I was going to be productive today with working on the new blog some more but... ... ... I saw that the Uta no Prince-sama Maji Love STARISH Tours now on HiDIVE. Bless~ I love this series so damn much, even though I don’t talk about it much~

Yandere Sub AU (Fairytale AU) - Tokiya Ichinose ver.

    Ever since Tokiya was a young boy he always loved music. He wanted to pursue it as a career and travel around the world sharing his love for the art. His parents however did not support this wish of his. No matter how hard he worked or how talented he was his parents did not want to join in on this journey of his life. Leaving him by his lonesome as he struggled through.

    He worked very hard and was an amazing vocalist. He would always take small gigs and do outdoor work for small tips. Yet it was hard to live with that sort of salary. With no parents or someone to rely on he had to get another job alongside trying to make his dreams work. Day in and out he worked hard in his job and tried to get his dreams rolling.

    It ended up becoming the same repeated pattern everyday. Work then focus on his dreams second. There were times he thought he would never be able to accomplish what he wants. The flame inside of him burning lower and lower.

    On a usual monday afternoon he was stacking books on shelves as he normally does. How he did it was automatic due to doing the repeated action so many times. Occasionally a person would interrupt this pattern to ask about something, which he would reply to quickly and politely.

    “Umm, excuse me.” Someone caught his attention breaking his usual flow. He gave them a polite smile, “Yes, what may I help you with?”

    The person holds up a music book, “I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of your music books?” He points and tells them where they can find them before returning to his work. Except the person stays.

    “Do you need my help with something else?” He asks them, being slightly bothered by their presence. He watches them shift uncomfortably, “W-Well, I don’t really know what to get. So could you help me choose?”

    He gives them a simple form of agreement then sets down the book he was putting on the shelf before leading them to the music section. From there he asked what level they were, “excuse me, but how advanced are you in music?” He watches them think before giving him an answer, “I know how to play the piano well, but I can’t play complicated pieces yet.”

    He thinks over their words before picking out a few books in the section, “here, these should work for your level. Then this one should help to challenge you so you can move on.” The person’s face lights up as he explains each book chosen in detail. They accept the books and tell him, “Wow! You really know a lot about music! Are… or were you involved with it somehow?”

    Their words leave him speechless as he wasn’t expecting them to be that impressed. Finding the words he says, “...I’m involved with music. I do some gigs from time to time, but it’s mostly outside work.” He sees them bubble up with excitement.

    “Really?! Can I watch you perform sometime?” There’s a sparkle in their eyes. He smiles a small smile and is about to reply when someone interrupts, “Ichinose, stop talking about your hobbies and get back to work.” They jump in surprise while he’s used to this. He gives them an apologetic expression while his eyes are clouded over in a deep sadness.

    Before the person he helped leaves they whisper something to him, “don’t worry, I’ll look all over town to see you perform if I have too.” Their smile is incredibly bright as they give him a ‘thanks’ before walking off to go buy their new books. He stares at them in silent awe before going back to his original mundane task at hand.

    A few days later in the central town square he sets up the few things he has which consists of a wooden box, a can for tips, and then his sheet music which he keeps beside him just in case he may need it. Yet he already knows all the songs by heart. Today as he gets ready he can only hope that the person from a few days past ends up hearing his song.

    He takes a deep breath in then sings. He sings with a brighter flame inside his heart with as much passion as he can muster. Quite a few onlookers watch him sing but still not the one he was hoping for. When he sings his last song someone shuffles their way up in front to watch him. That person is them.

    He gives them the best performance he can and once he’s done he bows to his audience. They clap at his public concert and when he stands back up he’s looking at them. Clapping happily and bouncing in awe.

    Once the clapping dies down the people make their way to give him whatever spare change they have. As the people clear out he finds the last one standing to be the person from earlier. They walk up to him with a smile on their face.

    “Did you enjoy it?” He asks them with a hopefulness inside him. They eagerly nod their head, “Yes! I did! It was amazing! I never saw anything like that before!” Their comments and praise made him happy. Like what he was doing was finally worth it. Like he should continue with his dreams.

    “Oh! That reminds me!” They suddenly exclaim causing him to look at them in confusion. They dig around in the book they are carrying before pulling some papers out and extending them his way.

    “Here, these are for you!” They smile as they hold the papers out. He takes them and looks them over. They are compositions. He looks back up at them, “Why are you giving these to me?” They end up blushing at his words.

    “Y-You see, once I met and talked to you… I suddenly heard a melody to play. So the song is inspired by you, and since you sing… maybe you could write lyrics to them?” They talk bashfully as they get their reasoning out. He takes another glimpse at the compositions noticing their name in the top right corner. He thinks about how much they must believe in him to give him a song. They support his dreams.

    “Thank you for these songs. I’ll write fitting lyrics for them.” He gives them a small smile of hope as they bring their book in front of them and hug it to their chest. They look down at the ground as they smile. Something crosses their mind before looking back up at him.

    “I-If you would like… and if you like my songs. Then possibly… we could work together?” They tilt their head to the side. Someone wants to share his dreams with him? He never thought that someone would want to join in with him. He thought this was all just a lone journey and that he wouldn’t have anyone to share his joys and pains with. A spark of something shines in his eyes.

    “Yes, I would like to work with you from now on.” He bows at them in agreement making them do a quick curtsy/bow back. When they spring back up they give him an encouraging smile, “I can’t wait to start working with you!”

    The two of them share a few more details and where they will meet up and practice before going their own way. Both of them are light and happy at the prospect of the future. For the next few weeks the performer works on writing lyrics to the songs he got and when the two meet up they work on the songs together.

    Doing this however pushes the performers job to the back of his mind. Still going to work to pay his bills but not really getting into the usual patterns he normally does. Causing him to do less than perfect work. That only became more prominent with them coming into the store.

    “Hey, Tokiya!” They shout and wave at him as they walk up. He pauses his current task to give them a smile.

    “I think changing these measures makes it sound and flow better with your lyrics here.” They point to the changed part in the score. He looks it over and gives his agreement. They talk over the piece some more, before they are once again interrupted.

    “Talking about music again Ichinose? You know I can tell your work is really slacking lately too. Maybe if you were just as focused as you are in your hobby then you could possibly keep your job.” The two of them look at his boss.

    “I would prefer it if you didn’t call it a hobby.” He stares at the man knocking down his dream. All he does is laugh, “Do you really think you can be a singer without having to work another job? Come on Ichinose, you need this job.” Tokiya can feel a deep pit starting to form in his stomach. He doesn’t need this job. All he needs is them and their music.

    “You’re wrong. I don’t need this job.” He takes off his apron and places it on the books, “I quit.” Both his boss and them are shocked at his words and actions.

    “Let’s go.” Tokiya says to them as he walks by. The boss is trying to find his bearings as they snap out of their state of shock to follow after him.

    “T-Tokiya… w-wait! Don’t you think that’s being too rash?” They ask him as they leave the bookstore. He stops to turn around at them, “It’s fine, I don’t need that job. All I need is our music and you.” The composer can’t help but to feel butterflies in their stomach. They look away with a blush forming up to their ears.

    “D-Do you really feel that way? I-If you’re quitting because of me, then maybe this wasn’t a good idea to work together…” Tokiya has to convince them that they were the right choice, that they were the one he wanted to be with all the time with no interference from his job.

    He walks closer to them and grabs their arms. They look up at him with the blush still on their face, with their eyes looking lovestruck.

    “Everything will be alright. Now we have more time to focus on our music and each other. Let’s make our dreams come true together.” They nod their head slowly at him. In the heat of the moment, the both of them close their eyes and lean closer. Feeling their lips connect together. Only parting when they need to breathe.

    He brings them into a hug planning on not ever letting his precious composer go. He won’t give up the only person who supported his dreams. Together they’ll reach that happily ever after.

   With no one to support his dreams he was by himself. Now he has you to help make it all possible. The missing beam of support to help him reach his goal.

utapri music school headcanons

okay so like, i know the utapri boys went to a music school in the game and anime, but what if they attended a music university? like the one i’m going to now?

otoya

probably a music ed major with songwriting on the side; he loves kids and he loves to entertain!

plays on the university soccer team

in choir; sings tenor 1 usually

plays with ranmaru’s rock band from time to time, even though he wasn’t the first person who was asked to play guitar with them

was in the chorus for the winter opera and spring musical for a couple of years; he played guitar in the pit orchestra whenever there was a part available for him, but he often had conflicts due to sports

tokiya

vocal performance major with a minor in music technology

his goals are relatively the same as they were in the game/anime: to become an idol and a recording artist

in both choir and chorus; often passes between tenor 1 and 2 depending on the range of the part

has acted in the winter opera and spring musical every year and has landed a main role at least twice for both

teaches voice class and acts as an assistant conductor for the choirs as a grad student

natsuki

probably also a music ed major. he just loves kids!

really passionate about diversity in the education system

principal viola in the symphony orchestra

teaches viola and string pedagogy classes and coaches a string chamber group as a grad student; he and syo often team up together for demonstrations in the classes they’re teaching

does pit orchestra for winter opera and spring musical whenever there is a part for him

masato

hard to say for him, but i think he’d double in piano performance and education

has played many concertos with the symphony orchestra for the concerto competition in the spring, and has played the grieg concerto with them and with a string chamber group

plays piano with the jazz band

as a grad student, he’d probably teach introductory keyboard

plays piano in pit every time they need one

ren

jazz studies major. like seriously. he rocks the fuck out of his sax at every jazz band rehearsal and concert

usually has all the solos in jazz band; switches between alto and tenor usually, but can play soprano if desired

has only played in pit twice for the spring musical; that’s all they had sax parts for

fucking incredible jazz and woodwind pedagogist and is super knowledgable on the topic. very great teacher and explainer

coaches a jazz quartet as a grad student

syo

obviously a performance major. he has so much energy and he loves to entertain

probably does a bunch of sports as well and is on the soccer team with otoya

flip flops between first and second violin, but he usually has a really high chair

always plays in pit for the opera, but never gets the chance to in the spring because of soccer

also teaches string and violin pedagogy classes and coaches a string chamber group as a grad student; actually ends up being a fantastic teacher

cecil

probably also an ed major with a side of composition

first chair flute in symphony orchestra

he also joins his friends in the pit for the opera and musical

in charge of woodwind pedagogy classes as a grad student, but probably goes to ren for any info he may need because of his godly knowledge

reiji

okay so like. he plays maracas in the game/anime, which is a percussion instrument, right? so its highly, highly likely that he can also play other percussion instruments, like the drum set, timpani, snare, triangle, keyboard percussion, etc

teaches percussion pedagogy classes as a grad student

plays drum set in the jazz band

probably in the percussion section of the bands for a couple years before moving over to symphony orchestra

prefers to play keyboard instruments in the pit orchestra (which he’s done pretty much every time there’s a production), but will take over for timpani or other instruments if there isn’t anyone else available

works for the music library and kind of acts like a therapist to overwhelmed music students. everyone loves him kjshdfjkh

ai

definitely a music production major. definitely. this boy loves technology.

sometimes teaches introductory piano and piano pedagogy classes (when masato isn’t around) as a grad student

has written several pieces for the jazz band, orchestra, and chorus to perform, particularly if it is about an important occasion or holiday

plays keyboard in the pit orchestra if there is a need for two piano parts

usually teams up with masato (and sometimes tokiya) to play a very difficult piece for four (or six) hands for the school’s annual christmas concert

ranmaru

probably a music technology or jazz studies major, even though he loves rock

plays bass guitar AND double bass; plays both in jazz band, but only double bass in orchestra

he usually writes lyrics for ai’s songs

sometimes teams up with ren and cecil to teach a jazz pedagogy class as a grad student

absolutely will form a rock band skdjfhsdkjhf

camus

cello performance all the way. this man is a GOD on his instrument

definitely principal in the symphony orchestra for a good amount of time

hates playing in pits because he feels super cramped and it always smells bad

coaches string chamber music as a grad student, but he doesn’t really let his bad side take over when he’s teaching (surprisingly)

okay so. that’s all i really have for now, but if i think of something i can add i’ll put it here!!!

An unexpected gift

Fandoms:  Uta no Prince-Sama/Idolish7 Rating:  PG (minor language but no real overly bad stuff)

Today was an interesting day... Today was the first day of a special Media blitz that QN and HEAVENS were going to start and they were going to get it going for a good while.  It meant a few things in the HEAVENS Dorm and one of them was that Shion wasn’t going to be around nor Yamato whom sometimes runs “crowd control” whenever Joshua gets swarmed. THIS was an arrangement that Shining and Raging worked out together and Joshua made them PROMISE that each side of the deal would get equal coverage for which they agreed or else they BOTH were gonna be in some crap afterwards. This was ALSO going to be one of Joshua’s “chill” days where he cooks a little food ,watches some TV and then also works on his Tetris skills so that Nagi can’t pound him into powder on the NES game Tetris 2 (even though it never works). Someone had other ideas You see...while HEAVENS was gone Joshua was free to pursue other opportunities because of his contract.  Now he already works FOR... Raging Entertainment Shining Saotome (limited work and only for jobs he approves) Tsukino Talent (Select jobs) And he occasionally works for the Agency that the boys at B-Pro work for So there is NO WAY Joshua would ever consider other opportunities right? WELL... *beep beep* Joshua heard his phone going off and when he saw the name he thought it was a bit ODD but hey...what’s another Agency calling right? “I’ll take a large pizza with pepperoni and extra cheese” Joshua said in the most joking tone possible and the person on the other end laughed HARD at the joke “Okay...THAT was good.  Is this Joshua Curtis ,Manager of HEAVENS at Raging Entertainment and part time idol?” The person asked and Joshua just smiled before answering “This is...do I detect that this is the Takanashi Agency which is home to Idolish7 whom won that prestigious music award recently?” Joshua asked back and the person nodded before answering formally “It is and my name is Tsumugi Takanashi.  I was calling because we heard you have a concert coming up in Fukuoka at the Fukuoka Dome is that correct?” She asked and Joshua nodded before replying. “It is and I’m taking today off to get some rest before I start on my practices for it.  I don’t do a lot of dance songs but I do a lot of slow songs or songs from my past in some way.  The audience always seems to love the idea lately and whenever I do get to do a show its a blast for them and they always pack houses.  Its weird too cos I am just a ‘Part time Idol’ like you said and even I don’t get my popularity.  I’m assuming you know about this show for a reason so might I ask what this reason is friend?” Joshua asked and Tsumugi let it out “Well we are trying to get Idolish7 booked for a show even if its for the one song we wanted to do something nice for them and we thought it would be nice to have them get to work with someone like you.  They don’t have to do a long set and they even said that they would be willing to take a 2 song part in the show even if its near the end.  Do you think this might be possible?” Tsumugi asked and without skipping a beat Joshua gave his answer “It would be an honor and a privilege to have them on the show.  I sometimes have shows that tend to end early so I would LOVE to have some extra acts on the show and from what I saw of the setlist I got this one might not be be 2 and a half hours...or if it is then BARELY so I would LOVE to have some more content on the show.  I’ll get in touch with the people at the Dome and we will work on that ASAP alright?” Joshua asked and Tsumugi agreed BUT she did have one condition They wanted to do two songs...Josh was okay with this BUT they wanted him to intro one of them.  Joshua agreed to this but he had one counter condtion:  That song he intro’d HAD to be “Wish Voyage”.  Tsumugi had no issue with that (and neither did i7) and everyone was set for that show. Alright this sounds fairly tame.  Minor business call and everyone was chilled out and happy...nothing could POSSIBLY happen after that right We had to open our mouths About 3 hours after all of that (and during Joshua’s “Tetris Training”) a knock at the front door disturbed him and he was a bit miffed by this...one would think that the reporters they sometimes get would know common courtesy when no one is really home but what can you do OH BUT IT WAS BETTER THAN THAT! “Gaku...what are you doing here?” Joshua asked the Leader of TRIGGER was standing at his front door but without his other two group members...to say the least Joshua was a bit troubled. “Hello Joshua.  Would you mind if I came in its a bit hot out here.” Gaku explained and Joshua nodded and gestured for the leader to come in and he closed the door behind them. “Alright have a seat Mr. Yaotome and I’ll get the sodas...sorry this house doesn’t keep alcohol but we do have some minors whom live here.  Its a common courtesy I have extended outside the fact that I myself don’t drink.” Joshua explained to Gaku and the Leader took in all that information and understood and gladly accepted his soda before he and Joshua took their place at the island in the Dorm and Gaku began to speak “How have things been since you and I last talked...what was it a few months ago?  I think you were sub-hosting for a variety show that TRIGGER was on if I remember correctly.  Do you remember this?” Yaotome asked and Joshua nodded. “I do actually.  I remember that during one of the exchanges things got a little tense between us and I later apologized on the air for my behavior.  You told me to not worry about it but I think for you as the Leader of TRIGGER and myself whom gets jobs that do very well for myself and stations I think our reps would have taken a huge hit if I didn’t make the formal apology on air.” Joshua explained and Gaku completely understood “And the audience appreciated that.  Tenn was a little worried and I think your intense nature scared him a little but after we went off air you and I went out and a lot of things were hashed out.  I still owe you for that hangover I got though.” Gaku joked and Joshua just chuckled “Hey Mr. ‘I can hold my liquor past 5 beers’ I wasn’t expecting you to nearly get blitzed at the bar and then try to sing Karaoke with a tie on your head!  We were lucky that there were no Paparazzi there or that might not have been a good look.  I was trying to look out for ya and you know that right?” Joshua asked and indeed Gaku nodded before chugging his cola and then proceeded to ask for a second...to which Joshua obliged.  Of course Joshua also knew that he wasn’t just there on a house call either “Alright let’s talk about why I’m here Joshua.  I heard ,as did the rest of TRIGGER, that you have a big show in Fukuoka coming up at that dome they got.  We also heard rumor that your show might be running short this year cos of the setlist which is...ODD!  We started talking and we were wondering...do you have any space to have any “filler acts” or would that be a bit hard?” Gaku asked and Joshua knew that he did but something about TRIGGER screamed “SPECIAL” so what did he do?  After he and Gaku finished their beverages they went to his office and conducted some business that they didn’t want to get out into the public...yet! The concert was set for August 4th Three days later (21 Days until the concert) Today was a good day for Joshua all around.  He got in some good practice at Saotome Gakuen jamming out to some tunes as ,even if this show he was going to be in, was less about endurance, this is something that he liked to do and when he does it he likes to get one of the songs that is going to be at the show playing and then he works on some dance moves of his own for about 30-45 minutes and usually Tokiya watches him do it because of his unique style and how intense it is. Today felt different though See while Joshua was at his meeting he was asked when the last time he did a dance song was at his concert.  Joshua said that it had been “Ages” cos he hadn’t a reason to really go “All Out” because of his concert style but...he could be convinced to go “harder” if the need arose. And no one knew What was noticed was that Tokiya watched Joshua make certain motions like he was looking at someone.  The thing about it was that ,whenever Tokiya watches Joshua he is always behind him and Joshua was looking to his left and then his right...never behind him. It was ALSO NOTICED that one of the times Joshua was performing his moves he was facing Tokiya but not LOOKING at him.  This became interesting to observe because Tokiya never saw Joshua do this and ,to be fair, the person in the other Agency never did this before either! Joshua had said he wanted to try something different with this practice He wanted to see if he could feel the presence of a person without them being in the room at the same time.  He wanted to try and sync up with them by feel which was an odd idea but it was one of course was willing to be tried. WHY was this being done? Ahh that is a secret that few knew...Joshua and 2 other people knew that arranged this “undercover” project because in the past there had been some blood between the group and Joshua but after finding out it wasn’t their fault entirely (they weren’t made aware of a certain issue that happened) things calmed down but even during the time there WAS an issue Joshua never spoke against the group because he didn’t believe in smearing others...even if (Souske) Yaotome did! Yeah...they had one meeting did Joshua and Souske and it didn’t go well.  To say the least the power driven president wanted Joshua to give up his freedom to become his puppet...Joshua wasn’t down for that and issues between them arose.  THIS led to Joshua unfortunately having an issue with Gaku and they didn’t speak until the “infamous” talk show when things got bad but after that and they got their issues out Joshua started talking with the Leader of TRIGGER more and he even met with Ryu a couple of times after the incident but...those never made the papers Back to the issue at hand For something like this experiment its harder to be able to tell if its “working” or not because you need a second pair of eyes to work with.  For Joshua that was easy cos he got Tokiya.  For his friends...that was trickier because their manager WASN’T a fan of Joshua’s because of issues he had with Souske BUT they knew better than to interfere because of Joshua’s temper that stemmed from the same incident with Souske after the President nearly got pulled over the table in the Diner they were at.  If Joshua didn’t have his cool that WOULD have happened and everyone in the Agency KNEW that! So who DID his friends get? “Wow this is an interesting idea for a practice.  What do you think Curtis-san’s plan with it is?” Tsumugi asked and Ryu pondered this during  break they were having. “We have heard that Joshua has an innate ability to ‘transform’ songs.  He always likes to try different experiments and if he thinks he is close he gets this...’smirk’ on his face that let’s the person observing him that ‘it’s time’.” Ryu explained and then Gaku continued “This experiment he wants to do is something I have never thought about trying.  He wants to do something to where he is able to ‘feel us’ in the room with him but not PHYSICALLY be in the room with him and vice versa.  Its something I dunno if WE COULD DO with anyone but Joshua whom is a bit of an innovator in something like this.  Its interesting the song he is asking us to do this with too because you almost completely need to be in the room with the person to do it and yet...we practiced a good bit today and I can almost feel being in sync with him now!  I’m hoping when this is all over we can find a way to work together more with his innovations.: Gaku explained and Tsumugi agreed.  While she never got to work with Joshua as an idol before she heard about his quirky ideas and how they made things work out in the end.  When she heard about this ambitious style of practice she was all for watching and learning how Joshua operated...even when he really WASN’T in the same room with them! 2 Weeks until the concert Things were progressing nicely and Joshua could FEEL that something was about to pop soon!  It was like he could almost feel his friends in the room and the feeling was likewise for them.  Tokiya was still baffled by the idea and in many respects what was going on with him and the group from a different company altogether. “To explain this in the simplest form:  two grown men had a disagreement and then one left the other be for a little while.  To put it another way...Gaku has been someone that ,whenever I disappear for a little while, fans ask me ‘So when is the collab gonna happen with Gaku and his group?’ and I have to politely tell them to ‘cool it’ because of the fact that TRIGGER are busy dudes...I am too with HEAVENS my personal projects but its not like I DON’T try to find at least one day to work with them.  They usually are the ones busy or that wretched manager tries to get in the way.  If it wasn’t for them I think there might be a case where I would have subbed for one of them a lot more because they are good dudes.  Sometimes I think some press are harder than anything on them and it sucks.  I read the article that came out when they had the one song but there was a belief it might have never been theirs.  That had to stink THEN and in some cases its still a little bad now.  I admit I didn’t have ALL the facts but I had the ones I wanted...I own up to that as a grown man. See Tokiya I like you so having this discussion isn’t something we have to worry about a lot.  The thing is though when you are a Pro (and you are as is STARISH) you answer to so many people and sponsors and its stressful and it SUCKS and people sometimes ask for things you can’t give them without issues.  I’ve guested on shows they were on and while they have a very loyal base man...I’ve seen haters and I saw some of those DMs.  People really wanted to ruin them and I saw Tenn one time having to go to the bathroom cos one DM he got was a troll and very much disgusting.  This is sadly the world we live in as idols and managers my friend.” Joshua explained to Tokiya and when he heard his friend say all that he was BEYOND amazed at how much Joshua was defending TRIGGER there...then again he knew about their battles and he knew soon they would be over officially.  The proper truce would be made soon BUT could the fanbase accept it There was only 2 weeks left to go! And then...PAYDIRT! One week before the concert There was something about this practice that made Joshua’s heart flutter and even Ryu and Gaku were amazed that they were so close!  It was about then that Yaotome could feel something in the room and even Tsumugi...it was TIME! There was something about when they played the song this time from start to finish that ,the song felt the same, but the energy in the room was different and it was even more when Tsumugi and Tokiya saw the unthinkable...they started just about seeing the ghost images of the respective partners! Almost as if THEIR BRAINS were connected Tsumugi and Tokiya ,in two different rooms and in two different agencies said the following WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON! To be honest there were only a few people that knew and they were in different parts of the country!  ITS ALMOST GAME TIME! After the VERY SUCCESSFUL practice Joshua called them and told them they could take off until the concert but they did have their other song to do with Tenn so that couldn’t happen and Joshua got it.  What was interesting was they were doing “Daybreak Interlude” and Joshua wanted to make sure he was front row for that one so what they agreed to was something that was pretty nice and the fans were gonna love...they just KNEW IT! And they were right The day of the show Joshua made sure to get to the building early to make sure everything was in order with his stage outfits as well as the turnstiles.  He remembered the incident of a very famous concert and he never wanted a repeat so every day after his practices he would go to check the stage setup cos they had a special surprise for the people coming. There was still a number of people (not a lot but a few) that believed the press that there was still tension between Joshua and TRIGGER because of reports that Souske would put out.  This time this was without anyone’s knowledge and Joshua had Himura’s word that everything would go off without a hitch...so much so that he had Camus play the role of driver to get them to and from the building!  Originally they were going to object until Joshua told them that “When Camus becomes your driver its less an option and more of a ‘If you DON’T get in the car there are going to be problems’ kind of thing” Believe it or not...TENN HAD NO ISSUE WITH THIS! You see...Tenn was the one Joshua worried about the most and its a legit concern.  The thing was that Joshua has known that Souske is a bit of an ass...okay understatement of the year but the point is he didn’t want Tenn to freak out when Camus showed up.  Camus however was a true gentlemen and made sure they got to the arena without any issues and even properly escorted them to their dressing room which ,while Joshua didn’t ask him to go THAT FAR, he was still very grateful for the Scion of the Silk Palace. As Joshua got ready for the show Himura came in to tell him that his friends arrived and managed to duck the cameras that were there.  This was to be a very big surprise and he didn’t want the cameras catching it...fortunately for him Camus stayed around to act as a decoy because of what was being planned and the how -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [FLASHBACK] Three Days Earlier “So this is supposed to be a surprise?” Camus asked and Joshua nodded “See there are people that KNOW the truth about me and TRIGGER.  They know what happened before and what turned me against them and they didn’t blame me.  Other’s however...they don’t so I want to specifically surprise them BUT it might be a big surprise for everyone considering whom is going to be there along with them.  My problem is that I know if the press gets a hold of this beforehand it could blow up.” Joshua explained but he forgot with whom he was dealing with! “It shall be taken care of.  All I have to do is do the driving and appear at the show and that should cover everything.  Once the time comes you tell me to go and it SHALL be done!  Your surprise will be safe with a lot of the media cos I have told them not to accept any leaks.  If they did they lose me as an interview!” Camus said with his usual authority and Joshua was surprised to hear this.  He also was surprised to learn that Camus had taken care of the latter part in the days before this meeting so as to protect the sanctity of everything.  He did have one question though “So if they are going to do THAT song with you then what one is Tenn doing with them?” And with that Joshua showed him the video. “INTERESTING CHOICE!  If this building wasn’t going to be sold out (and Tokiya already there) I’d have to make time to watch some DVDs from them when I got a chance...can you make sure to get me a copy of this one when it comes out?” Camus asked and Joshua nodded [END FLASHBACK] So now it was showtime and when Joshua came onto the stage he addressed all that were assembled. “First of all..GOOD EVENING FUKUOKA!” *crowd cheers* “And good evening to those watching this Live or on delay.  We are in Fukuoka tonight in one of my FAVORITE places and tonight is our ‘Summer Special’.  As I look out into the crowd I see we are PACKED as usual which is always lovely to see...I swear you guys are making the Tokyo Dome shows sweat whenever I come over.” *crowd laughs* “Alright let’s talk for a second.  Tonight we have our usual variety of songs to go through tonight BUT...we had a problem.  See for the first time ever that I can remember we fell short of my standard 2hrs and 30mins that I like to do for you of actual songs.  So some friends of mine called and asked if they could help out.  Tonight for the first time that I personally can remember we will be having Idolish7 on the program tonight!” *crowd popped HUGE for that* “And if you are REALLY GOOD tonight...there is one more surprise coming for you all.  I hope you stayed off the net for the past few weeks because tonight...OH TONIGHT ITS A SPECIAL NIGHT...BUT I need you  to be really good and be patient alrighty?” Joshua asked and all the fans cheered loudly to make sure they told him they got the order “Very good...LET’S START THE SHOW!” As Joshua started his performance the fans were really digging it (like they usually do) and they all were attentive as they could be.  Some fans DID wonder what his “surprise” was but they were good and waited as Joshua finished the first part of his set about 45 minutes later.  His second half was scheduled to be about an hour and then the first half of the “new show” began During the intermission Joshua went to the back and Camus made sure to run the interference because of where Joshua was going next and this was about to get good “Has anyone told you how amazing you are even when you do ‘simple’ songs like that Joshua?” Gaku asked and Joshua just shrugged. “Its nothing really.  Its just for me I know what its like when I did my first show years ago and its like how i7 went with that one show when things went to hell in a handbasket.  I took a beating in the press but the fans literally wrote to them to make them back off and they later did for fear of boycotts to their sites and mags.  Ever since then I went and learned to practice my butt off for them like you guys do and now the energy we give each other is 100x what it normally could be.” Joshua explained and Ryu was next to speak “Have you ever blacked out during a concert?  Like have you ever had to go to a hospital because of the way you train and then go out for your shows?  It seems like someone that goes beyond 100% would be on the verge of that constantly.” The ‘dad friend’ of TRIGGER asked and Joshua just shook his head. I have had nights where after a show I would legit go and sleep in my car before going home later.  I think the closest I came to needing medical was when I went 6th gear in 100 degree weather and THAT nearly caused me to pass out.  As far as doing my shows in domes though...no I never had that issue and yes...you would think that would be a regular problem with me so I understand your worry friend.” Joshua replied and then Tenn spoke up. “Just be careful Joshua.  We know we aren’t HEAVENS but we worry about you even when we don’t see you.  Heck Gaku had to stop Tenn from calling an arena once because he saw your physical condition but you persevered.  Seeing what you put your body through is amazing and it just makes us worry one day something COULD happen.  Try not to let that be a thing alright?” Tenn commented and Joshua again nodded “I promise Tenn that I will try to scale back.  I have a feeling you were in the room when you saw that ‘ghost’ of me and that made you wonder what happened right?” Joshua asked and when Tenn nodded he continued. “Friend I have an amazing support system of people that are all in the industry.  There are people that tell me to go disappear after one of these shows for a little while because they worry I will become so exhausted that I end up like your brother and I respect that.  Its also why though I have been making sure to have guests on to help me take the load off lately because I got Himura ,my friend Camus ,HEAVENS and now Gaku and you guys I’m sure.  You won’t let me push myself too hard and I appreciate that.  As such well...we know why you are here and we must not let your fans down.  I need to go get ready for half two and then i7 goes on before you.  What song were you gonna do before the ‘special performance’...oh yeah that song!  Have fun cos I’m gonna be watching from the back while that goes on.  I can’t remember if I ever got to see you boys live and now its gonna officially HAPPEN and I am SO EXCITED!” Joshua yelled and the boys just laughed cos they knew he was and they all bid him aideu before he went to go get changed and then the second half started. Half two was interesting because the fans were watching Joshua as intently as always but they knew that he had a BIG surprise and Joshua was happy that made them curious.  He was also happy it wasn’t a complete distraction and they still enjoyed his hour long set that he had for them. HOWEVER When the time came for the “switch” the anticipation grew.  Now they all knew that i7 was first...that was going to make sense but the OTHER thing was going to be interesting for them. First i7′s intro “Ladies and gents my night is over BUT I promised you that I would bring you some goodies and tonight let’s start our ‘After Party’.  FIRST from Takanashi Agency we have Iori Izumi Mitsuki Izumi Riku Nanase Sougo Ousaka Nagi Rokuya Tamaki Yotsuba And their leader Yamato Nikaidou they are IDOLISH7! After the introduction the crowd popped HUGE and as they came out Joshua smiled and bowed respectively to each of the members before their brief talk they were going to do and that was a lot of fun for sure “Gents I don’t think I need to say this but WELCOME TO FUKUOKA!” Joshua said with all the energy and passion he could and the crowd was surprised given the show he put on an hour earlier.  Riku was shocked to say the least “Wow Curtis-San...you sure you didn’t overdo the caffeine again?” He asked genuinely concerned and Joshua answered in kind. “Nah my friend.  I’m just excited cos you guys get to hang out in a place that has become almost like home for me and its something I am very happy about.  I won’t take up a lot of your time though tonight but I know one of your songs you are going to do for us is “MONSTER GENERATION” which is going to be awesome but for the leadoff I believe you remember my one thing I asked if you boys could do for all these nice people tonight right?” Joshua asked and Yamato answered. “YEP and we are going to fulfill that request.  Ladies and Gents in the audience we ,Idolish7 will now perform ‘WISH VOYAGE’!” Yamato yelled out with as much fire as he had in his 22 year old body and as they started their double Meanwhile backstage Joshua headed off to his dressing room and this time Camus stood in front of the door to make sure the camera couldn’t follow him in.  This was something that Camus was so protective of as far as a secret that the fans in the building couldn’t know about it until it happened!  After Joshua was ready Camus went in and they watched the performance for i7 on the big screen they had there.  It amazed him how well they went through everything and it was an even bigger thing when he sat there with an opened mouth cos of how things were laid out...and he was interested in Yamato and Iori as idols himself As the i7 part ended Joshua texted the Production Assist to go get TRIGGER and that he did.  Camus then went out with them to make sure they made their way to the stage with no issues but when they came up through the lift the power was out...not really! Joshua had texted the the tech to turn the lights down so that you might be able to see silhouettes of people but nothing else while the backstage had full power.  When Joshua saw them make it up he did his personal intro for them “Ahh friends...did you think I was done with the surprises?  Well you were VERY GOOD tonight so I must keep my word and give you my surprise for this evening...mister technician would you be a friend and bring the lights up in the arena now please?” Joshua asked and when he did...the building was nearly shaking as if it was an earthquake!  Joshua smiled and then finished his intro “Ladies and gents this group needs NO INTRO but Imma do it anyways Ryuunosuke Tsunashi Kujo Tenn And their leader:  Gaku Yaotome...friends I give you TRIGGER!” And with that they began the first half of their performance which was “Leopard Eyes” and the fans LOVED it!  They almost all were standing during that song but they composed themselves because they HEARD that something special was going to happen with the final song of the night.  What it was and how the fans would react was completely different thought process but they waited patiently as the song went on and when it ended they noticed something: Tenn bowed and walked off the stage...WHAT WAS GOING ON?! Well THEY KNEW but the audience didn’t...when they found out though it made a VERY PLEASANT REACTION! “Thank you and yes sadly that is all for Tenn on this evening.  HOWEVER we do have a big surprise for you.” Gaku started and then Ryu continued. “Some time ago I’m sure you read the papers and you read that a certain member of the Managerial/Idol community had some issues with Gaku.  Well that WAS true but as I am sure you know...time heals all wounds and tonight in many respects IS the end of this journey to fix that situation and Gaku asked this man if he would take Tenn’s spot for the final song of the night.  Would our mystery guest sign in please?” Ryu asked and when everyone had their eyes on the lift the spotlight shown on it to reveal... “WHOA!” THAT was the reaction that the crowd gave when they saw Joshua ,clad in the TRIGGER black, walk from the lift on the walkway towards the main stage with even more determination than normal and the crowd was both STUNNED and unusually happy about this development.  Sure it wasn’t Kujo but it WAS someone that they thought would NEVER be in this spot and when he reintroduced himself that sealed EVERYTHING “To all the fans of TRIGGER that might have thought my comments were out of line at the talk show and maybe in the press later for other reasons...you’re right.  I have no excuse and I have no right to ever insult anyone in this industry.  I’m above that and I know that.  I won’t ask your forgiveness but I WILL say this: Allow me the honor tonight of taking Tenn’s spot for the final song of the night which ,appropriately enough, IS ‘Secret Night’!” And as Joshua finished his speech he bowed to all of the audience whom stood as one and applauded him as the way of saying “We forgive you”.  After what felt like an hour standing O...Joshua ,Ryu and Gaku began the song and the way they performed it was such that the audience couldn’t believe the FIRE that burned in Joshua when he sang with them!  It was like something made him work 10x as hard with them and they responded in kind! When the song ended and the crowd screamed to the point that the building was going to cave in it felt like they saluted and then bowed before walking towards the back having accomplished something they didn’t think possible at one time. Changing a perception of a fanbase that thought someone ,whom was very much loved in the industry, HATED one of their most loved groups! A few days after the concert Joshua was to appear on a talk show after the big concert and during the show he was asked about having TRIG show up as guests and Joshua said that “Even when it seems like it was three weeks in the making it was actually longer than that.  I wanted to make the “reconciliation” for the fans something very special and the fact that after I said what I said at the concert they applauded me I was very happy...especially taking Tenn’s spot cos I know he is very loved in the group.” As the interview went on Joshua noticed that there was an audience member with two boxes and as he looked up and saw her he took off his mike and got a standard hand held microphone and walked up to the person to speak with them “Excuse me ma’am I can’t help but notice that you have a couple of packages there.  Would you mind explaining whom they are for if we are allowed to inquire?” Joshua asked and first the audience member started to stammer but then she composed herself and spoke into the mike “You are.  I was asked to bring these items as a favor to three gentlemen that I ran into on the way to the station.  I was a bit shocked cos they told me they would be here but...yeah I can’t find them.  Anyways I was told for you to read the letter on the top box first and then open them in order of top to bottom...I wish they were here to see this though.” The woman explained and then Joshua couldn’t help but notice the man seated directly in front of her stifling a giggle...this got Joshua’s attention! “Excuse me sir would you stand up for a second.  I couldn’t help but notice you found that a little funny.  Do you know something about these packages?” Joshua asked but the person got very serious and went “no”.  After hearing this Joshua got the packages from the woman then proceeded to ask the gentlemen that were there to come with him while he read the letter on the air Dear Joshua, We wanted to find a way to thank you for allowing us to appear at the Fukuoka Dome with you about 3 days ago.  We had thought of just a simple “Thank You” note but that would seem primitive after what you did for us...so we made a decision the minute we got back home and that decision was THIS! If you open the top box ,which we hope you did first,... At this Joshua looked at the the box and opened it to discover a pair of boots...black boots to be exact that Joshua knew would fit him perfectly!  Something was amiss! You will notice that there are a pair of black boots.  Those obviously go with the bottom box.. At this Joshua opened it and his mouth fell open and you will no doubt see the jacket we wear at our concerts along with a tie for you.  We aren’t trying to make you come over to us full time because I know of the situation with my father but after what happened in Fukuoka we wanted to say “Thank you” and would like to make you an “Honorary Member” of TRIGGER.  Will you accept our offer? Signed Gaku Yaotome Kujo Tenn Ryuunosuke Tsunashi Your friends from TRIGGER After the letter reading Joshua thought about this and the crowd waited with baited breath for the answer “You know...I have been waiting for this moment actually and I realized that THIS was the show that the original ‘problem’ started on.  Its a shame because it ALMOST cost me a friend.  If I could I would answer this publicly but it feels weird without th-- and Joshua cut himself off when he heard the crowd reacting because little did he know that when he read the names off the men that were standing next to him took off their disguises! “Well I’ll be...you boys really love shocking me and for that I am grateful...makes my life less boring”. Joshua explained and then Gaku took his turn to speak. “Its just a natural thing for us I guess.  NOW...you said you would give an answer IF we were here.  Well here we are so is it a ‘yes’...or is it a ‘no’ my friend?” Gaku asked and Joshua stood up ,looked out into the audience, and then too the mike up that he used earlier “If you all are thinking you are going home upset...don’t worry cos Josh is all about happiness at this point because my answer IS...YOU BET!” And with that Joshua shook hands with the men that he used to be at odds with and ,in a semi-related note, the ratings for this unplanned segment went so far through the roof they were hard to track! Oh well...just another unexpected gift in Joshua’s “crazy idol life”! Where would it go from here!

You know there is a part of me that wonders what kind of relationship Tokiya has with his old Manager and President now. Especially since in the anime when we get to the major concerts we do see them in the audience each time. The first time I assumed it was Shining’s doing, since if I remember correctly there’s a small scene where the two presidents are talking on the phone about Tokiya, but all the times after it too? Seems a bit over kill to me.

I mean as turbulent as it was during his time as HAYATO those two were the ones who were right there with him, especially his manager. So I can’t imagine they wouldn’t have had a close relationship while Tokiya was there, and to the end Tokiya doesn’t seem to harbor any ill feelings towards them. Yeah he was frustrated that they weren’t letting him do what he wanted and loved, but it never seemed like he hated them for it.

I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they keep track of him, not because he’s super popular as a STARISH idol but out of personal interest, and obviously as I mentioned above we see them at the major concerts in the anime.

Do they ever meet though? Especially Tokiya and his manager, and if they do what is it like? Do they ever talk when they do meet? Or is it just wordless acknowledgement? If they do talk does his manager ever slip up and call him HAYATO?

These are things I need answered.

HEY I JUST WANNA SAY I REALLY REALLY LOVE YOUR MYSME MMD THEY ARE A M A Z I N G I just watched Love Hunter MMD, and the concert thing really got me moved lol I know you're busy with lots of other things but have you ever considered make another RFA concert with the song Maji Love 1000 from Uta no Prince-sama, lots people say that Jumin and Tokiya look alike tho xD

aaaa THANK YOU VERY MUCH! you’re too sweet~! ;w; That mmd was one of my favorite to make, I’m happy you enjoyed it! ^o^

I get the suggestion using that song a lot lately, so I will be making it XD It’s a 6 person motion too so I’ll be able to include Saeran~ And yes Jumin does look like him, even in some of his display picture, his hair is similar too X”D

I’m putting the member position in random right now (except Jumin, he gets Tokiya’s part lol) because I still don’t know which voice fits whom?? Any suggestion will be helpful ^^

JoshuaxEiji read fan mail

It was a quiet day for a Monday in the HEAVENS home and as Joshua was sitting in the commons room he heard a knock at the door Joshua:  Coming right there! (Joshua makes his way to the front door and he sees a gentleman from Japan Post standing on the other side) Postman:  Good Morning Curtis-san!  I have a bag here with some of the recent fan mail that HEAVENS has been getting.  Where would you like me to put it? Joshua:  Just give it to me and I’ll be sure to deal with it accordingly...I think I know just the person to help me read some of the letters too! Postman:  Would that be Eiji? Joshua:  It would be...I’ll put this bag right near the coffee table and get Eiji to come on down so we can go through some of these Postman:  Alright well here you go and take care Joshua:   Thank you.  Let’s see what goodies the Angels sent us this time around...but first I must go get Eiji from the Garden (Later that day) Eiji:  So this is our mailbag?  Pretty big don’t you think? Joshua:  I said the same thing but hey...we get to read Fan Mail now!  I’m used to this on my own but this is for you all?  Alright...let’s get it started then! (Joshua opens up the bag and immediately he and Eiji are floored by the sheer volume of letters and goodies in the bag...suffice to say when they got it open they didn’t know where to start!) Eiji:  Uh Senpai Joshua:  Okay...I’m Jealous Eiji:  Why’s that? Joshua:  Cos my bag is never this full! Eiji:  Ah well I’m sure it will die down over time...shall we get started then Joshua:  Definitely (Joshua takes a few of the letters out of the bag and places them on the coffee table.  He double checks them to make sure they were for Eiji since that is whom he is sitting with for the day) Joshua:  Ooh looks like we got some good choice mail here...let’s see first letter (Joshua opens up the first letter and reads it aloud to Eiji) Joshua:  Dear Mr. Ootori I recently started listening to your solo called “Dreamer” and it helped me out of a slump I was in.  I was dealing with a depression and because of this had some thoughts of ending my life after personal and family issues made it hard to get through the day.  Because of your song it helped me become a happier person and now whenever I hear it I am reminded of how you helped save my life and my family wanted you to know they are very grateful for your song and all future songs you produce. Joshua:  Doesn’t have a signature but I think this is interesting that your song did this for this fan.  From what I can tell they are from outside of Japan so we have our first international letter out there.  Thoughts? Eiji:  Depression and even anxiety is never a fun thing.  I have never dealt with it myself but I have known people that have and because they didn’t have a positive outlet they did some bad things to themselves or others.  The fact that my song helped this person out is a great pleasure for me and I hope that in the future we can produce more songs that are uplifting to them and others around the world Joshua:  Very good...next letter actually comes from in the country so this should be interesting Joshua:  Dear Eiji-kun I wanted you to know that I saw you at a recent meet and greet but was too shy to come up and say hi.  Its not often that I get to see a celebrity that I admire and respect so I didn’t go up.  I hope that you along with HEAVENS have a very long career and I hope the next time that I get to see you I can get over my nerves and say “hi” Joshua:  Turns out none of these have signatures but do you know of this person? Eiji:  Actually I think I do and it was an event while you were away.  We had Nanami helping us and it was actually a lot of fun.  My solo session was amazing because I got to meet personally some our female and male fans and when I actually saw this person I wanted her to come up but she was shy and I think the group setting didn’t hep.  If you give me the person’s address when this is over I’ll send them something nice I promise Joshua:  Will do!  I think I got time for one more letter on my stack and then I think you found one for the group so I’ll go get Eiichi and company when you read the letter if need be Eiji:  Already took care of it and they will be down in a minute.  Let’s get to this final letter though Joshua:  Assertive...I like it!  You been hanging out with Camus lately? Eiji:  More Captain Munakata...good guy and taught me about taking control in a very calm manner...I still have some Camus influence though too Joshua:  I can tell...on with the letter! Joshua:  Dear Eiji O. I read recently in an interview that you did that working with Tokiya was a nerve-racking experience.  I’m planning to start my own career and my manager actually wants me to do a duet with a veteran much like you did with Tokiya.  What advice would you give in this situation and best of luck to you and HEAVENS. Joshua:  Having spoken with Ichinose-san myself I can tell you he doesn’t think he is a “Vet” because he told me in a conversation (and I’m allowed to talk about it) that he feels he still has a lot to learn and in some ways he wants to learn from you personally.  That aside what advice would you give our friend here? Eiji:  There was a bit of a misquote.  Yes there might have been a bit of nerves at first but I got over them when I saw how he was and we started gelling from the start.  I will tell you personally that I was nervous when I heard he might have had to quit STARISH because I didn’t want that and while he and my brother didn’t get along well at first I think things are starting to get better.  Otoya being a buffer between them is really helping and they will be an interesting tandem in the future. As for advice:  Try not to think of yourself as the rookie and if this person is someone that you look up to Joshua:  The writer of this letter actually does mention its someone they respected as a performer so I wanted to make sure that was put in Eiji:  Then the best advice is to try and go in thinking your are on even footing.  Its something that I did with Tokiya and I hope after all is said and done we get to sing together again in the future. Joshua:  Well you do have “Maji Love Kingdom” coming up but I think you want something before that.  I get that and I hope that you get to have that op before the big day in 2019!  Is HEAVENS on their way for the final letter? Eiichi:  We are here Joshua...fire when ready and we shall answer to the best of our ability Joshua:  Alright Dear HEAVENS I recently heard about how your first group single in Japan (Immortal Inferno) made the Oricon charts at #3 two years ago and bought the single for myself.  Not only was the song a very powerful one but Kira’s open for HEAVENLY PARADE was arguably the most “fun” I have heard come from him since I started following you guys when you were a trio and before the UtaPri awards Eiichi:  Oh this is an interesting letter...continue Joshua:  With the Triple S behind you what are your plans for the foreseeable future and what would you do if Shining ever forced you to either put up your future as a group or Joshua’s contract to force him to go to Shining Agency in a contest? Eiichi:  THIS...is an interesting letter and I know it was picked by Eiji for a reason...but I’m not going to answer it but I think Van might have some things to say so I’ll let him Joshua:  Mr. Kiryuuin I give you the floor Van:  The first thing for us in this year is to get out and get ourselves visible again to the public.  “Play time is over” as our Leader in Eiichi would say so we have been working hard to get ready for concerts coming up and as a matter of fact I believe we are booked for your Valentine’s Day concert this year...that should be fun! Joshua:  You are and the fans I know will love to hear that! Van:  Now as for this issue of “What would we do if Shining forced a contest where this or that happend”...we do what we know we have to!  We fight for our existence and we would fight to keep you.  I don’t think ,and I think I am speaking for everyone in this room, that if you were forced to leave us from a loss in a contest or if we had to disband this world would be better for it. HEAVENS is not like the groups I have seen come and go before.  I might be a baseball fan but I’ve been to farewell concerts when groups disband and they are the most heartbreaking thing ever.  If we ever had to disband because of a condition in a contest there are a lot of people both in this country AND outside of Japan that would be very sad and I know from what we heard that they would be devastated if you ended up leaving us to go work for Shining.  Not to say you don’t have friends there but Eiichi has said this numerous times and you are family here! Kira:  You have become an integral part of how we function and when we go to your concerts we see the work you do for your fans and we want to keep you happy.  To do that we would fight tooth and nail to make sure that your happiness and that of our Angels is kept.  We might not have the best win/loss record against STARISH but if there is one thing I know, Eiichi and Nagi know and the “New Four” know its that if that time came where its win or lose our careers and/or you...that’s not a fight they want to make cos we WILL win that one because this family WILL stay together! Joshua:  WELL...I hope friend you got the answer you want out of that and by looking at the clock on the wall...its time to go but what’s say we do this again and maybe next time we get Nagi to answer some fan mail? Nagi:  YAY! Joshua:  Well that settles that and until next time friends my name is Joshua Curtis and as we like to say around here ALL:  MAY YOUR DREAMS REACH THE HEAVENS!!! Joshua:  Good day everyone!

STARISH’S Early Christmas Present

Fandom: Uta no Prince-Sama Rating:  G Warnings:  None A/N:  It’s that time of year and I love to give to people.  I think this year for the UtaPri fandom its that time for you to get your present from me a bit early…I tend to be forgetful sometimes and I want to make sure that you get your present per yours truly Enjoy and Merry Christmas

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Joshua stood on stage looking at a sight he never thought he would see.  The FACT that this image was staring him right in the face was something he never thought would or COULD happen because of issues that arose at one time.  Now 18 men stood on a staircase and they were about to do something Joshua thought was unthinkable only a year earlier. How did we get here?  Well let me tel you a story -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

{FLASHBACK] 3 Weeks Earlier HEAVENS had been getting ready for a big promotional tour after the release of “HEAVEN SKY” and everything had been arranged by their manager in Joshua ahead of time.  The reason for the early arrangement was because you see Joshua still observed the holiday of Thanksgiving even if it wasn’t celebrated in Japan and he planned to take some time to “unplug” and go visit some friends that would help him get ready for his big push to the Christmas show that he would do on the 24th of December.  This was one of his big shows and everyone knows just how important it is to him ESPECIALLY considering its one of his two big “Dome Shows” that he does every year and always to a packed house.  Families would come not just from Japan but the US, Canada, England, Ireland and all over to see the show that he truly was “Japan’s International Idol” as he was called by some DJs. Today was an interesting day for Joshua because while he was going over some papers that he needed to put his signature on for simulcast clearances he had gotten a call to Raging’s office and this was unusual.  You see…Raging is fairly “Hands Off” when it comes to Joshua and lets him do what he wants as far as his own idol activities so to have him summoned it HAS to be something big because that was one thing that he and Raging had discussed:  He can’t just summon Joshua for any reason as it had to be something very much important! Today was a day like that “Mr. Curtis” Raging addressed Joshua as he entered his office and unlike whenever he visited Shining’s Joshua always went up to the desk of President Ootori to find out what was going on “I know that you are getting ready for a big show coming up at the end of the year for yourself…but I just got off the phone with President Saotome and he wants to have a discussion with you about working with an idol for a big show they had coming up.  I told him that he knows about your schedule and he told me that he would make it worth your while if you agreed to it.”  Ootori explained and Joshua could already feel a headache coming on…but he chose to hear it out rather than put up a fuss. “Very well…I am to assume then I have to go to Saotome’s to discuss this?” Joshua asked in as blunt a manner as possible and Raging KNEW Joshua was suppressing his anger so that he didn’t tear the office apart. “You are sadly.  I can tell by the state you are in right now that it would not be a good idea to go today…take the rest of the night off, watch some TV and then go tomorrow.  I will tell you that I DON’T think its going to be as bad as even I feared because Shining has been warned about poaching and if he tries then I will be there to make sure things are set straight.  Take the rest of tonight and then tomorrow go and see what Saotome wants alright?” Raging asked Joshua and the manager of HEAVENS just nodded before walking out of the room.  One thing Raging was actually really good at was talking to Joshua to make sure that he didn’t just go off randomly and when he talked to him Josh almost always listened…there was an odd occasion when it took Yamato to calm him down but usually Raging was good at that. The next day is when it started to fall into place… The next day Joshua arrived at the front door of the Shining Agency by 6 A.M.  Raging had called and told Shining he would be there by 7:30…then he forgot how Joshua operated and well here we are! When Joshua knocked on the front door of the Dorms the first person to greet him was Masato Hijirikawa with whom Joshua holds a great respect and rapport with in the STARISH unit.  It was over a year ago that Joshua bailed Masato out of a jam with a show that he was supposed to be a part of but due to schedule conflicts he couldn’t make it.  Thanks to some quick thinking with Camus and a “familiar face” that he knew of they were able to save the show and keep Shining’s record in tact with special performances! “Good Morning Curtis-san.  You are here earlier than we had heard.  I hope everything is alright.” Masato told his friend and Joshua just nodded.  Its not unusual for him to get somewhere stupid early especially if he has to speak with the man in charge of the scheduling to see what’s up.  This is when things got interesting though. “Everything is as it can be Brother Masa. It was actually a beautiful night sky still on the way in here until I pulled into the parking lot and it seemed the sun started to come up but I like that.  I hear through the grapevine however that President Saotome has some business with me.  I trust he knows my time is money so if he wants to waste it then I will see myself out of here and tell President Ootori that the man in charge wasn’t here so there wasn’t any deal to be made.” Joshua explained bluntly and Masato knew what he was talking about because it was something that they had heard about the night prior and the reason that Joshua was even being called over You see…Shining wanted to do something special for December and a part of that was to do a special “Early Christmas Concert” so that come Christmas Eve the families could spend time at home. Joshua actually TRIED to do this before but it actually worked out strangely better for him because of the fact that his audience (which one would have THOUGHT was the same as STARISH’s) like to be out on Christmas Eve so he does either a “Dome Show” or an outdoor concert weather permitting. When Masa explained this idea to Joshua about doing the concert at first he was annoyed but then calmed down and when he thought about the idea more he actually liked the concept but he also explained why he has his concerts when he does and Masato was just as blown away by what they found as I’m sure anyone reading this right now (Yes I just broke the 4th wall…DEAL!) After a good discussion with Masato Joshua went to the kitchen to make breakfast.  Since it was going to appear that Shining wasn’t going to be in he had to figure out who he needed to talk to that was going to be there.  He texted Raging to find out and the best guess that he got out of it was…well the man that was about to come into the dining area ICHINOSE TOKIYA! Now here’s the thing:  Joshua and Tokiya had no bad blood or animosity to sort through so he would have no reason to be irritated with him…and he wasn’t.  HIS issue was with the President of the Agency that tried to poach him from Raging every chance he got and THAT annoyed Joshua so much one time he nearly pulled him over his desk and cursed him out! This MIGHT also explain the President’s absence when he knew Joshua was coming.  He wanted NOTHING to do with that part of his personality because there are few people that can control it and if they aren’t around he’s GONE! “How are things Joshua?  It’s been a while since you and I got to talk and I wanted to make sure that everything was alright with you.  Everything going good with HEAVENS?” Tokiya asked and Joshua nodded before speaking “Pretty much dude.  Been working on getting them shows to promote themselves and that has been going pretty good so I can’t complain there.  Haruka started working with them a little bit more and they have been nothing but gentlemen to her and that is something I can always count on them for to be honest.  I DID hear though that MY services have been requested and, since Shining isn’t here, I was wondering if YOU could tell me what I was asked to help with?” Joshua asked his friend and Tokiya led him to the Living Area to explain the situation. “So here is what Shining was thinking“ Tokiya began “we have a big show coming at a dome that I know you have worked at before.  You heard of the Fukuoka Yahuoku! Dome I assume right?” Tokiya asked and Joshua nodded wondering where this is going “I have and I have done a show there before. Matter of fact that is going to be the place from now on that holds my Summer Concerts in July.  Joshua explained and Tokiya continued his presentation “Shining wants us to do an ‘Early Christmas’ show this year but he wanted to do something special and have at least one guest from another Agency come over to help out.  Some of the other members had their own ideas but I had the idea to ask you personally.  To say the least the rest of STARISH was both happy and surprised that I suggested it but I wanted something big for the show and that is how we got here.”  Tokiya explained and Joshua sat back in his seat and gave a pondering look when he heard this idea.  What was he going to do “If what I heard is accurate from Raging your show won’t be for another 3 weeks correct?  It won’t take me nearly that long to get ready…I need only some time in the next two weeks to get ready but I DO want to know is there something in mind you want me to do?” Joshua asked and Tokiya had a surprisingly immediate answer “Well…I have it on relatively good authority that when you get time to be by yourself you do a couple of songs in the rehearsal room in Raging’s Agency.  From what I have been told those songs would be ‘Naniro no Compass’ and ‘Crystal Time’ which are very good choices I might add so I was wondering if you would be willing to do at least one of them for our show?” Tokiya asked Joshua whom also had an immediate response in return “Sounds interesting.  I’ll tell you what then…I’ll agree to this on one condition and only one:  We duet ‘Still Still Still” together.  If that is able to be agreed upon then my answer is YES!” Joshua explained and Tokiya smiled cos he pretty much knew that was a go and they were going to get to work together on the stage together in front of a nice big crowd! Now there was ONE MORE condition that Joshua HAD to agree to if they were going to duet together but it was an easy one for Joshua to agree to:  He had to come to the Agency to work on the duet together with the prince and Joshua was quite alright with that…its not that he didn’t like being at the dorm of Raging Entertainment BUT he was going a little stir crazy since HEAVENS had all but disappeared!  As such Joshua agreed to do it and after shaking hands they agreed to start at when there was a little over a week left.  Tokiya knew that with the way Joshua pushed himself that they would be able to get it done in plenty of time and Joshua told him that when it was time for him to come he would properly pack and stay over for those couple of days so they could work out any “bugs” that would creep up.  The good news was though that they had very little to worry about because of his out of control work ethic! The rest of the day was a fun one as they explained to Masa (and later the rest of STARISH) that Joshua would be working with him for the show and everyone in STARISH was extremely happy to hear about this because of the fact that they wanted this concert to be a big deal and they figured that with Joshua’s presence it would put it over the top! The mood DID slightly damper when it was explained that Joshua wouldn’t be there full time but they knew that their friend wanted to get to work on the solos that he was assigned and for him working in his isolated environment worked best!  When it came time for the duet practice the rest of STARISH promised (and kept it) that they would stay out of the way when it comes to their practice. They wanted them to have the best chemistry possible and they figured that annoying Joshua would not be conducive to that so they stayed clear for the time when Joshua would be there…but we ARE getting ahead of ourselves. Five days later…Joshua’s work began and it was a fun time for sure! 15 days before the concert Joshua originally had the plan to go to the rehearsal room that HEAVENS used when they were practicing for a show but thought better of it.  Even though he had the run of the building he called Himura to see if he could get the practice room that he used there and his friend gladly got it for him so he could get to work on the solos especially “Crystal Time” which was ALWAYS a fun song for Joshua to practice because of the level of energy he learned he could start to really get out of it!  The big song for him that he wanted to try and really learn to practice was “Naniro no Compass” because, while it had no real ‘Dance’ to it there was something about that song that spoke to him like “Conquer me” and Joshua was all too happy to oblige it! Now you might be wondering (Like Himura did) what was so important for Joshua to “Conquer/transform/master” this song right? That’s just the thing…Joshua didn’t know because of the fact that it was a “harmless” song and it didn’t exude the energy that he usually gets from a STARISH song…it was more “gentle” like “My Little Little Girl” but he felt he needed to go on it. First though…”Crystal Time”! This song was an easy one because it was one that he had mastered before and learned things about its composition that WHENEVER he performed it didn’t JUST transform the song but it was like the surroundings that he was in changed and this was something that Himura witnessed whenever Joshua “Got it right” because the “Energy/Magic” that he was able to release from it always transformed the room into an area of a Palace.  Don’t ask why but whenever Himura saw this he was so blown away that he always had to open the door to the room to see where they were…it was still the studio but how Joshua ALWAYS could do this with that song was pretty bloody amazing! Here’s the thing…this took LEGIT only one day for Joshua to get done!  What was he going to do with the rest of his time if “Naniro no Compass” took as little? Not too worry because this one was a strange beast:  It ASKED to be conquered but Joshua knew very well that it was gonna be a fight because “Crystal Time” was!  How was he going to handle this one It would take till the day before he had to go with Tokiya to find out! 9 Days left Joshua had listened to the off vocal of the song about 20 times and tried to figure out the best way to handle it. Himura even tried it on the Piano with Joshua on the vocals over the time that they had left before Joshua had to go and they were starting to both get frustrated…and Himura wasn’t performing the dang song! Then…a miracle happened It was almost as if Tokiya knew Joshua was struggling and he got up, got his house slippers on, and walked to the rehearsal room that Joshua and himself were going to use and started the opening of the song and Joshua ,whom was originally laying on the floor of the rehearsal room he had still rented out could started singing along with Tokiya and it was astounding because of the fact that Himura could start to “feel” his former client’s presence but he couldn’t SEE him…what magic did Tokiya have in his pocket? The answer would come as they were continuing the song and Himura could feel the room “morph” to the point where the piano was GONE and it was like the three of them were standing out by the fountain at SAOTOME GAKUEN! But Joshua wasn’t done… “Tokiya” Joshua began “I know its late for you…but can we do that one more time…there is something still left in it and we need to get it out cos its BEGGING for it to happen?!” Joshua asked and He could feel the nod of compliance come from his friend when they got to the second bridge this time a light so blinding blasted from the room that you would have thought a bomb exploded!  The reality was that Joshua and Tokiya took a song that was originally a solo from the Prince and made it into a very powerful and beautiful duet and when Himura realized what had happened he couldn’t help but applaud it!  The question now was going to be this: Would the duo have anything left for the ACTUAL duet they had? OOOOOOH YEAH! Because of what happened with “Compass” though Tokiya gave Joshua an extra day of rest and Joshua still came over the day he was supposed to and before the rest of STARISH gave them their space they told Joshua that they heard about what happened with Compass and they were amazed at the power the duo came up with…what would they do with “Still…Still…Still…”? 5 Days Later Even though STARISH promised to keep away Joshua wanted them to see what they were able to come up with IF it was a transformation of the duet…and they were in for a shock! The first two times Joshua and Tokiya came up with a “tame” version to lull STARISH into a sense of falsehood.  This was intentional because they knew if they went all out the first time they wouldn’t have anything special for them. Two members of STARISH in Ren and Masa knew this well but the other members were wondering what they had planned when it came to “full force” The answer was going to SHOCK THEM! Whenever Joshua does most duets there is a story he likes to tell and it usually has to do with people “Being apart and coming together” and to be honest there was SOMETHING to this for Joshua and Tokiya and not just the whole HEAVENS/STARISH thing…there was a TINGE of a minor rivalry between the two but there was nothing that they couldn’t overcome! Thus the song began When the song started the two stood a good ways apart from each other and this in many ways TOLD Ren and Masa it was about to happen…everyone else was confused but they just watched and when the song began…well they knew! The remaining members of STARISH watched as they did the open together and then Tokiya began to close the first part of the OP followed by Joshua and when that happened the collective “OH CRAP” looks came from everyone else while for Ren and Masa this was business as usual watching their “Brother” do work with Tokiya and they noticed that they intentionally didn’t close the gap till around the course but then pulled apart again until near the end of the song and this was literal magic that they were watching…Joshua had learned to work with Ichinose Tokiya whom at one time he HAD considered a personal rival but that had SOMETHING to do with why he wanted to pick the song that he felt he could STILL tell that story with…its kind of like his “Duet version” of “Double Face” with Camus where it’s the two personalities merging…that is what Joshua wanted out of this but this time he wanted to show that, forget Shining Agency v. Raging Entertainment this was Joshua Curtis/Ichinose Tokiya making MAGIC together and the other six members of STARISH were watching this amazed at first…then they remembered whom they were watching work with Tokiya:  A man with a passion to transform whatever he performed and to tell a story in a way that could make people think…that is what they got for the upcoming concert and they wanted to do something special for him…but how to do it on a short notice and without him knowing? It was easier than they thought…just getting the practice on such short notice for their big surprise! To quote a lyric from “Last Surprise” “Joshua NEVER saw it coming!” BUT to get there…we have to talk about the concert [END FLASHBACK] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- It was a packed house in Fukuoka and everyone was waiting for the big STARISH show.  To the best of the crowd’s knowledge this was going to be a “STARISH Showcase” and for the most part they weren’t WRONG…just not entirely right either! STARISH came onto the stage as a unit and explained that they were there to do a “Greatest Hits” package of their group songs but also some solos.  They thought that after the Triple S this would be a good thing to do for the fans regardless of what the future held for them and they wanted to make sure that they put on the best show they could for everyone on this night. The songs started with ML1K from the STARISH group and as the night went on they alternated between group and solo songs. The reason they did this was because earlier in the day it was noted that Joshua hadn’t been able to get there and well they wanted to make sure that he had enough time before the performances with Tokiya to get ready so they found ways to cleverly stall even if the crowd THOUGHT it was their way of doing their goodbyes…that wasn’t the case at all The closer they got to Tokiya’s main songs they were going to do the Prince started to panic when he heard Joshua wasn’t in the building yet…was this true OR was there something else going on? He got his answer soon enough! Tokiya had been in the middle of doing a talk with the crowd and he mentioned that there was a song that was being worked on with him and their guest for the night but it was actually a tricky one. It started out as a solo song for him to do but they ended up doing it together.  The individual was someone that Tokiya respected but he figured he would never get to work with over some minor things in the past.  He was in the middle of explaining ALL of this when the lights went in the dome and then the video screen came on and everyone saw the man that was to be performing with STARISH on that night and he had a very pleasant smile on his face before he spoke. “Ladies and Gents, Princes and Princesses and to all the young fans in attendance toda.  My name is Joshua Curtis and well…I have some good news for all of you!  As I’m sure you are well aware I was asked to perform with Ichinose Tokiya of STARISH tonight and well…I keep my promises to the people that ask me for favors.  I must apologize that I was going to be a little late because well…I had to get some tailoring done on some costumes that I was working on for tonight’s show but never fear because you see…” And as Joshua trailed off on the video screen with a snap of his fingers the lights came back on and Joshua stood on the platform that joined the two staircases that led to the stage before taking up the microphone and speaking again “I am here my friends.  Why don’t we show these fine folks what we could do with ‘Naniro no Compass’ first for a good starter?” Joshua asked and Tokiya nodded as he began and by the time they got to the first chorus the crowd was standing in shock and awe because the intensity that they both were starting to bring out of the song this early was amazing enough but as they went through and noticed the change in scenery they were left STUNNED by what they saw and then as the song ended the crowd gave a standing ovation until Joshua took up the mike again and quieted them before speaking again. “Now now friends.  We appreciate that but we have a story we need to tell you in our own way: through music and how two men from two organizations came together to make a powerful impact!  Ichinose-san should we go ahead and tell them the story with ‘Still Sill Still’?” Joshua asked and Tokiya didn’t hesitate with nodding in agreement and when they went through that song the crowd was amazed by how far apart the mike stands were but when the song ended AGAIN they were STUNNED!  This duo seemingly could do NO WRONG and many wondered what this meant for Joshua’s days with Raging! While that question would not be answered one that was dealt with the outfit that Joshua was wearing and he admitted he had a special version of “HAYATO” tailored for him but he admitted also that he needed to be put away so when he came back it was “Crystal Time” and this song ALWAYS brought the crowd to their feet whenever Joshua performed it.  The transformation of whatever Arena Joshua performed the song in was so incredible everyone thought it was just a special effect but no…it was a legitimate form of Joshua’s magic that he always pulled out of his hat for the people and the crowd ALWAYS stands once they get to the “upbeat” part of the song and starts clapping along because they can’t help it. Joshua has a way of taking this song and making it something everyone is legit singing in the car on the way home no matter what happens!  Its that special a song for him and it will forever be!  Joshua has openly stated that the day he retires from music that THAT would be his closer with a lead in of Holly Trip!  He loves that song that much to make it his retirement song when the time comes but he wasn’t there yet and he knew it! But now an important question was about to come into play: Was that the end of the concert? Well…to Joshua’s knowledge it was but unbeknownst to him…a second set of stairs were coming in as he performed “Crystal Time” so as he was saying “Good Night” the lights went out one more time and this time on the video screen…was Ren Jinguji?! “Brother Joshua” He began “Tonight was a very special night for us because we got to showcase ourselves for hopefully not the last time but if we did then we got to share that with you.  You have been someone that we have enjoyed working with and we honor that every time one of us has gotten to work with you in the past and I know our ‘Mother’s Day’ shows are always special for both us. That ISN’T what I am here to talk about though…” Ren trailed off and Joshua now wondered what in the blue heck was going on! “When you agreed to work with Tokiya he said ‘Thank You’ in his own way.  Well there is JUST ONE THING when it comes to that…we wanted to do that as well…just not alone!” Ren exclaimed and now everyone in the dome was wondering what was going on.  Joshua was starting to figure something was going on because of the fact that he could pick out 11 shadows on staircases but knowing STARISH there was one more surprise in store “Christmas is all about love ,coming together and Unity.  You know that in the past we have had one song that we did every Christmas with some dear friends of yours in QUARTET NIGHT” Ren explained as the spotlight lit up the four on the staircase but he could tell that there were now 2 more sets on the staircases and he figured out who ONE was but…no…he couldn’t have pulled THAT OFF! “Tonight Curtis-San we give our present to you: you see QUARTET NIGHT is there and you KNOW we are as well but there is ONE MORE and I think it would be better for HIM to introduce them to you.”  When Ren’s image faded the lights came up and now Joshua nearly had a heart attack! Standing on the staircases were QUARTET NIGHT STARISH but FRONT AND CENTER  WAS… “”Joshua…Merry Christmas from Raging Entertainment and Shining Agency.  On behalf of all of us and myself, Eiichi Ootori from HEAVENS.  ALL of us wish you a Merry Christmas the only way we know how: We give you now a special version of ‘Shining Star Xmas’”! You heard it right:  HEAVENS, STARISH AND QN were performing a song that meant more to him on Christmas than anything else…and it was a BEAUTIFUL Christmas Present! You know how sometimes people are good at shocking others and when they do it’s a beautiful thing.  For Joshua on this night it was something  that his friends must have thought about for a long time since a fateful night for him and this was their way of repaying him. Whatever wounds Joshua had from that night and also whatever issues Joshua had with STARISH seemed to be dead and buried now. One thing was certain…this was the BEST early Christmas Present he ever got!