I don't know if this song has come up before, but when I heard it with Drunkards Walk still on the back of my mind, it occured to me that this would be the perfect song to describe Doug's power.
Rock and Roll Dreams by Steinman/Meatloaf
You can't run away forever
But there's nothing wrong with getting a good head start
You want to shut out the night
You want to shut down the sun
You want to shut away the pieces of a broken heart
Think of how we'd lay down together
We'd be listening to the radio so loud and so strong
Every golden nugget coming like a gift of the gods
Someone must have blessed us when he gave us those songs
I treasure your love
I never want to lose it
You've been through the fires of hell
And I know you've got the ashes to prove it
I treasure your love
I want to show you how to use it
You've been through a lot of pain in the dirt
and I know you've got the scars to prove it
Remember everything that I told you
And I'm telling you again that it's true
When you're alone and afraid
And you're completely amazed
To find there's nothing anybody can do
Keep on believing
And you'll discover baby
There's always something magic
There's always something new
And when you really really need it the most
That's when rock and roll dreams come through
The beat is your forever
The beat is alway true
And when you really need it the most
That's when rock and roll dreams come through...for you...
Once upon a time was a backbeat
Once upon a time all the chords came to life
And the angels had guitars even before they had wings
If you hold onto a chorus you can get through the night
I treasure your love
I never want to lose it
You've been through the fires of hell
And I know you've got the ashes to prove it
I treasure your love
I want to show you how to use it
You've been through a lot of pain in the dirt
and I know you've got the scars to prove it
Remember everything that I told you
And I'm telling you again that it's true
When you're alone and afraid
You're never alone cause you can put on the phones
And let the drummer tell your heart what to do
Keep on believing
And you'll discover baby
There's always something magic
There's always something new
And when you really really need it the most
That's when rock and roll dreams come through
The beat is your forever
The beat is alway true
And when you really need it the most
That's when rock and roll dreams come through...for you...
What kind of power could this song give?
- Song-database Update for song released after Doug started his Odysse or in places he has never visited.(concentrating on the "something new" and "gave us those songs" parts.)
- Give a oneshot version of Doug's powers to another person (concentrating on the "for you" part.)
- Or (re-)enable Doug to use his powers. If Doug is on a world with low or now magic or his magic is somehow dampend or blocked, this song might be the key. If Megatokyo has a giant mana-node that supercharges his powers other places might have low mana making Doug almost 'normal'. The Song might work be helpful in such a place. (concentrating on the "need it the most" and "always something magic" parts)
Drawbacks for the first and third possibility include the possible invocation of higher powers. They might not always be disposed to bless him with gifts from the gods and it is almost impossible to come out ahead when dealing with gods; even when they give you something for nothing.
On a lighter note the part about the angels having guitars could make for a cute gag in EVA or OMG.

Since Bob & I want this part of DW to happen well *after* the events of Oh! My Brother!, I thought I'd let you all know what's going on from my end.
I'm working on CH 11 of O!MB! seriously now, with the hopes to finish it sometime before the new year. This isn't because it's going to be long (I'll never be as prolific as Bob, let's be honest) but because I'm carefully working on it - because it's supposed to be the last chapter of the main story.
So, here's a bit of a teaser for the last Chapter of O!MB!
****
So there I was, doing my best to sneak - which is a trick on those bedarned nightingale floors of the temple, let me tell you - up to where where Urd was located.
Which, of course, explains why the Sneaking Music from Looney Toons was going through my head.
I heard voices on the steps of the temple, and crept up as close as I could. I couldn't see anything, but audio's better than nothing.
"...the hell is with that guy?!" Hmm..new voice. The demon?
"I take it you didn't like your first meeting with my brother?" Urd, in her 'sincerity has left the building' voice.
Uh oh, long silence. I bet I can guess what's coming next. 'But you don't have a brother.'
"But you don't HAVE a brother." And the kick is good!
"But of course I do," Urd said smoothly. "You met him earlier." Gee, someone's having fun with this.
"Urd..." What a remarkably pleasant concept - even demons feel annoyed with Urd sometimes.
"Let me explain," Urd began, and then stopped. "No, there is to much," she corrected. "Let me sum up." It took a great deal of my willpower to stop myself from smacking my forehead.
A snort of disgust, "Do you HAVE to be a smartass all the time?"
"As a matter of fact Mara, I do, especially where you're concerned, but that's another issue," came the prim response. "But here's the story: Stupid mortal gets wish. Stupid mortal makes stupid slip of tongue. Yggdrasil lets wish go through. Stupid mortal is now a god."
See what I mean? No respect. Oh well, time for yours truly to make an appearance.
"Mornin' Urd," I said cheerily and then frowned slightly at the demon. "You would probably like to know that there's a little part of me that really wants to try to maim you severely. Could you just make with the leaving so I can go back to bed?"
He?...she? - look, I couldn't tell - stood up and pointed an imperious finger at me. "We aren't finished here, Mortal! There will be a reckoning!" the androgynous wonder cried, and disappeared in a puff of brimstone-flavored smoke.
My, how melodramatic. I said as much.

*************
--
Christopher Angel

And one that'll likely be of interest, given one of discarded steps on the Walk.
Hop on over to www.jetwolf.com/ and check the lovely and Talented Ms. Wolf's "Daily Deformations" blog. A link is posted to her newest music video, a BTVS jam about Willow and Tara set to the ubiquitous Evanescence song "Bring Me To Life". Of the approximately 200 AMVs to use this song, this is probably one of the two best I've seen.

Gyah. I'm low on creativity at the moment. Anyway:
Song: Melissa, the opening theme to Full Metal Alchemist
Suggested effect: generates a psi-blade, or a weapon of mental energy if you will. As it's a purely psychic weapon, it doesn't do *PHYSICAL* damage... but it's a pretty good way to cut up someone's mind, or, more specifically, their memory.
Lyrics: Unfortunately, I couldn't find a copy of the lyrics to the long version of the song, but, for obvious reasons, I have a copy of the lyrics to the short version on my subtitled copies of the episodes. Anyway, according to the AF-F fansub (I disagree with them on spacing issues, among other things -- they conjoin things into single words that I really wouldn't), the lyrics are:
Kiminotede kirisaite tooihino kiokuwo,
Kanashimino ikinonewo tometeku re yo.
Saa aini kogareta munewo tsuranuke!
Asu gakuruhazuno sorawo mite,
Mayou bakarino kokoro moteamashiteru.
Katawarano toriga habataita,
Dokoka hikari wo mitsukeraretanokana?
Naa, omaenoseni oremonosetekurenaika?
Soshite, ichiban takaitokorode,
Okizarinishite yasashisakara toozakete.
Kiminotede kirisaite tooihino kiokuwo,
Kanashimino ikinonewo tometeku re yo.
Saa aini kogareta munewo tsuranuke!

Translated (same source):
Cut it up with your hands, memories of the old days.
Stop the breath of sadness. Please...
Now pierce through the heart burned by love!
Looking at the sky, tomorrow is supposed to come,
Unable to control the doubtful heart.
The bird beside me flapped its wings,
Did it find a light somewhere?
Hey, will you let me on your wings?
Leave me on the highest place and,
Take me far from kind hearts.
Cut it up with your hands, memories of the old days.
Stop the breath of sadness. Please...
Now pierce through the heart burned by love!

Unfortunately, it's too recent for the Walk, but it might be helpful elsewhere. :-)-------------------
*No,* Sachiel replied.
*Aww, come on,* I answered.
*Absolutely not,* he insisted.
*What's so bad about my idea?*
*While I have no problem with withdrawing and allowing you to handle the situation, I have... issues with your plan to tell the Lillim that you are the "3.14th Angel, Auwhotda'ell".*

Okay, a little forward note before we get to the teaser. First, I wanted to repeat what I said a while back, which is that about half of the Chapter 13 teasers actually ended up being Chapter 14 teasers when I split the chapter.
Second, this is the first time I've kind of repeated a teaser. Material in this teaser overlaps one that I posted back in December 2002. One of the reasons I'm doing this is to show you how the material evolves over time. Just in case you're interested in the mechanical side of the process.
Enjoy.
-- Bob
(Edit: Corrected the date of the original teaser.)
-------------------
"I need a boomer," I said to Ohara as I leaned causally againsthis open door."What?" He stared at me from behind his desk."I need a boomer," I repeated. "Don't worry, I'll disable itsweapons systems before I start working with it."Several moments passed while he digested this. "Do I even wantto know *why*?" he finally asked."No."He pursed his lips and looked at me over his glasses for a fewmore seconds. "All right," he said. "I'll have one sent to yourshop immediately.""Thanks!" I said brightly, and walked off loudly singing someimprovised lyrics to the tune of that old folk standard "If I HadA Hammer": ""Assorted IDEC drones prairie-dogged over their cube walls to seewho was making the ungodly racket and gave me all manner of uglylooks as I passed. I am *so* not typical Japanese office workermaterial.Ohara's promise of immediate delivery was no exaggeration. Illyashowed up at my door at almost the same moment I did, accompaniedby one of the maintenance guys, who was wheeling along aseriously large crate on a handtruck. I stood at the door to myshop and watched as they came to a halt a couple of meters away."Ordered a boomer you did?" Illya asked with a grin.When I saw the model number stenciled on the side of the plasteel box, I gave him an incredulous Look. "You keep combat boomers *on-site*?" I knew I'd getting a combat boomer, but I'd thought they'd at least have been storing them in a warehouse somewhere else in the city. Despite what Ohara had said, I'd expected it get delivered the next morning at the very earliest.Illya shrugged in a manner that seemed far too Gallic for hisRussian blood. "One or two we have left over from, um, earlierphase of studies.""Yeah, right." I studied the box for a moment, then opened thedoor and stood aside. "All right, bring it in and put it next tothe nanofac."They wheeled it in and laid the crate on its side. As themaintenance guy trundled back out into the hallway, Illyasolemnly presented me with a small crowbar then said, "Do not amistake be making with this boomer, 'Craig'."I took the crowbar and experimentally fitted it between crate andtop. "Don't worry, I'll be careful."He looked at me, a very serious expression on his face, forseveral seconds before saying, "Better that you be. We manyothers modified to make less lethal, but this one we have not."He laid one ham-sized hand over my fist and most of the crowbar."It is great trust we give you now, knowing even that you hateus. No, deny it not," he added as I started to protest. "Withpoorly-veiled contempt you treat us, and we see it, we know. Butgood reason you have." He shrugged. "Badly have we treatedyou. So we understand, we forgive. And we trust that goodenough man you are that revenge you will not take -- at least notwith boomer."I said nothing for a long moment, staring only at the huge handon top of my own. Then I looked up and into his eyes, andnodded. "Thank you," I said, feeling faintly ashamed.He released my hand and shrugged again. "Is nothing. Besides, aprick Tony is, and smacking down needs. Skilled at that you are,and is fun to watch." He smiled again, briefly. "Just be surethat what you are doing will not the innocent people here harm.""I'll be sure," I murmured."Well then," he shifted gears into an expansive bonhomie, andclapped me on the back, staggering me for a moment. "Enjoy yourevening and your new friend.""Yeah," I said, and watched him turn and march out.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

I have to wonder what 'Sympathy for the Devil' (If you don't know who sang this and at least some of the lyrics, shame on you!) might do for/to Doug, espescially if it happened to get played while hr was in OMB... Being as how he avoids music with references to religious beings (and probably wisely so, all things considered) it might be difficult to set up, though. Another one that might have interesting potential is 'Time Is On My Side', though the effect that immediately springs to my mind is from ... dammit, I forgot the name of thhe movie... where a demon who can possess anyone who touches the current host, or in extremity any living creature it can reach in gaseous form in three seconds or so, and the detective trying to stop the demon is walking along the street, with the demon pasing from one pedestrian to another around them, making them sing that song... After we saw that movie, a couple of my friends and I walked around in front of the theater for a while pulling that trick - it really freaked a couple people out - and a couple others got it, and picked up the song when 'tagged in.' Sometimes, being in a town full of college students is indeed worthwhile ;?)
- CD
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows

This is beginning to prey on my poor tired brain... surely between us we DW-fanboys can put it together...?
OK, what do we know?

-The Loon's name is Douglas Q. Sangnoir; Genom's CEO is James D. Quincy (see ch. 12). Doug used the alias "Quincy Black" when calling the cops shortly after his arrival. The "Black" clearly comes from Sangnoir ("black blood").
So far as I can tell from a search of the extant chapters, we have never been told what the Q. stands for (I don't think Bob's told us in the forum either). It is a short step from here to assume that Doug's middle name is Quincy, and Quincy's is Douglas... but those are only assumptions.
-Quincy knows a great deal about the Warriors--at absolute minimum, their real names, powers, and personalities--but has never seen at least one of them (Kat). If Warriors' World existed in some published fictional form in the BGC world, it seems likely that various people's searches would have turned this up by now--by accident if nothing else. But again, that's an assumption.
-Discussing a costume worn by Wetter Hexe, Quincy mentions designs by someone named "Elizabeth" (I can't find mention of this name in regard to the Warriors).
-In his youth (or, at least, earlier in his life), Quincy's attitude toward Doug's arrival would have been quite different:

Quote:

---

"Why now?" he muttered to himself. "Fifty years ago, even forty
years ago, I would have welcomed you. Why do you finally have to
come now?"

---

This aren't really ideas about songs that might bring powers, just some questions that have occured to me while thinking about the possibilties.
I understand, from what I have read, that Doug's powers require a song to have lyrics, that he (thinks) he understands, in order to gain new power and that he has no cotrol over activating a gift, once he hears a song.
- Does his power work for A Cappella songs? Could in emergency situations when he has no helmet get powers from comrades or supporters forming an impromtu chorus.
- Is Doug musically and could he trigger his own gift by perfoming a song?
- How does his talent define a song? Just one paticular recording of a song triggers the power? What about cover versions with the same lyrics? Is there any penalty that prevents him from just getting the longest running recording of a song.
- Continuing with the penalty idea: Are his powers simply on/off or do they come in degrees with 'stronger' powers for especially good recordings and 'weaker' versions if the quality of the recording or performace has been bad.
- From what I have read, the power starts with the first note of a song not with the lyrics. What about instrumental versions of a song or covers and parodies that sound the same up to a point?
-And finally since it is his subconsciousness that makes the decisions and not some external agent. Can he be fooled or fool himself into activating a power? Does it work if he only thing he hears a song? Telepathy, self-hynosis and so on.

Quote:

---

"Dad," she said, looking back and up at him, "you remember Lisa
Vanette, don't you?"
"I certainly do," he rumbled. "How are you, Lisa-chan?"
"Oh, hi, Mr. Van V--" She stopped short as he held up a warning
finger and wagged it, smiling at her. "Bert. Sorry!"

---

Information Society - Peace & Love Incorporated
Look at the world
It's a complicated place
And it's hard to keep the pace
You've got to wear a smiling face
But what we've got
Is a blue-light special on truth
It's the hottest thing with the youth
You've got nerves we need to soothe
If you've got to believe in something
Believe in us cos we'll make it easy
Peace and Love, Incorporated
Shop around
See if you don't agree
We think it fits you to a "T"
And the best part is it's free
I believe
We got the market cornered this time
We can make you feel fine
It could impact your bottom line
If you've got to believe in something
Believe in us cos we'll make it easy
If you've got to belong to something
Belong to us and we'll make you PC
Peace and Love, Incorporated
Peace and Love
It's the newest cause by far
And we've got all the biggest stars
Get your politics up to par
If you've got to believe in something
Believe in us cos we'll make it easy
If you've got to belong to something
Belong to us and we'll make you PC
Peace and Love, Incorporated
Welcome... (Welcome...)
To Peace and Love, Incorporated
Welcome... (Welcome...)
To Peace and Love, Incorporated
Welcome... (Welcome...)
To Peace and Love, Incorporated

Now, I won't try to speculate on what this song might do for the Loon, but who knows, it might be something nice, and coming in at five minutes in length it might get him out of a pinch.
- Grumpy Uncle Gearhead