Author's Note: So, I've been thinking about this song a lot recently for a Mello/Near ((not a pairing)) song. Obviously because of my one-shot for Near's b-day coming up. I know I should be working on my other stories, but I seriously couldn't wait. I was even starting to get stuff to make a new AMV to this song, but I realized that this was so fucking easy compared to that! ((I might have facepalmed when I realized why didn't I think of this before…)) I'm a very visual person, and music videos always help. This is what I picture when listening to this song while thinking about Mello and Near's relationship. You can tell I was still thinking about what scenes and stuff to use in the AMV when making this vid, as it shows very clearly at some points…
So, this is a music video design. That means that this is the directions for how I'd like a music video to this song to go. How to Read:
Plain is the lyrics...and a little blurb at the beginning explaining the story
Italics are the directions. They are located under each line for which they are being used.
1. Listen to the song once, while looking at the lyrics. Your best bet is YouTube.
2. Read through my directions once or twice, to get a feel for them.
3. Listen to the song and read my directions at the same time. By your second or third time through, you should be able to see the music video in your head pretty well.
Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note. However, I enjoy exploring and understanding the characters. This is one of those ways. I also don't own "Here We Are" by Breaking Benjamin. Awesome song.
Here We Are Music Video DEATH NOTE STYLE
((This song really connects—for me—to Near and Mello's relationship throughout the Death Note series. When trying to figure out which POV, I realized that it could be both. Thus, the beginning—first verse and chorus—is Mello singing. The second verse and chorus are Near singing. After that, they switch off for the bridge and then Near sings the last chorus for reasons you'll see . The song skips around throughout their lives, the visual directly influenced by the lyrics. Matt, just a warning, does not play a large part, if any, in this, as this is Mello and Near's story. Note: any time that they "cry out," "yell," etc, it's all silent. They mouth it. No extra sounds to the song except the song itself. ALSO: Unless otherwise stated, all the verses are in slow motion.))
Music at beginning: (slow motion) Zoom in on the back of a young Mello walking through a hallway to a playroom at Wammy's House. After two bars, switch to zoom in on Near playing by himself with a puzzle. On the last, different, notes, Near looks up to see Mello standing over him.
Sing it for me
Mello kicks Near in the gut, causing Near to cry out and fall over onto his side.
I can't erase the stupid things I say
Mello begins yelling at Near while he's down. Angry at him about something. Near starts to push himself into a sitting position again.
You're better than me
Switch scene. Zoom in and pan across the scores for Wammy's House. The two scores at the top are bolded while the others are more blurred out, Matt's neither blurred nor bolded, but still 3rd, while Mello's 2nd and Near's 1st.
I struggle just to find a better way
Switch Scene: Mello hunched over his desk in his bedroom. The room is dark except for his lamp on his desk. He takes a large bit out of chocolate and flips a page in a textbook before writing something hurriedly down. During this line, speed up the motion until it's in normal time for the chorus.
So here we are
Switch scene: Roger's office. Swoop zoom and up the backs of Mello and Near during the scene when they're being told of L's death.
Fighting and trying to hide the scars
Mello gets angry and yells at Near and Roger. On "hide the scars," Near dumps his finished blank L puzzle onto the ground.
I'll be home tonight
Mello huffs out of the office, slamming the door behind him.
Take a breath and softly say goodbye
Near sighs—zoomed in on chest and shoulders—and looks up at Roger, saying something like how he'll become L.
The lonely road
Switch scene: Mello pulling on his leather coat. Zoomed in on one of the arms being pulled through.
The one that I should try to walk alone
Switch scene: Mello sighs—zoomed in on his shoulders and chest. Zoom out to see him going through the gate, leaving Wammy's House
I'll be home tonight
Switch to seeing his back as he walks away, down a lonely path. Zoom out and swoop up to a bedroom window at Wammy's House.
Take a breath and softly say goodbye
Switch to Near watching Mello out of his window—the one from right before—mouthing a whispered "goodbye" on the lyrics
Music: Fade out to black then in to a view of the SPK headquarters. Near's at the computers. (Slow motion again)
You wouldn't like me
Switch to a zoom in on Near's face talking into a headset, probably to Light/Kira/L, face completely blank. During music between the two lines, Near's eyes wander downward, almost in sadness.
Keep moving on until forever ends
Switch scene: A faded/blurry Mello walking away, much like after he went into the headquarters and got his picture back.
Don't try to fight me
Switch scene: Mello taking his gun out and brandishing it at Near, who's back is to him and on the ground.
The beauty queen has lost her crown again
Switch to zoom in on Mello's face, which slowly flickers between his unscarred and less raggedy-haired self, his Wammy's House days self and his current self, all three just as angry. Speeds up to normal speed by the end of the music leading to the chorus.
So here we are
Zoom back out, a little more zoomed out, to see the other SPK members around them and the headquarters more as a whole again.
Fighting and trying to hide the scars
Switch to see Near turn his head around to talk to Mello, an almost smirk on his face. On "hid the scars," switch to Mello as he shakes his head slightly to make his hair fall into his face more.
I'll be home tonight
Switch to see Near pause in his words, looking down in a sad, lonely way.
Take a breath and softly say goodbye
He sighs and turns away, completely shutting off Mello.
The lonely road
See from the back, Near looks up to see all the screens in front of him, all filled with static.
The one that I should try to walk alone
Switch to a front view of him, zooming out and swooping up to see the SPK members and Mello frozen, the SPK slowly dissolving into thin air.
I'll be home tonight
Switch to Near's back again. He turns around to say one more thing to Mello.
Take a breath and softly say goodbye
Switch to Mello, who huffs and walks out of the room, passing the now-again-visible SPK members.
Goodbye
Zoom out a bit to see Near calling Mello back, who pauses and quickly turns back to yell at Near.
So why are you so eager to betray?
Switch scene: (slow motion again) Near is talking into his headset again to Light/Kira/L. He is smirking devilishly, as if he has something up his sleeve (obviously)
Pick the pieces up, pick the pieces up
Switch scene: An overhead shot of Near putting together a black and white checkerboard puzzle on the first "pick the pieces up." On the second, another overhead, Near is picking up shards of a mirror, a bullet nearby on the ground, Mello's face reflected in the mirror.
So why are you the one that runs away?
Switch scene: Mello running away from an explosion in the background—his hideout—tears in his eyes, scared shitless, covering half his face in agony.
Pick the pieces up, pick the pieces up, pick the pieces up
Switch scene: Overhead shot, Mello is picking up the limp arm of a dead guy on the first "pick the pieces up," the second, he's picking up a gun, and on the third, an overhead shot of Mello kicking a dice tower of Near's from their Wammy's House days—going in a "back in time" sort of way.
Music: (still slow motion, pan across each of the following scenes) Switch scene: Mello eating lunch alone in the cafeteria at Wammy's House. Switch scene: Near looking through a doorway at Mello, who is goofing off with Matt. Switch scene: Mello walks to a motorcycle, which he climbs on and drives away. Switch scene: Near watching a screen with Mello and his motorcycle on it. Switch scene: Mello being burned inside the truck inside the church. Switch scene: Near burying a rosary near a tree—then pan farther to see a plate with "Wammy's House" on the side of the building nearby. It's cloudy out, but not raining.
So here we are
(Still slow motion) Near stands up and looks at the stairs leading to the front door of Wammy's House.
Fighting and trying to hide the scars
Ghost-like memories of Mello pushing Near while running up the stairs with Matt, laughing all the way. Near pouts and glares at Mello from his place, fallen on the steps.
I'll be home tonight
Switch scene: Near walks through the hallways and looks up to see inside the playroom.
Take a breath and softly say goodbye
Memories: Near picking up the pieces to a dice tower Mello is running away from, that he obviously kicked.
The lonely road
Switch scene: Near walking out of Wammy's House, through the front gates, rain finally coming down.
The one that I should try to walk alone
Memories: Mello walking down the road, the night he ran away.
I'll be home tonight
Switch scene: Near sitting in a mass of all his toys in the middle of the SPK headquarters
Take a breath and softly say goodbye
He sighs and takes a large bite of a chocolate bar
Just take a breath and softly say goodbye
Fade into black, also fading in one more memory: Near sitting down in the darkness, picking up the pieces of a puzzle, Mello coming to sit next to him and help with the final pieces.