#however i do still think the idea of them as rival composers or musicians has legs | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

sarcastic-space-gal · 4 years

Text

The Dancer with Golden Earrings (Part 2)

Summary: The bard and the reader travel together, hoping to find a job once in Brugge. However, more they get to know each other more they’re afraid to part from one another;

Pairing: Jaskier x Reader;

Word Count: 2k;

Warning: Slow burn? (or my attempt at it);

A/N: Here is the second part of “ The Dancer with Golden Earrings”, if you haven’t read it, here is Part 1. As always, feedback is appreciated. I hope you’ll like it. Love you all xoxo.

The cool breeze of the morning caressed the leaves making them rustle and creating a peaceful melody. The sun was still faint behind the hills as the birds chirped before vanishing in the early lights of dawn. The only other sounds were a horse neighing and-

“No.” said a voice, sternly.

“Geralt come on!” Jaskier lowered his tone after seeing few people around him snap their heads toward him “She will travel alone!”

“The answer is still no”

The bard sighed “You weren’t so disappointed when you asked me to come with you”

“I did not ask you, you followed me”

“That’s because I knew you needed some company on your way to kill monsters” said Jaskier cheerfully pointing his finger to Geralt.

The witcher grumbled, quickly turned his head and came back to fix his bags on the saddle while the bard smile faded as he placed his fists on his hips. But Jaskier knew how to coax his friend, touching his inner protective side.

“So you are letting a young, unarmed woman wander these dark and dangerous forests, even knowing she’ll probably be at the mercy of some foglers, leshies or even giant centipedes?”

Geralt slowly made eye contact with him, a serious expression on his face. Bingo, thought Jaskier.

The witcher’s eyes glanced behind the bard’s shoulders were you stood saying farewell to the chamberlain, while giving him a respectful bow and a small smile.

Besides Jaskier constant ranting if he refused to let you come with them, he remembered how kindly and friendly you had greeted him, even after knowing he was a witcher. Moreover, Jaskier was right about all the forest’s creatures lurking around Cintra.

Geralt glanced back into Jaskier’s eyes and grumbled again.

“Fine.”

“I knew it! Lady Y/n, come here there’s a place for you on Roach”

“Nobody touches Roach, Jaskier!”

The first few hours of walking were occupied by the bard’s tales and by your interested comments in regard to those stories.

“And from that day, they all call him White Wolf, thanks to me” said Jaskier “I composed at least three ballads out of that”

“I’m sure they have been all very successful” you smiled watching your steps.

“Well, I can’t deny that” he smirked.

Laughing you looked up to the witcher, who was riding his horse ahead of you two.

“Oh, I still haven’t had the chance to thank you for letting me come with you” you mentioned while stepping over a fallen tree.

Geralt slightly turned his head to the side revealing his profile but not fully making eye contact with you.

“It was Jaskier’s idea” he simply said.

You turned to him and even if you weren’t sure, you could have sworn you saw a glimpse of redness on the bard’s cheeks.

“I thought this wasn’t the right place for wandering alone” he said with a nervous smile “Mostly for a lady”

You couldn’t help but feel flattered by his interest or… concern? No, it was probably an act of chivalry, you thought.

“This is wouldn’t be the first time that I travel alone, but I quite enjoy some company” you responded, winking at him.

Few days went by, you arrived in some small cities east of Cintra but luck was not by your side: no jobs, neither for you nor them, so you decided to head far east, hoping to find a better opportunity. To be honest, you were not mad at it. Geralt and Jaskier were an odd pair of travel companions as they sometimes made yourself ask how could they even be friends, due to their evident differences. Geralt was quiet most of the time, easily irked by the bard’s enthusiasm and his keen singing but they seemed to get along, nonetheless. Little did you know, they felt the same for you: Jaskier was always by your side, playing his lute or talking about new ideas he had for his ballads, happy to have found someone who gladly listened to him, meanwhile Geralt was delighted to have found some peace from the bard and not having to listen to him constantly.

All day went by and without even realizing it, the sun was already setting.

“We will stop here for tonight” Geralt dismounted, drawing his sword “I’ll find something to eat”

Placing your bag on the ground you watched as the witcher ventured into the forest. Finally, after a long day of walking, you sat down with a loud thud next to Jaskier.

“In just two days we will arrive in Brugge hopefully” you mentioned looking at the fire.

Jaskier seemed to think for an instant, then his face lit up.

“There’s the Spring Festival in Brugge!”

Both of you knew the annual festival always attracted many people and there was plenty of work for artists like you two.

“Oh, that’s true! I almost forgot it’s already spring time.” you squealed in excitement.

“If they want to listen to some good music and leave behind those old, awful ballads written by Valdo Marx, they cannot do it without me”

“A rival?”

“You can call him that. I prefer, pretentious pompous stuck-up minstrel”

“Uhh, I sense some bad blood” you chuckled “I have listened to those ballads and trust me there’s no competition” you assured placing your hand on the bard shoulder.

Jaskier’s lips curved in a genuine smile “Lady Y/n, you flatter me”

“Please, call me Y/n. Just Y/n”

“As you wish. We are already dropping the formalities”

You chuckled at his flirty comeback. After few days spent with him, you sort of got used to his antics and compliments, but you never got used to how those compliments made you feel.

“Let’s hope we have some luck this time”

“I’m confident we will find someone who’s looking for our service and not just any service. The best dancer around all the four kingdoms is coming their way. I’m sure you will find something” as soon as he finished the sentence a profound sense of sadness washed over him, even if he couldn’t quite understand why. Or maybe he could.

She will leave…, he thought.

Why do I feel so upset about this? You knew it was just for some time, she has her life, someone to return to…

“What about you earrings?” he suddenly asked, trying to distract himself from his thoughts.

“What?”

“Well, you are known as “the dancer with golden earrings”, even if I prefer Y/n”

Giggling you glanced back at the fire “It’s a long story.”

“I love long stories.” he said, ready to listen to whatever you were going to say.

“But it’s also kinda sad…”

Jaskier instantly froze, worried to have touched a sore point “I mean if you want to tell it, if you don’t want to it’s ok-”

“Oh no no, it’s okay, it’s okay, it was a long time ago.” you lowered your glance “It all started when I was just a little girl. My parents were street artists, they traveled around the Continent trying to survive with just those little payments they received. My mother... she was so full of life, she loved to dance, she taught me all about it and my dad was a musician, together they performed in all four kingdoms. They were the happiest years of my life, but it didn’t last for too long… One day my parents were getting ready to go out on the street, just as every other day, when suddenly we heard screams from outside. I remember my mother screaming and shoving something in my pocket, I remember her tears, my father yelling to run away, my home burning down. What happened next is a just a confused and blurred memory, the only thing I remember is waking up in an unknown place, sobbing, asking where my parents were. One of my parents’ friend took my away and saved me, I could see the horror and the sorrow in her eyes while she told me I was now alone in the world. That day I lost everything, my parents, my home… the only thing I have are these earrings, that my mom gave me before dying. So, yeah, I travel alone more than you think”

Jaskier stood quiet for a bit, he just kept his eyes on you, then he simply murmured “I… I’m so sorry, Y/n”

You managed a small smile “I believe destiny has been cruel but I also think it has more plans for me. I know it”

When you turned your head toward him, Jaskier was glaring at you, silently.

“Do you believe in destiny Jaskier?”

Without breaking eye contact with you, he placed his hand on your knee tenderly.

“I do” his voice steady and clear.

You smiled.

The sun wasn’t up yet when you cracked your eyes open the next day. That would have been the last day of walk before arriving in Brugge even if you weren’t so happy about it. You knew that some coins could come in handy, but you couldn’t help but think you had to part from them. From him.

The day went by quickly as you tried to enjoy all the small things, even the bickering between Geralt and Jaskier, who never failed to make you laugh. When the sun eventually set, Geralt left as any other night to hunt, meanwhile you and Jaskier were left to light up the fire and set up the bedrolls for the night. Enjoying the fire’s warmth you placed your bag down and sat next to Jaskier who was now strumming his lute.

The night was already dark, the stars shined through the trees and Geralt was nowhere to be seen, but you knew hunting wasn’t a simple task, so you patiently waited for his return.

His fingers started moving on the strings, filling the air with a slow and gentle melody.

Jaskier started singing, just a little higher than a whisper, one of his most famous ballads. You loved listening to his voice since the first time you heard it, back in Cintra. The bard was playing cheerfully around the room, making the audience sing and clap their hands and occasionally winking at the noble women, who were themselves really captured by the bard’s enthusiasm. And how could you not? you thought.

The rhythm of the music accelerated as your feet involuntarily began stomping on the ground and without thinking about it twice you got up and let the music take over you. Jaskier curiously followed you with his eyes, unsure about what you were doing and then smiled when you started dancing near the fire. Your arms, your hands, your fingers followed his voice elegantly in an almost hypnotic movement. He couldn’t help but thinking about how beautifully you danced, how naturally your legs rhythmically drew circles on the fallen leaves, how your golden hoops shined at the fire’s light. How breath-taking you were.

He gave a final, mighty strum of the lute as you playfully bowed, almost making contact with the ground with your head.

“Jaskier that was amazing!” you exclaimed getting up again.

“Your dance was superb!” Jaskier stood up as well, and without noticing it at first, you found yourselves mere inches away, making eye contact with each other.

Your breaths got caught in your throats as a strand of hair fell in front of your eyes. Few seconds passed in complete silence, just the crackling of the fire and a lonely owl screeching and hooting.

Jaskier’s eyes darted up to look at your head “You have something in your hair, umm… Do you want me to get it out?”

Too focused on his deep blue eyes to give a proper answer you just mumbled out something.

“Oh, umm, yes”

Jaskier slowly lifted his hand and grabbed the leaf that got stuck between your beautiful hair, the feeling of his palm so close to your cheek sent shivers down your spine.

The bard by now was surprised you still hadn’t heard his heart pounding so fast in his chest, he thought it would burst out of his ribcage. Your hair was soft

A sudden movement near the fire made the two of you break eye contact.

“Dinner’s here” Geralt dropped the carcass near the fire while his gold, feline eyes observed you, attentively.

With a quick step back you both parted from each other, hoping that the red light coming from the fire would conceal the warm sensation you felt all over your face.

“G-Geralt, you managed to come back after all” Jaskier mentioned trying to shift the attention to the motionless animal in front of the witcher.

“You can do it the next time” he grumbled “If you are not too...busy”

“Don’t be so prickly! I’m actually starving, let’s cook” said Jaskier approaching him.

Fortunately, their bickering draw the attention away from what was happening, even though you knew the witcher could see better than any other night creature and could hear anything even from far away.

The rest of the night you occasionally shared glances with the bard, your head was filled with thoughts, doubts, sensations, it was a mess, a complete mess. Why do I feel like this, nothing happened, stop being so silly, you thought. Looking at the two men you decided to focus on their conversation, trying to distract yourself.

“Geralt, are you sure Calanthe will give you his grandson? I mean you saw how she reacted with that sort of porcupine” asked the bard.

“I know she will, and even if she won’t, I will meet his grandson sooner or later”

“How can you be so sure?”

The witcher tossed something into the fire absentmindedly “Because it’s destiny”

Both you and Jaskier instantly looked at each other.

“And people who are destined to be together will always find each other.”

Jaskier glanced at you before smiling. I hope you are right Geralt. he thought.

Part 3

TAG LIST: @alyxkbrl

#jaskier x reader #jaskier imagine #the witcher imagine #the witcher fanfic #geralt of rivia #dandelion #netflix #joey batey

41 notes · View notes

bobdylanrevisited · 3 years

Text

Blood On The Tracks

Released: 20 January 1975

Rating: 10/10

Often regarded as Dylan’s greatest album, and potentially the greatest album of all time, it’s hard to disagree. Released on Columbia Records following Bob starting a relationship with an employee whilst his marriage to Sara was crumbling following the 1974 tour, the record is actually two different recording sessions. One was in New York, with a much more mellow feel, the other was in Minneapolis with a backing band, following Dylan’s brother stating that the New York songs sounded too similar. Whilst the original recordings are available on the Bootleg Series Vol. 14: More Blood, More Tracks, and are fucking fantastic in their own right, the final product is a thing of inconceivable genius. It’s an album that perfectly captures the turbulence of divorce, love, longing, and self reflection, and is easily the most beautifully written collection of songs ever released.

1) Tangled Up In Blue - Once again, Bob opens the album with one his best ever compositions. A non-linear tale of love and loss which would rival the postmodern writing style of Kerouac and Ginsberg. The story he tells here is both sweet and tragic, filled with nostalgia and longing for a companion. Potentially partially biographical in nature, the lyrics are among his very best, relatively simple at face value, but filled with references and meaning that could take a lifetime to fully digest. His voice continues to sound more mature and even quite commercial, though his brilliant nasal twang is still present, particularly when he hits the title line. This Minneapolis version is astonishing, it may be the perfect song, though the slower and more chilled out New York recording is equally as brilliant. Although for me the defining performance is the one found on his 1984 live album ‘Real Live’, which completely alters most of the lyrics, something Bob carries on doing to this day.

2) Simple Twist Of Fate - A beautiful track about the cruel nature of fate and losing a soul mate. The song talks of the life cycle of a relationship, through metaphor and abstract imagery that wouldn’t be amiss on ‘Blonde On Blonde’, and feels like a dream sequence that ends with waking up alone and confused. The walking bass in the background and soft acoustic strumming create a relaxed and almost floaty tune that only elevates the vivid lyrics. As this is the ‘divorce’ album, the song ends with the lover being gone and Dylan deep in regret, and whilst he says this record is based on the work of Chekhov, I believe this is how Bob viewed and dealt with his separation. Sara came into his life through fate, and he let her slip through his fingers, it’s a moving song that is drenched in a need to understand the confusing and painful side of love.

3) You’re A Big Girl Now - Bob is begging for forgiveness here, promising to change and asking to be taken back as he sings through tears. I do take issue with the idea of Bob saying it pains him to see Sara walking away from him given his infidelity, however he does accept that it is entirely her decision and he is pleading his case. Ultimately, despite the brilliant performance Bob gives of desperation and pain, along with some great piano and guitar playing from his band, I do think this is the weakest song on the album due to the lyrics bordering on self pitying. It’s still a great song, I just don’t think Dylan comes across the best here. The rest of the record focuses on either anger, sadness, or regret, whereas here it seems he’s focusing on himself and almost being absolved of his own wrongdoings.

4) Idiot Wind - Though Bob claims this isn’t about the causes of the breakdown of his marriage, I think we all can take that to mean that it definitely is. It also happens to be the best song on the album, Bob is snarling his way through an epic poem of accusations and falsehoods, betrayal and bitterness. It harks back to his finger pointing songs of 10 years earlier, and it doesn’t hold punches against the press and those who had been circulating rumours about both him and Sara. It’s fucking amazing, Bob sounds genuinely enraged and yet also confused at the exaggerated actions he’s having to defend or downplay. Not only are the lyrics both chaotic and fascinating, the organ playing is superb. Throughout the 7:47 minute song, every time Bob sings ‘Idiot Wind’ it’s like a direct insult to those who meddled in his relationship, as well as another nail in the coffin of his once happy marriage.

5) You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go - It’s been argued as to whom was making Bob lonesome, is it Sara or his Columbia girlfriend? Either way, it’s quite a happy sounding song that’s actually a heartbreaking tale of loss and reluctance to accept life moving on. Bob invokes the poets Verlaine and Rimbaud’s turbulent relationship, with Bob very much being the Rimbaud of the 20th Century, to describe the breakdown of love and happiness leading to feeling alone and self-reflection. As with the whole album, the backing band sound great alongside Bob’s relaxed vocal style and joyous harmonica, and the song creates a tragic feeling of putting on a brave, upbeat facade as life goes on. It’s undeniably becoming much sadder and, as the title suggests, much more lonesome, but Bob attempts to carry on and learn from his mistakes. It’s a hard message to convey in under 3 minutes, but Bob’s pained and honest writing from this period manages it perfectly.

6) Meet Me In The Morning - Musically, this is the best song on the album. All the instruments have a brilliant bluesy feel to them, and Dylan’s voice matches this style, with his nasal tone elongating phrases and making him sound like the blues singers of old. From what I can gather, the protagonist of the song is asking his lover to a rendezvous, but waits from dawn to dusk with no appearance from her. Throughout the song he wishes they could be elsewhere, and compares his love and longing to the darkness of the night and the setting of the sun. It’s a difficult song to unpack as Dylan is the master of mysterious and metaphorical storytelling, but understanding every line really doesn’t matter here. The song itself is a joy to listen to, proving that Dylan shouldn’t just be applauded for his lyricism, but also his ability to compose and record with various musicians to achieve a specific and memorable sound.

7) Lily, Rosemary And The Jack Of Hearts - I’ll quickly mention that Dylan and his harmonica sound amazing on this song, as do the backing band who evoke the sound and atmosphere of the cabarets of old. However, it would be impossible to do the lyrics to this song justice in one small paragraph. This song is the ‘Desolation Row’ of the album, a sprawling epic poem featuring a host of characters in various criminal and romantic encounters. It’s an incredible piece of work, more interesting and exciting than most of what we see on the silver screen. I urge you to fully immerse yourself into the world Dylan creates here, as for nearly 9 minutes, he and his band weave a perfect story worthy of Homer.

8) If You See Her, Say Hello - This song reminds me of ‘Girl From The North Country’. It’s about passing on well wishes to a former lover, letting them know you’re still thinking about them, even though they’ve left your life and moved on. The lyrics are heartbreaking, as Bob remarks that the love still burns within him, but he wants to ensure this information isn’t passed on to her. A brilliantly moving and desperate song once again, with another beautiful backing arrangement and a pained voice longing to rekindle what he has lost.

9) Shelter From The Storm - A love song that focuses on being saved, clearly Bob is talking about Sara and his needing to be rescued from the hurricane of fame, drugs, and parting of 1965 when they met. It’s a romantic story featuring religious imagery, showing Bob’s true feelings towards how he viewed himself and the period of life that was now being ripped apart by his actions. The near angelical way he describes Sara, and his ending thoughts on how he still feels about her nurturing and caring personality, are a far cry from some of the earlier tracks on the album, but this feels like perhaps the most personal song on the record. The stripped back instrumentation allow the bittersweet lyrics to take centre stage, with Bob again sounding much more mature and accessible with his relaxed vocal style. Whilst this version is incredible, I’d also recommend the live 1976 recording on ‘Hard Rain’. The song is much rockier, Bob barks the lyrics, and it sounds fucking brilliant.

10) Buckets Of Rain - The album closes with a genuinely lovely track, both simple and sweet as it addresses a lover. The melody is delicate and Dylan’s singing is soft and full of warmth. There’s not much else to say about this beautiful song, other than it feels like Bob showing us that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and that everything will work out in the end.

Verdict: I could happily just listen to this album until the day I die. If Dylan going electric is the most important musical moment of the 1960s, then this release is the 1970s equivalent. It’s pure art, it captures a feeling most struggle to internally process, let alone articulate in such a poetic and moving way at only 33 years old. The lyricism on this one record alone proves Bob is the greatest poet of the 20th Century. Even the outtakes from this album, especially ‘Up To Me’, are better than most artists creative peak. This may be Dylan’s most personal record (despite his insistence that it is not autobiographical), and I imagine it will be studied for centuries to come as his magnum opus. In typical Bob style, he would bizarrely head out on an exhaustive tour called the ‘Rolling Thunder Revue’, playing at small venues with a band that resembled a circus show, whilst his family life continued to disintegrate. But before he managed to capture the spirit of these carnival-esque performances, he gave permission for some mythical recordings from 1967 to finally be released.

#bob dylan #blood on the tracks

2 notes · View notes

taotrooper · 6 years

Text

Melody ad libitum (1/3)

For WWX’s birthday, a little vignette to study some of his relationships with people and music.

Fandom: Mo Dao Zu Shi/The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation Characters: Wei Wuxian. In this chapter, Jiang Cheng and several unnamed Yunmeng characters Genre: gen in this chapter, fluff, introspection, foreshadowing Rating: PG for teens drinking, but what else is new? Summary: The flute wasn’t always a weapon for Wei Wuxian. Music is what you make of it, and he’s always followed the tempo of his own heart.

→ Link to AO3

"How many times, you fool? Out of tempo!"

"I speed up to make it more fun to play!" Wuxian rolled his eyes. "It's you who should catch up with me!"

"That's not how music collaborations works. You have no concept of harmony."

"I play in harmony to the beats of my heart," he smiled.

He was nine years old the first time he grabbed a flute. Music was, after all, one of the venerable Six Arts that every cultivator had to master to be considered an individual of culture. Wei Wuxian chose it from all instruments because it was smaller, and cheaper to buy and maintain for the Jiangs. The sound was quite pleasing to his ears as well.

At that age he was already forgetting the soft lullabies his mother sang for him, but the disposition to love music was blooming within him. A fragrant love and fascination for the slender flute, even if it was less exciting than shooting kites with his brand new bow.

His teacher was impressed with his innate talent. By his first lesson, young master Wei had followed his instructions perfectly. By his third lesson, he had played a good chunk of the song the man had showed after only listening once, with only a couple of notes off. It soon became evident that the boy was one of those musicians who only had to hear a melody once to memorize it. Wuxian would get bored after practice and try some tunes that definitely weren't in the repertoire of classic music he was being taught.

"Did you compose that, young master?" the teacher asked with his eyebrows upwards.

Wei Wuxian shook his head without stopping his song.

"Where did you learn it, then? Did someone teach you?"

The kid stopped and took a breath while removing his lips from the mouth of the instrument.

"Dunno. Probably the street musicians at Yiling?"

He wasn't sure. He could recall the tune but not the face or the place or the moment. Wuxian had a wondrous memory except for these details. He did remember, however, the street musicians. He would sit nearby and listen to their art with a big smile. In a world with no food, no parents, no warmth, and no toys, music was one of the little joys he had left. The musicians could rarely help him, also beggars with nothing on them but their worn instruments, yet they appreciated the presence of their tiny fan.

Years later, these memories of these poor artists would fade away. Yet he had harvested their songs and pressed them as dry flowers between the pages of his mind. Forever part of the chapter of his earliest music lessons, together with the basics and the classic symphonies. They would never leave him for as long as he could play a flute.

Regardless, the teacher was rendered speechless. Had the boy been adopted by the GusuLan sect instead, he suspected he could have become an amazing music-based cultivator. Perhaps he could have rivaled even their first son with the flute, at the hands of the right instructor! Yet he was a YunmengJiang sect member, and this was a Lotus Pier child now, and the Lotus Pier children develop other sets of skills. He would do his best to polish that diamond in the rough until there was nothing else to teach him. Even Young Master Jiang, his technique flawless even for such a young age, would soon be running out of things to learn from him.

The man wouldn't be alive when Wei Wuxian became famous for his flute skills, and not in the way he had imagined. It was perhaps for the better, only remembering the sweet boyish smiles from those two talented students who surpassed him. Only the happy notes from Yiling's streets taken to his grave instead of the chilling shrills through the dark.

The porcelain cups clinked against each other, and the teenagers made a toast and downed the sparkling liquor with a swoop. It wasn't the first and wouldn't be the last for the evening. Round jars filled to the brim were expecting their turn. Dishes of snacks danced between youthful hands.

Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng, and six of their closest shidi had locked themselves in the senior boys’ bedroom. They had received permission from Jiang Cheng's parents to throw the party after training, but the booze and food from the market had never been mentioned in the terms. The lad had shaken his head when his mischievous brother had brought it as contraband from the Pier, but the reproach was shallow and was said with a big grin on his face.

"What kind of party would be without it, anyway?" Wei Wuxian shrugged and grabbed the jar to fill up his cup again, not feeling remorse.

"Well done, Wei-shixiong!" one of the disciples said, his ears already red.

"These dumplings are just so good!" The chubbiest shidi munched in delight.

"It's our last party for a year so of course we needed the best of the best!"

"It's just one year in Gusu," Jiang Cheng sighed. "You're all being melodramatic."

"But you still agreed to the party."

"It's an excuse as good as any," he nodded. "Besides, you know the Cloud Recesses are quite strict, so it might as well be our last party until we're back home."

"Three thousand rules," the youngest disciple whispered.

Wei Wuxian put his empty cup on the table. "Hopefully that's just rumors. But enough about dull stuff. This party needs some more spice."

Seven boys who had tried his peculiar cuisine before glared at him. Some eyes had fear.

"Cowards. But also, this party needs more life or this will become a burial mound. How about some music, huh?"

The cringing faces vanished to be replaced by smiles and cheers.

"Now we're talking! Play one of your Yiling folk songs, Shixiong."

"Yeah! We're not hearing it in a year's time!"

"One condition." Wuxian got up and rummaged through his belongings to get his flute. He had a brilliant idea. "Young Master has to join in or I'm not playing."

Jiang Cheng's palm met his forehead. The disciples started to beg.

"Please, Young Master Jiang! We haven't heard you in ages!"

"We won't hear it in a year!"

"You guys just want to listen to Wei Wuxian."

"Of course not! We want both seniors! His flute is great but all alone it doesn't do much for a party."

"Honestly, you're kind of better? During music lessons, the old man keeps telling me to follow Jiang Wanjin's dexterity and diligence. He never mentions Shixiong."

From Jiang Cheng's small blush and the way his chest puffed a bit, Wuxian could tell the shidi had said the right thing. He grinned wide. His brother always needed an ego boost, in his opinion. Yet his next action was hitting Jiang Cheng's head softly with a second xiao.

"See what I always say? You are better than me. Our teacher says I might be a talented genius, but I don't care about sticking to the scores so it's bad in the end."

"I had to be better than you at something, you knave." He grabbed the flute with the satisfaction of someone who actually practiced and studied. "Well, who goes first?"

"No, no, no." Wei Wuxian moved his open palm side to side. "It's not a duel, you competitive blockhead. A duet! A concert! Playing the same song at the same time, and the winners are all of us."

He saw the glint in Jiang Cheng's eye darken a bit, but he didn't complain. "Which one?"

"'Over the peaks' is the catchiest and longest. Ready? One, two, one, two, three, four!"

They grasped for breath before putting his lips to the mouth of their flutes. Nimble fingers moved quickly through the wood, covering the right little holes with grace and precision. The other boys howled and clapped to the rhythm. The tallest of them got up and starting dancing. The chubbiest one banged softly on the table with his palms, like a drum. Two had learned the lyrics so they sang the parts they could recall —the ones with the most sexual innuendo, as kids do.

They were all having a great time, but by the fifth verse Jiang Cheng was struggling. Wei Wuxian's tune was running too much. The song started to sound bad.

"Here they go again," the youngest shidi whispered.

By the time the seventh verse started, Cheng stopped flat. He took out the flute from his lips, annoyance on his temples. The tall one sat again on the floor, disappointed.

"How many times, you fool? Out of tempo!"

"I speed up to make it more fun to play!" Wuxian rolled his eyes. "It's you who should catch up with me!"

"That's not how music collaborations works. You have no concept of harmony."

"I play in harmony to the beats of my heart," he smiled.

"Whatever you say..." He put down the flute and took his cup. "Sure you don't want to duel?"

"Nope. Duel Lan Xichen at Gusu for all I care."

"I know my limitations, unlike a certain person."

"You know, it'd be fun to bash a party with the Lan Sect and play upbeat songs with one of them. They're pretty musical, right?" Wei Wuxian sighed at the prospect of new friends and good times.

"Their music is for cultivation and health uses only, I think. Very few Lan members are as artistically inclined as the founder."

Wuxian looked around, but all his shidi's expressions confirmed it.

"Come on, they can't all be so stiff! I'll get one of them to play something for me, you'll see."

"Fifty coins say you won't," the most cynical disciple dared.

"Fifty coins say I can convince that Lan Wangji guy you're all so scared of."

Six jaws dropped and some blurted at him to stop the mad claim.

"No, let him," Jiang Cheng smirked as he sipped his cup. He was already drunk. "Our motto is Attempt the Impossible, guys. I want to see him attempt and fail spectacularly for once."

"Jiang-shixiong is right. I'm gonna be so rich, guys."

A day later, Wei Wuxian had forgotten to pack his flute. By the time he had the privilege to win the implausible bet, he had no memory of it whatsoever.

→ Part 2 (the Wens)

#mo dao zu shi #wei wuxian #jiang cheng #$fanfic #mdzsnetwork

37 notes · View notes

mermaidsirennikita · 6 years

Text

February 2018 Book Roundup

I’d that this was a pretty diverse month for me in terms of reading. Sure, there was plenty of my traditional fantasy in there, but I also went through a biography, some contemporary YA, a historical fiction novel about Eleanor Roosevelt, alt-history, and some very silly (but very enjoyable) contemporary romance. My favorite book of the month was probably Purple Hearts, the conclusion of Michael Grant’s Front Lines trilogy--but I’d be lying if I said that one of those romance novels didn’t rival it. Unfortunately, my least favorite book was that aforementioned Eleanor Roosevelt book. But hey, I tried it.

Purple Hearts by Michael Grant. 4/5. The final book in Grant’s Front Lines/Soldier Girls trilogy, Purple Hearts sees Silver Star recipients Rio, Rainy, and Frangie return to the European front in World War II. Rio is battle-hardened and growing increasingly fearful--not of what she faces at war, but how she, a girl very good at soldiering, will adjust to life afterwards. Rainy is undercover and subjected to horrors that have a deeply personal ring as she deals with the guilt of surviving, killing, and becoming even colder than she already was. Frangie is struggling with her faith, saving many as a medic but losing more--in ways that she wouldn’t have imagined. This series--a take on World War II with the premise that girls were allowed to enlist and be drafted in America--really was way better and far more realistic than it had a right to be. There were clumsy moments, largely because Grant is (I assume) a guy trying to be as inclusive as possible. But you know--even when certain scenes came off as a bit awkward, I appreciated the diversity. And the fact is that you have different reasons to bond with each of our leads, and the people they care about. I’ll always have a soft spot for Rio most of all, because she embodies that “naive innocent turned into a battle-hardened killer” character type I love so much. But Frangie goes through so fucking much in this book (they all do, but Frangie seemed like such an optimist at first) and even Rainy, the heroine I had the most difficulty connecting with, finally opens up and becomes a fully-realized character. “Purple Hearts” struck me as the most brutal book in the trilogy, and there are a lot of horrific scenes throughout. But it was ultimately very satisfying, and a great end to the series.

Empress of the East by Leslie Peirce. 4/5. Hurrem Sultan, also known as Roxelana, was the first woman in centuries to legally wed an Ottoman sultan, thus becoming an essential empress. However, like any concubine, she began life as a slave before catching the eye of Suleyman the Magnificent and beginning one of history’s greatest love affairs--that would result in six children and a fundamental change in Ottoman politics. Peirce has to make a lot of assumptions when writing this book--little is known about Hurrem, referred to by the name Roxelana in this biography. But she sticks to accuracy whenever possible, and none of her assumptions are all that out there to me. I’d call this more popular than academic history, but if you’re looking to get into the history of Hurrem and the Ottoman Empire, I think it’s a great start.

Shadowsong by S. Jae-Jones. 4/5. Six months after leaving her husband, the Goblin King, behind in the Underground, Liesl is attempting to make something out of her life. Yet her brother Josef, a gifted musician, hasn’t responded to any of her letters and she finds herself unable to compose. After receiving a proposal from a mysterious benefactor, Liesl goes to further her career in Vienna, only to realize that the boundaries between our world and the Goblin King’s are deteriorating at an alarming rate, and something is seriously wrong with her brother. Liesl must return to the Underground to figure out what’s going on--but can she do so without losing her sanity? This book... is a lot. It’s beautifully written, incredibly dark at points, and takes a pretty bold turn. Liesl’s story in “Wintersong” was really of self-discovery and sexual awakening, whereas here the story revolves--fairy stuff aside--around her mental condition and her relationship with Josef. Along with a bit of Goblin King backstory for good measure. And for the most part, I’d say it’s successful. Yes, there were points where I was like “honestly Liesl should probably do something rather than thinking about how bad shit is” but... “Wintersong” wasn’t a very plot-driven book either, so I can’t say that I felt that plot was meant to be a priority in the sequel. It’s all sort of delightfully eerie and morally ambiguous, holdovers from “Wintersong”. But it was missing the Goblin King. Again, I feel that this book was very ambitious and super interesting and enjoyable, but it was missing something that made me absolutely adore “Wintersong”. And I’m not ashamed to admit that that something was the Goblin King and all the emo sex he had with Liesl. There were definitely points where I almost felt like Jones was trying to push back against the fact that most of the praise surrounding “Wintersong” was around how hot her male “hero” (................ ish) was, but I’ve got to say that that story did seem a bit more effortless to read. Basically, I wouldn’t change the plot of “Shadowsong”, I think it’s a really good book and followup, but I would add more Goblin King and I’m not ashamed to admit it. Still, I really loved it and was overall satisfied with the book.

Immortal Reign by Morgan Rhodes. 4/5. I’m not going to bother on a summary for this because it’s the conclusion to a 6 (?) book series that is all very convoluted. Essentially, Immortal Reign takes all of the characters we’ve followed and concludes their stories in the expected ways, and while I wouldn’t say that the Falling Kingdoms series is good, exactly... it does what it came here to do. It’s a very trope-y Game of Thrones for teens type thing with a feisty princess and a brooding dark prince at the center taking up the actual plot (which involves some elemental gods or whatever) with their arranged marriage angsty sexual tension shenanigans and honestly? It’s fun. All’s well that ends well.

Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan. 2/5. Sophie, a cossetted politician’s wife, is shocked when her husband James revealed that he had an affair with a young employee. James is charismatic and prominent, and though Sophie can believe that the affair happened, she doesn’t believe what comes next--the reveal that James allegedly raped the woman he was sleeping with. Kate, an experienced lawyer, is ready to prosecute James, completely convinced of his guilt. But which woman is right? I honestly debated doing one or two stars here, and I think I went with two because I get what the author is going for. But like... here’s the thing. We know which woman is right. We know from the start, especially after James’s perspective is introduced (side note: the way the POVs were handled seemed wonky). I’m all about the issue of rape being handled in fiction, especially when we’re talking about charismatic politicians. It’s very relevant. But the thing is that there is room for doubt in some cases; a very, very small amount, sure. However, there’s a reason why trials happen in rape cases. (Unfortunately, those trials often don’t end as they should, but that’s another issue.) There should have been doubt in a book that touted itself as a thriller, but all I got was preachiness and a “twist” that... did not... impress me. Kate’s perspective was incredibly holier than thou--so even though I agreed with her beliefs, I felt like I was being *told* how to feel rather than convinced through the story or writing. Like, obviously I should agree with everything Kate says. Obviously. Also, the writing just wasn’t great--slow and strange at times. The descriptions of people were weird. Like, way to take your novel about a feminist issue and describe the evil defense attorney in a way that is suggestive of her weight--she’s described as a “weighty” woman who “plumps” herself down. Which... whatever. Good idea, downright unintelligent and uninspired execution that probably would have been more interesting if we focused solely on Sophie’s point of view.

White Houses by Amy Bloom. 2/5. Lorena Hickock tells the story of her decades-long love affair with first lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Though American history has never been my jam, I was intrigued because the existence of Eleanor’s affair with “Hick” is debated to this day, despite a lot of evidence towards the fact that Eleanor was a) interested in women and b) in love with Hick, and vice versa. And this should have been so interesting. Not only is there the inherent interest factor of a first lady having an affair--and with another woman in the early twentieth century, at that--but Eleanor was a multi-dimensional, controversial woman married to a controversial man (who had plenty of affairs of his own). But Amy Bloom’s writing style and characterization of Hick (who had a horrific childhood that was handled... I don’t know, rather coldly, by the writing style) just sucked the life out of everything. I won’t say that there weren’t some pretty moments and I feel like the approach to depicting a long relationship was good, but this was too boring.

Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann. 3/5. Alice has recently suffered yet another bad breakup--and the reason why her girlfriend dumped her is especially painful. Biromantic and asexual, Alice struggles to communicate to her partners how she feels, and how her romantic attraction to them doesn’t mean that she experiences sexual attraction. Right after proclaiming that she’s done with dating, Alice meets the handsome, kind Takumi, and is immediately head over heels. But does she dare tell him about her feelings--and her sexuality? This book was definitely hard for me to rate, because in all honesty... I didn’t really like it. I didn’t really hate it, either. It was fine. The representation is so important that I feel like I can’t not recommend it--Alice is black, biromantic, and asexual. That’s huge. I don’t know if the author is asexual or not--I know she’s black--so I can’t speak to how the book handles asexuality (another reason why I wasn’t sure how to rate it) but I did appreciate that race wasn’t ignored in the book. The thing is that while Takumi was very cute, much of the book felt more like a Tumblr spiel than a story. Alice has a right to have her feelings hurt by the fact that her girlfriend doesn’t want to be with her; but I also felt like the girlfriend was a bit demonized for wanting to feel sexually desired, and the fact is that... that’s okay. Alice’s friends seem to say the right things a bit too often, especially considering how little the average person knows about asexuality. Alice herself annoyed the shit out of me, for reasons that had nothing to do with her sexuality--she was just so fucking cutesy, and in all honesty I had a hard time believing that a girl her age thought the way she did. It also felt as if that fed into the perception of ace people as these fairy-like unicorn types who love all things soft and cute, which... I don’t know. Maybe an ace person would read this and say otherwise. I’m not ace, so I have no idea. Basically: good idea, not so sure about the execution, great rep. Important, but perhaps a little too After School Special for me.

The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden. 3/5. Following the events of The Bear and the Nightingale, Vasya is left with two choices: marry, or join a convent. Spirited--and still being mentored on some level by the frost demon Morozko--Vasya is quickly gains the esteem of the Prince of Moscow after a battle with bandits. But that leaves her disguising her gender, an d in more danger than ever before. I remember liking The Bear and the Nightingale--but I’m not sure that it left a huge impression on me, because I felt like I was going into this book blind. I remember the characters--it’s a big cast--but I wasn’t excited about anything but Vasya and Morozko. I don’t know, it all came off as a bit slow to me. Beautifully written and interesting, but slow. I plan on giving it another shot at some point.

From Lukov with Love by Mariana Zapata. 4/5. At twenty-six, Jasmine is past her prime as a figure skater, and her pairs partner’s abrupt departure has caused her to miss a season. She should be thrilled to be asked to partner last-minute with Ivan Lukov, the current world champion--but Ivan is also her best friend’s older brother, and her arch nemesis since she was a teenager. He’s arrogant and stuck-up; she’s got a chip on her shoulder. It’s a romance novel. We know what’s going to happen. But this was one of the most fun love/hate romance novels I’ve read in a while. Honestly, there’s nothing INCREDIBLY deep going on here--the stakes are relatively low, there aren’t any major obstacles or even a last minute shocking reveal~. Ivan and Jasmine really just need to stop being assholes to each other and fucking skate. Also, make out. But it’s such a fun book. Like, the writing is nothing spectacular--there’s some repetition and awkward descriptions--but the leads’ chemistry keeps it together and I pretty much wolfed the book down.

The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata. 3/5. For two years, Vanessa has been the long-suffering personal, assistant of football star Aiden Graves, who acts as if she doesn’t exist. Fed up with being taken for granted, Vanessa quits--only to have Aiden show up on her doorstep, asking her to marry him. A Canadian, Aiden is in danger of having his visa expire, and the easiest way for him to stay in the U.S.--the only way he’ll accept--is through marriage, and Vanessa is the best potential (fake) wife. After Aiden promises to pay off her student loans and buy her a house, she agrees--but can she keep her real feelings at bay? Another cheesy but charming romance from Zapata, but this one I found a good bit less compelling. It was likable, sure, but I didn’t feel the chemistry between Aiden and Vanessa on the same level that I did Ivan and Jasmine’s in the above book. For that matter, while Aiden wasn’t as nasty to Vanessa as Ivan was to Jasmine--well, Jasmine dished it as well as she took it. Vanessa, on the other hand, was just a doormat as Aiden had her wash his sheets, cook for him, basically handle everything an adult should handle... while acting like she didn’t exist. It certainly diminished Aiden’s appeal, though I didn’t hate him. Again, it was fun, but not nearly as good as From Lukov with Love.

#books #recs #book roundup

5 notes · View notes