Silent Night (Telos)

The Concert Hall. It was a place for the musician and the performer. Everyone that was allowed to perform here had been carefully screened to ensure that what the public heard would not damage the image of the Government who protected it. It was an open place that had allowed many to grace its stages whether it was for a short time or a longer one. The stages here had seen many performances and the crowds had devoured the many genres that came through.

This place was a familiar one to the man who now sat alone in a rather empty concert hall. The many seats that lined the room holding imaginary audience. On the stage there sat a lone Baby Grand piano, its seat occupied by a quiet dark haired young man who was quite accustomed to the stage and being before people. It had been a while since he had actually sat down before one of his favorite instruments as his life had been shifted from a silent musician to one with a voice in a blink of an eye once his mother found he had some talent in the department and from there? Well life was a blur really full of nothing  but chaos and noise. So suddenly being on a stage with only silence and stillness as his company? That was something quite amazing to the young man who observed the piano before him.

He would study the black and white keys for a moment longer before reaching out and pressing a few keys, testing just how well kept this instrument was. He would hear the notes and nod inwardly with approval. Each note was perfectly tuned. Well then, that settled what he was going to do tonight.  He would reposition himself to become more comfortable on the seat before moving his other hand to the keys. Slowly, but surely he would begin to play a melody he had fallen in love with long ago. It was a sad melody and yet for some reason soothing to the young man who played it now.  

With his head slightly bowed, he focused on the keys of the piano not expecting anyone to come here tonight as he let himself be swallowed by the sounds of the melody he played.

The Song:

Note about Haru:

Takeru himself was silently watching, curious as to why the young man was playing what he was. He was slightly amazed, as the young man was almost as good as he was with it. Knowing better than to disturb him now, he decided to wait until he was done playing before he announced his presence. For now, he decided, he should remain silent.

The dark haired young man would continue to play the strange melody, his playing skills perhaps a bit lacking after a year or so of not practicing, but even so he did not miss a note in the song. Perhaps the song would’ve been flawless if it wasn’t for the fact that midway through the song the young man would cease playing the song quite abruptly as he felt eyes upon him.

Not the imaginary type either.  Someone was here and while the performer didn’t mind performing before an audience public or not, he was always more open to observation when he was notified he would be doing such a task; however, for one to simply watch him without permission or asking first? Well, that did not sit well with the idol.

His eyes would narrow as they slide to the side to view the space around him. When he finally spotted the one watching him, he would lock an icy stare on him.

“Do you make it your business to intrude on other’s solitude without first asking if it said action is allowable?"

The young man’s words were calm and direct, holding neither hostility nor friendliness in them as he kept the icy glare locked on the other. Perhaps interrupting would’ve been the safer option for this one; however, the deed was done, so that left one wondering what the intruder would do now.

"Hm? No, no. Although, I'm amazed quite honestly you noticed. I myself was practicing late night at the next concert hall, stretching my legs for a bit when I heard you, and I got curious." Takeru said. "That was some very good piano playing, by the way." He added.
"Tell me... I know this may seem rude to ask, but can you play Fur Elise by Bethoven?" He asked the man.

“Silent watching is easy to notice if you are fully aware of your environment,” Haru would say his voice never changing as he watched the other with a neutral expression listening to what the other had to say. Well at least his reasoning for coming here was reasonable enough even if he didn’t care for the intrusion. Even so, he would eventually blink as he looked away from the other for a moment. He heard the compliment, but it took him a few seconds to actually respond back as his eyes studied the keys for a moment.

“It will do,” was all he said in regards to his playing capability before looking back at the other as he made a request.

“No. I am in no mood to take requests,” he would state to the other before shifting in his seat to face the other better. He would fold one leg over the other as he leaned forward slightly, resting an elbow on his leg as his head rested in his hand.

“You say you play music. What sort do you play?”

The young man's attitude would remain serious, his expression hard to read as he continued to observe the other before him.

"The same kind you are playing right now, piano." Takeru said. "Although if you're asking about genre, it's usually whatever I'm in the mood for." Takeru said.
"By the way... you play that piano like it's... liberating you. I understand that. I know how that feels, I play like that too." He said, remembering how the man had gotten lost in the music, playing it with heart and soul inside.
"It must feel nice to be free of the chains of responsibility, even if it's only temporarily, eh?" He remarked. "Of course, those chains are a part of you, so... but I'm not gona bore you with philosophy involving freedom... unless you want to be." He added quickly when he realized those words could have anarchist connotations.

“Whatever you’re in the mood for? Then you master no specific type of music?” the young man would ask his positioning not changing as his voice remain calm and his expression unreadable as he eyed the other, examining the other with eyes that did not miss anything. He was not a judgmental type per se, but style of play or business could often reflect the way another decided to live their lives. If this one played what he was in the mood for all the time, then what did that say about his dedication to things? Could he be steady, or was he the type to jump all over the place? It was a curiosity for sure, but one the young man did not pry at this early in the game. So he would continue to watch the other quietly.

“Do you really understand me? The way I think or feel? Just from observation?” he would ask as he watched the other with a cool expression as his eyes narrowed at the other. “It is true music is freeing in its own way, but on the other hand whoever said I was a cage bird or had chains on me that I wished to shake off?” he would pause and let that sink in before speaking once more.

“No one did. So prey tell me what are you getting at with your so called philosophy? Are you perhaps afraid of chains?” the young man would ask as he kept his intense eyes on the other watching to see what the guy would do now that he had so easily tossed words into the air that perhaps he should not have....

" I don't for both." He said.
" As for philosophy well... in this case... I believe that chains are meant mainly for criminals, as they are... how should I put this... symbols of the law." He said, flexing his hand unconciously as he thought.
"They symbolize restraint... which is what criminals deserve. How the law binds. Now if you take what a certain philosopher said once about good men needing no laws..." he said, elaborating.
"... then in this case, I interpret that as good men have no need of chains... because they will do no wrong at all, making law for them... moot. Because they already live by it." He finished.
"Finally: no. I don't, honestly. Not completely. But I say this because, well... in some ways, I see bits of me in you." He said.

"...."

Hmph. This one wasn’t much for expanding on things, was he? The short answer to answer two questions wasn’t exactly bothering to the young man, but not exactly a pleaser either. With a lack of anything to go on, the young man quickly began to lose interest in the subject presented, his expression becoming slightly more bored looking as he watched the other in silence.

As for the kids explanation on “philosophy”, well....

Haru would close his eyes for a moment as a cold smirk appeared upon his face.

“You state that chains are for criminals and that good men need no law…no chains. You say that the good guy is pure and naturally obeys the right path...So following your thoughts, I would be the bad guy because…" Haru would pause as his eyes reopened and he gave the other an innocent grin, his tone changing to seem harmless as he continued on. "I kind of like the rules, the chains, and can carry each of them with pride if need be," he would play the part of innocent for a moment before quickly dropping the act and sinking into seriousness once more. "So tell me boy, if I am the criminal, then would you be the one to bring me to justice?” he would ask as his eyes locked on the other with icy stare as he simply waited to see just what the boy would do now that he had opened a can of worms so to speak.

He would let the time go on and then when hearing the last words, he would sit up straight as he let out a snort of mild annoyance. He hated those sort of answers.

“Is it no or yes? Honestly, if you are on the fence about being afraid of chains, then why spout nonsense about them in the first place? On that note, how can you even see bits of yourself in me when you don’t even know me? I find that kind of baffling to be,” the young man said as he watched the other with a cool gaze.

While the man wasn’t trying to be rude, he didn’t hold back or apologize for his bluntness. He was actually curious as to where this one was going this despite his moodiness. Would he continue to dig holes or what? In either case, the older male was quite unimpressed with his company at the moment.

"Well, have you done anything bad? I don't think so. But if I had to, well.... yes. Isn't that the duty of every citizen?" He said.
"And allow me to rephrase my earlier words... good men are what they are because they live like they already have chains. Now, if you live without chains, and you think that they are unneeded, well... that's what makes you a criminal." He elaborated.
"And I can say what I will... mostly because rather than just brushing me off, like most people would have by now, you're still listening. " he added.

Haru would watch the other quietly for a moment as he took in the details of the other in well for a moment before raising an eyebrow at his words.

"Hmph. You talk big game, but can you actually follow that path?" he would ask and then blinking he would tilt his head at the words about crimes. "What's it to you if I have or have not done something...how did you say it? Something "bad"?" he would ask his tones as leveled as always. As for the second part of his words, Haru would shrug. "I don't know. Is it everyone's duty to play hero or keep the peace?"

He would keep a cool gaze on the other not seeming to budge from his distant and serious behavior as he waited to see what else would be said. As for the follow up to the chains theory, Haru would shake his head at the other.

"You confuse me even more. At first, you seemed pretty sure of your words on chains and now you state something differently saying that they are needed and yet are not needed. Your perception of a criminal then. Is it someone who is chaotic then?" he would ask with a perplexed frown. The other seemed to be changing his story on a whim, but why do that? Was he trying to stay on his good side with his explaining? Or did the kid simply do this because he could not make up his mind on where to stand? The older male wasn't too sure as he study this one a bit more, trying to understand where he was coming from with all this. Was there a point at all?

As for his answer to the question posed, Haru would give the other a blank look.

"So you say things just because you can?" he would ask his words rather flat before he sighed a bit at that last part.

"Perhaps that is because I have more tolerance than some," he would state his tones returning to calm and unreadable once more as he folded his arms and looked off to the side for the moment, making it hard to tell exactly what the young man was thinking on the matter.

" I can try". Takeru said.
"And true, while it's not up to me to decide, it's the courts... but that's my opinion." He said.
"Chaotic? Maybe. Criminal? Also maybe. Are chaotic thoughts criminal? Maybe." He stated.
"And me saying things because I can? Absolutely! They're honestly true, in my opinion." He added.
"And true, you may have more tolerance... or it's becuase you're getting curious." He said.
"Come on! Admit it! You're confused! You don't quite know what to make of me. And that's fine! Most people think my thinking is contradictory, but then, isn't the world, at some point?" He asked.
"Although honestly? I think the law does its job. 90% of the time. The other 10%? It doesn't.  I mean, and that's every time an innocent man gets sent to jail, and/or a criminal gets off lightly, or no punishment at all. Explain to me how a supposedly "perfect" legal system has holes like that." He said.
"Or for that matter, explain why a government that supposedly trusts it's citizens, keeps secrets from them." He muttered under his breath.
"Although, let me cut to the chase: the point is: I understand why you might think the way you do. You're the type that likes to be safe, rather than free, aren't ya?"  He said.

Mismatched eyes would give the other a serious stare as the man simply listened to what the other had to say. At first the man was impressed this one could even speak of trying to fight back against him and for a second thought maybe he had pegged this guy wrong. Maybe he was worth his curiosity, but then…

….Nope. The other kept talking and the more he talked the more the young man on stage began to change his mind about entertaining his curiosity. Slowly, but surely the calm expression on his face would become frown as he watched the other.

“The courts do decide some things, but you can’t rely on the system all the time. Sometimes choices are left to be made by only yourself,” the man would say and then sighing he would continue on, this times his words were cold.

“As for myself being confused or curious, quite the contrary. I am actually not at all confused by you as the facts before me have already told me what I need to know for the moment. Your opinions and maybes suggest you can’t make up your mind or take a solid stand. Even if you do it for show, or trying to be mysterious, the fact you can’t give me a straight answer leaves me wondering why I am wasting my time here in the first place. Secondly, you saying things because you can doesn’t suggest to me that you actually are honest, but rather run your mouth off without thinking on what is being said. Your conclusion on the system only further backs up this point. As for the government and its secrets….The government is composed of people. So why not have secrets like everyone else? And it seems like the only one who doesn’t trust is you otherwise you wouldn’t be questioning such things,” he would say before a different sort of emotion showed on his face: cold fury.

“Hmph. You understand nothing about me and I don’t see the need to answer your inquiry. You can think what you like about me for all I care,” he would say in a low, dangerous voice despite the tone never rising to a yell. From here he would move from the stage back to ground level. He would continue moving heading towards the exit, his mood hard to gauge with the calm expression he gave; however, his words settled the deal and cleared any doubts.

“I am through here. Have a good night,” he would say in curt business-like tones and then opening the door he would head out of the area.

~Hatsu has left the thread~

End results:

"Aw... shame." Takeru said. " I forgot what I was going to tell him too." He remarked.
"He entered the wrong concert hall. He should be in concert hall 6, not 9. 9 is where I am..."he muttered.
Grade:F. Codename: Fuckup. SNAFU, much? Next time, don't try to be mysterious, dumbass!