Exceptional Music from a Cello?

Draydinn didn't go to the cafeteria like everyone else. He wasn't hungry. He never usually was. So he wandered down a random hallway; captivated by the sounds flowing through the air.
Sounds like...a string instrument....what one though?

Draydinn stalked the sound, until he landed in front of a door. Inside was a kid from his drama class. The attractive one. He had headphones on, and was playing some large string instrument. Must be the cello...I have got to get in there and listen.

Draydinn hadn’t been in a band room in a long while. Not since freshman year. He had played the trumpet, and everyone said that he was good. He didn’t think so though. He knew that he sucked. What good was he if he couldn’t reach the high G above the staff and didn’t know what high D flat was. There was no way he was good enough for the band. So he quit. That’s how it was with most instruments. He had even thrown aways his recorder from grade school after he forgot how to play it.

Opening the door as quietly as he could, Draydinn sneaked into the room, and sat in the chair half watching the attractive boy, half day-dreaming and listening to the music. The music was flowing around him, and at moments he could swear that he saw the notes floating through the room. As the boy finished his song, Draydinn stood up and walked over to him.

“The tune sounds so familiar..." He said standing behind the boy, laying a hand on his shoulder.

The latches of the case opened, and the familiar scent of a well tuned glory filled his sensitive nostrils. Isaak had been waiting for this since he got to Masquerade, but he never really gauged how truly excited he'd be about it. He could tell that he was probably shaking a bit as he lift the lid higher and gazed at the instrument. It was exactly like the one on Hedeby island. Same model and warmth. It was like someone shipped it here just for him. Taking a deep breathe, Isaak picked up the instrument and the accompanied bow, feeling the smooth contours and natural finish. It was amazing.

Taking the instrument back to the chair and stand Isaak had set up in the center of the studio, he set his torn binder up on the music stand. As if he needed it, though. Isaak had memorized all of the music in there, being elven increased his memory. But it was a symbol thing, a ritual even, to have the torn up binder closed on his stand, like his mother made him to to train him.

Ah, his mother. The whole reason he set out to the studios during his lunch period was to remember her. He hoped the new Elder was nice to her, now that he was gone, but Isaak doubted it. The new Elder was hardly ever nice. His mother had taught him to play several instruments, and stressed that music was the real language of life. It is the sound of thought, wonder, emotions, pain. but it is relative. Music means something different to each person who hears it. For Isaak, it was all about remembering, while for others it may be a source of pain.

Isaak set the instrument in its small stand, and his ears instantly picked up a small riping sound. Curious, he lifted the instrument and turned it around. There, A folded paper right smack dab on the bottom! Isaak thought, and with it, he plucked the paper an unfolded it. Isaak gasped pretty loudly, because the note was written in native elven script. Slowly he put things together. How both instruments were exactly alike; the elven script. It was from his mother! Reading the note, Isaak felt a pang of homesickness, but resolved to playing what the note suggested.

Dearest Isaak,
I hope you were quite surprised that I sent it along to you. I figured it was the thing you missed most about Hedeby, not being able to play. It reminds me of you now you know. Everything out here is okay. New Elder is treating everyone like usual, minus you of course. Isaak, I mis you, but I know that that school will be so good for you. You'll meet others who have the same problems you do with being a cross-breed. Don't try to be a loner. Isaak, I love you, but you know as well as I do that you are never allowed back here until the New Elder is gone. Everyone here hopes that is soon.

Now, why don't you go play Romanchinoff's sonata for you and piano, you know how much I love that piece. It would do you good to play something you know by heart.

Much love,
Evanalia.


Isaak slowly folded the paper, not really knowing what to think. So instead, he played.
Isaak put on his headphones which were already playing the piano part from his mp3 player, and set the bow to the cello. And with that, he pulled his feelings out for a good 6 minutes.

~

When Isaak finished his song, he opened his eyes, not even realizing that he had closed them during the sonata. He took a sigh while taking the headphones off, and was setting the bow down when he heard a familiar voice cut through his solitude. “The tune sounds so familiar..." It said, and Isaak felt a hand on his shoulder. His instints reacted much faster than reason could, and the elven-lythari teen quickly stood up, and flung the boy's hand off of his sholder. Isaak felt his eyes turn colors fast, and a change coming on. Red eyed, Isaak stood heavily breathing, urging himself not to change.

Through clenched teeth, Isaak spoke. "Sorry about that, my instincts got to you before the reason did." Deep breathes, don't scare the kid! You resolved to talk to him earlier. That Saxe kid? Now might be a good time if you can calm yourself! Isak chided himself, and internally smiled at the fact that his eyes were already changing back. Sticking out a hand to the boy, his other clenched his cello and the bow somehow had gotten to the stand where is binder sat, closed. "I'm Isaak Lindstrom." He said in is distinctive swedish accent. He give the information that he wasn't human because he remembered the Ravenwood girl talling him that not all humans knew of the 'specials' going to Masquerade. So he slapped a smile on his face and waited for the Saxe boy to respond.

The boy stood up, flinging Draydinn's hand off his shoulder. He seemed angry, and his eyes changed colors. As he stood there, he was breathing heavily. His hand hurt slightly, but he tried to shake off the pain. Didn't feel like it would vanish that quickly though. Maybe I should ice this in the morning...or sometime tonight? Might be a good idea to stop by the nurse.

"Sorry about that, my instincts got to you before the reason did." He said through clentched teeth. Draydinn reminded himself to make a note later telling him not to touch this kid again. He didn't want to end up being a bloody pulp on the ground.

"I'm Isaak Lindstrom." The boy held out his hand; his other holding steady to the cello and bow. He had calmed down, and his eyes were changing back.

He's not a normal human. If he was, his eyes wouldn't change. At least, not like that. Draydinn nodded to himself.

"It's okay. Sure its not every day that my hands flung off people, but then again its not every day that I put my hands on people's shoulders. Draydinn Saxe." He grabbed Isaak's hand and shook it. "I'm sure you probably already knew that from Drama Class though." He giggled to his own joke.

Draydinn noted how lovingly Isaak held his cello. Must be special to him. A gift from somewhere maybe? He then glanced over at the binder, still closed. Gotta be where he stores his music, although it doesn't really look like he needs it...

"You play cello? It was really good. Did Yo-Yo Ma ever play that song?" Draydinn knew very limited musical things. Only a few artists and songs. His mother was a huge fan of Yo-Yo Ma though. Draydinn had spent what feel like his whole life having to listen to Yo-Yo Ma. He wasn't as big of a fan though. Although he couldn't help but ask his mother on some nights to play Yo-Yo Ma to help him sleep. It was always the nights that his father had visited. God...I thought I had agreed with myself to stop thinking about that man. Draydinn let a small scowl escape his face, only to replace it with a quick cheesy smile.