Musicians paint their pictures on silence;;[Eric]

[KATHERYN JACOBS]

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Katheryn hadn’t planned on playing any new pieces. She actually had a piece of her own she had been planning to work on- she was stuck after the first two or three lines of music, and she was struggling to write a chorus. Still, she was surprised when she ducked into the empty auditorium. The lights were off, as was to be expected, but the stage lights were trained on the black grand piano that stood proudly at center stage. She approached cautiously, holding on to the file folder that contained her music as she adjusted the brown messenger back that hung on her shoulder. Yes, it was pointless fidgeting, but what else she supposed to do? She looked around, her eyes slowly adjusting to the dark of the auditorium, trying to see if there was anyone there. Why else would the stage lights be on?

Still, she didn’t see anyone, so she hopped up on stage, putting her bag on the floor and sitting on the bench. She was about to move the music that was sitting on the piano, but she stopped. Instead, she set her own music aside and spread the pages of the song. She looked it over for a moment, and then started to play it, humming the melody line that was written along with it. She wrinkled her nose a little each time she made a mistake, but she quickly rectified it, to the point that she was playing the piece rather well.

She added in some extra dynamics, and started singing the vocal line written with it. She paused every now and again to retry a specific measure when she made a mistake. She looked over at the first page, but didn’t see a title written on it, or a composer’s name. She hadn’t heard the song before, so she knew it couldn’t have been produced already, besides, why would the music be hand-written if it was already a final product. Kathryn looked puzzled for a minute, then shrugged it off, starting to play again at the beginning. Trying to pay extra attention to her annunciation while singing- she was known to be bad about those things. All the while, she was wondering who had left the music, and why it was written. It was beautiful, and Kat wanted to return it to the composer so that they could keep working on it. After she was finished learning it, that was.

[hbghost]

Eric slowly walked toward the auditorium. He had just left it about half an hour ago to get away from Grease and its dreaded modern influence. Eric was so frantic to get out of that practice that he had left his sheet music on the piano that he was practicing with before rehearsal started. He was about to grumble to himself when he heard his song. HIS song.

And it wasn't in his head. It was actually being PLAYED. Sung, even. But by who? He instantly forgot about Victoria for a moment, because he had a new obsession... this was the voice he was looking for. THIS was the voice of which he sung in his dreams. THIS was who he was looking for.

Mesmerized, he walked down the aisle of the auditorium, forgetting that his face was not shielded by the usual mask. He had taken Martin's advice to heart and left the mask in his dorm for once. The growth was there for everyone to see, and he did notice that only one or two people actually talked to him, sat, or stood less than five feet away from him. He was right when he told Martin that no one wanted him when he was truly "himself". But he had agreed to let his face show for one day, and one day only. This was that day.

In what seemed like hours, he was behind her, looking over her shoulder at the music, following the notes that he recognized by ear. Before he knew it, he stated to her, interrupting her playing,

"That was mine. I wrote that..."

[KATHERYN JACOBS]

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Katheryn was too focused on the music, so much so that she hadn't even noticed that she wasn't alone in the auditorium anymore. There was somebody there, the musician- no, the genius -who had composed the piece she was playing was there. Had she known that, she probably would have fainted from embarrassment. Especially since she probably wasn't doing the piece justice. Not with her voice. Perhaps if someone more talented sang the piece, they would actually be worthy of performing it.

She shook her head a little as she played, messing up a chord before she got back on track. She added in a few small grace notes to what was written, in both the vocal line and the accompaniment. It was a beautiful song, even without the extra 'add-ins', but Kat just felt the grace notes made it sound more... her.

She was about to reach a climax of the song, and she was going to go for a High note in the vocal line, but she was startled by a voice that came right behind her. She jumped, nearly falling backward off the bench, "Jesus!" She then turned to see who the voice belonged to- the smooth, male voice that had startled her so. She flinched a little at the sight of him, then fought to keep her expression even, not wanting to show that he had startled her again. "Oh... OH!" She quickly pushed the papers back together so they were in a stack, turning to hand them to the composer, though she didn't look up at him, whether from fear of his appearance, or from admiration, she wasn't sure, "I'm sorry. The score was just here, and... I just thought I'd try it...." She shook her head, "Sorry, here's your music.... I'm sorry. I'll leave."

She really wasn't sure why she was so flustered- it wasn't a crime to play a piece of music, was it? She just wanted to try it, so why would he be mad? Then again, you never knew when people would be overly protective of their compositions and creations, so she didn't want him to be upset because she looked at it without his permission. "I really am sorry. I didn't mean to intrude...."

[hbghost]

"I'm sorry. The score was just here, and... I just thought I'd try it...."

"I'm glad you did," Eric interrupted, hesitating to step up to her further, but merely recieving the music from her instead. "I haven't found anyone to sample the music yet, since I only turned it in the other day... And... from what I've heard of it... it sounds beautiful. I spent weeks on it. Months. Time that I could have spent with friends... but who do I have? Besides a select few people who know to leave me alone to work..." Eric sighed as he looked down at his music, flipping through the pages.

"I'm sorry. I'll leave."

"No, please don't," Eric interrupted, stepping in front of her. "Don't leave. In fact... play some more. I enjoy hearing you. And I also enjoy hearing you sing. Please, don't stop. Sing some more. For me. Because I enjoy hearing you. I enjoy..."

Eric, shut up, an inner voice stated. I think she gets the point...

"But, I digress... what is your name? Because I haven't seen you around before," he asked, smiling casually despite the hideous growth dominating about half of his face.

"I really am sorry. I didn't mean to intrude...."

"/I/ am the one who is intruding," Eric insisted, now sitting down on the bench beside Kat. "I should have stayed at the doorway and heard you play that beautiful music. You almost sounded like... an angel." The last words slipped out of Eric's mouth, yet he had no clue why he had made that comparison...

[KATHERYN JACOBS]

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Katheryn stammered a little, but he cut her off, obviously not caring that she had tried his music. He actually was glad she had. That confused her a little more than she had expected.

She had apologized, and she had turned to get up so she could leave, and she reached to grab her folder of scores she had written. There was no way she would leave those behind for him to see. Not when she had just seen what craftsmanship he was capable of. Hers was little more than a plunking of keys in comparison to what she had just played and sung. She sank back down on the bench however, as he asked her to stay, stepping so that he was in front of her. She looked up at him, a little confused, but she instantly dropped her gaze to her hands that were in her lap. She didn't want to be rude, but she wasn't sure she could actually look him in the face without unintentionally staring. She bit her lip as he asked her to play some more, to sing some more. "I-I... I, uhm... I uh..." She stammered for a moment, blushing. She really wasn't sure what to think of this boy- he was so 'beautiful', yet so... disfigured. Shouldn't a talent be matched with a face of its caliber? Not that she was saying that he was ugly or anything she just... 'Ugh, just shut up. You don't know what you're saying. Something must have happened to him to make him look that way. Not that it should matter.' she scolded herself silently.

She blinked a little, then forced herself to look up at him, doing her best to hide the repeat of the initial shock she experienced upon seeing him the first time. "Oh, uhm... I'm Katheryn... But most people just call me Kat." She gave an embarrassed smile, then bit her lip again, dropping her gaze to the piano keys.

She shook her head as she let a finger trace the contours of the keys, listening to him, sliding over to give him enough space to sit down. "You're not intruding. I promise. I was the one who came in here and started playing your music without permission." She chewed on her lip a little, then looked up at him quickly as he said she sounded like an Angel. She wasn't sure if he was telling the truth or not, so she scrutinized his expression, forcing hers to remain indifferent, "Well thanks, I guess?" She shook her head and looked down at the keys, "I'm sorry... I don't think I caught your name...?" She asked quietly, not lifting her gaze to look at him.

[hbghost]

"You're not intruding. I promise. I was the one who came in here and started playing your music without permission."

"But I was the one who interrupted you," Eric objected. "You were playing so beautifully, and I was the one who had cut you off. I'm so sorry. I would go back to my dorm and be there until past curfew editing, but... I'd like to stay here instead. And keep listening. I want to hear what /all/ of it sounds like." He paused, and then he noticed that she wasn't looking directly at him. Immediately, his confidence drained away.

"It's my face, isn't it? Oh, yes, it's my face that's bothering you," Eric whispered softly. "But... I've decided not to wear my mask today. I'm usually seen with it on, but today, I took a friend's advice and kept it in my dorm. I'm not... feeling any better about it, though..."

"I'm sorry... I don't think I caught your name...?"

"It's Eric," he replied bluntly. 'Eric Lonesinner."

[KATHERYN JACOBS]

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Katheryn had never been in a situation such as this one. He liked her playing? And her singing? Was he tone deaf? No, no, he couldn't be. A tone deaf person couldn't have written such a beautiful piece of work. She chewed on her lip gently as he continued, saying that he wanted to hear what all of his song sounded like.

Then, he seemed to notice that she wasn't actually looking at him. "I-I Oh... No, no. I just... I... I..." What was she supposed to say? I was awed by your talent? She wasn't sure that was entirely true. She had no Idea why she couldn't look at him. It shouldn't be so hard. She forced her gaze upward, and she smiled. She locked her eyes on to his and didn't look away. It wasn't so bad if she just kept eye contact. What was he talking about, a mask? "Why would you need a mask?" She blinked once or twice, shaking her head, "I don't think you need one."

Katheryn smiled a little, reaching for the papers she had just handed to Eric, "Well. It's nice to meet you, Eric..." She paused, biting her lip, "Do you mind?" She raised an eyebrow, still holding her hand out for the score. She couldn't very well play it if she didn't have the music. She really didn't want to sing it, though she would if he really wanted her to. She just... Hadn't sang for anyone before, not her family, her best friends, let alone someone she had just met. It just wasn't her personality to do such things.

[hbghost]

"Why would you need a mask? I don't think you need one."

Eric sighed.

"You don't have to make me feel better," he stated, handing Kat the score. "You can tell by just looking at my face. Go on, look. I can tell you're just looking into my eyes so you don't have to look at... it. And I'm sorry I'm kind of... freaking out about this, it's just that... I've never had it exposed before since the beginning of the year, and it's kind of hard for me to... well... you know... but... yeah," he concluded, finally deeming the situation as awkward.

"But... no matter how ugly I look," he added after a while of silence, "I'd still love to hear you play. I think you're underestimating yourself, Kat... with... your musical ability and your voice... you could go pretty far, you know?" He sat down in the front row of the auditorium where the shadows would cover the growth part of his face. That was always his favorite seat.

[KATHERYN JACOBS]

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Kat bit her lip and looked down at the scores that were now in her hand, shaking her head a little. She felt bad. She knew it shouldn't matter what he looked like, it just... 'It just what? Is frightening? Startled you? Why does that matter? People think YOU are frightening at first glance. YOU startle people. So why would you be such a hypocrite?' She scolded herself silently, not arguing with Eric as he told her to look at him. She raised her eyes from the score, and almost flinched again. Almost. She held it back, and she just blinked once or twice, watching him.

She bit her lip and looked at the score again as he spoke, looking through the lines, reading them quickly as he said she was underestimating herself. She looked up swiftly- How had he known that? She hadn't said anything about it. She instantly felt as though she was as transparent as a piece of glass, and he was seeing right through her. She stammered a little as he said that she could go far, "I... I... I don't know about that. I get.... I get stagefright...."

She sighed a little as he walked off stage and went to sit in the front row, leaving her alone on the piano bench, feeling suddenly very alone and extra vulnerable. She hardly knew this guy. And here she was going to play and sing for him? She had never done that for anyone, so why was she going to do it for him? Was it because he intimidated her in a way? Or was it because she felt bad for being so insensitive? Or was it because she was in awe of his composing ability? She honestly didn't know.

Still, he wanted to hear her play. She laid the music out carefully, and then she began a little shakily to play and sing, then as the song went on, she got more into it, giving it more emotion, more dynamics, just making it feel more alive.

[hbghost]

"I... I... I don't know about that. I get.... I get stagefright...."

"It's all right... I won't laugh at you. I swear it on my grave. And don't worry... I'll help you. You'll get more confidence in no time, don't worry. Just don't be too hard on yourself," Eric replied, smiling up at her.

Though his expression was calm and casual, the thoughts that were racing through his mind proved otherwise.

MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE...

If he thought his short-lived obsession with Victoria was insane, this would really blow his mind. He truly felt he was drawn toward her, even from afar. Why else would he have come up to the auditorium at this time of... what time was it, anyway?

But Eric didn't care anymore. He just leant back in his seat and closed his eyes as Kat played and sang, feeling more relaxed than he had ever been before. Yes, this was the voice. Victoria's had been so close, but this was the bullseye... why did Kat not have the confidence to match her voice? He would help her. Yes, he would be her tutor. He would help her and she would be beautiful. She would SOUND beautiful. She already was beautiful...

MINE MINE MINE MINE MINE...

Yes, he'd confirmed it.

She was HIS, and his alone.

[KATHERYN JACOBS]

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"It's all right... I won't laugh at you. I swear it on my grave. And don't worry... I'll help you. You'll get more confidence in no time, don't worry. Just don't be too hard on yourself."

As if that was going to happen. Katheryn couldn't just ditch her self-confidence issues. He could try and help her all he wanted, but it wasn't going to change anything. Honestly, she expected him to laugh at her. She deserved it, after how she had reacted earlier. For being so insensitive. Still, she hoped he wouldn't, "You promise?" She looked over at the front row, where she couldn't really see much more than his shadowy figure. There were no real details to be seen. She couldn't read his expression either, and that unnerved her.

Still, she took a deep breath, closed her eyes for a second, then had started to play. He was quiet during the whole thing, so when she finished she was worried he hadn't liked it. "So, uhm.... What did you think...?" She turned to sit on the bench sideways so that she could see the chairs better, and she focused on the spot where he was, trying to discern and kind of specific emotion from his expression, but he was unreadable.

What was it about him that intimidated her so much? His ability to hide his emotions? The fact that he seemed to keep to the shadows so much? His seeming detachment? She couldn't put her finger on it, and so he intrigued her. Yet it frightened her at the same time. That made it all the more intriguing and terrifying- how could anyone be such a contradiction? It just didn't make any sense.

[hbghost]

"You promise?"

Eric nodded.

"I promise, beyond anything I've ever promised before. I believe that you have potential, no matter what anyone else says. You could be great if you weren't so... nervous and anxious and all those emotions that keep you from performing your best, that make you all jumpy inside. I'll help you. I can help you get more confident so people can know what you're made of... you do want that, don't you? I know I do... but I really also want someone to be with, because I've gotten really lonely, and... I'll stop talking."

He cut himself off softly, for he knew he was talking through her beautiful music, and that was definately not tolerable, for music like this must be absorbed completely. It would not be tolerated to Eric if music like this was tainted with merely his talking voice. Leaning back against the seat, he looked up at the ceiling and let the music flow into him, humming the melody line along with Kat.

"So, uhm.... What did you think...?"

Eric looked back at Kat, smiling gently.

"I thought it was beautiful," he replied, standing up and walking back toward the piano. "More beautiful than I've ever heard in my life. Even I, while practicing this, could not have pulled it off as you did. But that's because, perhaps, I don't have a soprano voice." He chuckled as he stood beside her.

[KATHERYN JACOBS]

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Katheryn sat quietly for a second, just listening to Eric as he rambled a bit about why he wouldn't laugh at her. He kept saying stuff about how she had potential, and then he said something about him being lonely, which confused Kat a little, so, she started playing the song, taking a deep breath as she did so.

When she finished, she asked him what she thought, and she sat there, biting her lip as he explained, watching him as he came back up on stage. When he finished, Kat bit her lip again, blushed, then spoke, simply saying, "Oh... Uhm... Thanks?" She then wanted to physically kick herself, 'He just paid you this incredible compliment and all you can say is 'Uhm... Thanks?' You're ridiculous. You're impossible. You should just walk away now before you embarrass yourself further. Yeah, do that.'

In fact, Kat wanted to, but she just bit her lip and smiled up at Eric, pushing the music back together into a pile, "Uhm... Thanks for letting me play your piece. Did you want to make any changes?" She held the sheet music out to him so that he could take it if he wanted to make any changes. Otherwise, she was going to make a copy of it for herself, if he didn't mind too much, that was. But she assumed that he would want to edit the piece.

[hbghost]

"Uhm... Thanks for letting me play your piece. Did you want to make any changes?"

Eric sighed.

"No, I don't. It just... sounds perfect. It sounds just how I imagined it to be, but... well... better," he stated in reply, smiling shyly. "There isn't a change I could make to it that would make it better than it already is. You really do have... well, I already said that..." he started to stutter, blushing. Despite his obsessions, he had absolutely no idea how to talk to girls without making a complete flop of himself. Perhaps it was the lack of thinking ahead on after the 'Getting her to notice me' phase was completed.

"So... um... yeah," Eric stated after a few moments of awkward silence. "... Yeah. You're... um... really good. I... already said that, too, didn't I? Yeah, I, um, did... Yeah, no problem," he added when he realized he hadn't bluntly answered Kat's expression of thanks.

[KATHERYN JACOBS]

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Katheryn bit her lip a bit as Eric said that he didn't want to make changes, then he started to stutter.

'There isn't a change I could make to it that would make it better than it already is. You really do have... well, I already said that... So... um... yeah... Yeah. You're... um... really good. I... already said that, too, didn't I? Yeah, I, um, did... Yeah, no problem.'

She dropped her gaze down to the score in her hands, not really sure what to say as he stuttered, then there was the awkward pause where she wasn't sure what to say, and he seemed to suffer the same affliction. Finally, she got up the courage to ask, "Uhm... Would you mind terribly if I made a copy of this? I'd like to add it to my library, but I don't want to take it from you... I could bring it back tomorrow? We could meet here the same time, I guess?" How else was she supposed to give it back to him, aside from hunting him down in all the dorms. But that would just make her look strange.

No, she would just have to meet him here again. Maybe he would bring some other music that she could try? As long as he didn't bring anyone with him. She just... Wasn't comfortable singing in front of people, usually, so it was amazing that she had managed to do it for Eric without fainting or something. It really was odd.