Sweet Music (anyone)

Richard's fingers danced across the inverted coloured keys of the piano. Baby-blue eyes half hidden by fair lashes as he focused on the music sheet in front of him. His body swayed to the music he was filling the elaborate ballroom with, slowly coming to a halt as he finished.

His lips twitched.

Perfectly played.

The piano was the only instrument that he could play. Normally, his temper would get the better of him as he attempted to play and learn other instruments - such as the violin. It was not like art, were you could work around a mistake, or look back on it and learn from it. No. Music was different.

In his opinion, only the masters could work around a mistake and make it work. And if not, it is glaring and load, ruining the rest of the piece. Not only that, but you can not look back on what you did, only getting other peoples opinions. Because of this, Richard only managed to learn the piano. Yes, to an amazing standard. But other vampires, having lived as long as he had, would of probably learnt a few more if they had the same interests as he had.

Because of his lack of playing skill, he admired musicians greatly. Almost to the point he found it... Attractive.

He flicked through the book, finding another piece he enjoyed, before filling the ballroom up with sweet music again.

Camille wandered into the ballroom, sitting down in the corner quietly to listen to the younger man play. He let Richard finish his piece before speaking, "You are an excellent player."

He walked across the room to read the music over the other boy's shoulder. His carefully-chosen language had reflected his feelings about Richard's playing. Technically, it was excellent. But it was so careful, so deeply concentrated that he felt that some of the emotion in the piece had been lost. Richard's fingers flit across the keys in a way that was flawless, yet it did not seem that he was truly connected with the piece.

"But, you don't need to try quite so hard. Do you mind if I show you something?"

Richard turned, pausing on the note he was on suddenly, drowning the ballroom in silence again.

He felt a little embarrassed for not noticing the other vampire - so wrapped up in the piece he was playing. But he pushed down the slight rising of pink and smiled gratefully at the boy.

"Thank you. Though, I still have a lot to learn." Despite playing for over two hundred years.

He shuffled up the bench to make room for Camille. Hands now placed interlinked oh his lap, rather then spread out accordingly on the inverted coloured keys.

"Um, sure."

He watched the red-head in interest, waiting for Camille to show him... What ever he was showing him.

Camille placed his fingers on the keys, playing the music easily, placing emphasis where he felt it should be placed, closing his eyes as he felt the music running through him, the emotion taking over him as he played. He added a few errors as he went, but so caught up was he in the feel of the piece that they were barely distinguishable from the music. They might have even flowed better with the piece than what was originally written.

He stopped, opening his eyes to smile at Richard. "You have the skill of a concert pianist, but you are stiff."

He grasped Richard's hands, guiding them to the keys. "You should not be so anxious about making errors. Go with what feels and sounds right to you. If you can feel the emotion of the piece, see the pictures in your head, it doesn't matter what you play, because the air of the piece will still be the same. It will be individual to you, and it will be more beautiful than simply playing the notes."

Normally he would never talk this much. Anyone who knew him would know that. But music was something he was so passionate about, and he was so comfortable with Richard, that somehow, it felt easy to talk like this.

Richard sat in silence, listening to Camille play, watching his hands play the piano naturally. Twitching a little at the mistakes, he did not comment on them. The boy worked around it. but... They were still there... Ruining the overall spectacular performance, in his opinion.

"But you made mistakes." He pointed out. No hate or dislike in his tone for the previous comment, just simply pointing out a fact.

He noted Camille's comment in the back of his mind, for him to think over later. And then most probably beat himself about. A mistake that was not an obvious one.

Letting Camille guide his fingers, he listened to the red head intently. With a nod he let his fingers move, trying to connect to the piece. Or feel the emotion of the piece, as Camille put it.

He played for a few minutes, trying to relax into the music, and not to wince when he did make a mistake. It just sounded like a lot of noise to him. With a sigh, he stopped suddenly, grumbling to himself.

"It is harder then it looks."

Camille smiled gently in amusement at the boy's comment.

"Music isn't about right or wrong. It has it's own character, its own personality. It has flaws, but then so do people. You shouldn't expect everything in life to be perfect...it isn't. If you do that, you will be too easily disappointed. I'm not saying you shouldn't strive not to make mistakes... but emotion is more important in a piece than accuracy."

He listened to the boy's playing. No, he was not really connecting with the piece. It seemed that the youth was too out of touch with his emotions to understand the feel of the piece right now. Camille was weak, but this did have the advantage of knowing his own feelings.

"You are finding it difficult? Think of something that makes you feel strongly. Or someone for that matter."

Something he felt strongly about... Or someone...

There were a few people, or groups of people, that stood out to him. But, lately (much to his horror) there was one that stood out to him the most prominently. He always someone he felt strongly about, but more out of hate rather then... Whatever this emotion was. Still being new to all this, he did not have a word for it.

He flicked through the book to find a piece that would fit a little more with what he felt for the vampire. Stopping on one, he placed his fingers on the piano. Pausing to take a breath, he began to play. His body moved subtly with the music that was filling the ballroom up again. Focussing on his emotions, he let them flow through his fingers to create the tune. He found himself a little uncaring to the slightly missed beats or pressing a key for a second too long - too busy in his own little bubble.

Finishing it slowly, like he was waking up from some sort of semi-sleep, pink dusted his cheeks when he remembered Camille was sitting right next to him. He felt like he just laid what he felt out on a plate in front of the boy.

Removing his hands from the keys to twist one of the rings around his finger, he asked: "So, was that a bit better?"

Camille listened to the music, eyes closing softly as he let the music and the feelings of the other youth fill him up, loving the expression, the beauty that he had never been able to find in words. The errors were not important. What was important was the dream-like, distant emotion of the piece, throbbing in the keys and within the heart of the instrument. He opened his eyes as Richard stopped playing, smiling widely at him.

"That was perfect."

He found himself pink a little more at the complement - not truly use to them.

"Thank you." For the compliment and the help.

In all truth, he knew he would slowly revert to old ways. Mistakes bugged him. Niggled at him. Sure, while putting emotion first and precision second may of been the boys idea of a perfect piece was the opposite to him. Though, he had to admit, it was nice to let his emotions out in other ways then words or drawing.

Continuing to fiddle with his silver rings, he turned to look up at the red head.

"So, I am assuming from our two meetings that you are very passionate for the arts?"

Camille smiled, a little more sadly this time. "I suppose you could say that."

Art and music reminded him of a time when everything was...simpler, sweeter. It made him remember when he had been human, when Sergei had been happy. When Sergei had taught him how to play, and paint, and, in turn, Camille had taught him how to feel love, as opposed to the empty life which the older vampire had lived before. Camille wished now that he hadn't taught him this skill. It was love that had destroyed them both, in the end. But he would always remember those times when Sergei's hand would guide his, and when those lips would gently kiss the back of his neck as he played piano.

After his master died, he had sworn to himself that he would never play or paint again...but that was something he could not do. It bore so many happy memories, painful memories, that he just could not let it go.

"Like I said, it's a hobby."

"Same." Richard stated offhandedly in agreement.

He stroked one of the black keys, frowning a little as he felt the slight bump of a scratch. That defiantly was not always there. He guessed it must of been made sometime this month. Forcing his fingertip away from the scratch, he tried not to let it bug him to much. After all, there was not much he could do to get rid of it.

Remembering the other in the room, he turned his baby blue eyes onto him. Feeling a little rude, he quickly ran through a couple of questions to restart the conversation.

"So, I am guessing you came here to try out the harp?"

He nodded over to where the instrument stood behind them. Delicately detailed, well made made out of white-gold. He was a little unsure where they orbited the harp, or weather it had been here since he started living here.

Camille wandered over to the harp, fingers flitting over the detail reverently. It was a lovely one. Perfectly carved, and so slender, the strings shimmering slightly in the candle-light.

"It's beautiful."

He drew up a chair, pausing for a moment before he began to play, this time, with emotion, but without any faults, fingers fluttering deftly over the strings, with a gentleness that was more stroking them than plucking them, closing his eyes in bliss as music filled the room once more. This was his instrument of choice. It was so beautiful, so delicate. Piano was lovely, but it could sound a little too strong for his liking. Harp was subtle, fragile.

He stopped, realising Richard's presence in the room. "Do you play harp?" he asked, wanting to continue the conversation.

Richard sat and listened to the sweet music the boy was playing flawlessly. No. That was an understatement. Nothing in the tune was out of place or a painful mistake. It was simply beautiful and filled with emotion.

He felt a bit disappointed as the boy came to a stop to talk to him.

"No. The piano is the only instrument I can play well." There were a few other instruments that he can play the bare basics of. But his frustration could not get him any further then that.

"What about you? Other then the harp and the piano, what other instruments can you play?"

"I can play the flute... but other than that, nothing else, really." he smiled at the boy. "I could teach you if you wanted? It's quite easy once you get the hand of it. Though you might get a few blisters at first."

Though the strings on this harp had been softened over time, Richard did not play a stringed instrument and so, his fingers would still be too soft. Over time, that changed, but it did take practise.

Richard's eyes widen in surprise. He pinked at the offer, and his decline.

"Er, no. It is fine. Just one instrument at a time for me." The corners of his lips twitched at the red head. "But, thank you for the offer."

He had tried to play the harp before. But... It seemed to be too gentle for him. Becoming frustrated over which string he had to pluck, he kicked it out of frustration - instantly regretting it afterwards. Luckily, it was only a cheap harp.

"You won't mind continuing playing?"