Sunday Snippet, et. al.

[clevermanka]

I recently revealed myself on Twitter as a former renfest performer and when someone asked me what I did there, I went down a small hole of looking up photos and y'all look at this picture of me and the largest group of drummers I ever had on a single day. I never knew how many drummers would show beyond the two core leads and Michael Buck (our guitarist, who often drove in with me since he lived a block away). Just so happened that one day nearly everyone showed up and there was someone in the audience with a panorama lens. I miss my drummers, y'all.

Today I've already written several hundred words on Good Intentions so I'm gonna skip doing a question today (I will get through them all eventually!) but I have lots of options for snippets. I posted one on brush_and_lantern already, so here's a different bit.

Zhao Yunlan nodded. “Okay, well, we’ve got about an hour before the next scheduled activity.” He grimaced and pretended to shudder. “Some sort of mixer activity.” His eyes flicked to Chu Shuzhi. “You, uh, wanna go for another walk or something?”

Shen Wei looked at Chu Shuzhi, uncertain if this was a group event. The dead stare Chu Shuzhi directed back at him over the cover of the book seemed to indicate the invitation was probably for a party of two. Shen Wei opened his mouth to accept but paused at the recollection of Ye Zun’s slumped, lonely shoulders. At his hesitation, Zhao Yunlan’s face fell and the memory was replaced by Ye Zun’s arrogant sulk.

“I would,” Shen Wei said before he could change his mind again. “Yeah.”

Comments

[goss]

What a wonderful photo! I love these pics that you share from your performer days. :)

[clevermanka]

Thanks! Don't we look like a fun group? 😄 What a bunch of fuckin' nerds. (eta: there's another performance photo in that Twitter thread if you didn't already check it out. That was at the end of a set--hence all the sweat and $$$)

[nnozomi]

That is such a gorgeous photo! (Also my orchestra brain is breaking a little bit at the idea of double figures' worth of drummers in one place. I bet it was something to hear.)

Nice snippet too. Poor Shen Wei, trying hard to balance everyone's reactions, not to speak of his own...

[clevermanka]

LOLOLLLL So. Many. Drums. and because we were so well-rehearsed (and the leads--Juliana in that glorious black and red paisley dress, Braden in the dark pink seated behind my foot--were incredibly strong and reliable), nobody ever got off-beat, once, in any set I ever did. And I did three ten-minute sets per show, at least one show a weekend, for years! What an incredible group of musicians.

Glad you liked the snippet. "Poor Shen Wei" is so the song of our people.

[drinkingcocoa]

So glorious and glamorous.

[clevermanka]

Good times, indeed!

[jo_lasalle]

That is some photo, wow!

[clevermanka]

Isn't it? I was (am!) so proud of us.

[naye]

I LOVE that photo!! Wow! The energy!

...which is very different from the energy in this snippet oh no, poor Shen Wei is having so many Life Things happening!

[clevermanka]

I love that our energy comes through in the photo! We had such good times together.

Poor Shen Wei is having more social interaction in one afternoon than he's had in probably the last year, and has already developed a crush! IT'S A LOT.

[brandywine28]

What an awesome photo! I'm getting good vibes all-around and several of you are giving me intense outfit envy. :)

[clevermanka]

SCA folks have The Best closet costumes!

[redheadfae]

So many faces I miss, too!
That needs printed.

[clevermanka]

I tried printing it and it's... not great. =\ It's not a very high resolution and I don't know why the guy didn't shoot it at a higher resolution but oh well (it wasn't Shane).

[redheadfae]

Well, poo.

[umadoshi]

Shen Wei, sweetheart, do not spend your life trying to juggle/manage/assuage your brother's emotions...! *pets all of them*

(And that is a wonderful photo!)

[clevermanka]

It's so fun but also heartbreaking to write them this young!

(and thank you! we were a fun group--I'm glad it shows.)

[tinny]

Oh, what a great picture! The red tint of it makes it look so festive.

Also, great excerpt. Poor teenage!crush Shen Wei. (And Zhao Yunlan, too.)

[clevermanka]

I'm having more fun than I thought I would writing teenagers!