UsUk and Music Geekery
Title: Reverberations
Fandom: Hetalia
Pairing: UsUk
Genre: Romance, AU
Rating: T
Warnings: Cursing, kissing, implication of sex, heavy use of music terms
Summary: Arthur is an up-and-coming composer, who draws inspiration from his lover. Alfred and Arthur's relationship in terms of music.
Note: This is a collection of interconnected fics, so it's ongoing, but not following any particular overarching plot. Also, this is one of my all time favorite fics, partially because music fics are like crack to me.
Oh yes, and because I use a lot of musical terms, they are defined at the bottom of the fic. The first one is very jargon heavy, the rest, not as much.
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6757034/1/Reverberations
Same deal. Posting first chapter, to see more click the link above or petition me to post more. Thanks much!
Alfred had no idea that he was the single source of the British composer's inspiration.
Arthur could not play a single musical instrument. He could not sing, whistle, or even hum pleasantly. Yet he was one of the most famous emerging composers of his time. Only in his late 20s, the sandy haired, bushy browed Briton had already published a plethora of compositions, each one unique but still recognizable. Nobody knew how the man did it, especially not his largely oblivious American boyfriend.
Arthur himself barely knew how he was able to compose like he did. For all purposes, he should have been reduced to listening. But for some reason, Arthur implicitly understood music, and was able to envision it without ever being able to produce an audible result. No, Arthur could not vocalize his work, but he could write it for others. He could write a flawless symphony without ever hearing a piano play. He would simply write the notes for others to follow, and when they did, the result was always magical.
The people who wondered about this elusive genius of Arthur's did not know and therefore, did not take into account, two things.
First, Arthur saw music everywhere. He took in his life in terms of a treble clef. When he heard a birdsong, he would think trill. Any rhythmic thumping, whether it was footsteps or Alfred's nervous habit of tapping his fingers, would be immediately counted by the Brit's brain (4/4 and 6/8, respectively). Any pitch that reached his ears was translated into a note, however subconsciously. The man lived and breathed music, and when he started to write, the notes and rhythms were already there. Arthur was just beginning to learn how to utilize this unique talent which, he know realized, he had possessed all his life.
Second, Arthur had a singular and unquenchable source of inspiration: Alfred. The boy, who was now a man (how he had grown-crescendo) who had been the bane of Arthur's existence and his very reason for being all at once. They were only two years apart, but Arthur had been taking care of Alfred all his life. They had been inseparable as children. The American would come up with crazy ideas and the displaced Briton (who had moved to America at a very young age) would try to keep him from crashing down when he tried to fly like his much loved superheroes. Arthur had shielded and protected the boy and they were considered closer than brothers, even the same person (unison). But one day Alfred had rebelled; he wanted to be his own person, and to do so he had to push the person he loved most away. Their split (divisi) had hurt Arthur, but as they grew further apart (dissonance) they missed each other all the more. And eventually they rekindled their friendship in a fragile semblance of its past. Eventually they realized that they had such a complicated relationship was because they loved each other, as more than brothers can or should. And eventually, they discarded their old friendship and created something new, a partnership (duet).
And throughout their history, Arthur translated Alfred's actions into rhythms and captured them on paper in small black notes, a record of their lives together hidden in plain sight.
Although Arthur often composed songs for Alfred, his lover never realized that the song were, in fact, always about him.
The ideas were everywhere, from when Alfred laughed (con slancio) to the way that Arthur's breath caught when the American smiled at him, openly and lovingly, making his heart proverbially "skip a beat" (syncopation) to the feel of Alfred's usually clumsy hands gently stroking the Brit's face, his chest, his neck (soave).
The angst of their once unacknowledged desire struck minor chords, and the way that they kissed, pressed against a wall rang like the crash of cymbals for the British man. Alfred's constantly tapping feet provided the drumbeat and Arthur's racing heart rate the tempo. And the way they had finally confessed, with lips and tears and words and hands intertwined in a discordant cacophony had been the apex of improvisation.
Arthur was presented with new ideas every day as Alfred glided through Arthur's life in a flurry of love and music, and the Brit was carried along by every moment. He had always seen music and he had always loved Alfred, but when the two combined, his works became genius.
As Arthur buried his head in the sleeping American's chest and whispered "I love you" before falling asleep, he felt the words thrum though his lover's skin, leaving him with this latest flash of inspiration. The gentle vibrations shared by their bare skin as they lay together, sleeping contentedly.
Reverberations.
This whole idea was inspired by a piece of music we were playing in band-Reverberations by Brian Balmages. Check it out, it's pretty cool.
Anyway, here are a list of musical terms and definitions, because some of them are more obscure than others.
Treble clef-Most common musical clef.
Trill-Rapid alternation between two notes.
4/4 and 6/8-Time signatures.
Crescendo-Increase in volume; grow.
Unison-Multiple people playing the same note.
Divisi-A choice for a player to play one of two different notes; a divided part.
Dissonance-Audibly "unstable" sound.
Duet-Piece of music written for two people.
Con Slancio-With enthusiasm.
Syncopation-Notes which are on the upbeat rather than the downbeat.
Soave-Gently, softly.
Minor Chords-Often sound darker and more plaintive than major chords (technical definition is on wikipedia, but to boring to post.)
Tempo-Speed.
Discordant-See dissonance.
Cacophony-Collection of various sounds which may sound unpleasant together.
Improvisation-Not prepared; made up on the go.
Reverberation-Sound remaining in a space after the source of the sound is gone (I think of it as continuing vibrations, kind of).
Fandom: Hetalia
Pairing: UsUk
Genre: Romance, AU
Rating: T
Warnings: Cursing, kissing, implication of sex, heavy use of music terms
Summary: Arthur is an up-and-coming composer, who draws inspiration from his lover. Alfred and Arthur's relationship in terms of music.
Note: This is a collection of interconnected fics, so it's ongoing, but not following any particular overarching plot. Also, this is one of my all time favorite fics, partially because music fics are like crack to me.
Oh yes, and because I use a lot of musical terms, they are defined at the bottom of the fic. The first one is very jargon heavy, the rest, not as much.
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6757034/1/Reverberations
Same deal. Posting first chapter, to see more click the link above or petition me to post more. Thanks much!
Alfred had no idea that he was the single source of the British composer's inspiration.
Arthur could not play a single musical instrument. He could not sing, whistle, or even hum pleasantly. Yet he was one of the most famous emerging composers of his time. Only in his late 20s, the sandy haired, bushy browed Briton had already published a plethora of compositions, each one unique but still recognizable. Nobody knew how the man did it, especially not his largely oblivious American boyfriend.
Arthur himself barely knew how he was able to compose like he did. For all purposes, he should have been reduced to listening. But for some reason, Arthur implicitly understood music, and was able to envision it without ever being able to produce an audible result. No, Arthur could not vocalize his work, but he could write it for others. He could write a flawless symphony without ever hearing a piano play. He would simply write the notes for others to follow, and when they did, the result was always magical.
The people who wondered about this elusive genius of Arthur's did not know and therefore, did not take into account, two things.
First, Arthur saw music everywhere. He took in his life in terms of a treble clef. When he heard a birdsong, he would think trill. Any rhythmic thumping, whether it was footsteps or Alfred's nervous habit of tapping his fingers, would be immediately counted by the Brit's brain (4/4 and 6/8, respectively). Any pitch that reached his ears was translated into a note, however subconsciously. The man lived and breathed music, and when he started to write, the notes and rhythms were already there. Arthur was just beginning to learn how to utilize this unique talent which, he know realized, he had possessed all his life.
Second, Arthur had a singular and unquenchable source of inspiration: Alfred. The boy, who was now a man (how he had grown-crescendo) who had been the bane of Arthur's existence and his very reason for being all at once. They were only two years apart, but Arthur had been taking care of Alfred all his life. They had been inseparable as children. The American would come up with crazy ideas and the displaced Briton (who had moved to America at a very young age) would try to keep him from crashing down when he tried to fly like his much loved superheroes. Arthur had shielded and protected the boy and they were considered closer than brothers, even the same person (unison). But one day Alfred had rebelled; he wanted to be his own person, and to do so he had to push the person he loved most away. Their split (divisi) had hurt Arthur, but as they grew further apart (dissonance) they missed each other all the more. And eventually they rekindled their friendship in a fragile semblance of its past. Eventually they realized that they had such a complicated relationship was because they loved each other, as more than brothers can or should. And eventually, they discarded their old friendship and created something new, a partnership (duet).
And throughout their history, Arthur translated Alfred's actions into rhythms and captured them on paper in small black notes, a record of their lives together hidden in plain sight.
Although Arthur often composed songs for Alfred, his lover never realized that the song were, in fact, always about him.
The ideas were everywhere, from when Alfred laughed (con slancio) to the way that Arthur's breath caught when the American smiled at him, openly and lovingly, making his heart proverbially "skip a beat" (syncopation) to the feel of Alfred's usually clumsy hands gently stroking the Brit's face, his chest, his neck (soave).
The angst of their once unacknowledged desire struck minor chords, and the way that they kissed, pressed against a wall rang like the crash of cymbals for the British man. Alfred's constantly tapping feet provided the drumbeat and Arthur's racing heart rate the tempo. And the way they had finally confessed, with lips and tears and words and hands intertwined in a discordant cacophony had been the apex of improvisation.
Arthur was presented with new ideas every day as Alfred glided through Arthur's life in a flurry of love and music, and the Brit was carried along by every moment. He had always seen music and he had always loved Alfred, but when the two combined, his works became genius.
As Arthur buried his head in the sleeping American's chest and whispered "I love you" before falling asleep, he felt the words thrum though his lover's skin, leaving him with this latest flash of inspiration. The gentle vibrations shared by their bare skin as they lay together, sleeping contentedly.
Reverberations.
This whole idea was inspired by a piece of music we were playing in band-Reverberations by Brian Balmages. Check it out, it's pretty cool.
Anyway, here are a list of musical terms and definitions, because some of them are more obscure than others.
Treble clef-Most common musical clef.
Trill-Rapid alternation between two notes.
4/4 and 6/8-Time signatures.
Crescendo-Increase in volume; grow.
Unison-Multiple people playing the same note.
Divisi-A choice for a player to play one of two different notes; a divided part.
Dissonance-Audibly "unstable" sound.
Duet-Piece of music written for two people.
Con Slancio-With enthusiasm.
Syncopation-Notes which are on the upbeat rather than the downbeat.
Soave-Gently, softly.
Minor Chords-Often sound darker and more plaintive than major chords (technical definition is on wikipedia, but to boring to post.)
Tempo-Speed.
Discordant-See dissonance.
Cacophony-Collection of various sounds which may sound unpleasant together.
Improvisation-Not prepared; made up on the go.
Reverberation-Sound remaining in a space after the source of the sound is gone (I think of it as continuing vibrations, kind of).