#Its hilariously bad and only adds to his unsettling energy | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

dustedmagazine · 6 years ago

Text

Voting with our ears: Dusted spends the rent on Bandcamp.com’s Voter Registration day

On September 25, Bandcamp.com held a fundraiser for the Voting Rights Project, seeking to raise both money and awareness around voter registration. For the day, all profits on everything you bought on Bandcamp.com went to this worthy cause. Dusted writers saw the opportunity to a) buy stuff and b) promote democracy and said, “Hell yes, we’re in.” Participating writers included Ian Mathers (who is Canadian!!), Justin Cober-Lake, Jennifer Kelly, Bill Meyer, Isaac Olson (who definitely wins) and Ethan Covey. Check out what we bought and then, for the love of god, vote. We’re depending on you.

Ian Mathers

IDLES

For various reasons I wasn’t able to shop quite as avidly as I did last time we got together for one of these, but I managed to make one impulse purchase of a record I hadn’t heard yet (but had transfixed me with its singles) and combine that with two long-awaited additions of old favorites to my Bandcamp collection (and my hard drive, after having lost track of the files in one move or another).

IDLES — Joy As an Act of Resistance

Joy as an Act of Resistance. by IDLES

As you might guess from the fact that it just came out at the end of this August, Bristol’s IDLES is the impulse buy of the three, one that so far has worked out just wonderfully. Having been recommended the mockingly anti-Brexit(/xenophobia) “Great” on YouTube and being drawn from the immediately bracing, invigorating likes of that to this album’s more openhearted ode to the greatness of not hating people you don’t already know, “Danny Nedelko,” and the more Protomartyr-ish opening track “Colossus” (the latter of which also probably has my favorite music video of 2018), I couldn’t imagine any band capable of those three songs would somehow whiff the rest of a reasonably-lengthed LP, and the often political, always heartfelt Joy As an Act of Resistance. proved me right. There are certainly places where it gets darker (particularly “June,” where singer Joe Talbot relates in heart-wrenching fashion his wife losing a child to a miscarriage), but the overall feel of the album can be summed up by Talbot barking repeatedly at the listener to “love yourself” over a careening, punkish anthem. The album title isn’t a piss take, which is a relief in itself.

The Silent League — But You've Always Been the Caretaker...

But You've Always Been The Caretaker... by The Silent League

Back in 2004 I first heard of the Silent League, as I think most people did, because frontman Justin Russo had been in Mercury Rev (for 2001’s All Is Dream, the last Rev record I can say I fully loved), and their debut, The Orchestra, Sadly, Has Refused was interesting, lysergic chamber pop with some proggy and/or post-rock elements. I lost track of them for a bit after that album and was surprised that when I heard about them again it was because of an entirely different musician I was a fan of. Shannon Fields, then of Stars Like Fleas and since of Family Dynamics and Leverage Models (the last of which made my favorite record of 2013 and which is, incidentally, about to return), maker of a ton of records I both love and think have been overlooked, let me know that he’d also been a contributor to the Silent League for quite a while and that with their then-current album, 2010’s But You’ve Always Been the Caretaker… he thought they’d made something that represented a bit of a leap forward for the band. Not only do I agree, but the Silent League’s swan song (to date) now represents one of the most frustratingly overlooked records I know of, 15 sprawling songs in any number of registers, styles and tones tightly packed into less than 49 minutes that, fitting the circular and slightly foreboding title, packs a bunch of richly interwoven thematic and sonic depth into what feels like a whole universe of popular music. There’s proggy/ELO overture “When Stars Attack!!!,” the sound of a glam rock band practicing a particular soulful jam down the hall and four walls away on “Sleeper,” at least one just perfect string-led “perfect pop” song in “Resignation Studies,” and literally a dozen other things here. And yet But You’ve Always… never feels scattered or showoff-y. It’s a whole world, dense and rich and worthy of being studied in detail for its brilliance. I was thrilled to see it on Bandcamp, not least because this is exactly the kind of record that could easily slip through the cracks.

Tamas Wells — A Plea en Vendredi

(PB024) Tamas Wells: A Plea En Vendredi by Popboomerang

It’s been over a decade, but when I was in university I am pretty sure I first heard Australian singer-songwriter Tamas Wells because I saw the song “I’m Sorry That the Kitchen Is on Fire” somewhere and thought the title was hilarious. To my surprise the song itself was gorgeous, a gently folky little waltz with Wells’ high, gentle voice, carefully picked acoustic guitar, a lightly hypnotic piano refrain, and sparing hand claps. I fell hard enough for it that even back when the internet wasn’t at all what it is now I tracked down Wells’ 2006 album A Plea en Vendredi and found a shimmering little suite of song, some as gnomic and vaguely unsettling in their implications as “I’m Sorry That the Kitchen is on Fire” (like “Valder Fields,” which is apparently a place where our narrator and others mysteriously regain consciousness, or whatever you can make of “Lichen & Bees”), some much more plainspoken (including the slight political bent running through “The Opportunity Fair,” “The Telemarketer Resignation,” and the gorgeous little instrumental “Yes, Virginia, There Is a Ruling Class”), all just as twee-ly beautiful and enrapturing as my initial exposure had been. At the time Wells was working in Burma on a community development project, and from what I’ve been able to find his moving around and focus on non-music work has occasionally kept his album on the back burner, although he’s found an audience at home and in Japan and China (and of course, sometimes as far as Canada where I ran into his work). He’s kept releasing records since, most recently 2017’s The Plantation on a small Japanese label, but even if A Plea en Vendredi was all I’d ever been able to find it’d still find a regular place in my rotation; even when things get a bit darker, on “Valour” and the closing “Open the Blinds” there’s something so soothing about Wells’ music and this particular set of gem-like miniatures has been a go-to album for me during difficult times ever since.

Justin Cober-Lake

David Ramirez

Ashley Walters — Sweet Anxiety (Populist)

Ashley Walters // Sweet Anxiety by Ashley Walters

I’d been wanting to hear this one for a while. I first noticed cellist Ashley Walters on Wadada Leo Smith's America's National Parks, a remarkable album that I spent considerable time with while writing a couple features on it and Smith (including interviewing Walters). I was even more impressed after understanding what went into the work and seeing that ensemble perform it live. Walters writes of this album, “I seek to challenge your perception of what the cello, a stereotypically gentle instrument, is capable of,” and it's fair to say she succeeds. It's a demanding listen, more aggressive than expected, but Walters and her composers blend technical challenges with theoretical ones. At times, Walters cuts loose, and at times she works with tonality, often using nonstandard tuning to odd effect. Smith composed one of the brightest numbers here, making a nice shift in sound without lowering the difficulty level. Luciano Berio's “Sequenza XIV” provides the most interesting piece, not only for the actual performance but for the reconstruction work on the score that Walters highlights in the liner notes. This one's well worth a focused listen, and I'll need to give it quite a few more to properly process it.

The Beths — Warm Blood (Carpark)

Warm Blood by The Beths

In August, the Beths released one of my favorite albums of the year, Future Me Hates Me, a blast of pop-rock easily good enough to warrant going back, more or less, to the beginning, with 2016's Warm Blood EP. Both lyrically and musically, the group hasn't quite found its footing, but that says more about the focused energy of the full-length than it does about these five songs (including “Whatever,” which reappears on the album). The hooks are there now; the guitar on “Idea/Intent” represents the band as well as anything. The vitriol of that track fits in less well with the attitude the band generally puts forward, one that's self-reflective and confident without claiming to know all the answers. Some of the joy of the music is in Elizabeth Stokes' searching, but that's turned around on a track like “Rush Hour 3,” a comedic bit of come-on (and the rare track not written by Stokes). Warm Blood works as a nice look back at a band, but it's not just a history lesson — it's an enjoyable set that adds to the playlist of a group with only one album out.

David Ramirez — The Rooster (Sweetworld)

The Rooster EP by David Ramirez

I've been working my way backwards with David Ramirez, too, starting with last year's We're Not Going Anywhere (which didn't adhere to his previous folk-ish sound but did make me wonder why I hadn't found my way to the songwriter earlier). After spending time with the fantastic Fables, there was the live show that utterly sold me on him, in part because he has a bigger voice than you might notice at first, even in his sparser productions. The Rooster EP, a fitting complement to that album, feels like an ascent. His vocals are assured, even as he searches for clarity, or at least anchor points amid turbulence. Tracks like “The Bad Days” and “Glory” offer unrequested hope, and “The Forgiven” provides a meditation on performance, art, and faith that's central to his work. The five cuts on this EP have the gravitas of something bigger and strengthen my sense that Ramirez should be a songwriter that everyone listens to.

Grand Banks – Live 8-25-2018

Grand Banks live 8-25-2018 by Grand Banks

Any sort of bonus shopping day provides a good excuse to support local music. This time I went with the latest release (such as it is) from Grand Banks, their live recording from August 25. The duo don't shy away from volume, but their focus on minimalist ideas and sonic experimentation makes for unusual experiences. Over this single 30-minute track, the pair builds with patience, even when developing a haunted-house sort of melody on the keys. The second half of the piece increases the challenge, with guitarist Davis Salisbury pulling an odd series of sounds out of his instrument (for the curious, you can try it at home with an electric guitar, a tuning fork, and a fuzz pedal, and probably some sort of sonic laboratory). The effects build on Tyler Magill's creepy keyboard work – maybe this one's an unintended seasonal release. The study in space and harmonics gives way to a chirpy conversation and surprisingly (in this context) guitar-like guitar moment before placidly drifting away, an apt conclusion for the performance.

Jennifer Kelly

The Scientists

I bought five different records this time, mostly, but not all, falling somewhere in the punk/garage continuum. I liked them all in different ways, but the one that absolutely killed me was…

IDLES—Joy as an Act of Resistance (Partisan)

Joy as an Act of Resistance. by IDLES

This is Ian’s fault, really. He talked me into it. Plus, it turned up on the Bandcamp recommendation engine. Which, by the way, is just so much better than Amazon’s recommendation engine. (I see you like the Pixies. Wanna buy every Pixies album ever?) But turns out, they’re both dead on. Idles is vitriolic and literate like the Sleaford Mods but backed by a ripped-to-the-teeth full band a la Protomartyr. Yes, two of my favorite current bands in one, plus a whole other thing of jagged, jitter-drunk percussion and wind tunnel howl. There is a song called “Never Fight a Man with a Perm.” So glad I got to hear this. Score one for voter registration.

The Sueves—R.I.P. Clearance Event (Hozac)

R.I.P. Clearance Event by The Sueves

Butt-simple garage rock from Chicago, punctuated by weird little intervals of found sounds. Beautifully unhinged and uncomplicated, it reminds me the most of Demon’s Claw and after that maybe the Hunches and then the Monks. I bought it partly because I wanted to get those “we have a new record” notices from Hozac, but they know what I like.

The Scientists—Blood Red River 1982-1984 (Numero)

Blood Red River 1982 - 1984 by Scientists

Guess who got to see the Scientists last week? They were awesome. They played “Frantic Romantic” in the encore (which is not on this disc, by the way). I knew some of the early stuff from the Do the Pop compilation of Australian punk, but immersing myself in these clanking, droning, post-punk juggernauts was the best and most enjoyable concert prep ever. “Solid Gold Hell” and “Swampland” were my two faves, and they played them both.

Mike Pace and the Child Actors—Smooth Sailing (Self Starter Foundation)

Smooth Sailing by Mike Pace and the Child Actors

This one, from the former Oxford Collapse frontman, was a little more Raspberry-ish power pop than I was expecting, but it’s growing on me. “Escape the Noize” is my go-to track, a lush jangle of melancholy, a tetchy bristle of palm-muting, then a sweeping swooning chorus. It’s about leaving the music behind, which Pace clearly hasn’t, and good thing.

Onoto—Dead Ghost (Taiyo)

DEAD GHOST by ONOTO

Let me the first to admit that I haven’t gotten to the bottom of this one, a swirling, enveloping miasma of guitar tone, wrapped around confoundingly weird vocal samples. “Shake Well for the Eye,” is droned-out chaos that parts like fog for bits of mid-20th century menstrual advice (avoid vigorous exercise, horse-riding, skating, cold showers, hah!). Other cuts eschew narrative for slow moving landscapes of instrumental tone. The title track lets guitar notes hang for unmovable eons, with only sharp shards of harmonics to break up the endless vistas. As a straight through listen, the disc makes more sense as you go along, meaning, you have to adapt to its oddity and it changes you.

Bill Meyer

Canary records

Kemany Minas and Garabet Merjanian — When I See You: From the November 1917 Recordings, NYC (Canary)

When I See You: From the November 1917 Recordings, NYC by Kemany Minas & Garabet Merjanian

Various Artists — And Two Partridges II: From the Earliest Turkish-, Arabic- Armenian-& Kurdish-Language Recordings in America, Feb-Aug, 1916 (Canary)

And Two Partridges II: From the Earliest Turkish-, Arabic- Armenian-& Kurdish-Language Recordings in America, Feb-Aug, 1916 by Canary Records

Various Artists — Oh My Soul: Armenian-American Independent Releases, vol. 1: ca. 1920-25 (Canary)

Oh My Soul: Armenian-American Independent Releases, vol. 1: ca. 1920-25 by Canary Records

Various Artists — Why I Came to America: More Folk Music of the Ottoman-American Diaspora, ca. 1917-47 (Canary)

Why I Came to America: More Folk Music of the Ottoman-American Diaspora, ca. 1917-47 by Canary Records

I buy stuff via Bandcamp fairly often, and my purchases are nearly always hard copies. Downloads may be convenient, but a record you can’t hold in your hands seems to me to be one of those bad 21st century ideas like a Trump presidency or an unrepentant frat-creep on the supreme court. But when Bandcamp puts its income behind a cause, I relent, and when I do, I buy downloads from Canary Records. These albums are all compiled from recordings made by Anatolian exiles who fled genocide, war and poverty to take their chances in the USA. Many of these recordings predate the first blues records, and collectively they make a case that our notions of what constitutes American music are needlessly exclusive. After all, why should the music of people who came here from the Ottoman Empire be any less American than people who came here from the British Empire?

Billy Gomberg — Live Sets 2016-18

live sets 2016-18 by Billy Gomberg

Well, there go the rules. This DL-only compilation of concert performances by one of my favorite ambient recording artists of recent years shows that the carefully wrought, ultra-deep atmosphere of his recent cassettes is no fluke.

Various Artists — Two Niles To Sing A Melody: The Violins & Synths Of Sudan (Ostinato)

Two Niles to Sing a Melody: The Violins & Synths of Sudan by Various Artists

Back on solid ground at last! This hardcover book + 2 CDs (there are also vinyl and DL versions) shows how sounds blur from one culture to the next when people live along the same rivers and coasts. These recordings from the Sudan blend the nimble rhythms and ardent longing of Arabic pop with just a hint of the sinuous melodic quality of Ethiopian popular music.

Tashi Wada with Yoshi Wada and Friends — FRKWYS Vol. 14—Nue (RVNG)

FRKWYS Vol. 14 - Nue by Tashi Wada with Yoshi Wada and Friends

If you’ve caught Tashi and Yoshi Wada in concert, you know that there’s no louder or more mind-melting drone that a drone that incorporates multiple bagpipes and alarm bells. This record puts Wada fils in the composer / arranger’s seat, and while it uses the same materials as those live performances, the music is much gentler. Sometimes you want to boil your blood, sometimes you just want to kick back and zone out. A portion of the proceeds from this record will go to the National Immigration Law Center.

Isaac Olson

Ustad Abdul Karim Khan

Toshiya Tsunoda/Taku Unami — Wovenland (Erstwhile)

Wovenland by Toshiya Tsunoda/Taku Unami

I bought this collection of chopped and screwed field recordings on the strength of Marc Medwin’s review and the fact that Erstwhile dedicated their profits for the day to the Voting Rights Project. Pieces like “Park cleaning / Crickets chirping,” “In The Park”, “From the rooftop, railway terminal station” are both ear-tickling and intellectually stimulating. The rest are more stimulating intellectually than auditorially.

The Weather Station—S/T (Paradise of Bachelors)

The Weather Station by The Weather Station

I slept on The Weather Station in 2017 because the music didn’t grab me enough I wasn’t interested enough in the music to tune into the lyrics. I’m not sure what compelled me to give it another try, but I’m glad I did. Songwriter Tamara Lindeman has crafted a compelling take on early adulthood in an anxious age, one that, once I started paying attention, resonated with me in a highly personal manner I haven’t felt or sought in years. The b-side is almost too subtle, but Lindeman is a sharp enough writer to bring it off.

Red River Dialect—Broken Stay Open Sky (Paradise of Bachelors)

Broken Stay Open Sky by Red River Dialect

This is another record where the words carry the music, which means, like The Weather Station, I initially passed it over only to connect with it in unexpectedly personal ways after honing in on the lyrics. While I loved the fiddling from the jump, it took time for the rest of Broken Stay Open Sky to grow on me, but grow it did. (Check out Eric McDowell’s review here).

Ustad Abdul Karim Khan—Ustad Abdul Karim Khan (Canary Records)

Ustad Abdul Karim Khan: 1934-1935 by Abdul Karim Khan

Classical Indian vocal music is a complex, highly systematized artform that I can’t pretend to understand, so rather than take my recommendation that you should listen to these recordings, take LaMonte Young’s: “When I first heard the recordings of Abdul Karim Khan I thought that perhaps it would be best if I gave up singing, got a cabin up in the mountains, stocked it with a record player and recordings of Abdul Karim Khan, and just listened for the rest of my life”.

VA—100 Moons: Hindustani Vocal Art, 1930-55 (Canary Records)

100 Moons: Hindustani Vocal Art, 1930-55 by Canary Records

A traditional performance of a raga can last hours. A 78 can hold about three minutes of music.

As such, the performances on this collection lack the the breadth and depth of a traditional raga performance, but they more than make up for it in intensity.

Ross Hammond and Jon Balfus— Masonic Lawn (Self Released)

Masonic Lawn by Ross Hammond and Jon Bafus

Sacramento guitarist and improviser Ross Hammond (whose record with Hindustani vocalist Jay Nair is also worth your time) teams up with percussionist Jon Balfus for a set of blues and folk inspired improvisations that manage to feel spacious despite the dense polyrhythmic approach. Masonic Lawn’s improvisations are optimistic, wide-eyed meditations on Americana.

Melvin Wine—Cold Frosty Morning (Roane Records)

Cold Frosty Morning by Melvin Wine

Old-time music, like most folk traditions that arose in relative isolation and pre-date the record industry, isn’t particularly well suited for album-length listening. That said, if you’re in the mood for scratchy, crooked, dance and trance tunes, West Virginia fiddler Melvin Wine is a great introduction to the distinctly non-bluegrassy mysteries of this music.

Note: This recording features a minstrel tune titled “Jump Jim Crow”. How we’re to deal with this in the modern, right-wing nightmare age we inhabit is a complicated question, so if you’re digging this music but that title bothers you (and it should), check out these articles by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Mechanic.

V/A—Usiende Ukalale: Omutibo From Rural Kenya (Olvido Records)

Usiende Ukalale: Omutibo From Rural Kenya by Various Artists

Like the Melvin Wine recording above, Usiende Ukalale exhibits a local folk style that evolved in relative isolation and is, for the non-local and non-expert, enchanting in small doses and merely pleasant over the course of a full album.

VA—I’m Not Here to Hunt Rabbits: Guitar and Folk Styles from Botswana (Piranha Records)

I'm Not Here To Hunt Rabbits by Various Artists

I reviewed this one back in May and I’ve listened to it so many times since that it was high time to buy it. Highest recommendation.

Jess Sah Bi & Peter One—Our Garden Needs Its Flowers (Awesome Tapes from Africa)

Our Garden Needs Its Flowers by Jess Sah Bi & Peter One

This unusual gem combines the loping rhythms, slide guitar and harmonica of American country music with traditional Ivory Coast village songs. Its breezy Bakersfield meets Yamoussoukro vibe belies its anti-apartheid lyrics. Mp3s of this one have been floating around the internet for a few years, so it’s great to see it get an official re-release.

Ola Belle Reed—FRC 203 - Ola Belle Reed: Recordings from the collection of Ray Alden and the Brandywine Friends of Old Time Music

FRC 203 - Ola Belle Reed: Recordings from the collection of Ray Alden and the Brandywine Friends of Old Time Music by Ola Belle Reed

From the indispensable Field Recorders Collective, this release documents a 1973 performance by Ola Belle Reed. Reed’s music exists at the nexus of old-time, bluegrass, early country, and gospel, but it feels wrong to box in the wisdom, humor, and generosity of spirit that shines through this release with anachronistic genre tags. Best of all is the Reed original, “Tear Down the Fences”: “Then we could tear down the fences that fence us all in/Fences created by such evil men/Oh we could tear down the fences that fence us all in /Then we could walk together again.” Amen.

Ragana— You Take Nothing

YOU TAKE NOTHING by RAGANA

I don’t listen to as much metal as I used to, but while this fundraiser was happening, Brett Kavanaugh — case study in patriarchal resentment and mediocrity — got one step closer to a lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court. Ragana’s raw, sludgy, anarcha-feminist take on black metal really hit the spot that day.

Ethan Covey

Weak Signal

Omit — Enclosures 2011-2016 (Pica Disk/End of the Alphabet)

Enclosures 2011-2016 by Omit

Clinton Williams, the New Zealander known as Omit, has been quietly releasing nocturnal electronic compositions of uncompromising quality for the past couple of decades. Enclosures 2011-2016, released jointly by Lasse Marhaug’s Pica Disk and Noel Meek’s End of the Alphabet labels, provides an overview of five years of Williams’ output in a 30-track, six-hour package, available digitally and as a limited 5-CD set. Omit has previously been anthologized on two compilations courtesy of the Helen Scarsdale label, Tracer and Interceptor. And past releases have popped up via Corpus Hermeticum and PseudoArcana, as well as — most prominently — Williams’ own Deepskin Conceptual Mindmusic imprint. Great listening, all, if you can find ‘em. For those curious to dive in without too much digging, Enclosures is ideal. Much of Williams’ genius lies in composing tracks that are edgy, yet beautiful, creepy and experimental, yet profoundly listenable. It’s forward-thinking electronic composition that checks a lot of avant-garde boxes without feeling like a task. There’s a subtle, krautrock propulsion to the best tracks — the opening “Turner,” the “Echo Dot” pieces — where the listener gets locked into the rhythm and time slows to an elegant crawl — like a soundtrack for night driving on an Autobahn upended.

Weak Signal — LP1 (self-released)

LP1 by WEAK SIGNAL

Weak Signal are NYC’s Sasha Vine, Tran Huynh and Mike Bones. Bones has previously released a pair of strong albums of indie songwriting courtesy of The Social Registry. As a guitarist, he’s done time with Endless Boogie, Matt Sweeney’s Soldiers of Fortune and Prison. This album was a tip from Danny Arakaki of Garcia Peoples, and it’s a swell one, 30-minutes of slack fuzz pop bashed out with energy and swagger. The majority of the tracks strut by on solid riffs, backed by boy/girl vox that slide into chant-along choruses. Like new wave bled dry, leaving a beautiful bummer. The eight-minute “Miami/Miami Part 2” stretches out into a haze of increasingly rapturous guitar soloing, string screeches and a spoken word coda. Lotta promise here, for sure. Here’s hoping they stick around for an LP2.

Raising Holy Sparks — Search For The Vanished Heaven (Eiderdown Records)

Search For The Vanished Heaven by Raising Holy Sparks

Seattle’s Eiderdown Records has been releasing some of the best contemporary psychedelia around, and the latest by Raising Holy Sparks is no exception. The project is the work of uber-prolific Irishman David Colohan, and is offered in double and triple cassette, as well as digital, versions. The “short” cut of the album is an hour and a half long, and the triple cassette and download versions stretch that to well over two hours. Per the credits, the album was recorded in somewhere around 40 different locations over four years. Colohan is credited with over 30 instruments and is joined by baker’s dozen of likeminded collaborators. What they deliver is, like most of Colohan’s music, long, slow and often eerily beautiful. “I Am In The Mountains While You Are In My Dreams” passes in its 23-minutes through Popol Vuh-style ambience, spoken word incantations that sound like Coil if they’d truly embraced the countryside and a whole lot of birdsong. It’s a good overview of the general proceedings — accented occasionally by louder blasts of synths, random percussion that sounds like drum machine presets and banjo-plucking krautrock. On paper, that sounds like a head-scratching combo, but it works. One gets the impression Colohan’s dedication and attention to detail is such that the grab bag of sounds weaves together into a surprisingly fascinating whole. Listen with attention and you’ll want to follow along as each stretch and segue unfolds. Oh, and as is typical with Eiderdown, bonus points for exceptional artwork, this time courtesy of Aubrey Nehring.

6 notes · View notes

dragonsight9 · 6 years ago

Text

Half Gone: Chapter 2

Notes: Sorry for the late post, I had a bit of a creative block in the middle of this chapter

Story Masterpost

Word Count: 2,640

Summary: Joseph and Virgil meet up with the others outside the city walls

Triggers: Sympathetic Deceit(tell me if there are others and I will add them)

Virgil did his best to focus on the wind fluttering the ends of his leathery wings. He didn’t want to think, for fear of hurting the human on his back or even running into Patton, who was doing spirals and dances in the sky. It was still unbelievable how much energy that tiny dragon had, even for a sun dragon. Virgil watched him, seeing the fur on his back sway in the wind and lose all of its’ knots, freeing his very sharp thin spines, which instantly raised on his back, stretching, and then disappearing into the fur. His tree branch-like horns growing small bright green leaves as spring approached. His blue scales almost made him invisible in the sky, even among the dark storm clouds that loomed over Virgils territory. What would happen to him and the others if my thoughts on Raymond are right? What if he’s the bad guy in this story? Are my brothers in danger? He could hurt them, chain them down and break them. He’s going to be king soon and no one can or will try to stop him except my brothers and I. They could end up.. No. No. No. Calm down or-

A soft tapping echoed across his scales from his back, snapping him from his thoughts.The tapping continued at a steady pace and he focused on it, realizing that in his daze of thoughts he had stopped flying and started gliding on trembling wings. He started to notice that Patton wasn’t in the sky anymore and Virgil had been growling lowly, softly vibrating his whole body and in turn the human on his back. Virgil flapped his wings to gain more altitude. He swore this kid was magic when it came to him, even in all 109 years of being on this island with Patton and the others, no one could figure out a way to calm his mind immediately. This kid found out how to do it in less than 18.

In moments Virgil was flying straight again and the tapping continued. He started purring when the tapping turned into fingers scratching the skin between his scales in which he could never reach. A small chuckle from his back made him smile. “You seem a little tense there Virge, y’should try to relax.”

Virgil chuckled and turned his head to look at Joseph. “Says the one nervous about being in the capital city for the first time, shouldn’t these roles be reversed?” He grinned at Josephs dumbstruck expression, he must have forgotten that Virgil could see how anxious and nervous people get.

“I actually had questions about the castle so you can either totally read minds and you’ve been lying to me, or you’re really really good at guessing things.” He started to pick at Virgil's spines with his free hand, still petting him with the other

“I’m just a really good guesser. Go ahead and ask me anything, I’ll answer with what I know, and then you can ask the others any other questions you got that I can’t answer right away.” He looked at Joseph for a moment longer before turning away, showing him that he was patient and could wait.

After a moment or two Joseph finally spoke up, “So, are there any things that I should know for sure? Like, secret exits or anything? People I should stay away from?”

Virgil had to think for a moment, trying to remember the names of people that never actually seemed to like him and his brothers. “I would say to just stay away from anyone with ill will, mostly the nobles, they’re fairly greedy. Oh, and don’t forget about the mages and merchants, they respect us but would do anything to get ahold of us for experiments or parts they need for spells or curses.”

Joseph sounded horrified, “Like what?!”

“Well, we all have different magical properties, seeing as we can control different elements. Our blood is one thing they could use, bones too, as well as teeth, horns and spines, hearts, even our eyes. From what I’ve read in books in the castles library and Logan's personal library, dragons are extremely powerful and one of the most magical creatures known. I hadn’t really believed any of it until I found out at the castle that none of the mages or wizards there could control any element to the extent that my brothers and I could.”

“Woah, that’s fascinating. A little concerning and weird but definitely really cool to think about.” Joseph paused. “What about manners? Where will we be in the castle? Will there be a lot of people there?”

Virgil started to lower his altitude as he flew out from the clouded area of his territory. The castle centered in the middle of the island was fairly large to Virgil but to Joseph it was like looking at a giant, it was massive, and he loved it. It was just like all the castles he had read about in the books from Logans library, huge towers and walls made of stone that reached for the sky, windows large enough to fit dragons, and a massive, even bigger city surrounded it. From the sky, he could see how busy the streets were, people were getting ready, setting up store tents for the other villagers arriving from the different towns and villages on the island. It was filled with noise.

Virgil flew low over the city, raising voices and shouts of excitement, hoping they would cover up the occasional yelling of hatred and anger so they wouldn't reach Joseph. He was a well-composed young man but he’s a lot like Roman and Patton who used to literally fight those who spoke badly about their brothers. Patton, the smallest dragon of the brothers, had even fought Virgil, the largest, because he caught him talking bad about himself. It was a hilarious ordeal that Virgil lost horribly in. Roman used to tease Virgil about it for years before he had an.. ‘unfortunate accident’ with a mud puddle and his bright white clothing.

“Don’t worry, the most people you’ll have to interact with are some knights, nobles and maybe some mages at the after celebration. You can interact with the villagers here in the city as well if you would like.” He circled back around one more time to make sure it was safe. “To answer your question about manners, don’t worry about it, you know everything you need to know. Just respect the people you talk to and don’t interrupt. Do your best to be approachable if you want to talk to people but make sure that you look like you can defend yourself.”

“But, I can defend myself.”

“Than you have nothing to worry about.” He thought for a moment. “Other than that, you should be good for now, and if you truly feel uncomfortable by yourself you can stay with one of us. However, if you truly don’t want to talk to someone, stay away from Patton and Roman, they will absolutely drag you everywhere to talk to everyone. Unless you like talking to people, in which case you’re fine. Logan prefers to talk to the council members and high ranking members of the court, Deceit and I just like to stand at the edge and observe everything and Thomas usually stands with the guards near where the king will be sitting, and if one of us comes with you, you can talk to him if you would like.”

“Yea, I might just stay with one of you guys, I’m still new to this whole area of the island. Thank you for your help Virgil.” Virgil felt Joseph hug him from his spot on his back and smiled before flying out to the clearing outside the castle walls where he could see Patton's whole body wrapped in a hug around a bright white and red dragon, pinning it’s wings to its sides as he giggles happily at something.

As he landed next to them Joseph immediately jumped down from his back and ran, not wanting to get squished by the play wrestling. It was then that two other dragons that were watching had come into view. One was a dark sea blue water dragon with three rows of massive webbed spines splayed out along its back from its nose to its tail which was currently resting beside it. Though it’s eyes were pure black you could definitely tell that it was bored but slightly amused by the two dragons wrestling on the ground. It’s dark blue, nearly black wings were folded awkwardly at its sides because of the lengthy black King Cobra lazily draped across its back on the webbing between its spines with the cobras head resting on its shoulder.

The yellow dragon sitting next to it was nearly twice it’s size, only slightly smaller than Virgil. Its back was lined with wicked spikes that bent forwards towards its head and then suddenly made a sharp turn back turn towards its tail. The left side of its face was void of any yellow scales and instead there was a long tear in its mouth that was pulled back past its jawline before stopping and trailing a scar that went down the side of its neck. On it’s left wing the scar continued along the top, going all the way to the end where the membrane was slightly torn. Its left eye was open wide, the pupil thin enough to slice through diamonds and making this dragon look completely mad. The scales around the scar and the left side of the face were a sickly nasty green color from the poison it held, some of them broken or cracked showing scarred skin. The entire dragon itself was contorted in a way that was unsettling for those that looked upon it and a position that would be uncomfortable for other dragons. It had twisted its neck around twice and its wings were slightly open and pulled down to completely cover its sides and back. The tail was the only thing that was even slightly comfortable looking as it sat to the side of the dragons right wing.

Around the dragon's neck sat a very very large python that had loosely wrapped itself around it and was staring at the wrestling dragons with complete amusement in it and the dragons eyes. Virgil always found the pythons scales interesting, most of them were brown, tan and black, but every now and then he would catch a glimpse of pale pink or pale blue scales on its underbelly.

The water dragon greeted him first. “Salutations Virgil, I am pleased to see you again. How was your rest?”

“It was alright until Patton showed up, I had actually managed to sleep during my break.” He smirked when he heard a quiet gasp from the white dragon on the ground next to him.

“Virgil?! Sleeping?! I don’t believe it!” He tries to look at the blue dragon wrapped around him. “Patton!” He shook his body for a moment, forgetting he was trapped by said dragon, “Patton!!” Pattons form shifted so he was looking up at the white dragon. “Yes?”

“Tell me! Was this Nightmare before Christmas actually sleeping for once?” the dragon took Patton's smaller head between its claws and looked him in the eye.

Patton was caught off guard by this motion before processing the question and he started to giggle, carefully unwrapping his form from around the dragon. “Yea! He was! It was so cute! He was curled up like a sleeping kitten! Oh my gosh Roman, you should have been there! It was adorable!” He grabbed Romans wrists with his own paws as he started to coo and purr at the memory, closing his eyes at the same time Roman gave Virgil a look, a look that told him he would never hear the end of this.

Nonetheless, he was almost completely sure that should he have been in his human form at this moment, he would be an embarrassed mess.. Or maybe he would be a vengeful one. Patton was the best at embarrassing him, especially in front of the others. He didn’t mean any harm by it though, Virgil knew that, so he didn’t hold it against the tiny dragon when the others teased him about the things Patton gushed about.

Instead he sighed as Roman stretched his glittering golden and red wings and draped one over Virgil's back, careful of the sharp spikes that rested there. “Who knew that doom and gloom could be cute, must have been in a fairly deep sleep if it took Patton 20 minutes to wake you up.” Virgil could practically feel the grin he knew Roman was wearing and growls in annoyance before shoving him to the side. Roman promptly lifted his wing as to not get it torn to shreds by Virgil's spikes and as he gasps as Virgil's smirk returns to his face. Roman sits back on his hind legs and lifts his wings so they are splayed out behind him in a grandiose golden display as he lifts one of his paws to his chest. “Betrayed by my own brother! I can’t believe it! Virgil how could you!?”

Virgil started laughing when he heard Patton trying and failing to stifle his laughter. “Great, now I’m being laughed at!” He looks over at Patton and immediately Patton is laughing as hard as he can. “Oh my lords! Patton you too?! Goodness gracious is anyone nice in this family?! Logan?” He looks hopefully at the blue dragon, who only shakes his head and places a clawed paw on his snout. Roman huffs in frustration, “Oh come on!”

It was then that the large yellow dragon spoke up, “Don’t worry Roman, I’m not laughing at you.”

“Oh thank the lords someone isn-!”

“Externally.”

“Son of a-!”

“Hey! Come on this isn’t fair!” A cry from the ground next to the yellow dragon. “You’re like, three times my height and you weigh so much more!” They all looked over with wide eyes to see Joseph being pinned down by the python that had previously been wrapped around the yellow dragons neck. It was curled up completely over his torso with its head resting on his chest. “Deceit! Help!”

Virgil and Deceit both started laughing at the sight. Joseph started to wave his arms around weakly as the snake slithered up so it was looking down at Joseph. Then it did the unthinkable, the most eye opening, most terrible thing in the whole world. It stuck its tongue out and tapped Joseph's nose with its own. Patton squealed, Roman pretended to faint, Deceit and Virgil were trying to gather their breath from laughing so hard, and Logan just got up and walked away. As he did so the cobra on his back slid off, letting him fold his spines down flat against his back as it hissed at him and slid off in the direction of Deceit and Joseph.

“Come on everyone, we’re early but we still have a lot to do, we also have to familiarize Joseph with our human forms as of yet before we head inside the walls.”

While Deceit caught his breath the cobra climbed up onto his back and curled around some of the spines to not fall off. Once his lungs were full of air, Deceit turned to the python, “Come on Emile, we have introductions to get through and Logan is getting a bit impatient.” Emile looked from Joseph to Deceit before deciding to slither off of the human and climb onto Deceits back, wrapping around the cobra to help its balance. Deceit then got up and walked over to Virgil, sitting down and dragging his long tail through the grass near him. Joseph then sat up to dust himself off and pick any pieces of grass from his outfit.

Logan spoke up once Joseph seemed more collected and prepared. “So, who’s going to introduce themselves f-”

Current Taglist(Let me know if you wanna be added):

@virmillion @residentanchor @iitsasecret24 @neonb-fly

#sanders sides #sanders sides au #thomas sanders #dragons #roman sanders #virgil sanders #logan sanders #patton sanders #deceit sanders #half gone

2 notes · View notes