This idea came from Meese a long time ago. I'm sorry this is only being written now but these kinds of chapters take a lot of work (which will be further explained at the end).


Photo #68: Just a Little Flat

If there was one thing out of many that Eadlyn loved most about her father, it was that he never gave up. If there was a law that he believed to be the best for Illéa, he would persist and persevere until he would get it approved by his cabinet. It's an admirable quality that she is glad to have inherited. She would have rather possess that than a musical gene.

Many photos have proven this and much more will prove the same already well-known fact: nobody in the Schreave, besides America, is nowhere close to being a musician. It's almost as if God above strictly declared that only America was to be a musician and everyone else should just bow at her musical abilities. But just like all the photos before and the photos to come, not even the word of a higher power will stop a non-musical Schreave from being musical.

Even the current photo of Eadlyn's father attempting to play the violin makes her cringe. She doesn't even have to be listening to her father play the instrument to know that it's being done badly. Her mother's horrified expression in the photo says enough.

That was definitely a time when Eadlyn's father should've just given up.

-o-

"Maxon, dear, you really don't have to do this," America says carefully.

"Nonsense!" Maxon exclaims. "I want to learn. I have heard you play and it is such a beautiful instrument."

America looks at him skeptically. "The violin is a hard instrument to learn without having a prior musical knowledge and no offense but you're as musical as half of a castanet."

Maxon blinks at that statement, keeping his head held high at an insult he didn't really understand. The only indication that told him it was an insult was that America said 'no offense' at the start. He actually has no idea what a castanet was. America stands by his side and only sighs as she takes out one of her violins (since Maxon bought her a few) and its corresponding bow.

America places the shoulder rest on Maxon's shoulder as she tightens the bow. She makes Maxon hold the violin as she rosins the bow (whatever that means. America explained the process and why it has to be done but all he heard was a buzz).

Then they switch: America takes the violin as she hands Maxon the bow.

America begins to tune the instrument. She would turn the peg and pluck the string, humming the correct note it should match, and then make the adjustments if needed. This is when America takes the chance to explain what the strings represent.

"Can't you use an electronic tuner?" Maxon suggests. "Pretty sure those would be more time efficient."

"Where's the fun in those?" America replies, continuing to sing as she tunes. Maxon figures that her method of tuning is better since America's voice was the most beautiful sound to ever enter his ears, no matter what she was doing with it.

"This is how you hold the bow," America says, taking Maxon's hand in hers. She changes the grip on his hand so that it balances out and holds the weight of the bow equally.

"This is uncomfortable," Maxon says. "My hand is cramping."

"You get used to it over time," America responds. "Same goes for the shoulder pad. Your hand should be relaxed though."

Maxon shrugs.

America straightens Maxon's back as she holds out the violin. With his free hand, America places it around the neck of the violin and guides Maxon's arm to bring the butt of the instrument to sit on the shoulder pad. She tilts the violin so the back of it rests on his collarbone and she lowers his chin to hold the instrument in place. With his hand holding the violin's neck, she arches it so his fingertips touch the strings that she explained earlier.

"Now, how to play," America says as she picks up Maxon's arm with the bow.

She places the flat side of the bow approximately halfway between the violin's bridge and fingerboard. America hovers it back and forth above the strings, showing Maxon how it's done. When he does it on his own, it makes a sound that's scratchy and squeaky at the same time. America shudders as Maxon jumps a little, immediately separating the bow from the violin.

"More pressure equals louder sound, but too much pressure makes it scratchy," America tells him. "If you play too close to the bridge, it may also sound scratchy."

"Then how do I make it not sound scratchy?" Maxon questions.

"Less pressure and tilt the bow a little." She adjusts the bow for him.

Maxon tries playing a sound again, this time with less pressure, and the result was a sound that was less scratchy and less squeaky. America doesn't shudder as much this time around but Maxon seems proud of himself for his improvement.

"I believe I sound amazing," Maxon states, looking at America so that she'd agree.

America doesn't respond. Instead, she pretends to be doing something else so that he'd think she didn't hear him in the first place. She starts whistling a tune and Maxon attempts to match her song with the violin despite not yet knowing how to play any notes on the instrument yet, so the sounds he was making with the violin didn't match hers at all. America jumps a little, not expecting that (her last note whistled went up in a sharp pitch). She looks at her husband, actually a bit horrified.

"Allow me to serenade you," Maxon says, holding the bow up to the violin again.

"You really don't have to," America replies (or begs for the sake of her eardrums, the condition of her beloved violin, and the dignity of her husband - all in that order).

"I insist."

America smiles awkwardly, showing her full set of teeth. "Let me take the violin back for a moment. It's just a little flat."


If you are a violinist and this chapter offended you then I am so incredibly sorry. I don't play the violin and I certainly didn't mean any harm. Chapters that involve me actually writing a character showing a skill that I have to look up end up resulting in people get offended so just know that I wrote this to be funny, not harmful.

! Make sure you cast your vote on my profile on which Selection OS you want to see first.

Stay Tuned - "buckle your seatbelts, we have a long trip ahead of us." (and hopefully a long chapter)