Hah, very well, then! Hm, hm... Ah - I know a good one!
[And he'll start to play a little tune, full of bounces and trills. It's probably the sort of flitting, energetic sound anyone who's known him for 5 seconds could expect to hear.]
[Given the usual 'I don't care' vibes she tries to aggressively give out, it might be a little surprising how attentively she listens, not making a sound or a move until he finishes.
[The compliment is more surprising than the focus she gives, considering that's about what he'd expect from a musician who actually cares about the music they play... A "NICE", hell yeah. HE BEAMS.]
Hah, true, that you did! Good, good - I'm glad, in that case. You know, the two of us should play a song together sometime! It's been a while since I've had anyone to play a duet with.
Well - I don't think we know any pieces of music from each others worlds, so we'd need to find sheet music, and I don't really imagine there's any lying around this summer camp.
Oh! [Sheet music didn't even exist in the modern way in 200-400AD China so HE'S AT A LOSS HERE.]
You could just play a song and I'll play along. Is that fine? Would that be too much trouble? Writing music isn't exactly my strongest suit so I don't think I could help there, but I'm quite good at embellishing and playing by ear.
[Since what he played was a little bit more cheerful than the first two pieces she selected... She thinks for a moment before starting on something closer in tone> to what he picked himself.]
[This is definitely the sort of tune that's in his wheelhouse, god. He listens along quietly for the first few bars, beginning to sway a little again as he does.
Eventually, he puts his lips to the dizi and begins to play along - little bursts and flits of notes, all managing to harmonize quite well with what she plays. There are a few places where a turn of note surprises him and he's off-harmony, but on a whole, he really does seem to be good at playing by ear.]
[She might glance his once or twice once she can tell how well he's doing. For someone like her, who learns by studying each specific movement of a piece down to each specific note to see how the parts fit into the whole, not comfortable to play it publicly until it's perfectly memorized - it's surprising to see how quickly he catches on.
Once they're done, though - she doesn't say anything for a few seconds.]
[THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION AND HE DOES NOT HAVE AN ANSWER FOR IT... But he smiles anyway, since it feels like a compliment, and glances toward his dizi.]
Spent a lot of time just throwing together the notes that I felt like playing, whenever I'd play by myself. I think you just get a feel for where to go when you hear certain sounds or note certain moods, you know?
[She thinks about how to explain this most easily, and after a few moments:]
It's like - with this kind of music [she gestures towards the piano], there's rules you have to follow. Like, harmony is a kind of logic, you know? I mean, I guess there's kinds of music where you can just make shit up as you go, but...
Ah... Hm. That sounds like music theory better suited to my friend than myself, I'm afraid! I don't typically follow the rules, haha.
[DON'T LAUGH ABOUT RABBLEROUSING.]
More seriously, though, I think the dizi may be a little less - strict? Measured? Logical? Though I do see what you mean about the logic itself!
[Did you know Wei Wuxian is a math wizard with big math brain in addition to being a fine arts wizard?? i personally hate it but he can see both sides of the music equation here.]
...But you have to. It isn't a song if you don't follow the rules, it's just messing around.
[What a stickler!! This is probably why she prefers classical music, especially piano - there's no room for improvising or making up things on the fly. Either way, she gives a small shrug.]
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[He detaches Chenqing from where it hangs on his waistband, twirling the flute deftly.]
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[And he'll start to play a little tune, full of bounces and trills. It's probably the sort of flitting, energetic sound anyone who's known him for 5 seconds could expect to hear.]
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Once it's done:]
...Nice.
[Was that?? A compliment??]
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Haha, thank you! It was to your tastes, then?
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I said it was nice, didn't I?
[She might be the first casualty if she gives him another compliment about it.]
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Hah, true, that you did! Good, good - I'm glad, in that case. You know, the two of us should play a song together sometime! It's been a while since I've had anyone to play a duet with.
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Well - I don't think we know any pieces of music from each others worlds, so we'd need to find sheet music, and I don't really imagine there's any lying around this summer camp.
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You could just play a song and I'll play along. Is that fine? Would that be too much trouble? Writing music isn't exactly my strongest suit so I don't think I could help there, but I'm quite good at embellishing and playing by ear.
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[Incredibly convincing.]
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Play away, then! Let's see if I can play something good to match.
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Eventually, he puts his lips to the dizi and begins to play along - little bursts and flits of notes, all managing to harmonize quite well with what she plays. There are a few places where a turn of note surprises him and he's off-harmony, but on a whole, he really does seem to be good at playing by ear.]
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Once they're done, though - she doesn't say anything for a few seconds.]
How do you do that? Just - wing it like that?
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Spent a lot of time just throwing together the notes that I felt like playing, whenever I'd play by myself. I think you just get a feel for where to go when you hear certain sounds or note certain moods, you know?
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...But if you're just making stuff up, how do you know if you got it right?
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["How do you know if you got it right" is a question he does not understand, considering his method of music is flying by the seat of his pants.]
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[She thinks about how to explain this most easily, and after a few moments:]
It's like - with this kind of music [she gestures towards the piano], there's rules you have to follow. Like, harmony is a kind of logic, you know? I mean, I guess there's kinds of music where you can just make shit up as you go, but...
[She hates jazz, it's fine.]
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[DON'T LAUGH ABOUT RABBLEROUSING.]
More seriously, though, I think the dizi may be a little less - strict? Measured? Logical? Though I do see what you mean about the logic itself!
[Did you know Wei Wuxian is a math wizard with big math brain in addition to being a fine arts wizard?? i personally hate it but he can see both sides of the music equation here.]
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[What a stickler!! This is probably why she prefers classical music, especially piano - there's no room for improvising or making up things on the fly. Either way, she gives a small shrug.]
I guess. I've never really played it before.
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[it's lan wangji because it's always lan wangji]
Would you not call what I just played a song, then? I could play another - make one for you right here and now!
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[After a second:]
I'm good.
[please be nice]
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[NATALIE.]
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Neither...?
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With a little twirl of his flute:] If it's neither, let me play for you again, then! You're a wonderful audience.
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