David Null plays Guitar

Subject: David Null plays Guitar
Author: Kittyauthor
Posted on: 2022-04-28 12:18:54 UTC

When agents idle, they tend to do many things. Some cause chaos at HQ (those are never left to idle again), some spend time with friends-

CRASH!

And some, well, some do that.

David Null flinched, dropping the guitar pick in the process. He sighed, then took off the guitar to pick it up again.

CRASH! Thud!

"I found it!" K called out. He wandered out of the second cabinet, holding a cheap, fuvggy plastic recorder as if it was some trophy. "I finally found it!"

"Oh?" David said. "And why did you want to find a fuvggy instrument?"

"Oh, don't be like that!" K said. "It was mentioned in a Shakespeare play, wasn't it? I thought you like these things!"

"Well," David replied, "when you have three children, two of them go through music class and host a recorder concert, and one of them was given a recorder as a birthday gift and wouldn't stop playing it..." He sighed and sat back down. "Well, I had thought they got a puppy without me knowing." He put the guitar back onto his lap, positioned the shoulder strap, and began casually playing a Sue-killing song.

"What play was it mentioned in?" K asked. He sat down on what was Matt's bed.

"Hamlet," David said. "I think I could remember the exact lines if you wanted to know them." He paused in his playing and looked at K.

"No thanks," K replied. "I don't want Flowers sending us to a Hamlet mission. I'm afraid you'd be too nitpicky."

"It shpxing Hamlet," David said. He went back to playing the guitar. "Of course I'd be too nitpicky."

"But you don't really need to be," K replied. "You-"

A paper fluttered in from under the door and tapped David's shoe. Dabid paused in his playing to pick it up and hand it over to K.

"Mail for you, probably," David said. He started playing again.

"Huh," K said. "Looks like the PPC is forming an orchestra."

"Well, I can barely stand being lead by other people," David replied. "But continue."

"It's completely voluntary-"

"Since when is anything here voluntary?"

"No pay increases-"

"This is the shpxing PPC, of course there wouldn't be pay!"

"And they're looking for pretty much anyone with any talent in musical playing," K finished.

"So not you," David replied. K rolled up the paper and playfully smack him on the shoulder. "I'm kidding! Maybe."

"I know how to read musical sheets," K said.

"You're lying," David replied. He stopped playing for a moment to look at K. "Right?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure no one is looking for a recorder player," K said, shrugging.

"Wait a minute," David said. "You know how to play an instrument?"

"Required lessons in the recorder when I was younger," K replied.

David put down the guitar. "From what I heard, the recorder isn't much different than the flute," he said. "Why don't we go find one? There has to be a spare one floating around in this shpxing place."

"Really?" K asked. "You mean it?"

"Well," David replied. "I don't think there's any harm, besides maybe my shpxing ears, if we get you a flute."

K sighed. "You're against the idea."

"No," David replied. "I'm against the idea of me playing. Let's go find you a shpxing flute."

Will David Null be forced to play anyways? Or will K be able to play the flute? Maybe we'll find out!

(Also, I know all flutes =/= recorders, but recorders are a type of flute, I think, and I was told that a flute was a more complicated recorder, so that's why there's a comparison.)

-kA, who is tired.

(Edit: a letter)

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Philharmonic of the Plot Continuum by K. n. Shirayuki on 2022-04-26 16:26:41 UTC Reply

I was thinking starting a full-fledged RP based on this concept, but since I'm probably not allowed and I have exactly zero experience conducting (ahem) an RP, I'll make this thread a headcanon collection.

Lately I've gotten really into imagining characters from my fandoms as orchestral musicians (heck, I've straight-up written an orch AU for one of said fandoms), so I figure it'd be fun to bring this game over to the PPC as well. I'd like to see Permitted boarders' headcanons on what their agents would be like as musicians in the Philharmonic of the Plot Continuum. Do include:

which instruments they'd play (conducting counts)
where they'd sit (are they the concertmaster/orchestral leader? Way in the back? Do the pair sit right next to each other/share a desk, or are they way apart?)
what kind of music they like to play most
how they interact with everyone else in the orchestra

You can also write a short story snippet in true RP fashion if you like!

"What's this?" said Rebecca, picking up a piece of paper that had been shoved under the door. by TheBefuddledBookworm on 2022-04-30 14:46:30 UTC Reply

She read it. "Huh. It says 'Musicians and concertmaster/mistresses wanted. Must be able to read music or otherwise be able to learn by ear.' I can read music, and I was in an orchestra for a few years."

((more soon))

Can't wait to see what instrument 😉 by K. n. Shirayuki on 2022-04-30 15:34:06 UTC Edited Reply

A bit of clarification though: a concertmaster is the leader of first violin section (a.k.a. a musician), while the person waving a baton is a conductor.

"Are you coming?" She asked Deirdre. by TheBefuddledBookworm on 2022-04-30 15:53:42 UTC Reply

"Nah, I don't know any instruments." Deirdre could sing a bit here and there, but she'd never taken lessons.

Rebecca grabbed her violin case and walked out the door. "If I'm not back by tonight, you can go looking for me," she said, closing the door behind her. She walked off to find the orchestra, whistling a tune to herself so as to be distracted enough to get there.

Mina stormed out of her room, muttering under her breath. by Linstar on 2022-05-01 18:20:50 UTC Edited Reply

"Stupid partner. Why does he have to be such sourpuss any--" She stopped when she saw that Rebecca was walking alongside her, carrying a violin case. "Are you joining the orchestra too?"

"Yes, I am. Hopefully it'll be better than the one I was in at school, but I don't know." (nm) by TheBefuddledBookworm on 2022-05-02 16:20:46 UTC Reply

"Cool!" said Mina. by Linstar on 2022-05-02 18:22:06 UTC Edited Reply

"I'm Mina, department of Floaters, RC -?. And this," she nodded towards the guitar case she was carrying. "Is my guitar, Flurffles."

((Yup, she named her guitar.))

"You named a guitar Flurffles? It isn't covered in fur, is it?" Rebecca wasn't sure... by TheBefuddledBookworm on 2022-05-02 18:25:11 UTC Reply

... what to make of that.

"No, scales, of course. Why would I have it covered in fur?" (nm) by Linstar on 2022-05-02 18:28:02 UTC Reply

"But why would you name it that if it isn't fluffy?" Rebecca asked her. (nm) by TheBefuddledBookworm on 2022-05-02 18:32:10 UTC Reply

"What else would I name it?" (nm) by Linstar on 2022-05-02 18:36:12 UTC Edited Reply

Mina looked puzzled. "Anyway, what's your name?"

"I'm Rebecca. I've never thought of naming an instrument, I guess." (nm) by TheBefuddledBookworm on 2022-05-02 18:46:22 UTC Reply

"Nice to meet you!" said Mina. by Linstar on 2022-05-02 18:53:48 UTC Reply

"Do you play violin?" She nodded towards the violin case.

"Yes, I do. I've been playing for about five years. I like playing folk music. Especially Irish." (nm) by TheBefuddledBookworm on 2022-05-02 19:13:51 UTC Reply

"Wow," by Linstar on 2022-05-02 19:28:26 UTC Reply

Mina said. "I've only had this guitar for three days."

"It's taken me this long, and I'm not even especially good as classical violinists go. by TheBefuddledBookworm on 2022-05-02 19:33:29 UTC Reply

Or fiddlers, for that matter. It takes a long time to get to be even passably goot at playing an instrument. Maybe it would have taken me less time if I'd practiced more, but I don't have all the time in the world, what with being an agent and trying to squeeze in a few classes here and there."

As she said that, the two Agents arrived at the Orchestra room. by Linstar on 2022-05-02 19:38:55 UTC Reply

"Here we are!" said Mina.

"Yes, but where is everybody? Is this the wrong time or something?" Rebecca wondered out loud. (nm) by TheBefuddledBookworm on 2022-05-02 20:44:14 UTC Reply

Mina sat down on a bench. by Linstar on 2022-05-02 21:35:42 UTC Reply

"I can give you a demonstration, though!"

She unzipped the case and withdrew a guitar covered in purple scales. Three of the strings were broken, and the word "Flurffles" was written on it in uneven letters. Mina took out a pink, sparkly guitar pick. "This is just the second time I've tried to play this!"

The cacophony was horrendous.

"Ack! Ow!" said Rebecca, rubbing her ears. "You need more practice with that. A lot more practice." (nm) by TheBefuddledBookworm on 2022-05-02 21:50:49 UTC Reply

Mina sighed. "You may have point." (nm) by Linstar on 2022-05-02 22:01:39 UTC Reply

((Any chance my Mina can bump into her?)) (nm) by Linstar on 2022-04-30 16:02:55 UTC Reply

((Why not? People are always meeting each other in unexpected places in HQ, or so I've heard.)) (nm) by TheBefuddledBookworm on 2022-05-01 14:28:27 UTC Reply

((All right, then...)) (nm) by Linstar on 2022-05-01 18:19:54 UTC Reply

The Music of SOM167168 by Sierpinksi on 2022-04-28 23:22:39 UTC Edited Writing RP Reply

Noman stepped out of the bathroom, having finally scraped the last of the glitter off of his body and clothes. (The terrible thing about Mary Sue glitter is that, just like real glitter, it gets stuck everywhere, in places unknown and unfathomable to common, decent pollutants.) Shaking himself off, he wandered about the RC, noticing Winfrey bobbing her head and chirping along to something. She was doing a pretty decent job, making long whistling calls and trills easily as she spun a screwdriver in one hand, holding a glass of mixed Bleepka and orange juice in the other.

Noman sat down next to Winfrey, and she turned to face him, placing her screwdriver in a drawer and taking a long sip of her drink, which was confusingly also called a screwdriver.

"What're you singing?" Noman asked, unfamiliar.

"Tintin On The Moon, sorta," Winfrey said back, "hard to get the Noisemaker's mix down while chirping it."

"I saw a poster for some sorta... music festival, from out and around HQ."

"Oh, should we go?" Winfrey asked, "I'm a pretty good singer."

"Well, last time, someone messed with the sheet music and replaced it with the Brown Note. But hey, I'll pack some fresh pants and a shower-in-a-can just in case."

Winfrey winced and spluttered, ending her chirping performance. Noman casually noted Chrysostom's 11th Discourse opened on Winfrey's tablet computer, alongside her music playlist. He tipped his head at her.

"Huh. X-CEED's Flip-Flap next to Poor Man's Poison's Providence? Next to an hour of Bach, Handel, and Shostakovich?"

"Like you are one to talk about weird music taste! Ready To Die has no business being in the same playlist as Glorious Morning!"

"You're reading fanfic right now about how..." Noman squinted (baffling Winfrey, as Noman lacked eyes to squint with) at Winfrey's notes "...Hector survived the Trojan War, and how Troy won the war in truth?"

"I-It's not fanfiction, it's a historical debate!"

Noman casually turned to face the reader, leaving Winfrey utterly baffled.

"You know, I think we've drifted off course," he said.

"Who are you talking to?"

"You'll get it, later."

Winfrey sighed, clearing her throat again as she began to try and sing once more. This time, just to spite Noman, she was singing the opening theme to Barney & Friends.

His screams brought her some small comfort.

That made me laugh. Now I need to write one of those. (nm) by TheBefuddledBookworm on 2022-04-28 23:30:05 UTC Reply

Links To Every Reference by Sierpinksi on 2022-04-28 23:51:14 UTC Edited Reply

If you're a fan of the classics, here is what Winfrey was reading.

This is Tintin On The Moon: Noisemaker's Mix.

This is Flip-Flap by XCEED

This is Providence by Poor Man's Poison

Bach, Handel, and Shostakovich are composers

This is Glorious Morning by Waterflame.

This is Ready To Die by Andrew W.K. (mild violence warning.)

For the sake of everyone's souls, I will not link the Barney & Friends theme.

This starting now is actually kinda funny for me. by Kittyauthor on 2022-04-27 11:23:26 UTC Reply

My Drama Club/Thespian Troupe is performing Grease and one of the members has been carrying around a guitar and randomly playing songs (he once play "Seven Nations Army" while we were waiting for everyone to arrive at a meeting).

It's kinda funny at times.

And, because of him, I was thinking about making an agent play guitar.

-kA

(I'll make an intro RP post soon. I'm just busy right now.)

David Null plays Guitar by Kittyauthor on 2022-04-28 12:18:54 UTC Edited Reply

When agents idle, they tend to do many things. Some cause chaos at HQ (those are never left to idle again), some spend time with friends-

CRASH!

And some, well, some do that.

David Null flinched, dropping the guitar pick in the process. He sighed, then took off the guitar to pick it up again.

CRASH! Thud!

"I found it!" K called out. He wandered out of the second cabinet, holding a cheap, fuvggy plastic recorder as if it was some trophy. "I finally found it!"

"Oh?" David said. "And why did you want to find a fuvggy instrument?"

"Oh, don't be like that!" K said. "It was mentioned in a Shakespeare play, wasn't it? I thought you like these things!"

"Well," David replied, "when you have three children, two of them go through music class and host a recorder concert, and one of them was given a recorder as a birthday gift and wouldn't stop playing it..." He sighed and sat back down. "Well, I had thought they got a puppy without me knowing." He put the guitar back onto his lap, positioned the shoulder strap, and began casually playing a Sue-killing song.

"What play was it mentioned in?" K asked. He sat down on what was Matt's bed.

"Hamlet," David said. "I think I could remember the exact lines if you wanted to know them." He paused in his playing and looked at K.

"No thanks," K replied. "I don't want Flowers sending us to a Hamlet mission. I'm afraid you'd be too nitpicky."

"It shpxing Hamlet," David said. He went back to playing the guitar. "Of course I'd be too nitpicky."

"But you don't really need to be," K replied. "You-"

A paper fluttered in from under the door and tapped David's shoe. Dabid paused in his playing to pick it up and hand it over to K.

"Mail for you, probably," David said. He started playing again.

"Huh," K said. "Looks like the PPC is forming an orchestra."

"Well, I can barely stand being lead by other people," David replied. "But continue."

"It's completely voluntary-"

"Since when is anything here voluntary?"

"No pay increases-"

"This is the shpxing PPC, of course there wouldn't be pay!"

"And they're looking for pretty much anyone with any talent in musical playing," K finished.

"So not you," David replied. K rolled up the paper and playfully smack him on the shoulder. "I'm kidding! Maybe."

"I know how to read musical sheets," K said.

"You're lying," David replied. He stopped playing for a moment to look at K. "Right?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure no one is looking for a recorder player," K said, shrugging.

"Wait a minute," David said. "You know how to play an instrument?"

"Required lessons in the recorder when I was younger," K replied.

David put down the guitar. "From what I heard, the recorder isn't much different than the flute," he said. "Why don't we go find one? There has to be a spare one floating around in this shpxing place."

"Really?" K asked. "You mean it?"

"Well," David replied. "I don't think there's any harm, besides maybe my shpxing ears, if we get you a flute."

K sighed. "You're against the idea."

"No," David replied. "I'm against the idea of me playing. Let's go find you a shpxing flute."

Will David Null be forced to play anyways? Or will K be able to play the flute? Maybe we'll find out!

(Also, I know all flutes =/= recorders, but recorders are a type of flute, I think, and I was told that a flute was a more complicated recorder, so that's why there's a comparison.)

-kA, who is tired.

(Edit: a letter)

If they're in the market for a flute, they should stop by RC 1110. {= D by Neshomeh on 2022-04-29 02:09:45 UTC Reply

Derik has one he's willing to lend! It's a typical Western concert flute, though, so K might actually want to borrow the recorder instead. It is not a crummy plastic one. {= )

~Neshomeh

Here goes: by Linstar on 2022-04-27 04:52:41 UTC Edited Reply

(Very quick bios 'cause these two are new) Carlisle - Grumpy, formal forty-year-old human. Mina - Cheerful fifteen-year-old ex-Sue. Tends to overuse punctuation.

Mina shoved the pamphlet in Carlisle's face. "Look!" she said. There's a PPC orchestra. Can we join? Now? Please???"

Carlisle sighed and took the pamphlet from her. "It says that you need some sort of musical experience to join. And your guitar playing isn't, er, something that needs to be shared. Nor is it orchestral, for that matter. Now, please stop the barrage of question marks. I'm simply choosing to not accompany you."

"Fine!" Mina said. "Then I'm going by myself." She turned towards her (~~slightly~~ sparkly) room to find the instrument in question.

Thoughts, anyone?
Let's see... by Philly on 2022-04-27 00:24:09 UTC Reply

Spensor plays the cymbals and is quite irritating with them during rehearsal. Phil plays the piccolo and is the usual target of Spensor's antics.
You are allowed to cond--lead an RP. {= ) by Neshomeh on 2022-04-26 22:16:07 UTC Edited Reply

Anyone can start an RP! Use the Other Board so the RP thread doesn't eat the main Board if it gets big.

I'll admit I don't quite see how an orchestra RP would work, but I don't have to. {= )

~Neshomeh is in the choir, see you for "O Fortuna"!

Oh, also! This isn't the first time someone thought of a PPC symphony orchestra! by Neshomeh on 2022-04-27 04:30:50 UTC Reply
Ladies, gentlemen, and goodbeings, I give you: Selections from "The Mary Sue" performed by the Caffeine Overload Symphony and the All-HQ Choir, conducted by Agent Handel!

It's a shame so little survives from 2006-2007. I'm sure there was a thread with people discussing what instruments their agents would play and stuff like that, too—not necessarily related to the Filk Game; not necessarily even in the same year. I wouldn't be surprised if it's happened multiple times!

As for my agents, Derik is the only one who'd think seriously about getting involved. He's competent on a variety of stringed instruments, and he has a collection that he's acquired from missions:

Derik's Abused Instrument Shelter
1. Violin, formerly owned by Janessa from "Never Let Go"
2. Spanish guitar, as 1.
3. Very old guitar, formerly owned by Bronwyn from "The Empty Vessel." May have the ability to turn into a sword.
4. Elvish lute, formerly owned by Celeborn and loaned to Bronwyn.
5. Elvish harp, formerly owned by Celeborn and loaned to Bronwyn. (Unless it's the one formerly owned by Haldir.)
6. Maybe a reed flute, formerly owned by Bronwyn.
7. Flute, formerly owned by Erika de l'Opera from "The Phantomess of the Opera and the Half-Blood Prince."
8. Recorder, as 7.
9. Violin, as 7. (Definitely not infested with wrackspurts!)
"The Empty Vessel" hasn't been written 'cause it was meant to be a co-write and my co-writer isn't around anymore, but I'm counting it anyway. Derik is very fond of that Elvish harp! ... He probably isn't very good with a modern flute, though ("What are all these fussy little flappy bits?"), so if anybody wants it, he'll loan it to them. You'd best not put a scratch on it, though...

^_~

~Neshomeh
Oooh! Can I do O fortuna too? (nm) by TheBefuddledBookworm on 2022-04-26 23:16:07 UTC Reply

Hac in hora, sine mora, corde pulsum tangite! by Neshomeh on 2022-04-27 03:53:12 UTC Reply

(Translation: "So at this hour, without delay, pluck the vibrating strings!" Line from the final stanza of "O Fortuna.")

That is to say, yes. {= D

I've had the pleasure of performing Carmina Burana twice, once in the children's choir and once in the adult choir. Ten out of ten, would recommend.

~Neshomeh

Can I include my Agents even without Permission? (nm) by Linstar on 2022-04-26 20:31:59 UTC Reply

I think so? by TheBefuddledBookworm on 2022-04-26 20:58:03 UTC Reply

I'm pretty sure the rule is that people who don't have Permission can participate in roleplays as long as the person starting the roleplay doesn't mind.

Well, then by Linstar on 2022-04-26 21:21:33 UTC Edited Reply
May I use my non-canon Agents, Yuki? (That nickname’s okay, right?)
- Ls

Go right ahead 😉 (nm) by K. n. Shirayuki on 2022-04-26 23:19:19 UTC Reply

Thanks! (nm) by Linstar on 2022-04-27 00:35:45 UTC Reply

Oh brother… by Scarlett on 2022-04-26 17:37:06 UTC Reply

“A PPC orchestra?” Diamond squinted at the pamphlet that had been slid under the door of RC 2314. “Why would the PPC need an orchestra?” She winced at the idea already forming in her head. “All those not musically trained mortals…ugh. They will be in need of me.”

Her partner looked up from re-reading ‘The Return of the King’ for the umpteenth time. “An orchestra in the PPC with you singing opera.” She paused. “Do death metal screams count as orchestral music? ‘Cause I can do a decent one and I feel like it would fit nicely.”

“… You are a disgrace to all things musical.”

“My music counts as music, just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean…”

<><><><><>

In RC 6, a similar argument was brewing, although it was broken periodically by what sounded like a dying duck trying to be a pig.

“No, Quinn, you are not trying out for the orchestra, especially not with that!” Doom gestured vehemently at what Thalia was attempting to tune.

Thalia stuck out her lower lip. “And what’s wrong with my kazoo?”

“You’ve got to be kidding me…”

🤣🤣👏👏 by K. n. Shirayuki on 2022-04-26 23:22:37 UTC Reply

Will they get admitted or will they get laughed out? I can't wait to find out!

I like this idea. by TheBefuddledBookworm on 2022-04-26 17:00:16 UTC Reply

Rebecca Buch plays violin. She plays first violin, specifically. She especially likes to play folk music, especially Irish folk music and jigs. She would play rock'n'roll if she knew any. She is generally friendly with most of the people in the orchestra, and wants to learn guitar and/or ukulele someday if she ever has time to pick up an instrument. Or maybe she'll just go back and do piano, shich she started learning but switched over to violin. She also likes to sing.

So, first violin by K. n. Shirayuki on 2022-04-26 17:03:45 UTC Reply

Is she the concertmaster, or is she just in that section?

Just in that section. What's a concert master again? I feel like I should know what that is. (nm) by TheBefuddledBookworm on 2022-04-26 17:11:09 UTC Reply

Concertmaster/concertmistress by K. n. Shirayuki on 2022-04-26 17:15:49 UTC Edited Reply

also called orchestral leader, is the leader of first violin section, whose role in an orchestra is pretty much second to the conductor. Wonder why all the string players' bowings are in sync? It's the CM's job to make sure they're that way. On top of that, they also have the usual section leader duty to play solo bits for their instrument. From the audience's point of view, the CM is the violinist sitting to the immediate left of the conductor, which is where the red circle in this photo marks.

The violinist sharing a desk with the CM is called an associate or assistant CM, whose job is to fill in for the CM if they're not available.

Thank you. Now that I know what that is, I think she would be concert mistress.... by TheBefuddledBookworm on 2022-04-26 18:13:43 UTC Reply

although she would definitely grumble about that. I'm one of the oldest/most experienced first violins in my classical violin teacher's orchestra (which is pretty much all violins) and I'm sort of this. Well, the other first violins sort of rely on my sister and I to not mess things up, anyway. There are hardly any first violins, and the orchestra really needs us to be there. I will stop now, before this turns into too much of a rant about how suboptimal my orchestra is.