Music in the soul (Tray)

[leslie]

From within the normally desolate music wing of the Hircine school after another long day of classes and learning, hauntingly quiet notes of a familiar melody cut themselves from the silence to echo around the hall. Each new note painted a picture within the open and willing mind of two people holding each other tightly in a loving embrace for the last time. Its sad sweetness clung to the walls, entwined itself in the empty rooms… eventually making its way to the main portion of the school toward the gym.

Seated on the piano bench, the slender figure’s fingers flew over the black and white keys to bring forth the music that so tickled the senses. Still unsure of the words that would accompany such a sorrowful sound, Leslie merely hummed then paused and wrote a few words on the paper next to the filled staffs. Earlier that week, she had met several interesting characters by simply practicing after school… and seen the boy named Traytaine again. There was something about him that catered to her softer side at the same time that his skill and finesse as a fighter drew her to learn from him. Thinking over Tray, her fingers unconsciously began another song – the words rising to her lips once she began to pay attention again.

“From underneath the trees, we watch the sky
Confusing stars for satellites
I never dreamed that you'd be mine
But here we are, we're here tonight

Singing Amen, I, I'm alive
Singing Amen, I, I'm alive

If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we'd see the day when nobody died

And I'm singing

Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive
Amen I, Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive…”

Her voice rose, increasing in intensity as she leaned slightly upon the keyboard as her fingers delicately ran along the keyboard to pluck out the melody – never pausing even as she sang. Blessed with the innate ability to play and sing at the same time, she smiled openly and looked up at the wall in front of her… imagining her home and her brothers, “I’m alive.”

[tray]

Traytaine was working out late in the gym, only one other student was still there. He was a boxer, as he had tapped up his hands and was beating on the punching bag. He himself had spent almost the while time doing squats and doing laps around the basketball court. It had been nearly two hours since he stopped doing both of these things and went back to the locker room.

After stripping down and taking a shower he heard a familiar, but distinct, sound of music floating down the halls again. 'Is it Leslie again?' He would find out. After pulling on his change of clothes, his black poncho and another pair of jeans. Unfortunately he had forgotten an undershirt, but it hardly mattered. Taking his backpack he worked his way through the halls again.

Upon reaching the music room he took no time in pushing the door open, as it was already ajar as he approached, and moved into the room. He shook his head a bit at the sight. She looked like she had been playing music half her life. "Hey. I was wondering if it was you." He said aloud, a faint smile on his lips as he moved into the room and dropped his pack near the door.

[leslie]

Leslie drew in a deep breath, her cheeks flushed slightly, as she continued to sing passionately. The words to her represented more than simple lyrics in a song sung by another person. They represented a certain idea that she felt was needed in the modern society as a whole. If everyone took the time to care about each other then perhaps the world would be better as a whole – perhaps her father would have understood or her mother would have still been alive. So focused on the words as she sung, it was only when she finally paused to remember the next verse that she heard someone standing behind her.

Turning on the piano chair, she smiled shyly as she saw the familiar figure then scooted to one side to offer a place for him to sit, “You heard me again? I picked a different room… but I guess the school didn’t make these practice rooms soundproof.” She straddled the end of the piano bench, her body turned toward the side with her head turned toward him. “I thought the only people still in the school were the janitors.” Her fingers rolling over the keys, she plucked out another familiar tune – her lips turning upward in a subtle smile, “So… how are you Traytaine?”

[tray]

Traytaine saw her turn, smiling, but still holding back any full expression. His body moved forward smoothly as she scooted to one side, and he sat down straddling the piano so he could square his shoulders with her. "Not when the door's open at least." He retorted with a small grin, his head turning to the side, his hair still damp but tied in two places because of this.

"I heard you in the locker rooms." He explained, and looked down at the piano as her fingers pushed down one key. The sound struck lightly thanks to how softly she pushed the key. "There was another guy in the gym, but he's just a boxer. I doubt he'll leave until he has to eat." He said offhandedly.

Traytaine shifted his body to the right to rest his forearm on the top of the piano, looking down to Leslie who again smiled subtly at him. He returned it slowly and rolled his shoulders. "As well as could be expected. My fives look right, and thats as much of an improvement as I have made." The joke wasn't lost on him, but he wondered if she would remember.

[leslie]

Surprising herself by staying seated instead of moving away from the close proximity, she continued to gently tap out a soft melody with her fingers unconsciously even as her head turned toward the piano. It was… surprising that she allowed a boy so close but then again, he had done her a large favor by accompanying her to the training with Victor the other day as well as sticking up for her that day in the cafeteria. “Was the door open?” She glanced to the door, certain she had closed it tightly. However, when she inspected it a bit closer, she realized that she would have had to force it closed… which she didn’t bother in doing. Her cheeks flushing a bit more in embarrassment, her lips twisted in a wry smile and she nodded.

“May I see?” She looked genuinely interested, glancing toward his bag that sat by the door, “Please?” As though catching her interest, her fingers sped up – the tune changing to Plain White T’s song ‘Hey There Delilah’, the same song that she had been humming when he found her the last time, “Maybe I can give you some more advice.”

[tray]

Traytaine looked down to the piano, his attention in following her fingers. He wonderd for a moment if she did it all by mind and memory, because it sounded like an actual song and not just random tapping of the keys. When she asked if the door had been open he looked up, nodding quietly as she glanced at the door. He smiled a bit at the way her cheeks had shifted colors gradually, and he moved back a bit more as he saw the wary smile.

He then followed her gaze to his bag, which was still back by the door. He considered it for a moment, but then shook his head as he pushed himself up. "My work out clothes are still in there. I'll just get my notepad for you." He said as he moved up, walking over to his bag and crouching down on his haunches. He would have to dig through a few things to find his homework notes.

After about a hundred seconds he pulled out the notepad, a pencil still stick int he rings, and pulled it out carefully. "I don't really have much trouble. They put me in geometry rather than.." he paused for a moment to pull the correct name of the opposition of geometry. ".. algebra. Said I wasn't suited for it." A shrug followed his statement as he returned to the piano, holding it out to her as he moved to sit down.

[leslie]

As soon as she saw Tray glance back at her hand, she slid it off of the keyboard and dropped her eyes to the bench to try to regain her composure, mumbling an explanation, “I just… like to play the piano. It’s almost – like a reflex.” Replacing her hand on the keyboard, she continued the song where she had left off with one hand, her eyes trained on the piano rather than on him as he walked over to his bag to pull out his homework.

Once he had the notebook, she paused her song and removed her hand from the keyboard – turning around completely to give him her complete attention. Carefully taking the notebook, she opened it then placed it between them, glancing at his numbers only to linger over a few fives and sixes, “I can tell which ones are which. But to make it even more obvious just cut it a bit shorter.” Closing the notebook, she offered it back to him then spun around on the piano, “Do you play or sing at all?”

[tray]

Traytaine watched as she took it from him, placing it on the bench between them. It was odd to look at upside down, but he nearly memorized the page, so he had a good idea of where she was looking. He sighed a bit and took the notebook, mumbling a quick, "I need to stop writing out of habit." before he turned and placed the notebook on top of the piano.

His head turned back as she shifted on the bench, and his fingers curled into his poncho as he turned and looked at the piano as well. "No. My voice is too gruff, and I've never touched an instrument before." He didn't seem sad about it, but his voice would flatten considerably as he moved himself back and placed his palm on his right cheek, holding himself up slightly.

[leslie]

“What do you mean, ‘writing out of habit’? You like to just write a lot.” She frowned slightly, not quite sure what he meant as she didn’t see any extraneous writing to the side of his notes or on the homework itself, but then again she hadn’t bothered to skim through the entire pad of paper. Once completely turned and comfortable, she brought both hands to the keys of the piano then turned her head to look at him.

“You should try. It’s fun.” Her fingers flexing to coax a song from the soulless wooden frame, her face briefly taking on a certain intensity before she relaxed and simply let the song flow. “It takes patience and discipline – but with fighters that is the easy part. Instead of making your entire body move as one, you have to move your hands by themselves, your feet… even force your eyes to read a new language.” Gradually slowing the song, she turned her head to look at him only to smile openly, “Put your hands on mine. Try to follow my fingers.”

[tray]

Traytaine didn't explain what he had done in his pad. He wrote down much of what he needed for homework. But he also wrote down lessons, in detail, as the teacher would present it. He was taught this as a preparatory act for college, as professors would expect you to do the same thing, and that it should be a habit that he should get into. The page of numbers only was quite simply problems he was expected to finish for the next day.

He was still a fair distance away from her, watching as her fingers flexed, and began to play music once again. His eyes followed the movements carefully, and it seemed more than slightly odd. It wasn't something he had viewed before. Everyone had heard a piano of course. But it was one of the first times he had seen it played. The words she spoke filtered through his mind, and the only time they actually spiked through his perceptions was on the statement she made last.

“Put your hands on mine. Try to follow my fingers.” His eyes widened for a moment, and he was suddenly skidding back and took a standing position next to the piano, the notebook pinned to his side. "I.." his hand shifted, tearing at the corner of the page. "should go.. It's getting late." He said slowly, and began to walk, hurriedly, to his backpack. Leaving a more than likely shocked, or embarrassed, Leslie behind him.

[leslie]

Lin was focused on the piano and the movement of her fingers even as she spoke to Tray, her hands briefly sweeping to the side to play an aria of sorts with her right hand. As he was seated next to her, she expected him to simply move over and gingerly place his hands on top of hers – to get a feeling for what it was to play the piano as well as that rush of being right there as the music emerged. However, much to her surprise and supreme embarrassment, he instead stood hurriedly. As he stood, he knocked the piano bench with the back of his legs – jostling her and instantly gaining her attention.

“Tra – Traytaine?” She frowned, her cheeks burning as she stopped playing and stood next to the piano while watching him fairly flee. It was as though she had threatened him with some sort of dire situation and as she watched him react, she felt her face heat to the peak of being uncomfortable while her hands buried themselves in her pockets, “Did I say something? I didn’t mean… to be forward. I just thought you wanted… I didn’t…” She was on the verge of crying, his expression reminding her of the rejection she had felt at the hands of her father. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” She repeated it over and over, a single tear appearing in the corner of her eye that she wiped away stubbornly.

[tray]

Traytaine had managed to make it to his backpack before he heard her talking behind him. He pulled his hat out hurriedly, and pushed it onto his head, hiding his eyes just slightly as he looked back at her. He had a little trouble figuring out what he had seen originally. She was.. crying? His mind reeled at the realization. He had felt terrified, and it was her that was crying?

Frowning heavily he looked from her to the door, trying to decide if he should continue his escape, but instead managed to somehow change his eyes back to her. "D-don't.. cry." He said slowly, his lips turned down in a frown. His body had stilled, a bit tense still, and then slowly continued. "I just- don't.. I can't touch people." He managed to spit out after two attempts, and his body seemed to have tensed significantly.

[leslie]

Trying desperately to stem the flow of tears down her face despite the fact that she really couldn’t as she didn’t understand what she had done or how she had done it, she miserably wiped her eyes then glanced up at him just in time to realize that he looked about as confused as she felt unhappy. But she never cried – ever. She never lost control of her emotions and she never showed them in such an embarrassing manner. Her options slowly closing in on her, she began grabbing for her satchel and music… sobbing and hiccupping as she stuffed it all in her bag.

“Can’t.. t-t-touch people?” She frowned and turned back toward him, her eyes shining with tears while her cheeks were more than stained from the salty brew. “Wh-wh-what do you m-mean can’t t-t-touch people?” Confused out of her own emotions, her sobbing stopped and she simply sat heavily down on the piano bench.

[tray]

Traytaine still stood rigidly by the door frame, his head titling down. Even with his upbringing it was hard to resist the natural instincts to try to comfort her physically. But he couldn't, so his body stayed rigid. "You said.. to put my hands over yours.. I can't." He repeated his body wanting to retreat. He didn't like this situation. Not in the least.

"I don't.. want to explain." He admitted fully, his feet shifting back once. "I just simply shouldn't.. can't.. shouldn't." He was stumbling over himself, both figuratively, and literally. He fell backward and tumbled into the hallway, straightening himself int he doorway hurriedly, not even realizing that his hat was still on the ground behind his left foot.

[leslie]

Looking with an almost stunned expression on her face, a few tears still making their way down her cheeks so that they tickled their way down her jaw then her neck, her glazed stare looked passed him until she shook herself out of her stupor. She didn’t behave like this – ever. What was going on with her? Lin was desperately wanting to feel some sort of reassurance that she wasn’t crazy, that he wasn’t going to abandon her like her father and her brothers. “Oh. Okay… I – kind of understand.”

As he stumbled backward, she immediately walked forward then extended her hand – dropping it when she realized what she was doing. Uncomfortable was an understatement… she wasn’t sure what she should be doing. Whether offering help was what she needed to do… she dropped her hand anyway. “Sorry. Habit.”

[tray]

Traytaine bent down and grabbed his hat, shifted back another step, and placed it on. He was still incredibly conflicted, and fearful, his eyes betraying this as easily as reading his notebook. If you knew his fives looked like sixes. "Ju-ust.. I'm" He frowned, his body was starting to feel a bit heavier.

He managed to finally calm his voice after a few deep breathes. "If you want.. we cou-should.. go see Kevin." He said in a slow, very worried, tone. If she ever did actually want to touch him he would only dare try with Kevin there to stop him. Or at the very least show why she shouldn't touch him.

[leslie]

Lin watched him carefully, taking a few steps back to the piano where her bag had been hastily gathered then set to the side like a bundle of laundry. Crammed inside of it were her sheets of music as well as her homework – so, in order to gather her nerves again, she lifted the bag onto her lap and began to smooth out the paper so that they wouldn’t wrinkle and tear. Trying to focus on the task at hand, she gradually released herself from the situation then regathered herself to look up at him, “Oh-oh, okay. Kevin…”

She carefully tucked the papers and books back into her bag, closing it to grip it close to her chest. Still holding her bag tightly, she wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve then stood and approached hesitantly. “We’ll go see Kevin so he can help… help me understand.” Moving around him, her brows still furrowed, she paused in the hall to wait for him to come as well with a hesitant and subtle smile, “Thanks for explaining to me Traytaine.”

[tray]

Traytaine watched as she went back to the Piano, and he moved to the hallway. He was still feeling incredibly uncomfortable. Taking up the backpack before she arrived, his body moving out of her way naturally as she went into the hallway as well. she seemed as hesitant as him at this point, but he knew that was his fault. Allot was after all.

"Kevin will help." He assured, his head leaning forward and pulling back in a natural nod (one he didn't personally initiate), and stepped up in front of her, taking a leading position as he looked over his shoulder at her. In the shade of his hat his eyes would still seem confused, but dark enough that his eyes didn't seem quite as piercing as well. "It's.. it's alright.. Let's go."

[leslie]

Lin continued down the hallway, clinging to the wall as the light appeared at the end – her expression growing a bit more relaxed. She seemed to be more comfortable leaving the school than even when she was at the piano and playing her own music. Keeping her eyes trained on Traytaine’s back, she nodded then frowned a bit at his words. “How will Kevin help?”

Shaking her head to free herself of the binding confusion she felt, she frowned but continued forward and down the street. It wouldn’t take them long to get to the grocery but while they were walking she sped up a bit and came alongside of him, “Traytaine… you train with Kevin. He touches you and you touch him. Why is it different with everyone else?” She tried to think of a time she had touched him, but as she thought back she remembered that each time she had had the opportunity something had stopped her. Whether that had been instinct or his own attitude, it had been… compelling.

[tray]

Traytaine thought for a long moment on how exactly she intended to direct the question. He slowly moved his head tot he side and rubbed his neck. "You'll see when I get there." He said quietly, the street was already getting a bit dark. "It's not that I train with Kevin. He thought me. He's stronger."

He said slowly, with a bit of pride. He was one of the few people who knew, and understood, all that went through Traytaine's head. Other than a few things that were not in his own understanding. "It's not different with him. I just know he is capable of beating me. Protecting himself." This of course, would also be cryptic. "You'll understand more when I show you.."