Battle of the Bands AU. Zanka is the lead guitarist of Akuta, Jabber is the bassist of The Front Line.
Zanka has classical training, but swapped over to his electric guitar and joined Akuta after years of harsh training and feeling inadequate in his home environment. He loves taking care of his instrument and equipment, worn after years of love but still in top condition. Most days he's holed up in one of the soundproofed rooms of the Cleaner recording studio, practicing till his fingers bleed (and writing songs, though he won't let the majority of them ever be heard by someone else).
Jabber has an easy passion for music, a natural feel for rhythm. He'll try out every instrument at least once, but his favourite is still his custom bass, Mankira. He loves experimenting with weird pedals, layering effects and techniques to create unique sounds that define the identity of the Front Line as a band.
They meet one day at a venue where both their bands are performing, then they can't seem to stop bumping into each other. Zanka catches Jabber's attention with his utterly complex solos, clearly products of years of hard work. He can tell there's more Zanka can bring to the table, if only he were to let loose, if only he were to be given a little push. Jabber catches Zanka's attention with his chaotic compositions, his music always unpredictable but harmonious. All the parts he writes are full of character but flow seamlessly into one another, a smooth listening experience and a core-shaking adrenaline rush all the same.
They meet. They fight. They dance. They play. They share.
-Riyo is the drummer. Enjin is the singer. Idk what Rudo would be
-In my head if Jabber was given free reign of the writing Front Line's sound would be more niche than it is already. Momoa and Cthoni both chip in during writing.
-I think Jabber could be the singer also but I also think Raiders would NOT want that guy on the mic representing them. Idk who it would be. Momoa is the keyboardist and Cthoni is the guitarist to me. Bundus can be the drummer. Zodyl is like their backstage boss or something but I can also see him being a charismatic face of the band (this face is a mask).
-I would translate Jabber's enthusiasm for fighting into immersion in all sorts of music, as long as they spark emotion in him. He's the guy who listens to ALL genres. His spotify looks like a mess.
-I think a key conflict would be Jabber no longer feeling inspiration from what Zanka has to offer because of Zanka's fear of breaking the mould/experimenting/insecurity in himself to share what he has written. Circle back to Zanka's complex of wanting to be seen but afraid to be vulnerable.
-I'm having a hard time giving a coherent translation of Zanka's complex into band AU btw. Like he's both a hardworker and also complacent in his position in Akuta. He's not afraid to show off his abilities but also not keen to share more than the surface level, cracking past into his emotions is a big no-no for him. I'll mull it over more, I just don't want it to seem like Zanka is not greedy for attention, clearly in canon he wants praise from Enjin & likes winning but he's also humble about it. It's really quite difficult to decipher without being contradictory, but I think that is also natural human behaviour.
-Let them be kinda toxic 2025. Zanka is quietly jealous over what he's deemed Jabber's "natural" talents. Jabber is quite pushy with Zanka's comfort zones even if he thinks it's better for him.
-Yapped too much about character analysis uhhhh they kiss and make out sloppy style in the practice rooms
-For real though between the conflicts I think this AU is a lot more sappy. They write songs together. They share emotions they've never shared with other people before. They listen to music and lie on the floor and h*ld h*nds. They swap instruments to mess around. They do the tender acoustic shit.
-Zanka brings out his old traditional instrument for the first time in years because Jabber has never had the chance to play one before. Healing and shows of vulnerability from both sides ensues. (Jabber has good emotional maturity trust)
-Feel free to tag / reply with songs they would play! If you want me to share some songs I think they'd play like just let me know
