into the old couch, she kicked off her work shoes and let down her hair. Clicking on the T.V., she found some local news channel and happily munched away.

 

[UniqueChance]

Thomas, had he not be mostly broke, would have been thankful for the shift hours he worked. The daylight hours he spent putting effort into the one hobby he truly enjoyed were only existant whenever his housemate disappeared to work. Those days he played, somewhat loud; it had been no different, even as the clocks ticked over to six. He wasn't a master, he never would be, but he considered himself above average; ten years of daily practice often improved skills greatly.

The musician sat quietly with his fingers stretching across the neck, fiddling with the notes he'd been working on for some time. The concentration slid out of Tom's mouth like a curious snail, wriggling gently against his top lip. It was an uncomfortable habit he was desperately trying to break himself of. His tongue crept out regardless of the complexity of what he was playing; the more he concentrated the more embarrassed he found himself. It was with the success of his days' practise that he retracted the appendage and settled back on the bed he'd spent his day perched on top of.

Finally cracked it- We should practise soon.

Lia was most certainly one of his closest friends, and one he shared such a close appreciation for music. Tom was, however, certainly a lot less vocal than his workmate. Yet, somehow they managed. The few gigs they'd played held Ahmelia centre stage and he was entirely grateful. Shy didn't describe him as accurately as discreet often did. Thomas wasn't withdrawn or introverted- he was- he just didn't enjoy being the centre of attention. It would have appeared contradictory considering the instrument he played and the small number of individuals within their duo.

He'd returned to practising once again when she finally replied. He indoor amp flickered with the incoming message, electronically stuttering until the message had been received. His left hand tapped his short usual response: So long as you edit out the tongue.

The journey itself wasn't too long, perhaps shorter had Thomas bothered to save up and repair his own car. He heaved his guitar onto his back and headed across the city via public transport. The chunky headphones over his head made the journey considerably easier, the rush hour squeeze wasn't entirely pleasant. He pulled his guitar from his back and held it close, in both defence and an attempt to be polite.

Before too long, however, he was buzzing the speaker for Ahmelia's apartment, bouncing subconsciously to the sound in his ears.

 

[Chaotic Moth]

Lia sat on her couch mindlessly watching the T.V. when her phone chimed again. Lazily, she reached over and grabbed her phone off of the couch. As she read the message, she laughed aloud. Of course Tom would request that. He was silly to be self-conscious about such a thing.

Ahmelia had her own ticks and quirks. When she was belting out lyrics and aria's, her eyes closed. People who watched her sing always noted how she seemed to be in a world of her own as she sang each note. It was not something that she was actively aware of! Perhaps she did go into another world when she was singing.

Lia had spent her childhood years, and young adult years in her home of Sweden. Her accent was thick, though one wouldn't be able to tell when she was singing. Each lilting note that poured from her mouth was like honey to even the most untrained ear. She had a natural talent -- and a natural ego to boot. She knew she was good. She knew that she was fantastic by every means possible. Ahmelia spent every moment that she could singing (except when she was relaxing after work).

Her taxing job as a waitress at a local café took its toll on her at times. By all means she was a people person, but only if those people were friendly. She simply could not stand an entitled soul who would choose to lose their mind over the fact that she had accidentally served them decaf instead of caffeinated.
"What kind of stupid blight does that?!" She screamed to absolutely no one in particular.

Lia needed to veg out and sing for God's sake. She needed Tom to come over soon or she would lose her mind from stresses at work.

Typing out another response, she hoped he would get here soon. Though, no sooner had she almost hit the send button, her buzzer rang. She cast a strange look at the wall where the buzzer button was hooked up. Getting up out of her seat, she straightened her pinstriped skirt and walked to the wall.

"Hello?" She was nervous as to who was at the door. She didn't necessarily live in the best part of town. She lived where she could afford!

 

[UniqueChance]

Tom remained at Ahmelia's doorstep, yawning widely. The music rattled against the side of his head as he shuffled one speaker from his ear to listen to his friend's response. He'd done almost nothing yet somehow, he was exhausted. It was with another yawn that Lia finally answered.

"Hej." He muttered; one of the five Swedish words he'd remembered since meeting his friend. The words never seemed to stay in his head, no matter how hard he tried. It wasn't that Thomas was stupid, languages just weren't his thing. In fact, he'd struggled with English until university despite the pressure from his primary school teachers. He was happy with Norwegian, he knew all the words and the grammar made sense.

"It's starting to rain- Can I come in yet?" Leaning towards the intercom, he rested against the wall until the familiar buzz and click indicated the answer to his request. Two further yawns ripped through his jaw before the door unlocked; one more escaping before he knocked on Ahmelia's actual door.

He tapped lightly before easing his way in, as they'd done for years. His friend's had often asked entirely why the pair weren't dating, incredibly his parents, and his grandparents, and his aunt. Thomas had grown tired of answering. The duo were close friends, the topic hadn't ever seemed to come up. It was to his family's disappointment that he was proclaiming marriage and giving them grandchildren like his two elder brothers already had- His younger brother too, his aunt liked to remind him.

"You okay?" The man asked as he eased the solid leather case on the floor, steady and gently. Whilst he owned three guitars at this stage, he considered each to be entirely too valuable to just drop; a bartenders wage wasn't enough to outright pay for a replacement. It certainly wasn't enough to cover his car repairs. Instead, he just carried each with a sense of desperation, heaven forbid one of them got damaged.

"How's your day been then?" Tom wasn't a man of few words, he just had less to say than his closest friend.

 

[Chaotic Moth]

"Jävla, Tom. You look like you got hit by a bus. Why you yawning, so?" Lia tossed her head, this way and that examining him like a lab specimen. She walked over to him and roughly pulled him down on the couch. Pointing a warning finger at him, she put a stern look on her face. "Sit, you. I'm going to make you some coffee, ja?" She started bustling about the kitchen while Tom was left helpless on her couch. She cast a look at him to make sure that he was still sitting down.

Coffee made, she walked back over to the couch and thrust a mug, filled to the brim, in his unsuspecting hands. She wasn't ignoring his question from before, but his well being was more important to her than silly small talk.
"I'm good!" She beams a small smile at him. "I'm beat from work, but good. I need some help unwinding, ja? How do you feel about recording a video or two? We can put them on the YouTube's and send them to my Moder." Sometimes her Swedish to Norwegian came out funny. The Swedish word for mother sounds strange to the untrained ear. However, Tom would be used to her mistranslated words. It was part of her strange charm.

She plopped down on the couch next to him and she threw her feet into his lap. Looking at him sideways, she gauged his opinion of what she wanted to do. Singing would help her get her mind off of silly work troubles, and help her get back into the game of things. It had been a while since they had filmed a video last, and Ahmelia wanted nothing more than to film one right now.

 

[UniqueChance]

"I don't look that bad..." He muttered as two, admittedly tired feet carried him into the living room and onto the couch. Peering across into the window, he frowned at the apparent exhaustion and pushed to forget about it. Lia wasn't wrong, he did look terrible. The faint darkness under his eyes wasn't usually so visible; working night shifts did that to a person. Tom offered his friend a faint smile and shifted in his seat, a hand finally turning the music off that had continued to hound from either side of his neck as he'd arrived.

The house was quiet now aside from the nonsense on the television and the sound Lia was making from within the kitchen. The scent of coffee wafted over and he found his hands full once again, mid-yawn. He apologised briefly.
"Sure, why not? Would be a waste of a bus fare if we didn't." With a faint smile and a moment of regret, he lifted the coffee and took a sip. Whilst he was sure it tasted great, the somewhat scalding drink did burn his tongue in the process. He chuckled momentarily before leaning forward over his friend's legs to place the mug on the table.

"Did you want to record the newer one, or cover something again?" Tom offered after a moment of quiet regret and laughter. "I'm game either, I just need to practise." Whilst capable of playing the songs they'd learnt successfully, Thomas was a defeatist, expecting his own mistakes even if they were never due to arrive.

 

[Chaotic Moth]

She playfully chucked him in the arm and shook her head. Why he was always putting himself down like that was beyond Ahmelia.
"Tom, really." It was not a question. "You know that I think you are perfectly brilliant."

Lia winced as she saw Tom burn his tongue on the coffee. "Sorry, mate. I suppose I didn't realise how hot I had made it." She looked about at him, then to his guitar, then to the abandoned coffee. Lia picked up his coffee and took a deep drink from it. Relishing in the hot drink, she suddenly bounced up and was on the go.

"I want to do a cover this time. Something we can do easily enough without more people needed. I have a song in mind, but I don't know how you'll feel. Ja?" Rocking on the balls of her feet, her skirts swished this way and that. She was going to pull out the big guns. Her favourite song by Eluveitie, Omnos. "I want to sing and play Omnos, Tommy. Pretty please? What cha think?" She batted her eyelashes at him and smiled brightly. She only ever used her nickname for him when she wanted something.

 

[UniqueChance]

Her affirmations were met with a faint chuckle before chuckling and nibbling on the tip of his thumb. Quickly enough he shook his head and busied himself with staring at the tv. He knew Ahmelia meant well but compliments were a tad awkward.
"It's fine, don't worry- I'm sure it'll calm down after a few days."

Thomas turned his head, the moppy, curly mess on his head bouncing as he moved. The move Ahmelia seemed to wriggle with excitement, the less confident the guitarist felt. Whilst he wasn't entirely sure of what his friend was going to choose, her selection shouldn't have come as a surprise. He rolled his eyes, letting his head shake from side to side.

"The chords aren't too hard and I can manage the bridge, I think. My pronunciation would be off-" His hands fidgeted for his phone, searching the notes he had saved online. Thomas offered a faint, attemptedly reassuring smile before returning to fumble with the latches of his guitar case. The metal gave a loud thud in the momentary silence, revealing the plush red felt inside and the dark chestnut instrument he'd spent three months wages on during his time in university.

"Give me three, to go over it a few times." Thomas hadn't ever called his nerves 'stage fright', yet the comparison was clear. Without the prospect of an audience or a camera, the native wasn't so timid. Unlike Ahmelia, he couldn't simply stand and perform, there was a level of encouragement he needed to find within himself. The ability to lose himself in a performance was something he considered sanctuary. He longed to drift away with Lia did, instead, he lingered solely in the present, focused- and self-conscious.

 

[Chaotic Moth]

Ahmelia left him to his own devices. Tom had his way about things, and she new better than to get in his way. She'd known him long enough at this point. She watched him briefly, as he pulled out his cherished guitar. She remembered how excited he was when he had finally saved up enough to afford it. He was like a child in a candy store, only this child was a man, and there was no candy, only the candy-red of the velvet.

"I will be back in a minute, okéi?" She went to her bedroom and leaned down onto the carpet. She reached under the bed, but before her hand connected with the case, she had time to admire how much dirt was on the floor.
"Jävla, you are dirty!" She chastised the carpet. Finally, she connected with her music case that had been pushed further underneath the bed than she had realised. Pulling it out, she gently brushed her hand over the extremely weathered brown case.

Back in the living room, she had her eyes fixated on the couch. She placed her instrument on the couch gingerly, then bustled about for her laptop. Eyeing it on the kitchen table, she pulled it over towards the couch and then sat down next to her case. All the while, making sure her instrument didn't tip over.

Booting up the rustic laptop, she pulled up the internet and searched for the lyrics to her cherished song. Once the page was up, she slid it on her lap in the direction of where Tom was facing.

Lyrics:

Omnus
Eluveitie
LYRICS
Immi daga uimpi geneta,
Lana beððos et' iouintutos
Blatus ceti, cantla carami
Aia gnata uimpi iouinca,
Pid in cete tu toue suoine,
Pid uregisi peli doniobi?
Aia gnata uimpi iouinca,
Pid in cete tu toue suoine
Aia mape coime, adrete!
In blatugabagli uorete,
Cante snon celiIui in cete!
Vrit, me lindos dubnon, piseti
Vrit, me lindos dubnon, piseti
Vrit, me lindos dubnon, piseti
N'immi mapos, immi drucocu
In cetobi selgin agumi,
Selgin blatos tou' iouintutos
Nu, uoregon, cu, uorigamos,
Lamman, cu, suuercin lingamos,
Indui uelui cantla canamos!
N'immi mapos, immi drucocu
In cetobi selgin agumi,
Ne moi iantus gnaton uorega,
Iantus drucocunos uoregon,
Cante toi in medie cete
Vrit, me lindos dubnon, piseti
Vrit, me…

"Want to give them a look over? If you have any concerns about the pronunciation, I can help. I studied Gaulish when I visited Ireland for a little while." She let him decide what he wanted to do. If he wanted to sing, awesome! If he wanted to just play guitar? Fine, too.

 

[UniqueChance]

Thomas gave Ahemlia a sharp nod and a faint smile. With a short tug, he heaved the instrument onto his lap, folding the leather strap over his shoulders and into a position he found comfortable enough. It was a habit to check the tuning, despite it having not been an issue two short hours ago. Fingers fiddled with the strings, plucking each quietly. It was routine, one he was entirely comfortable completely. His hands shifted to form the chords, reviewing them despite having learnt them previously. Ahmelia's first request had left him spending more time on the foreign language than the melody resting in each verse.

He continued his solitary practice whilst his inner monologue criticised his nerves. The worst outcome would be their video was ignored, or removed for copyright infringement. No one was going to laugh or care what they chose to do in Ahmelia's apartment. Yet, it tickled the back of his thoughts like an invisible hair.

By the time Lia had returned, her friend was practising the melody once again, working through the notes on his phone with as much ease as his usual efforts. Thomas wasn't a master by far, but he would happily learn most songs in a few days. He watched the busybody between movements he remembered. The prospect of singing always left him with uncomfortably sweaty palms. It wasn't as if he couldn't hold a note, his range was unfortunately limited; compared to the singers he'd known in University and the one sat nearby.

"We can keep them up, for reference. I'll give it a shot, but I'm no Chrigel Glanzmann." His mouth phased into something similar to a smile of reassurance before he let out an unsteady sigh. Should they ever 'make it' as a duo, he'd be terrible in front of a crowd. He shifted in his seat before giving Lia one final half smirk. "The sooner the better, probably."

An old and tattered looking shoe counted them in, as usual, playing the first note as a strike against the chords- that part of easy. His left hand focused entirely on placements before the attention shifted to his right as the melody began. Thomas let his pick dance between the strings, bouncing between each string with the grace that came only with daily practice over a solid decade. His mouth remained clamped closed in an effort to keep his tongue from creeping out in his least favourite aspect of concentrating; at least until the chorus required him to join Ahmelia.

Compared to the lilted and pleasant sound of his friend, Tom's own tone was taut, as if his throat had chosen to close prior to the words escaping. It was a rusty growl, husky in a sound. He personally described the sound as seeming similar to something that would hurt his own throat- fortunately, it didn't. Had Tom smoked, the noises likely would have sounded more appealing. The words escaping Tom's uncomfortable and nervous mouth were shaky, for the most part; his pronunciations were off perhaps a few times, mainly due to his overthinking and panicking as it drew towards the bridge.

The song closed with a pleasant harmony of sounds, however, disturbed after the few seconds Tom waited before exhaling loudly as if he'd been holding his breath the entire time. He chuckled, shaking his head and turning to Ahmelia with an embarrassed smirk.

 

[Chaotic Moth]

"Be still my beating heart, Chrigel Glanzmann. He's lockande." Ahmelia waggled her eyebrows at Tom. She was saying that she thought Glanzmann was a heart-throb. She went back over to the couch where her case lay abandoned for the time being. Placing her hand on the lid, she gently brushed the lid that was covered in old band stickers and worn down material. Clicking the fasteners open, she heaved out her hurdy-gurdy.

Hurdy-gurdy:

Placing the strap around her shoulders, she hoisted the instrument into a comfortable position for her. She let Tom tap them into beat, and off they went. The two were truly quite a pair in what they could produce musically. Sure, Tom seemed unsure at times but his playing was always phenomenal to Lia. When her eyes actually were open, when she wasn't singing, her eyes would unknowingly wander over to Tom and just watch him play. His fingers would fly to the exact needed chord, and his other hand would be plucking away at just the right tempo. Tom was precise. Tom was great.

Her own playing was steady. She was meticulous with each pressing of the key, and with each turn of the knob. She was the free-spirited type to really get into what she was playing. She was known to sway, to gyrate, and to even bang her head along with the beat of the tune at times. While she cranked away at the wheel, her fingers flew around the keys the match the notes that were burned into her memory. She had no idea why Omnos had such a strangely special place in her heart. It wasn't as though the song helped her in some strange time of her life, or that it meant something grand to her: she simply just loved it..

As the song came to a close, she was somehow out of breath. It never failed to exhilarate her almost each and every time they played something for her to amazed. They had such a hell of a chemistry while they were playing together. She loved to be the center of attention, whereas her friend was more of the reserved type. But it somehow worked for them.
"Ready for the camera, now?"

 

[UniqueChance]

The duo were a pair beyond sorts, that much was certain. Whilst their personalities were somewhat conflicting, their friendship wasn't forced nor fake. So it showed in their music; a chemistry that couldn't entirely be faked. Perhaps it was something they'd come to appreciate in years to come. Tom certainly respected Ahmelia for her patience and her outright genuine nature; even if it meant the rituals they followed before any recorded performance. They were a carefully crafted unit, one that Tom feared adding to despite the benefits it might add.

"I guess," Tom added after a long exhale and a short, uncomfortable chuckle. "It's easier to rip the band-aid off, than fiddle with the edges." He offered her an uneasy smile before turning to fidget with his shirt and jeans. A quick hand attempted to flatten the mass of bushy curls he kept under immediate control, in the hopes of quelling any attempt at rebellion. Thomas had kept his hair short for the most part as if allowing the mop to grow would give way for the creation to suddenly spiral out of manageable control. His palms wriggled against the roots, patting down the more unreliable sections. After a moment, he chuckled and turned his eyes to Lia.

"I'm ready-" Tom didn't lie too often, although it was entirely common knowledge he wasn't ever 'ready'. Had Thomas had his own way, they'd be waiting days for each performance, whether live or private. He promised himself he'd work on his confidence and timid nature, although that had been four years ago. His friendship with Lia had helped however, her insistence in practice and recitals had helped shifted some of his own concerns; for the most part however, it remained.

"Did you want to just record is playing together, or did you want to include some separate shots too?" Peeking up from the adjustments he'd turned to make on his instrument, he offered a faint smile. Despite his dreams of a professional career, the prospect of any spotlight, however small, sent him little dizzy. He'd imagined a stadium full on more than one occasion, however, his dreams had always involved more. The intimacy of their duet left him feeling somewhat vulnerable. Yet he wouldn't change anything for the world.

 

[Chaotic Moth]

She watched him mutely while he played with his hair. He was always fidgeting with something, which fascinated Lia endlessly. She was the type that could sit still for hours just simply listening to the birds. Ahmelia didn't think Tom would be able to do something so ... stationary. As he messed his hair this way and that, she gave up on watching him because he could sometimes be a while. She turned her attention to her instrument and contemplated her response.

"Ooooh~, I really like doing the separate shots, ja! We could film some from up on the balcony level." She pointed up to her bedroom loft area. A lone ladder was the only way to get up and down. Suffice to say, it had been very interesting to get her bed and dresser up there. "We could maybe even put on some fun outfits! Oooh~, I can wear one of my skirts, yes and then you can wear that jacket that I got for you at the thrift store." She called her babbling: word vomit. It would pour out of her when she got excitable, or over-stimulated about something she was passionate about. "You, remember? You never took the jacket home with you because I started laughing uncontrollably. I couldn't help it! You looked so lockande." She wolf-whistled sarcastically and winked at him.

Jacket:

Still chuckling to herself slightly at the memory of the jacket, she went to go to one of the cabinet's in her living room which housed the camera. "I think we should do some other shots. That will be good cinematography. We need to get the external camera microphone set up in the normal spot. The regular camera mic is horrible." She squinched up her face in mock-disgust. Tilting her head, she looked at him funnily for a moment. She wondered why such a shy man could even possibly be friends with her. She was so different from him. It just somehow worked. Lia smiled tenderly at him.

 

[UniqueChance]

Thomas seemed to perk up as his friend turned to joke, albeit at his own expense. He shook his head uncomfortably and chuckled.
"It didn't suit me at all." His nose scrunched momentarily in embarrassment as Lia continued, whistling in his way. "You should never have let me choose it. Some friend you are." Tom's face flashed a gentle but cheeky smile before it disappeared back into the someone nervous shape it had been before.

"I brought an extra coax cable if we needed the length. It's five metres so it should be long enough to get up there." His hands had unhooked from the instrument they'd been so desperately clinging to and had turned to gesture towards the same balcony she'd been referring to. "I don't mind setting it up if you need a hand getting anything up there." He twisted in his seat to fumble the black cabling from his bag along with the pop filters that had arrived the week before. "I figured we could some new ones."

Thomas had been timid for as long as he remembered, creeping through life as if getting caught would ruin him. There was the ability to relax when beside Ahmelia however; despite their differences, he at least didn't have to worry about changing. She understood it, although he wasn't sure exactly how she put up with him at times like this.
"We should get this over with, ey? Before we change our minds."

The sooner their recording was complete and the faster their video was edited, the quicker he could relax. It was with a faint smile that he gathered the cable and connected it to the camera and back along to the microphone. His fingers worked to connect the filters and ensure the stand still worked enough to remain steady at a downwards angle.

 

[Chaotic Moth]

She flapped her hand at him dismissively and scoffed at him, audibly.
"I wouldn't be able to go to sleep if I didn't climb that everyday. You're silly." She removed the cables from his hands and took them up the ladder to the awaiting exterior mic. She didn't like having to do this set-up every single time that they recorded something, but such was life!

Up the ladder she went, though she was extremely careful to tuck her skirt in between her legs before hoofing it up the ladder. She threw the cables over her shoulder and ascended gingerly. Not that she thought Tom would ever sneak a peek at her in that way, she was being courteous to not accidentally flash her friend. He would be too flustered to ever talk to her again; she didn't get the vibe from him, anyway, that he was even ever interested in her that way. Anyway, she reached the landing and started connecting the cables where need be. She plugged in the power cord to the microphone and did a quick mic test.

Back down on the ground level, she beamed a smile at Tom.
"Let's get this recorded, filmed, edited, and up. I'm ready to eat." Her hand rested against her corseted stomach as she realised that she was hungry again. It was now late evening and soon her stomach would be making sounds of protest. She walked over the where Tom was working with some of the sound equipment of his own. She watched him momentarily before she moved to the make-shift stage area. It was next to the couch with some old discarded pallets that her and Tom had hefted home three years ago. That had been an adventure in and of itself.

Standing at her mic, they had everything set up. The camera was ready to hit record, the mic's were powered, and all of the instruments were tuned. She looked at Tom and gave him a look to see if he was ready.
"Ja?" It was all she asked.

 

[UniqueChance]

"I thought it would be best to offer-" He muttered between a short snort of laughter. With a spin, he returned to filing the coax along the floor and into the second-hand, but expensive amp he'd managed to scalp from the music department prior to leaving University. Despite being as polite as not to take the innocent peek, the musician was still glad of his friend's courtesy. They were incredibly close friends, making their kinship more awkward would do nothing but ruin the chemistry; it wasn't that Lia wasn't attractive, heck he'd have been lying if he didn't say she was. Mostly, Thomas was terrible of losing the bizarre, yet musical chemistry they had.

Nerves had bubbled up inside the man like a kettle creeping close to the boil. His hands hurried along switches, and plugs, adjusting and refitting them over and over. Stage fright; one day he'd finally admit the truth. By the fifth reset, Lia had joined him and he finally sighed and stepped back with an expression so obviously uncomfortable yet the same nervous smile. It was just the two of them - he had no reason to be nervous.

Prior to his university exams, Thomas had been nothing short of a mess. He barely slept and barely ate. Not only was his performance recorded visually but self-composed and in front of three other students who had been waiting outside the booth for him to finish the last selection he had to record. Even the memory brought an uncomfortable nausea to his stomach.

"Why not," He exhaled sharply and pulled his guitar over his shoulder. "We'd be better starting this now rather than later. Just let me know if it looks a mess; like you usually do." Two hands lifted the amp and switch towards the make shift stage, trudging painfully.

 

[Chaotic Moth]

With her gurdy-gurdy swung around her back on the strap, she clasped both of her hands around the base of the microphone, she flashed Tom a lopsided grin. A sudden idea came across her mind, as she got a deer-in-headlights look about her. Dismissing Tom's comment for a moment, she dug her hand deep into her skirt pocket until she came up with a red and black bandanna. She tied it around the mic base and then gave a quick side glance towards Tom to see if he would have picked up on it's meaning. A small homage to a beloved singer of Lia's: Stevie Nicks.

"I'm going to ignore that you said that, Tom. I'm not controlling, I just have visions of how things need to go and if they don't go my way, I get cranky." She started laughing. Though she was joking with herself, she was not immune or blind to how Tom seemed. She knew that this was less than his cup of tea, perhaps doing it more for her than his own good. But Lia had always been under the impression that even though filming these videos, and singing in public was a terrifying thing for Tom to do, she had always thought that he was somehow happy about it. Or maybe Tom was some sort of masochist that enjoyed tormenting himself. One could only imagine...

"It's now or never Tommy Boy, you ready?" Lia was starting to gyrate her hips in anticipation. She gave him a few seconds to get his mind into the game, but sometimes Lia had to make the decisions for him. She started to quietly tap her toe, to give Tom a sense of when to come in. Once Tom would start, she would give way to her foot tapping, and let Tom reign on where the beat was going to go. She pulled her hurdy-gurdy from around her back and gently brushed her fingers across the keys. Getting chills, she gave Tom one last look. Smiling, she took off.

Seamlessly, she clicked the record button on the remote to the camera and didn't miss a beat on the entering notes. Swinging her head around, her hair went wild to the tune. Turning the instruments wheel, she cranked out more notes. All the while, she sang the entering "hey's" and gave a quick look at Tom to see his composure.

 

[UniqueChance]

Lia was a character; unique and ridiculous but most definitely a friend. Thomas gave his friend a shook shake of his head and an unbelievable smile, although riddled with the same nerves that appeared whenever the duo was never completely alone. Had the prospect of his performance having been recorded was more terrifying than simply having the sound be witnessed by the duo alone - excluding Lia's neighbours. Still, he offered her an uncomfortable nod and adjusted his seating position until he felt as comfortable as he needed to be.

There would have been nothing more exciting for Tom than having a fulfilling career in music and leaving his mark on the world. Even if that mark was solely the one track his parents and grandparents purchased out of a support. Trouble was, there was severe lack of confidence and perfectionism he had no ability to reach. Had the musician chosen to simply be happy with his ability, perhaps he wouldn't have been struggling to keep his hands from visibly shaking. Stage fright disappeared with time though, didn't it?

As soon as the moment was right, although it arguably never would have been, Tom moved his foot along with the general beat of their piece, striking the strings singularly as the current movement required. It took an exuberant amount of strength to keep any sign of nausea from his face, although the pair of clenched brows above two rather intently busy eyes watching his fingers along both neck and base as the song progressed.

The chorus arrived with the unforgiving reminder that not only could Tom not really have a singing voice of his own beside the husky tunes he sung in the privacy of his own home, but the words were a language completely alien to himself. Their sounds were familiar to him but as was the fear of entirely butching the pronunciation. Still, after the briefest of glances towards his closest and more talented friend, he joined in along the off lines and immediately returned his gaze to the instrument he was playing. Playing blind was possible, although the focus gave him a place to keep the recording device far from his thoughts.

 

[Chaotic Moth]

Omnos - Eluveitie ​

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Omnos Lyrics:

[Verse 1]
Immi daga uimpi geneta
Lana beððos et' iouintutos
Blatus ceti, cantla carami
Aia gnata uimpi iouinca
Pid in cete tu toue suoine
Pid uregisi peli doniobi?
Aia gnata uimpi iouinca
Pid in cete tu toue suoine

[Pre-Chorus 1]
Aia mape In blatugabagli uorete
Cante celiIui in cete!

[Chorus]
Vrit-me lindos dubnon-piseti
Vrit-me lindos dubnon-piseti

[Verse 2]
N'immi mapos, immi drucocu
In cetobi selgin agumi
Selgin blatos tou' iouintutos
Nu, uoregon, cu, uorigamos
Lamman, cu, suuercin lingamos
Indui uelui cantla canamos!
Ne moi iantus, immi drucocu
In cetobi selgin agumi



[Pre-Chorus 2]
Ne moi iantus gnaton uorega
Iantus drucocunos uoregon

[Chorus] [x2]
[Verse 1]
Immi daga uimpi geneta
Lana beððos et' iouintutos
Blatus ceti, cantla carami
Aia gnata uimpi iouinca
Pid in cete tu toue suoine
Pid uregisi peli doniobi?
Aia gnata uimpi iouinca
Pid in cete tu toue suoine

[Pre-Chorus 1]
Aia mape In blatugabagli uorete
Cante celiIui in cete!

[Chorus]
Vrit-me lindos dubnon-piseti
Vrit-me lindos dubnon-piseti

[Verse 2]
N'immi mapos, immi drucocu
In cetobi selgin agumi
Selgin blatos tou' iouintutos
Nu, uoregon, cu, uorigamos
Lamman, cu, suuercin lingamos
Indui uelui cantla canamos!
Ne moi iantus, immi drucocu
In cetobi selgin agumi



[Pre-Chorus 2]
Ne moi iantus gnaton uorega
Iantus drucocunos uoregon

[Chorus] [x2]
Vrit-me lindos dubnon-piseti
Vrit-me lindos dubnon-piseti

[Spoken]
Cu allate, papon sod urege
EððiIo de iantu in cridie
VediIumi: cante moi uosta!

Ne, a gnata, Ne uostami
Ne te carami
Ne te carami!

[Bridge]
Boua daga uimpi geneta
Immi trouga, lana nariIas

[Chorus]
Vrit-me lindos dubnon-piseti
Vrit-me lindos dubnon-piseti

Vrit-me lindos dubnon-piseti

[Spoken]
Cu allate, papon sod urege
EððiIo de iantu in cridie
VediIumi: cante moi uosta!

Ne, a gnata, Ne uostami
Ne te carami
Ne te carami!

[Bridge]
Boua daga uimpi geneta
Immi trouga, lana nariIas

[Chorus]
Vrit-me lindos dubnon-piseti
Vrit-me lindos dubnon-piseti

​

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Ahmelia watched in amazement at Tom's playing. Never, ever would she get tired of watching his methodical fingers twanging up and down the chords. He was so precise, but fluid all at the same time. Tom never failed to beat his own playing down. He deemed it "not the best" at times, but that was malarkey. Say what he will about his abilities and playing, but Lia thought it to be flawless. Granted, she had rose-coloured glasses on at times when it came to Tom. She was always quick to defend him towards himself, and try to slap some sense into his thick moody skull.​

​

Continuing on with the song, she leaned into the mic after a quick riff on her hurdy-gurdy.​

"Vrit-me lindossss, dubnon piseeeeeti," she lilted into the microphone. Her accent made it a little difficult to get some of the correct inflection's on the verses, but she made do. Her voice was sultry, and husky in the right moments, but silky when needed. She had a dynamic voice able that was multi-versatile. It made singing different types of songs easier than having to stick to one singular type.​

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Pulling the final chorus to a close, she started to quiet her hurdy-gurdy to signal the song's end. Letting the wheel stop turning, she flicked her eyes quickly to check on Tom. Smiling to herself as she saw his playing and the concentration on his face. As the playing stopped, she reached for the remote and flicked the camera off. She swung her instrument onto her back again, and then sighed with a grin on her face.​

"So Tom," she was bouncing on the balls of her feet with excitement. "How did you think that it went? I thought it was fantastically brilliant."​

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[UniqueChance]

Just keeping this open - see message