K
K. El-Amrani
Guest
Original poster
So yeah, I've been really meaning to update all of the information on The Music Masters, the original universe I've been drawing, writing, brainstorming, imagining and RPing in for the last three years. Below I'm going to put the new stuff that makes up the 4.0 installment, which is the newest version of the universe up to this point.
Hopefully this mammoth amount of information will do well to serve as reference material for myself and others, as well as something I can put out there for other people to read over. After all, I do always appreciate constructive criticism. Anyway, check out the spoilers for all the info!
Music Masters: What Exactly Are They?
[SPOILI]
All long explanations start with the most basic of questions. Exactly what is a Music Master?
In the M-Verse, a Music Master is any human being with the ability to Harmonize with a piece of music, or song. The M-Verse is an alternate version of our universe, and is almost exactly the same in every way, save for the existence of Music Masters. The term "Harmonizing" or the process of "Harmonization" refers to the act of intense visualization that a Music Master undergoes the moment a song enters his ears. This visualization creates a link between his mind and the song, and this link can be formed within a half-second to a few seconds, depending on the experience of said Music Master.
The point of the Harmonization process is to produce what Music Masters call "song effects." Song effects are the physical manifestations of a song, and because they are rooted in human imagination, the exact purpose and appearance of any song effect can be absolutely anything imaginable. These effects last from the completion of the Harmonization process to the end of the song, and if at any time the song is shut off, interrupted or paused while a song effect is active, that song effect will fade out of existence in an instant. Song effects are not something a Music Master can predict, they are always random to the Music Masters in question and must be tested out before they can be effectively used.
Song effects can be anything from a flaming monster that guards its Music Master with heavy chains, to turquoise energy that a Music Master can use to heal wounds, to an effect that enhances a Music Master's body, granting him added strength or speed. Song effects are unique enough that they can't really be compared to another. In fact, no two Music Masters can ever have the same song effect. A Music Master's effect when he's Harmonized with a specific song is completely unique to him.
The only song effects that can be compared to one another are those of the Sentinel variety. These song effects tend to create some sort of bodyguard or creature, made of pure Harmonizeo, that serves its Music Master. These Sentinels vary greatly in appearance, size and intelligence, but they all serve their Music Masters with unquestioning loyalty.
Music Masters achieve these song effects because they can tap into Harmonizeo, an intangible energy source that originates from another dimension. This dimension is known to all Music Masters as the Soundscape, and its existence is only supported by a few Music Masters who have been said to have entered its recesses. Harmonizeo is the catalyst for all song effects, but during the normal Harmonization process, Music Masters use its unfiltered, impure form. Pure Harmonizeo can be tapped into using voice or instruments. Singing or instrument playing must be absolutely perfect for this process to work, but a Music Master who can achieve this will quickly learn that Pure Harmonizeo produces enhanced song effects when compared to its impure counterpart.
Pure Harmonizeo can also be utilized in another way, though it is one that most Music Masters cannot achieve voluntarily. Perfect Beat is a state where a Music Master's mind and body is overtaken by Pure Harmonizeo, which is completely black in color. This effectively turns a Music Master into a silhouette, with the only visible part of their body being their eyes, which glow in a color unique to them. Their headphone wires also glow with this color under the effects of Perfect Beat. The state of Perfect Beat increases the power of a Music Master's song effects to the highest level they could ever possibly perceive. A simple fireball will become a firestorm, while a small Sentinel will grow to titanic sizes. These increases in power are capped by a psychological limit however, and do not truly represent a song effects true potential. Perfect Beat also changes a Music Master's mindset, and sometimes this change can have a disastrous effect on a Music Master's personality.
Track Masters, who are Music Masters recognized for great power and skill, are the few Music Masters who can voluntarily enter Perfect Beat. Otherwise, the process tends to be a fail-safe for most Music Masters, and not something they can usually control. It is rumored that those who enter the Soundscape can activate Perfect Beat voluntarily when inside it, but these rumors have yet to be substantiated.
Unlike a normal person, a Music Master's brain has developed the ability to separate sounds. A Music Master can focus on a song, listen to the ambiance of birds in the trees, and hear his friend calling him from down the street, all at the same time and without any chaotic mixing. Music Masters collectively refer to this ability as "Multi-Hearing."
Music Masters organize themselves in organizations called Circles. These Circles operate based on familial ties, music tastes, and other trivial things, and often fight amongst each other over petty squabbles and disagreements.
Above all these Circles is Zero Beat, an organization of Music Masters that could be compared to the FBI. They are ruthless in the act of keeping their kind secret from the modern world, and often resort to bribery, lethal force and memory manipulation to achieve their goals. Though they see themselves a police force for their kind, other Music Masters seem them as an oppressive force. Zero Beat maintains shaky alliances with most major world governments, which allows them to silence most witnesses with ease and keep their kind under better watch. They are also deeply involved in the real world music industry, so their funds and influence are vast.
One of the most notable conflicts in Music Master history happened in the year 1979, and involved a man named Highlord Funk staging what Zero Beat today calls "a violent uprising." At the end of this bloody conflict, disco music was stigmatized as a genre, Highlord Funk and most of his supporters were dead, and Zero Beat had been dealt a grievous blow to their numbers. But they managed to keep on, and they continue to exert control over their kind to this day, though with considerably less restraint.[/SPOILI]
Zero Beat: They Watch The Turntables.
[SPOILI]
Music Masters have been around since the early 50's, and conflict has always been a common problem for them. Music Masters, despite being mostly sane human beings at heart, have their prejudices, their hatreds, and their preferences for music. So it's no surprise that something had to be done once Music Masters began to realize how much destruction and death their constant and petty battles caused. A group, known as the Zero Coalition, had already approached the United States government about the plight of their kind, offering their services and powers in exchange for help.
When the year 1955 came around, the Zero Coalition, formed by a few powerful Track Masters, decided that it made sense to create something akin to a police force for their kind. They would monitor the conflicts of Music Masters, and serve as intermediaries when potential wars needed to be resolved. When it was absolutely necessary, they would deliver justice to Music Masters who crossed lines, as well as punish those Music Masters who used their powers in public.
Thus, Zero Beat was born, and at first, many Music Masters flocked to join it, hoping to gain some sort of semblance of power over their own kind by doing so. But it only took a year for Zero Beat to form its own recruitment policies, and being invited to join Zero Beat soon became the fleeting dream of many a Music Master.
Unfortunately, as the years passed, Zero Beat's role involving Music Masters changed drastically. The Music Masters within it started a trend of using bribery, lethal force, and memory manipulation to keep their fellow Music Masters, as well as any unfortunate normal witnesses, in line. On top of the events of "Last Record" in 1979, which caused the fall of the Circle DanceDown and disco music, along with Zero Beat's considerable unpopularity in the '80's and '90's, it's no surprise that the organization became little more than an oppressor to Music Master when the new millennium came around.
Today, Zero Beat functions officially as a mixture of the FBI, CIA and MIB. Their activities are almost always top-secret, and their members are assigned a number upon induction. These numbers are used when any member of Zero Beat attempts to enter a Symphon, which is the name for any base of operations Zero Beat has built in a given area. Symphons are often disguised as clubs or discotheques, with the 5 Records skyscraper being the largest and most complex in the United States. In additon to this number-based security, entry into Symphons also requires that a Music Master be forced to listen to a chaotic mixture of songs that members of Zero Beat have been conditioned to withstand. For a regular Music Master, the pressure of trying to Harmonize with this chaos of sound often causes them to lose sense of reality and pass out.
Zero Beat's members are separated by four ranks. These ranks are First Beat, Second Beat, Third Beat, and Fourth Beat. Each rank has a distinctive colored trench coat uniform, and it's no surprise the lower number ranks are often bullied by the higher numbered ones.
First Beats are the grunts of Zero Beat, sent to do menial tanks such as delivering threats or keeping weaker Music Masters in line. They are considered "expendable" for the most part, and as such they have little to no power in Zero Beat. First Beats are stronger than the average Music Master, as they are forced to undergo intense training with songs assigned to them as part of their induction into Zero Beat. First Beats wear stark white trench coats, and are given a pair of Z-Phones upon induction. Z-Phones are orb-shaped headphones, colored to match their user's rank, and they are incredibly durable and resistant to temperature extremes. They employ suction pads to remain on a Music Master's ears, making them incredibly hard to break as well as pull off.
Second Beats are tasked with groups of First Beats, and are the ones who usually tend to the Symphons and are often stuck training First Beats. Though not viewed as cannon fodder like the First Beats are, Second Beats still have little power when compared to Third Beats and Fourth Beats. Second Beats wear silver trench coats, and their Z-Phones are colored similarly.
Third Beat is the rank where some true power in Zero Beat lies. Third Beats oversee an entire Symphon on their own, keeping tabs and monitoring the activities of the Second Beats and First Beats operating within it. Third Beats tend to be experienced Music Masters, and many of them masquerade as musicians or producers in the real world music industry. Third Beats almost never rank up, and the few times where such a thing has happened usually involves the "death" of a well-known Fourth Beat who is eventually replaced by a willing "successor."
Fourth Beat is the final and highest rank of Zero Beat. Fourth Beats are all Track Masters in their own right, powerful and in control over a specific branch of Zero Beat. In the US, one Fourth Beat may have jurisdiction over the Tristate area, while another may have control over branches in Maine and Vermont. It is unknown how many Fourth Beats there are, but the number is rumored to be no more than thirty. All the Fourth Beats have extensive riches and influence from their many connections within the music industry and the various world governments. Fourth Beats wear emerald trench coats, but most of them actually opt away with the standard Zero Beat uniform entirely.
In addition to these four ranks, Zero Beat employs something that could be compared to a "special forces" team of sorts. Since 1955, Zero Beat has funded and backed a group of five Music Masters known throughout the years as the Pop 5.
The Pop 5 is a group that changes every decade, made up of teenage Music Masters who show potential in the eyes of Zero Beat. These Music Masters are pampered and allowed to live in the splendor of the 5 Penthouse, located in the 5 Records skyscraper in New York City. The Pop 5 undergo special training that allow them to gain greater control over their song effects at an accelerated rate, and they are assigned songs based on popular artists of the decade. Each member is given a single musician, and is expected to use only that artist's music during their time in the Pop 5.
The Pop 5 operates for a full decade, and at the beginning of each new decade their ranks are disbanded to make way for a new generation of Music Masters. The members usually go their separate ways, but they are always expected to stay within Zero Beat as Third Beats, and if some show considerable potential, as possible Fourth Beats. At the start of the year 2010, the newly inducted Pop 5 was assigned to use the artists Kanye West, Lady GaGa, The Beatles, Blink-182 and Michael Jackson.
For the most part, Zero Beat seeks to quell most conflicts rather than start them. However, as a way to celebrate the induction of a new Pop 5, Zero Beat holds an event known as Audio Supremacy. This is a worldwide tournament of sorts, where Music Masters are invited to compete for an object known as the Platinum Record. Though it looks like little more than a shining platinum vinyl disc, the Platinum Record is considered to be a powerful status symbol and a priceless object among Music Masters. In addition, a winner of the Platinum Record can choose to take a place in Zero Beat as a Third Beat, something which many Music Masters could only dream of. Competitors for Audio Supremacy are said to be chosen randomly by Zero Beat, but it is rumored that many are chosen for specific reasons, and some even bribe Zero Beat to be allowed into the competition in the first place.
In recent years, since the events of "Last Record", there has been noticeable suspicion and hostility from Zero Beat against Music Masters who use music from the genres of funk, soul or disco. So far, Zero Beat hasn't done anything serious yet about this issue, but to many Music Masters, it's becoming more and more obvious that they are going to be doing drastic soon enough...
[/SPOILI]
Last Record: The Fall of Disco
[SPOILI]
The actual events of Last Record are something that is only truly known by the highest authorities in Zero Beat. Offically, most Music Masters know that Last Record was a bloody conflict between Zero Beat and a well-known Circle of the 1970's called DanceDown. DanceDown was apparently the leader in a large uprising, and under the leadership of a powerful man named Highlord Funk, they nearly succeeded in taking down Zero Beat.
But in a bold move, Zero Beat managed to trap Highlord Funk and his closest associates, killing them in one final fight and ending any chance at rebellion. Of course, Highlord Funk went out with a bang, literally, and ended up taking over 25% of Zero Beat's current roster at the time with him when he activated an explosive song effect in his death throes.
And so, with the death of Highlord Funk and the disbanding of DanceDown, disco music went into a decline, and the genre as a whole became something forgotten, unpopular, and relatively hated by many.
Today, the validity of these events is subject to great debate. Highlord Funk's real aims were only truly known by a few Music Masters, but it is clear to most that DanceDown was not trying to overthrow Zero Beat. Like many Circles before it, it was a victim of becoming too popular among Music Masters of the time, at least in the eyes of Zero Beat, and in doing so, it became a threat to their power that had to be wiped out.
[/SPOILI]
Audio Generation: A White Knuckle Ride
[SPOILI]
It's no surprise that the year 2011 has proven to be one of the most chaotic in the history of all Music Masters. Just last year, at the start of the new decade, the newest generation of the Pop 5 had just been inducted. In addition, a new era of Zero Beat had offically begun, with the passing of four of the greatest Fourth Beats. But Audio Supremacy had been delayed, for the first time in history, for about a year.
Music Masters seemed to be surfacing with more frequency than ever. And with the appearance of fledging Music Masters, Zero Beat has more than enough to handle and more than enough new blood to monitor for the potential that will grant them entry into the organization.
But one Music Master in particular has seemingly caught their attention, and not because Zero Beat wants to recruit him. An afro-headed teenager named Michael Kay, who demonstrates himself to be oblivious and seemingly harmless, exhibits the use of music that has long been crushed under Zero Beat's boot. Michael doesn't have any idea, that by using disco music, he's playing with a fire that's way more potent than any of the canned heat or disco inferno he's normally used to.
To survive against the might of Zero Beat, he's going to have to put his trust in a conman. His faith will have to rest on a girl whose faith belongs to someone else. And his happiness will be tested against a girl who hasn't been happy for almost eight years.
For Michael Jason Kay, the trials and tribulations of being a Music Master have only just begun. And the white knuckle ride ahead is going to be one that he'll never forget.[/SPOILI]
Characters of Audio Generation
Michael Jason Kay
[SPOILI]
Name: Michael Jason Kay
Age: 17
Appearance: Michael Kay is a tall and slim boy, with a face that shows the kind of innocence that is more fit for a child than a teenager. He's has an overall lanky build, with most of his muscles situated in his abs due to his constant practice of handstands and complicated break dancing moves. Michael's eyes are deep brown, and his black hair is styled in a large afro with a radius of about six inches.
Michael's clothes consist of his favorite shirt, which features colorful tie dye around a black vinyl disc design. His blue jeans are ripped, and his red Adidas sneakers are worn from dancing. Michael's most common expressions are grins and big smiles, which are only accented by his bushy eyebrows and puppy dog eyes.
Paraphenalia: Michael carries the old cellphone given to him by his sister Colleen and his iPod Touch. His earbuds are a bright orange color.
Personality: There are many words one could use to describe Michael Kay, but it's safe to say that naive would probably sum them all up pretty well. Oblivious to a fault, and suited with a mindset more fit for a child than a teenager, Michael is the kind of person who fails to understand sarcasm and seldom gets jokes.
He is an innocent individual, someone who doesn't judge people immeaditely and is willing to give just about anyone a chance. At the same time, he gets annoyed easily when he doesn't have his way, and takes unfavorable remarks about his hair or his music as a personal insult. Girls are beyond him, and he still doesn't get why he can't just drink milk out of the carton. He tends to worry about trivial things, and often gets flustered when put under pressure. But, when the going gets rough, Michael does know when to eventually shut up and get things done. He can be a trusted friend and ally, and though he often acts like a coward, he will stand up for those he cares about when the time for it comes.
Skills: Michael only real skill is in dance. He can do anything from the moonwalk, to the shuffle, to the robot, to the Cotton-Eyed Joe without breaking much of a sweat. He has been practicing moves since a young age, so he's limber enough that handstands, back flips, and complicated breaking dancing moves come to him easily.
Biography: Michael Jason Kay's life started when he was four years old, which for him, was as far back as he could remember. His life revolved around his Uncle Rob, who served as a father figure and childhood hero to a young Michael. Rob showed him music from a bygone era, the wonderful sounds of disco, soul and funk that Michael would come to love over the years. With his uncle Rob in his life, things seemed perfect for Michael.
Then, when Michael became six, his uncle disappeared. He was left in the care of his sister Colleen, who was forced to abandon any hope at a college education and take on two jobs to take care of her little brother. Michael grew up a bit of a sheltered child, unaware and naive, but he maintained his love for his uncle Rob in his style and his love for disco music. As he grew, Michael danced in spare time, practicing every move her could from old Michael Jackson videos or movies such as Saturday Night Fever.
His seventeeth birthday marked the first time in his life that he's ever owned his own personal MP3 player, an old iPod Touch that his sister procured for him from a pawn shop. And it will mark something else well, as the emerging Music Master within him finally breaks out one fateful afternoon in September.
For Michael Kay, life had just become a white knuckle ride.
Song Effects:
Canned Heat by Jamiroquai: This song allows Michael Kay to radiate searing thermal energy from either his right hand, left hand, or on the bottom of both his heels. This heat is visible, taking on a bright red-orange color that can light up even the darkest of places. He can fire this energy in bolts from his hands, though Michael can only radiate the energy from one hand. When focused on his heels, this thermal energy gives Michael the ability to "heat skate", melting surfaces underneath him to give a smooth pathway.
YMCA by Village People: This song allows Michael Kay to manifest a twenty-five foot tall being that resembles a Young Man's Christian Assocation logo brought to life. The letters Y, M, C and A make up its body, with each letter having a set of beady, cartoonish eyes. Six ropy arms come off from each letter, ending in large gloved hands. Its legs are just as ropy, and end in large white shoes. The "Big YMCA" as Michael calls it, is a powerful Sentinel that, while slow, is hard to take down and capable of great feats of strengths. Michael often fights atop its Y, relaying vocal commands to it as it defends him against all opposition.
Dancing Machine By The Jackson 5: This song changes Michael Kay's skin into a surface reminiscent of the silver mirrored facets found on a disco ball. His face becomes a simplistic surface save for his eyes, which glow with an unnatural iridiscent green. This song effect increases Michael's natural dancing abilites to superhuman levels, allowing him to moonwalk past blows, robot his way out of grapples, even dodge bullets and other projectiles through shuffles and flips.
Pow By Graham Central Station: This song allows Michael Kay to manifest two silvery boxing gloves around his hands that exhibit an iridiscent glow of light. These gloves prove themselves to be nearly indestrucible, effective as shields and able to break through materials such as titanium with ease. They are less effective against organic matter such as skin or bone however, unable to little more than cause bruises or a bloody nose.
Main Vein By Jamiroquai: This song allows Michael Kay to envelop himself in a bullet-shaped aura of emerald energy that grants him the power of supersonic flight. This emerald energy serves as life support if ever Michael decided to go into the upper atmosphere or space, and it can possibly achieve speeds that can surpass the speed of light. This song effect is so powerful that it even has the capability to bring Michael to other dimensions or other universes. Unfortunately, Michael has yet to grasp the sheer power of this song and its effect.
[/SPOILI]
Kimberely "Kim" Ramone
[SPOILI]
Name: Kimberely "Kim" Ramone
Age: 17
Appearance: Kim's appearance just seems to scream that she's mad at the world and everyone in it. Her hair is wild and messy, brown but dyed a deep magenta at the tips. Thick eyeliner covers her face, along with toxic green lipstick that just seems to make her scowls all the more unpleasant. She does a good job at hiding any of her natural beauty, preferring to maintain her pop-punk image as it seems to intimidate people more. Heavy grey hoop earrings hide in her mess of hair.
Kim's clothes are things that she's worn for the majority of her life. Her favorite shirt is a dark purple, and features a logo of a monstrous skull with a Mohawk. Her pants are tight and military green, and her black combat boots are large and steel-toed. An orange belt, with a blue smilie face button, is always around her waist and happens to be a dear keepsake of hers. Kim's most common expressions are scowls and looks of disgust, which are only accented by her eagle-like eyes and smooth face.
Paraphenalia: Kim has a studded bracelet on her right wrist, and keeps her purple Zune, complete with large blue headphones, with her at all times.
Personality: For Kim, anger is a way of life. Though she has learned to control her rage over the years, it still swells inside her like a tumor. Kim has never once tried to cut it out, and instead accepts the fact that she's almost always pissed off, annoyed, or in an otherwise unpleasant mood. She is a relatively vile person, who uses sarcasm and insults to relay her thoughts and feelings to other people.
Kim takes great joy in causing pain to those who she beileves have wronged her, and regards mercy as a thing for weaker people. She will never cry in front of anyone, and at times has a compulsion to show up others and prove herself more worthy. This is especially true when it comes to men, who she believes she is better than in every way and who she also seems to have a particular hatred for. Kim seldom smiles, and when she does, it's usually at someone else's expense.
But deep inside, Kim is not a horrible person. She is a little girl at heart, one who's life was simply turned upside down when her precious older brother was taken from her. It's not that she truly hates the world. It's just that she hasn't found a way to forgive it yet.
Skills: Kim is an experienced brawler, and capable of taking down opponents stronger than her and twice her size. She knows the weak points of the body well, and years of street fighting has taught her to play dirty and to hit people where it truly hurts. Despite her curvy frame, Kim is a much stronger than she looks, and knows exactly how to break the "easy" bones, such as the wrist and the knee. In addition, she is also an accomplished skater, and hides a surprisingly good singing voice from just about everyone.
Biography: Kimberely "Kim" Ramone grew up like Michael Kay did, with a family member who served as a hero and an integral part of her life. Her brother Seth was absolutely everything to her, and was especially important considering that Kim's mother was an alchoholic and Kim's father was nowhere to found. So it was that Seth and "Kimmy" were a duo, spending more time with each other than siblings might normally do. Seth bought Kim everything from her favorite rubber duckie, whom she named Alfred, to the Sesame Street Fever album that she still loves even as a troubled teenager.
Then, on a rainy afternoon in October, Kim's normal life was utterly destroyed. She was told at nine years old that her brother Seth was dead, killed in a freak car accident that she never saw coming. For awhile, Kim was silent in response to the event, and not willing to believe that such a thing could ever happen to her dear Seth. But then the truth soon dawned on her, and suddenly the world became a very nasty place in her eyes.
Over time, Kim adopted a lot of the punk rock style that Seth himself had displayed when she was younger. She listened to his music while also developing more pop-punk tastes of her own. Naturally, her anger seemed to grow with the passing years. Her parents, school, any chance at a future, those things didn't matter to her. She was perfectly fine with beating up those who pissed her off, and perfectly happy with being angry. But mostly, Kim found herself wanting to be left alone, with her music as her only true friend.
So becoming a Music Master wasn't too good of a development for her, considering her anger problems. And having to deal with an afro-headed idiot, like Michael Kay for example, just seemed to make her frustration at the world all the more aggravating.
Song Effects:
Walking Disaster by SUM 41: This song allows Kim to manifest four-fingered, tentacle-like appendages that sprout directly out of the ground. They are made of Harmonizeo, and take on a glowing maroon color. The arms are relatively mindless, and will rip and tear at anything they can get their hands on if left unattended. Their strength is incredible and they can wrench even the strongest metal apart easily. The limit of the amount of arms that can be created, as well as their length, is unknown, and they can be directly controlled by Kim's thoughts.
BlitzKrieg Bop by The Ramones: This song allows Kim to manifest a forty-foot tall Sentinel that can be described as a gigantic skeleton with a large red Mohawk and a large tank turret in place of a left arm. It's dressed in a ripped gray tank top, long black pants, and large spiked combat boots. This Sentinel is an incredibly durable creature, and smart enough to develop tactics and plans without Kim's direction. While it suffers in close combat due to having only one arm, it makes up for it with the explosive power of its tank cannon, which can decimate opposing Music Masters and other Sentinels alike.
Desolation Row by My Chemical Romance: This song allows Kim to manifest dark purple Harmonzeo around her arms, that takes the form of sharp claws. This song effect reacts to her anger level, and will give her more strength and speed the angrier she gets. As a desperate move, Kim can put both claws in front of her to form a makeshift shield, but destroy her ability to use the claws temporarily. As this song progresses, it will feed more anger into her mind, slowly turning her into little more than a killing machine.
In The Belly of A Shark by Gallows: This song allows Kim to manifest a large force field of Harmonizeo in the shape of a monstrous shark. The force field itself is transparent, with Kim situated in its center and able to direct its movements as it was a living extension of her body. The shark-field protects her from incoming attacks, and can float while moving in mid-air, gnashing at enemies with huge teeth and lashing at them with its thick tail. It is even more effective in an underwater environment, where it becomes a super-efficent tool of destruction.
Freeze Up by Operation Ivy: This song changes Kim's entire body into frozen water, and gives her the ability to sublime or freeze her form at will. Her water vapor form does not collect on surfaces, and she can freeze it fast enough to catch most opponents off guard. In her frozen form, she can form icicile spikes and temporary armor, she is cold to the touch, but her ice is only so durable, and any major breakage causes her great pain.[/SPOILI]
Aeris Fairfield
[SPOILI]
Name: Aeris Fairfield
Age: 17
Appearance: Aeris Fairfield is gifted with natural beauty, so much that she has no need for any kind of make-up. Her long blond hair is delicate and fine like bronze thread. Her face is soft, with sparkling blue eyes and a mouth that seems to make any smile golden. She wears two distinctive silver lightning bolt earrings, which are often hidden behind her blond hair.
Aeris's ensemble consists of a white undershirt topped with a blue and green striped short sleeve blazer. Her blue jeans are ripped and faded, and she wears light blue Converse sneakers with the words "Jesus" and "Rocks" on each of their toes. Around her neck is a necklace that ends in a red guitar pick. Her most common expressions are a pleased smile and a knowing glare.
Paraphenalia: Aeris carries her green iPod Nano with her at all times. Black, fingerless gloves cover her hands, and they hide the original scars from the first time she used one of her song effects.
Personality: Aeris is a person who does not suffer from personality extremes. She's a relatively kind soul who cares for her friends, and cares for her Lord and Savior even more. Religion is one of the most important parts of her life, so much in fact that sometimes it makes her forget about some of the other aspects, such as her friends and her love of music. A bit stubborn at times and the kind of the person who seldom backs down in an argument, Aeris has her angry streaks from time to time, but for the most part keeps her temper in check.
Growing up with four older brothers has made an impression on Aeris, and its not surprising that she's developed into a strong young woman who's capable of holding her own in a fight and in an argument. Though she speaks with a strong Texan accent that might mark her as unintelligent and a redneck, she is very smart and detests when people judge her as otherwise. Aeris still has her problems though, and she particularly has a streak of intolerance for people of other faiths that she has been trying for years to break.
Skills: Aeris is pretty strong for her size, having played rough sports with her brothers from a young age. Her no-nonsense attitude gives her considerable courage, especially when faced with overwhelming odds. Aeris has a decent singing voice, but her real talent in in the guitar and the violin, both which she has practiced from a young age. She is also experienced at horseback riding due to her younger days living on a ranch in Texas.
Biography: Aeris Faifield was born and raised in Fresco, Texas, on a lonely ranch way far out of the way of any semblance of suburban life. Though she's not so much of a farm girl, Aeris knew what is was like to milk cows and tend to chickens, and she knew the value of hard work and keeping one's word. Growing up with her four older brothers Spencer, Isaac, David and Cory, Aeris developed to be a bit of a tomboy, but nevertheless continued to go to Sunday Mass and pay her respects to her God.
She discovered she was a Music Master about two years before moving from her Texas home. It was under the guidance of her elderly grandmother Miriam that Aeris learned to control her newfound song effects, shortly after a mishap that caused her to recieve horrible scars on the palms of her hands. Sadly, her grandmother passed away months before Aeris and her family were schedueled to move to New York, but Aeris arrived in the Tristate area with confidence and control. She established herself as the clerk of the Audio Empire music store in the middle of Manhattan, working hard like she always did.
Recently, she's been having a strange feeling. She hasn't met any other Music Masters yet, but she still feels like someone out there is watching her. Dark eyes seem to stare at her from the shadows, and Aeris can't help but worry that their intentions aren't very pure at all.
Song Effects:
This Fragile Breath by Todd Agnew: This song allows Aeris to create silver lightning bolts from her hands which she can launch at her opponents. The lightning can easily destroy concrete, granite, wood and similar materials, but is non-lethal to human flesh. However, it can damage the skin on Aeris's hands, which is why she wears her black fingerless gloves at all times.
In Christ by Big Daddy Weave: This song allows Aeris to sprout ice-blue energy wings give her the power of flight. They are very strong and durable, and she easily controls them as if they were extra appendages.
Lion by Rebecca St. James: This song causes Aeris to shape-shift into a stark white male lion that is larger than a Siberian tiger. In her lion form, Aeris is faster, stronger, and can take more hits without faltering. Her black gloves remain in her lion form, and although she cannot speak, she still retains her human mind.
Healing Begins by Tenth Avenue North: This song causes emerald energy to appear around Aeris's hands. This energy can heal injuries of all kinds, ranging from simple cuts and bruises to mortal wounds. However, Aeris cannot heal anyone who is not still on the edge of life, and thus cannot bring back the dead. In addition, the worse the wound Aeris heals, the more of a dramatic toll it takes on her body.
The Word Is Alive by Casting Crowns: This song causes a large black and gold Bible to manifest near Aeris. It floats under its own power but can be mentally forced back towards Aeris. Once Aeris opens it, the words on the Bible's pages float in the air, and she can grab at them. Once held, the words solidify into black swords with gold hilts. These swords are nearly indestructible, but only one of them can be used at a time. If the Bible is destroyed, the swords dissipate.
[/SPOILI]
Calvin Altberg
[SPOILI]
Name: Calvin Altberg
Age: 17
Appearance: Calvin is a fellow of average height, with wavy blond hair and deep green eyes that shine like broken emeralds. His face is angular and sharp, making him comparable to a Greek statue, although quite a bit more sinister and devious. His smiles are those of trickster, mostly genuine, yet still hiding some poisonous quality underneath.
Calvin's clothes consist of a black undershirt with a orange design that resembles an old-fashioned robot. He wears a nice dark blue blazer, and completes this ensemble with dark blue pants and yellow Nike sneakers. Calvin's clothes always seem to be pristine and perfect, despite all the trouble he tends to get in on a daily basis.
Paraphenalia: Calvin's prized wireless yellow headphones always stay around his neck, and they are connected through a transceiver to his yellow iPod Classic. He also carries a wallet full of fake indentification with him, as well as a couple stolen credit cards. He tends to use the things in this wallet often.
Personality: To say that Calvin is a person who takes advantage of everything and anyone would sum him up well. A wanderer and a drifter by nature, Calvin has no time for friends and allies, and tends to make temporary acquaintinces of people at best. Gifted with a naturally charming personality, he comes of as a generous guy who simply wants to lend someone a hand. Of course, people will quickly find that there is almost always somethng in it for Calvin, and that his help always comes at a price.
Calvin's roguish nature has made him zero friends, a fact that he seems perfectly fine with. He naturally trusts no one, and goes to great lengths to hide important details about his own background from other people. Behind his facade, however, Calvin has a great many fears, mostly about what he left behind as a child and of how people truly percieve him. If anything, he secretly yearns to be that wonderful person that he's pretended to be time and time again.
Skills: Calvin's natural charm lends him to be an expert smooth talker and schmoozer. He is adept at telling people exactly what they want to hear, playing on their assumptions of him. He knows how to pick a lock, and can pickpocket a slow person if ever he wanted to. Calvin is also surprisingly good at parkour, a talent which has helped him escape from unsavory opponents many times in the past.
Biography: The details of Calvin's early life are unknown even to him. He remembers nothing before the age of ten, and it is almost as if that entire part of his existence was completely siphoned from his memory. Nevertheless, he's never let his unknown past stop him before, and he has continued through life the same way since. For Calvin, skills at trickery and conning others are his only friends. He learned what it was to be a Music Master early on, and took advantage of every aspect of it. With his song effects, he easily robbed stores for the things he needed, taking care to never be caught on camera or seen by anyone with keen eyes. He learned his trade quickly, eventually realizing he could have others stupider than him do a lot of his work for him.
So, Calvin became known by many names as a conman among Music Masters. He led plenty of Music Masters on one wild goose chase or another, revealing at the last possible moment that he had just taken them all for a ride. In this way, Calvin has stolen bank account numbers, expensive instruments, and even fine clothes from many a Music Master. And for the longest time, even Zero Beat had trouble finding him. His trails were always clear of evidence, and those who did end up finding him never had him for too long. Everything seemed to be going exactly the way Calvin wanted it to.
Until an afro-headed teen by the name of Michael Kay came into his life. Calvin saw him as the perfect man to con, realizing too late that getting involved with Michael and his problems was going to cost him a lot more than he'd ever imagined.
Song Effects:
Angel In The Night by Basshunter: This song allows Calvin to manifest sinewy techno-armor that covers every inch of his skin except his hair. Instead of his usual blonde hair, Calvin's hair becomes a mass of thick, copper strands. The armor that covers Calvin's body is neon yellow in color, with red veins pulsing throughout it. In this armor form, Calvin can fire bolts of neon light that detonate on impact, and can fly at great speeds under his own power. The armor is fragile, however, and can be easily pummeled into submission.
Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger by Daft Punk: This song allows Calvin to create and harness multi-colored squares, which can fly with the grace of hummingbirds and are empowered by Harmonizeo. They naturally surround him like a swarm, and he can direct them at targets, which they will attempt to pulverize with their sheer numbers and high durability. In addition, he can detonate them for explosive effect, or use themto defend him as a make-shift shield.
Genesis by Justice: This song allows Calvin to shape-shift into a dinosaur-like creature of monstrous proportions. Its skin is a neon green, and its back spines are an equally neon blue. The creature has a thick tail and powerful detrigrade hind limbs, as well as strong grasping claws with opposable thumbs. In this monster form, Calvin gains great strength, durability and enhanced speed, but its most powerful feature power is the ability to fire beams of super hot, neon orange Harmonizeo, which can decimate metal and flesh alike. However, Calvin loses some of his senses and becomes more bestial under this state, as well as becoming incapable of normal human speech.
Stars Come Out by Calvin Harris: This song allows Calvin to absorb the solar energy from stars, even ones that are hundreds of light years away in space. The energy from these stars interacts with Harmonizeo, giving Calvin the ability to shoot out yellow lasers from his palms that can be turned into grids of hard light. These grids are mildly durable and capable of turning into cages that can keep a human trapped for a period of time. During the day, this song effect has the above effect and is only somewhat useful. At night, especially under a starry sky, the light travels at its fastest, is superbly durable, and can even be heated up to a degree rivaling that of an actual sun.
We Come Together by Goldfish: This song changes Calvin's entire molecular structure into billions of tiny squares that resemble 8-bit pixels. He can separate himself at will, but only to disperse powerful blows. In addition, Calvin can duplicate himself into pixelated copies that fight under his command. These dupes do not share his dispersion ability however, and when destroyed, Calvin will experience pain and fatigue for each one. The limit of how many dupes Calvin can create is limited only by his endurance. In desperation, Calvin can absorb all his dupes at once, increasing his size and his strength. This desperate move only lasts for a few seconds however, and Calvin tire soon after it returns him to normal size.
[/SPOILI]
That's about it where Music Masters is concerned for now. I've still got some work to do, and you know, if anyone has any ideas or opinions, please, please, please, post some! I always loving hearing that stuff.
Hopefully this mammoth amount of information will do well to serve as reference material for myself and others, as well as something I can put out there for other people to read over. After all, I do always appreciate constructive criticism. Anyway, check out the spoilers for all the info!
Music Masters: What Exactly Are They?
[SPOILI]
All long explanations start with the most basic of questions. Exactly what is a Music Master?
In the M-Verse, a Music Master is any human being with the ability to Harmonize with a piece of music, or song. The M-Verse is an alternate version of our universe, and is almost exactly the same in every way, save for the existence of Music Masters. The term "Harmonizing" or the process of "Harmonization" refers to the act of intense visualization that a Music Master undergoes the moment a song enters his ears. This visualization creates a link between his mind and the song, and this link can be formed within a half-second to a few seconds, depending on the experience of said Music Master.
The point of the Harmonization process is to produce what Music Masters call "song effects." Song effects are the physical manifestations of a song, and because they are rooted in human imagination, the exact purpose and appearance of any song effect can be absolutely anything imaginable. These effects last from the completion of the Harmonization process to the end of the song, and if at any time the song is shut off, interrupted or paused while a song effect is active, that song effect will fade out of existence in an instant. Song effects are not something a Music Master can predict, they are always random to the Music Masters in question and must be tested out before they can be effectively used.
Song effects can be anything from a flaming monster that guards its Music Master with heavy chains, to turquoise energy that a Music Master can use to heal wounds, to an effect that enhances a Music Master's body, granting him added strength or speed. Song effects are unique enough that they can't really be compared to another. In fact, no two Music Masters can ever have the same song effect. A Music Master's effect when he's Harmonized with a specific song is completely unique to him.
The only song effects that can be compared to one another are those of the Sentinel variety. These song effects tend to create some sort of bodyguard or creature, made of pure Harmonizeo, that serves its Music Master. These Sentinels vary greatly in appearance, size and intelligence, but they all serve their Music Masters with unquestioning loyalty.
Music Masters achieve these song effects because they can tap into Harmonizeo, an intangible energy source that originates from another dimension. This dimension is known to all Music Masters as the Soundscape, and its existence is only supported by a few Music Masters who have been said to have entered its recesses. Harmonizeo is the catalyst for all song effects, but during the normal Harmonization process, Music Masters use its unfiltered, impure form. Pure Harmonizeo can be tapped into using voice or instruments. Singing or instrument playing must be absolutely perfect for this process to work, but a Music Master who can achieve this will quickly learn that Pure Harmonizeo produces enhanced song effects when compared to its impure counterpart.
Pure Harmonizeo can also be utilized in another way, though it is one that most Music Masters cannot achieve voluntarily. Perfect Beat is a state where a Music Master's mind and body is overtaken by Pure Harmonizeo, which is completely black in color. This effectively turns a Music Master into a silhouette, with the only visible part of their body being their eyes, which glow in a color unique to them. Their headphone wires also glow with this color under the effects of Perfect Beat. The state of Perfect Beat increases the power of a Music Master's song effects to the highest level they could ever possibly perceive. A simple fireball will become a firestorm, while a small Sentinel will grow to titanic sizes. These increases in power are capped by a psychological limit however, and do not truly represent a song effects true potential. Perfect Beat also changes a Music Master's mindset, and sometimes this change can have a disastrous effect on a Music Master's personality.
Track Masters, who are Music Masters recognized for great power and skill, are the few Music Masters who can voluntarily enter Perfect Beat. Otherwise, the process tends to be a fail-safe for most Music Masters, and not something they can usually control. It is rumored that those who enter the Soundscape can activate Perfect Beat voluntarily when inside it, but these rumors have yet to be substantiated.
Unlike a normal person, a Music Master's brain has developed the ability to separate sounds. A Music Master can focus on a song, listen to the ambiance of birds in the trees, and hear his friend calling him from down the street, all at the same time and without any chaotic mixing. Music Masters collectively refer to this ability as "Multi-Hearing."
Music Masters organize themselves in organizations called Circles. These Circles operate based on familial ties, music tastes, and other trivial things, and often fight amongst each other over petty squabbles and disagreements.
Above all these Circles is Zero Beat, an organization of Music Masters that could be compared to the FBI. They are ruthless in the act of keeping their kind secret from the modern world, and often resort to bribery, lethal force and memory manipulation to achieve their goals. Though they see themselves a police force for their kind, other Music Masters seem them as an oppressive force. Zero Beat maintains shaky alliances with most major world governments, which allows them to silence most witnesses with ease and keep their kind under better watch. They are also deeply involved in the real world music industry, so their funds and influence are vast.
One of the most notable conflicts in Music Master history happened in the year 1979, and involved a man named Highlord Funk staging what Zero Beat today calls "a violent uprising." At the end of this bloody conflict, disco music was stigmatized as a genre, Highlord Funk and most of his supporters were dead, and Zero Beat had been dealt a grievous blow to their numbers. But they managed to keep on, and they continue to exert control over their kind to this day, though with considerably less restraint.[/SPOILI]
Zero Beat: They Watch The Turntables.
[SPOILI]
Music Masters have been around since the early 50's, and conflict has always been a common problem for them. Music Masters, despite being mostly sane human beings at heart, have their prejudices, their hatreds, and their preferences for music. So it's no surprise that something had to be done once Music Masters began to realize how much destruction and death their constant and petty battles caused. A group, known as the Zero Coalition, had already approached the United States government about the plight of their kind, offering their services and powers in exchange for help.
When the year 1955 came around, the Zero Coalition, formed by a few powerful Track Masters, decided that it made sense to create something akin to a police force for their kind. They would monitor the conflicts of Music Masters, and serve as intermediaries when potential wars needed to be resolved. When it was absolutely necessary, they would deliver justice to Music Masters who crossed lines, as well as punish those Music Masters who used their powers in public.
Thus, Zero Beat was born, and at first, many Music Masters flocked to join it, hoping to gain some sort of semblance of power over their own kind by doing so. But it only took a year for Zero Beat to form its own recruitment policies, and being invited to join Zero Beat soon became the fleeting dream of many a Music Master.
Unfortunately, as the years passed, Zero Beat's role involving Music Masters changed drastically. The Music Masters within it started a trend of using bribery, lethal force, and memory manipulation to keep their fellow Music Masters, as well as any unfortunate normal witnesses, in line. On top of the events of "Last Record" in 1979, which caused the fall of the Circle DanceDown and disco music, along with Zero Beat's considerable unpopularity in the '80's and '90's, it's no surprise that the organization became little more than an oppressor to Music Master when the new millennium came around.
Today, Zero Beat functions officially as a mixture of the FBI, CIA and MIB. Their activities are almost always top-secret, and their members are assigned a number upon induction. These numbers are used when any member of Zero Beat attempts to enter a Symphon, which is the name for any base of operations Zero Beat has built in a given area. Symphons are often disguised as clubs or discotheques, with the 5 Records skyscraper being the largest and most complex in the United States. In additon to this number-based security, entry into Symphons also requires that a Music Master be forced to listen to a chaotic mixture of songs that members of Zero Beat have been conditioned to withstand. For a regular Music Master, the pressure of trying to Harmonize with this chaos of sound often causes them to lose sense of reality and pass out.
Zero Beat's members are separated by four ranks. These ranks are First Beat, Second Beat, Third Beat, and Fourth Beat. Each rank has a distinctive colored trench coat uniform, and it's no surprise the lower number ranks are often bullied by the higher numbered ones.
First Beats are the grunts of Zero Beat, sent to do menial tanks such as delivering threats or keeping weaker Music Masters in line. They are considered "expendable" for the most part, and as such they have little to no power in Zero Beat. First Beats are stronger than the average Music Master, as they are forced to undergo intense training with songs assigned to them as part of their induction into Zero Beat. First Beats wear stark white trench coats, and are given a pair of Z-Phones upon induction. Z-Phones are orb-shaped headphones, colored to match their user's rank, and they are incredibly durable and resistant to temperature extremes. They employ suction pads to remain on a Music Master's ears, making them incredibly hard to break as well as pull off.
Second Beats are tasked with groups of First Beats, and are the ones who usually tend to the Symphons and are often stuck training First Beats. Though not viewed as cannon fodder like the First Beats are, Second Beats still have little power when compared to Third Beats and Fourth Beats. Second Beats wear silver trench coats, and their Z-Phones are colored similarly.
Third Beat is the rank where some true power in Zero Beat lies. Third Beats oversee an entire Symphon on their own, keeping tabs and monitoring the activities of the Second Beats and First Beats operating within it. Third Beats tend to be experienced Music Masters, and many of them masquerade as musicians or producers in the real world music industry. Third Beats almost never rank up, and the few times where such a thing has happened usually involves the "death" of a well-known Fourth Beat who is eventually replaced by a willing "successor."
Fourth Beat is the final and highest rank of Zero Beat. Fourth Beats are all Track Masters in their own right, powerful and in control over a specific branch of Zero Beat. In the US, one Fourth Beat may have jurisdiction over the Tristate area, while another may have control over branches in Maine and Vermont. It is unknown how many Fourth Beats there are, but the number is rumored to be no more than thirty. All the Fourth Beats have extensive riches and influence from their many connections within the music industry and the various world governments. Fourth Beats wear emerald trench coats, but most of them actually opt away with the standard Zero Beat uniform entirely.
In addition to these four ranks, Zero Beat employs something that could be compared to a "special forces" team of sorts. Since 1955, Zero Beat has funded and backed a group of five Music Masters known throughout the years as the Pop 5.
The Pop 5 is a group that changes every decade, made up of teenage Music Masters who show potential in the eyes of Zero Beat. These Music Masters are pampered and allowed to live in the splendor of the 5 Penthouse, located in the 5 Records skyscraper in New York City. The Pop 5 undergo special training that allow them to gain greater control over their song effects at an accelerated rate, and they are assigned songs based on popular artists of the decade. Each member is given a single musician, and is expected to use only that artist's music during their time in the Pop 5.
The Pop 5 operates for a full decade, and at the beginning of each new decade their ranks are disbanded to make way for a new generation of Music Masters. The members usually go their separate ways, but they are always expected to stay within Zero Beat as Third Beats, and if some show considerable potential, as possible Fourth Beats. At the start of the year 2010, the newly inducted Pop 5 was assigned to use the artists Kanye West, Lady GaGa, The Beatles, Blink-182 and Michael Jackson.
For the most part, Zero Beat seeks to quell most conflicts rather than start them. However, as a way to celebrate the induction of a new Pop 5, Zero Beat holds an event known as Audio Supremacy. This is a worldwide tournament of sorts, where Music Masters are invited to compete for an object known as the Platinum Record. Though it looks like little more than a shining platinum vinyl disc, the Platinum Record is considered to be a powerful status symbol and a priceless object among Music Masters. In addition, a winner of the Platinum Record can choose to take a place in Zero Beat as a Third Beat, something which many Music Masters could only dream of. Competitors for Audio Supremacy are said to be chosen randomly by Zero Beat, but it is rumored that many are chosen for specific reasons, and some even bribe Zero Beat to be allowed into the competition in the first place.
In recent years, since the events of "Last Record", there has been noticeable suspicion and hostility from Zero Beat against Music Masters who use music from the genres of funk, soul or disco. So far, Zero Beat hasn't done anything serious yet about this issue, but to many Music Masters, it's becoming more and more obvious that they are going to be doing drastic soon enough...
[/SPOILI]
Last Record: The Fall of Disco
[SPOILI]
The actual events of Last Record are something that is only truly known by the highest authorities in Zero Beat. Offically, most Music Masters know that Last Record was a bloody conflict between Zero Beat and a well-known Circle of the 1970's called DanceDown. DanceDown was apparently the leader in a large uprising, and under the leadership of a powerful man named Highlord Funk, they nearly succeeded in taking down Zero Beat.
But in a bold move, Zero Beat managed to trap Highlord Funk and his closest associates, killing them in one final fight and ending any chance at rebellion. Of course, Highlord Funk went out with a bang, literally, and ended up taking over 25% of Zero Beat's current roster at the time with him when he activated an explosive song effect in his death throes.
And so, with the death of Highlord Funk and the disbanding of DanceDown, disco music went into a decline, and the genre as a whole became something forgotten, unpopular, and relatively hated by many.
Today, the validity of these events is subject to great debate. Highlord Funk's real aims were only truly known by a few Music Masters, but it is clear to most that DanceDown was not trying to overthrow Zero Beat. Like many Circles before it, it was a victim of becoming too popular among Music Masters of the time, at least in the eyes of Zero Beat, and in doing so, it became a threat to their power that had to be wiped out.
[/SPOILI]
Audio Generation: A White Knuckle Ride
[SPOILI]
It's no surprise that the year 2011 has proven to be one of the most chaotic in the history of all Music Masters. Just last year, at the start of the new decade, the newest generation of the Pop 5 had just been inducted. In addition, a new era of Zero Beat had offically begun, with the passing of four of the greatest Fourth Beats. But Audio Supremacy had been delayed, for the first time in history, for about a year.
Music Masters seemed to be surfacing with more frequency than ever. And with the appearance of fledging Music Masters, Zero Beat has more than enough to handle and more than enough new blood to monitor for the potential that will grant them entry into the organization.
But one Music Master in particular has seemingly caught their attention, and not because Zero Beat wants to recruit him. An afro-headed teenager named Michael Kay, who demonstrates himself to be oblivious and seemingly harmless, exhibits the use of music that has long been crushed under Zero Beat's boot. Michael doesn't have any idea, that by using disco music, he's playing with a fire that's way more potent than any of the canned heat or disco inferno he's normally used to.
To survive against the might of Zero Beat, he's going to have to put his trust in a conman. His faith will have to rest on a girl whose faith belongs to someone else. And his happiness will be tested against a girl who hasn't been happy for almost eight years.
For Michael Jason Kay, the trials and tribulations of being a Music Master have only just begun. And the white knuckle ride ahead is going to be one that he'll never forget.[/SPOILI]
Characters of Audio Generation
Michael Jason Kay
[SPOILI]
Name: Michael Jason Kay
Age: 17
Appearance: Michael Kay is a tall and slim boy, with a face that shows the kind of innocence that is more fit for a child than a teenager. He's has an overall lanky build, with most of his muscles situated in his abs due to his constant practice of handstands and complicated break dancing moves. Michael's eyes are deep brown, and his black hair is styled in a large afro with a radius of about six inches.
Michael's clothes consist of his favorite shirt, which features colorful tie dye around a black vinyl disc design. His blue jeans are ripped, and his red Adidas sneakers are worn from dancing. Michael's most common expressions are grins and big smiles, which are only accented by his bushy eyebrows and puppy dog eyes.
Paraphenalia: Michael carries the old cellphone given to him by his sister Colleen and his iPod Touch. His earbuds are a bright orange color.
Personality: There are many words one could use to describe Michael Kay, but it's safe to say that naive would probably sum them all up pretty well. Oblivious to a fault, and suited with a mindset more fit for a child than a teenager, Michael is the kind of person who fails to understand sarcasm and seldom gets jokes.
He is an innocent individual, someone who doesn't judge people immeaditely and is willing to give just about anyone a chance. At the same time, he gets annoyed easily when he doesn't have his way, and takes unfavorable remarks about his hair or his music as a personal insult. Girls are beyond him, and he still doesn't get why he can't just drink milk out of the carton. He tends to worry about trivial things, and often gets flustered when put under pressure. But, when the going gets rough, Michael does know when to eventually shut up and get things done. He can be a trusted friend and ally, and though he often acts like a coward, he will stand up for those he cares about when the time for it comes.
Skills: Michael only real skill is in dance. He can do anything from the moonwalk, to the shuffle, to the robot, to the Cotton-Eyed Joe without breaking much of a sweat. He has been practicing moves since a young age, so he's limber enough that handstands, back flips, and complicated breaking dancing moves come to him easily.
Biography: Michael Jason Kay's life started when he was four years old, which for him, was as far back as he could remember. His life revolved around his Uncle Rob, who served as a father figure and childhood hero to a young Michael. Rob showed him music from a bygone era, the wonderful sounds of disco, soul and funk that Michael would come to love over the years. With his uncle Rob in his life, things seemed perfect for Michael.
Then, when Michael became six, his uncle disappeared. He was left in the care of his sister Colleen, who was forced to abandon any hope at a college education and take on two jobs to take care of her little brother. Michael grew up a bit of a sheltered child, unaware and naive, but he maintained his love for his uncle Rob in his style and his love for disco music. As he grew, Michael danced in spare time, practicing every move her could from old Michael Jackson videos or movies such as Saturday Night Fever.
His seventeeth birthday marked the first time in his life that he's ever owned his own personal MP3 player, an old iPod Touch that his sister procured for him from a pawn shop. And it will mark something else well, as the emerging Music Master within him finally breaks out one fateful afternoon in September.
For Michael Kay, life had just become a white knuckle ride.
Song Effects:
Canned Heat by Jamiroquai: This song allows Michael Kay to radiate searing thermal energy from either his right hand, left hand, or on the bottom of both his heels. This heat is visible, taking on a bright red-orange color that can light up even the darkest of places. He can fire this energy in bolts from his hands, though Michael can only radiate the energy from one hand. When focused on his heels, this thermal energy gives Michael the ability to "heat skate", melting surfaces underneath him to give a smooth pathway.
YMCA by Village People: This song allows Michael Kay to manifest a twenty-five foot tall being that resembles a Young Man's Christian Assocation logo brought to life. The letters Y, M, C and A make up its body, with each letter having a set of beady, cartoonish eyes. Six ropy arms come off from each letter, ending in large gloved hands. Its legs are just as ropy, and end in large white shoes. The "Big YMCA" as Michael calls it, is a powerful Sentinel that, while slow, is hard to take down and capable of great feats of strengths. Michael often fights atop its Y, relaying vocal commands to it as it defends him against all opposition.
Dancing Machine By The Jackson 5: This song changes Michael Kay's skin into a surface reminiscent of the silver mirrored facets found on a disco ball. His face becomes a simplistic surface save for his eyes, which glow with an unnatural iridiscent green. This song effect increases Michael's natural dancing abilites to superhuman levels, allowing him to moonwalk past blows, robot his way out of grapples, even dodge bullets and other projectiles through shuffles and flips.
Pow By Graham Central Station: This song allows Michael Kay to manifest two silvery boxing gloves around his hands that exhibit an iridiscent glow of light. These gloves prove themselves to be nearly indestrucible, effective as shields and able to break through materials such as titanium with ease. They are less effective against organic matter such as skin or bone however, unable to little more than cause bruises or a bloody nose.
Main Vein By Jamiroquai: This song allows Michael Kay to envelop himself in a bullet-shaped aura of emerald energy that grants him the power of supersonic flight. This emerald energy serves as life support if ever Michael decided to go into the upper atmosphere or space, and it can possibly achieve speeds that can surpass the speed of light. This song effect is so powerful that it even has the capability to bring Michael to other dimensions or other universes. Unfortunately, Michael has yet to grasp the sheer power of this song and its effect.
[/SPOILI]
Kimberely "Kim" Ramone
[SPOILI]
Name: Kimberely "Kim" Ramone
Age: 17
Appearance: Kim's appearance just seems to scream that she's mad at the world and everyone in it. Her hair is wild and messy, brown but dyed a deep magenta at the tips. Thick eyeliner covers her face, along with toxic green lipstick that just seems to make her scowls all the more unpleasant. She does a good job at hiding any of her natural beauty, preferring to maintain her pop-punk image as it seems to intimidate people more. Heavy grey hoop earrings hide in her mess of hair.
Kim's clothes are things that she's worn for the majority of her life. Her favorite shirt is a dark purple, and features a logo of a monstrous skull with a Mohawk. Her pants are tight and military green, and her black combat boots are large and steel-toed. An orange belt, with a blue smilie face button, is always around her waist and happens to be a dear keepsake of hers. Kim's most common expressions are scowls and looks of disgust, which are only accented by her eagle-like eyes and smooth face.
Paraphenalia: Kim has a studded bracelet on her right wrist, and keeps her purple Zune, complete with large blue headphones, with her at all times.
Personality: For Kim, anger is a way of life. Though she has learned to control her rage over the years, it still swells inside her like a tumor. Kim has never once tried to cut it out, and instead accepts the fact that she's almost always pissed off, annoyed, or in an otherwise unpleasant mood. She is a relatively vile person, who uses sarcasm and insults to relay her thoughts and feelings to other people.
Kim takes great joy in causing pain to those who she beileves have wronged her, and regards mercy as a thing for weaker people. She will never cry in front of anyone, and at times has a compulsion to show up others and prove herself more worthy. This is especially true when it comes to men, who she believes she is better than in every way and who she also seems to have a particular hatred for. Kim seldom smiles, and when she does, it's usually at someone else's expense.
But deep inside, Kim is not a horrible person. She is a little girl at heart, one who's life was simply turned upside down when her precious older brother was taken from her. It's not that she truly hates the world. It's just that she hasn't found a way to forgive it yet.
Skills: Kim is an experienced brawler, and capable of taking down opponents stronger than her and twice her size. She knows the weak points of the body well, and years of street fighting has taught her to play dirty and to hit people where it truly hurts. Despite her curvy frame, Kim is a much stronger than she looks, and knows exactly how to break the "easy" bones, such as the wrist and the knee. In addition, she is also an accomplished skater, and hides a surprisingly good singing voice from just about everyone.
Biography: Kimberely "Kim" Ramone grew up like Michael Kay did, with a family member who served as a hero and an integral part of her life. Her brother Seth was absolutely everything to her, and was especially important considering that Kim's mother was an alchoholic and Kim's father was nowhere to found. So it was that Seth and "Kimmy" were a duo, spending more time with each other than siblings might normally do. Seth bought Kim everything from her favorite rubber duckie, whom she named Alfred, to the Sesame Street Fever album that she still loves even as a troubled teenager.
Then, on a rainy afternoon in October, Kim's normal life was utterly destroyed. She was told at nine years old that her brother Seth was dead, killed in a freak car accident that she never saw coming. For awhile, Kim was silent in response to the event, and not willing to believe that such a thing could ever happen to her dear Seth. But then the truth soon dawned on her, and suddenly the world became a very nasty place in her eyes.
Over time, Kim adopted a lot of the punk rock style that Seth himself had displayed when she was younger. She listened to his music while also developing more pop-punk tastes of her own. Naturally, her anger seemed to grow with the passing years. Her parents, school, any chance at a future, those things didn't matter to her. She was perfectly fine with beating up those who pissed her off, and perfectly happy with being angry. But mostly, Kim found herself wanting to be left alone, with her music as her only true friend.
So becoming a Music Master wasn't too good of a development for her, considering her anger problems. And having to deal with an afro-headed idiot, like Michael Kay for example, just seemed to make her frustration at the world all the more aggravating.
Song Effects:
Walking Disaster by SUM 41: This song allows Kim to manifest four-fingered, tentacle-like appendages that sprout directly out of the ground. They are made of Harmonizeo, and take on a glowing maroon color. The arms are relatively mindless, and will rip and tear at anything they can get their hands on if left unattended. Their strength is incredible and they can wrench even the strongest metal apart easily. The limit of the amount of arms that can be created, as well as their length, is unknown, and they can be directly controlled by Kim's thoughts.
BlitzKrieg Bop by The Ramones: This song allows Kim to manifest a forty-foot tall Sentinel that can be described as a gigantic skeleton with a large red Mohawk and a large tank turret in place of a left arm. It's dressed in a ripped gray tank top, long black pants, and large spiked combat boots. This Sentinel is an incredibly durable creature, and smart enough to develop tactics and plans without Kim's direction. While it suffers in close combat due to having only one arm, it makes up for it with the explosive power of its tank cannon, which can decimate opposing Music Masters and other Sentinels alike.
Desolation Row by My Chemical Romance: This song allows Kim to manifest dark purple Harmonzeo around her arms, that takes the form of sharp claws. This song effect reacts to her anger level, and will give her more strength and speed the angrier she gets. As a desperate move, Kim can put both claws in front of her to form a makeshift shield, but destroy her ability to use the claws temporarily. As this song progresses, it will feed more anger into her mind, slowly turning her into little more than a killing machine.
In The Belly of A Shark by Gallows: This song allows Kim to manifest a large force field of Harmonizeo in the shape of a monstrous shark. The force field itself is transparent, with Kim situated in its center and able to direct its movements as it was a living extension of her body. The shark-field protects her from incoming attacks, and can float while moving in mid-air, gnashing at enemies with huge teeth and lashing at them with its thick tail. It is even more effective in an underwater environment, where it becomes a super-efficent tool of destruction.
Freeze Up by Operation Ivy: This song changes Kim's entire body into frozen water, and gives her the ability to sublime or freeze her form at will. Her water vapor form does not collect on surfaces, and she can freeze it fast enough to catch most opponents off guard. In her frozen form, she can form icicile spikes and temporary armor, she is cold to the touch, but her ice is only so durable, and any major breakage causes her great pain.[/SPOILI]
Aeris Fairfield
[SPOILI]
Name: Aeris Fairfield
Age: 17
Appearance: Aeris Fairfield is gifted with natural beauty, so much that she has no need for any kind of make-up. Her long blond hair is delicate and fine like bronze thread. Her face is soft, with sparkling blue eyes and a mouth that seems to make any smile golden. She wears two distinctive silver lightning bolt earrings, which are often hidden behind her blond hair.
Aeris's ensemble consists of a white undershirt topped with a blue and green striped short sleeve blazer. Her blue jeans are ripped and faded, and she wears light blue Converse sneakers with the words "Jesus" and "Rocks" on each of their toes. Around her neck is a necklace that ends in a red guitar pick. Her most common expressions are a pleased smile and a knowing glare.
Paraphenalia: Aeris carries her green iPod Nano with her at all times. Black, fingerless gloves cover her hands, and they hide the original scars from the first time she used one of her song effects.
Personality: Aeris is a person who does not suffer from personality extremes. She's a relatively kind soul who cares for her friends, and cares for her Lord and Savior even more. Religion is one of the most important parts of her life, so much in fact that sometimes it makes her forget about some of the other aspects, such as her friends and her love of music. A bit stubborn at times and the kind of the person who seldom backs down in an argument, Aeris has her angry streaks from time to time, but for the most part keeps her temper in check.
Growing up with four older brothers has made an impression on Aeris, and its not surprising that she's developed into a strong young woman who's capable of holding her own in a fight and in an argument. Though she speaks with a strong Texan accent that might mark her as unintelligent and a redneck, she is very smart and detests when people judge her as otherwise. Aeris still has her problems though, and she particularly has a streak of intolerance for people of other faiths that she has been trying for years to break.
Skills: Aeris is pretty strong for her size, having played rough sports with her brothers from a young age. Her no-nonsense attitude gives her considerable courage, especially when faced with overwhelming odds. Aeris has a decent singing voice, but her real talent in in the guitar and the violin, both which she has practiced from a young age. She is also experienced at horseback riding due to her younger days living on a ranch in Texas.
Biography: Aeris Faifield was born and raised in Fresco, Texas, on a lonely ranch way far out of the way of any semblance of suburban life. Though she's not so much of a farm girl, Aeris knew what is was like to milk cows and tend to chickens, and she knew the value of hard work and keeping one's word. Growing up with her four older brothers Spencer, Isaac, David and Cory, Aeris developed to be a bit of a tomboy, but nevertheless continued to go to Sunday Mass and pay her respects to her God.
She discovered she was a Music Master about two years before moving from her Texas home. It was under the guidance of her elderly grandmother Miriam that Aeris learned to control her newfound song effects, shortly after a mishap that caused her to recieve horrible scars on the palms of her hands. Sadly, her grandmother passed away months before Aeris and her family were schedueled to move to New York, but Aeris arrived in the Tristate area with confidence and control. She established herself as the clerk of the Audio Empire music store in the middle of Manhattan, working hard like she always did.
Recently, she's been having a strange feeling. She hasn't met any other Music Masters yet, but she still feels like someone out there is watching her. Dark eyes seem to stare at her from the shadows, and Aeris can't help but worry that their intentions aren't very pure at all.
Song Effects:
This Fragile Breath by Todd Agnew: This song allows Aeris to create silver lightning bolts from her hands which she can launch at her opponents. The lightning can easily destroy concrete, granite, wood and similar materials, but is non-lethal to human flesh. However, it can damage the skin on Aeris's hands, which is why she wears her black fingerless gloves at all times.
In Christ by Big Daddy Weave: This song allows Aeris to sprout ice-blue energy wings give her the power of flight. They are very strong and durable, and she easily controls them as if they were extra appendages.
Lion by Rebecca St. James: This song causes Aeris to shape-shift into a stark white male lion that is larger than a Siberian tiger. In her lion form, Aeris is faster, stronger, and can take more hits without faltering. Her black gloves remain in her lion form, and although she cannot speak, she still retains her human mind.
Healing Begins by Tenth Avenue North: This song causes emerald energy to appear around Aeris's hands. This energy can heal injuries of all kinds, ranging from simple cuts and bruises to mortal wounds. However, Aeris cannot heal anyone who is not still on the edge of life, and thus cannot bring back the dead. In addition, the worse the wound Aeris heals, the more of a dramatic toll it takes on her body.
The Word Is Alive by Casting Crowns: This song causes a large black and gold Bible to manifest near Aeris. It floats under its own power but can be mentally forced back towards Aeris. Once Aeris opens it, the words on the Bible's pages float in the air, and she can grab at them. Once held, the words solidify into black swords with gold hilts. These swords are nearly indestructible, but only one of them can be used at a time. If the Bible is destroyed, the swords dissipate.
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Calvin Altberg
[SPOILI]
Name: Calvin Altberg
Age: 17
Appearance: Calvin is a fellow of average height, with wavy blond hair and deep green eyes that shine like broken emeralds. His face is angular and sharp, making him comparable to a Greek statue, although quite a bit more sinister and devious. His smiles are those of trickster, mostly genuine, yet still hiding some poisonous quality underneath.
Calvin's clothes consist of a black undershirt with a orange design that resembles an old-fashioned robot. He wears a nice dark blue blazer, and completes this ensemble with dark blue pants and yellow Nike sneakers. Calvin's clothes always seem to be pristine and perfect, despite all the trouble he tends to get in on a daily basis.
Paraphenalia: Calvin's prized wireless yellow headphones always stay around his neck, and they are connected through a transceiver to his yellow iPod Classic. He also carries a wallet full of fake indentification with him, as well as a couple stolen credit cards. He tends to use the things in this wallet often.
Personality: To say that Calvin is a person who takes advantage of everything and anyone would sum him up well. A wanderer and a drifter by nature, Calvin has no time for friends and allies, and tends to make temporary acquaintinces of people at best. Gifted with a naturally charming personality, he comes of as a generous guy who simply wants to lend someone a hand. Of course, people will quickly find that there is almost always somethng in it for Calvin, and that his help always comes at a price.
Calvin's roguish nature has made him zero friends, a fact that he seems perfectly fine with. He naturally trusts no one, and goes to great lengths to hide important details about his own background from other people. Behind his facade, however, Calvin has a great many fears, mostly about what he left behind as a child and of how people truly percieve him. If anything, he secretly yearns to be that wonderful person that he's pretended to be time and time again.
Skills: Calvin's natural charm lends him to be an expert smooth talker and schmoozer. He is adept at telling people exactly what they want to hear, playing on their assumptions of him. He knows how to pick a lock, and can pickpocket a slow person if ever he wanted to. Calvin is also surprisingly good at parkour, a talent which has helped him escape from unsavory opponents many times in the past.
Biography: The details of Calvin's early life are unknown even to him. He remembers nothing before the age of ten, and it is almost as if that entire part of his existence was completely siphoned from his memory. Nevertheless, he's never let his unknown past stop him before, and he has continued through life the same way since. For Calvin, skills at trickery and conning others are his only friends. He learned what it was to be a Music Master early on, and took advantage of every aspect of it. With his song effects, he easily robbed stores for the things he needed, taking care to never be caught on camera or seen by anyone with keen eyes. He learned his trade quickly, eventually realizing he could have others stupider than him do a lot of his work for him.
So, Calvin became known by many names as a conman among Music Masters. He led plenty of Music Masters on one wild goose chase or another, revealing at the last possible moment that he had just taken them all for a ride. In this way, Calvin has stolen bank account numbers, expensive instruments, and even fine clothes from many a Music Master. And for the longest time, even Zero Beat had trouble finding him. His trails were always clear of evidence, and those who did end up finding him never had him for too long. Everything seemed to be going exactly the way Calvin wanted it to.
Until an afro-headed teen by the name of Michael Kay came into his life. Calvin saw him as the perfect man to con, realizing too late that getting involved with Michael and his problems was going to cost him a lot more than he'd ever imagined.
Song Effects:
Angel In The Night by Basshunter: This song allows Calvin to manifest sinewy techno-armor that covers every inch of his skin except his hair. Instead of his usual blonde hair, Calvin's hair becomes a mass of thick, copper strands. The armor that covers Calvin's body is neon yellow in color, with red veins pulsing throughout it. In this armor form, Calvin can fire bolts of neon light that detonate on impact, and can fly at great speeds under his own power. The armor is fragile, however, and can be easily pummeled into submission.
Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger by Daft Punk: This song allows Calvin to create and harness multi-colored squares, which can fly with the grace of hummingbirds and are empowered by Harmonizeo. They naturally surround him like a swarm, and he can direct them at targets, which they will attempt to pulverize with their sheer numbers and high durability. In addition, he can detonate them for explosive effect, or use themto defend him as a make-shift shield.
Genesis by Justice: This song allows Calvin to shape-shift into a dinosaur-like creature of monstrous proportions. Its skin is a neon green, and its back spines are an equally neon blue. The creature has a thick tail and powerful detrigrade hind limbs, as well as strong grasping claws with opposable thumbs. In this monster form, Calvin gains great strength, durability and enhanced speed, but its most powerful feature power is the ability to fire beams of super hot, neon orange Harmonizeo, which can decimate metal and flesh alike. However, Calvin loses some of his senses and becomes more bestial under this state, as well as becoming incapable of normal human speech.
Stars Come Out by Calvin Harris: This song allows Calvin to absorb the solar energy from stars, even ones that are hundreds of light years away in space. The energy from these stars interacts with Harmonizeo, giving Calvin the ability to shoot out yellow lasers from his palms that can be turned into grids of hard light. These grids are mildly durable and capable of turning into cages that can keep a human trapped for a period of time. During the day, this song effect has the above effect and is only somewhat useful. At night, especially under a starry sky, the light travels at its fastest, is superbly durable, and can even be heated up to a degree rivaling that of an actual sun.
We Come Together by Goldfish: This song changes Calvin's entire molecular structure into billions of tiny squares that resemble 8-bit pixels. He can separate himself at will, but only to disperse powerful blows. In addition, Calvin can duplicate himself into pixelated copies that fight under his command. These dupes do not share his dispersion ability however, and when destroyed, Calvin will experience pain and fatigue for each one. The limit of how many dupes Calvin can create is limited only by his endurance. In desperation, Calvin can absorb all his dupes at once, increasing his size and his strength. This desperate move only lasts for a few seconds however, and Calvin tire soon after it returns him to normal size.
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That's about it where Music Masters is concerned for now. I've still got some work to do, and you know, if anyone has any ideas or opinions, please, please, please, post some! I always loving hearing that stuff.