NeedForNostalgia

Takao- Lead Guitar, Lead Vocals- After learning to play the guitar from his Grandfather on an old acoustic, Takao wins his first electric guitar in a competition sponsored by the local music shop. There he befriends the shop owner's son Max and beats a local music legend Kai, catching the attention of Producer Daitenji who is putting together a new band 'The Bladebreakers'. The best in the band at connecting with the crowd since he's a natural entertainer, very loud and sincere.

Rei- Bass Guitar, Lead/Back-up Vocals- The only one that had been in a band previously, he has lots of experience managing tempers between bandmates. He was in a folk band originally with his childhood friends, when they were picked up by a small record label. Due to his popularity with fans, management pressures him into being the lead of the band instead of Rai, as well as pushing for a 'relationship' with Mao as a PR stunt. Rei meets Producer Daitenji backstage at a gig and agrees to join The Bladebreakers to get out of resigning his restrictive contract. He doesn't expect how attached to his new bandmates he will get, or how angry his old bandmates will be. Has a great singing voice, but tends to step back from being the lead because talking to the crowd makes him flustered.

Max- Drums, Piano, Vocals?- Growing up taking piano lessons, Max is classically trained and very talented. He changes course abruptly in his teens when he starts listening to rock music and practicing with the drums to his music teacher mother's dismay. His father owns the local music shop, so he's very involved with the music scene and experiments with lots of different instruments. A steady influence in the band, he's a good negotiator between Takao and Kai in their daily arguments. He doesn't sing live because that's hard to do with drummers, but has sung on recordings and while songwriting. (and maybe once while playing piano for a certain bassist.)

Kai- Rhythmic guitar/Lead guitar- Refused to sign with his Grandfather's production company, after experiencing abuse from the management there, so they try to blacklist him. Daitenji convinces him to join the band after he loses a local competition to Takao. Trained to be a soloist, Kai takes a while to adjust to working with the rest of the group. He and Takao disagree on who is the lead guitarist basically every song until they learn to compromise. Has a great singing voice, but refuses to sing for the longest time until he's built up some trust.

Now that I made it to the end of May I feel like I should actually introduce myself and respond to everyone's lovely comments!

My name is Danie! I'm not new to Tumblr (I've been here since 2015! Which is a crazy thought.) but I'm not that practiced in posting my art and being social, I tend to be a little shy and just lurk. They keep changing how to talk to people here so I'm trying to figure out how to do it.

Offline I'm actually a professional artist that usually works with traditional medium but last year I had to go on hiatus due to medical issues that zapped me of all my creative energy. After recovery I was encouraged to get back into making art by doing what made me start art in the first place, so I've been revisting the shows I loved as a child and drawing for them! This time digitally rather than in the edges of my homework.

"He'd thought he would drown. He'd clearly bitten off more than he could chew, faced a storm that was too strong for him, out in the bay alone. Maybe the storms at sea were of a different kind than the ones the Great Tiger commanded, controlled by a different spirit that couldn't hear his call.

Rei was sure he would drown.

But then he was being pulled upwards, towards air, by something insistent; a strong grip on the back of his tunic. His saviour moved through the water with impossible ease, propelling them towards land while keeping them safe from the rocks and waves.

When Rei turned, still coughing and gasping for air, and partly blinded by the seawater, the creature he saw was a seal. Big dark eyes and long whiskers, it nudged him up onto a rock to relative safety. He scrambled upwards, hands slipping on the rocks and seaweed as he climbed, and the seal followed, shielding him from the worst of the spray. Odd behaviour for a seal, but he wasn't about to complain.

Then, suddenly, the seal's face shifted, tilting back to reveal a human face from underneath; with golden hair and freckles to match the dappling on his seal fur. The creature flipped his wet hair away from sky blue eyes and grinned with a mouth full of sharp teeth as Rei gaped at him wide eyed.

"You're safe now, don't worry. I've got you."

Some half formed ideas while drawing this-

Max is a half selkie, half sidhe. Taro is his selkie parent, Judy is a Queen of the Sidhe. He can take the form of either, but not permanently, so he bounces between their courts. He sees Rei using his magic in the forest one day and true to both his natures decides that this one is his.

Rei is a witch/magic user who left the coven that raised him to be independent. He has good ability in most types of magic so is depended upon for favours and assistance in the local village. He only recently settled here so hadn't run into the group yet.

Takao is a wind spirit (?)that brought the storm, almost drowning Rei unintentionally. Rei had warded off one of his storms previously so Takao was trying harder this time (tying into the first time Rei and Takao meet where Takao defeats him). He's friends with everyone in the area so he tends not to cause too much trouble, but sometimes his excitement gets away from him.