Sanctuary
" Dialogue "
Yakim knew he was risking a detention if he doesn't come back in the dorm on time. But that it only if he doesn't make it. So that why he was walking confidently toward the stairs that bring him down to the forth floor, with a strange suit case in his left hand. It was one hour before the curfew for all the first, second and third years. Since the Gryffinfor chamber was on the fifth floor, he have plenty of time to go on his destination and come back into the common room. He have waited the moment he could do this escapades from the start of the school year, because of the number of students who like to go there. So he thought the later he came, the less chance of having someone inside it.
He have found that particular room when he was heading between his transfiguration class and the charm class. He was completely lost in his own world to which it push him to take the wrong stair, bring him to the forth floor. When he realizes it he was already in front of a unfamiliar big oak door, with a shadowing wing on the wall. He take a glance inside it when he see it was slightly open. He was taking by surprise for the decorations and the space the room offer. Feeling the time slipped he close the door and do a mental note to come here later. But when he did, it was locked, he didn't know if it was because he close it or not. When he tried again on another day he found out that when someone was inside it lock itself. With the knew information he try to guess what time was the best. And guess what? It was when curfew is the nearest. So he planned what days he wasn't so busy to get his stuff ready. And that day, was today.
Upon his arrival, in front of that door he have dream for the last month, he take a big breath before open it. It was quite heavy, but he did succeed of opening the door. As he walk inside, he take a real look of the room. It was much bigger that he thought. He suddenly hear small voices, looking around him he saw many living portraits on the wall looking at him excitedly. His surprise must be interpret as a uncomfortable one, because some of them have a drap that drop to cover them afterwards. Seeing that he quickly add. "I don't mind it for all of you to watch me" Hearing his statement they happily uncover themselves. He really don't mind it If they enjoyed why deprived it for them? Walking to the center of the room, so everyone can see him, he put down his suits case and open it. Inside there was a beautiful violon crafted from a dark red wood, it also have some crave outside, making it more unique. He pick it up and strings it, then he take his stick and position himself. He take one more big breath before he began.
Sanctuary
December? 2024
“Speech | “Thoughts”
@Yakim Nëlo
Today had been a mess. First, he had completely fumbled a spell in his Charms lesson which he couldn't wrap his head around no matter how hard he tried, and don't get him started on that situation. Mostly because he had forgotten about WHY he was so mad, but it was the memory of the vivid emotion that still clung to his heart which kept him in his foul mood.
All he wanted to do at this point was kick back in his dorm and enter his dreams. He began stumbling around the corridor, trying his best to make it back into the Gryffindor Common Room in one piece and, preferably, on time. That was, until, he heard someone speaking in the room next to him. "I don't mind it for all of you to watch me"
Interested, Noah slowly approached the door to the room and peaked inside. He saw a singular boy who he did not recognise. The kid had tousled dirty blonde hair that looked sun-kissed and slightly messy, as though it had been ruffled by the wind. His eyes were a striking mix of blue and grey, shifting in hue depending on the light. His freckled face was dotted with small, light brown spots that stood out across his nose and cheeks.
At first, Noah thought that the boy may be talking to himself, schizophrenia perhaps, until he noticed the abundance of living portraits watching down on the boy intently. It was then that Noah realised what they were so engrossed by: the violin. Noah watched the boy position himself and ready up. Intrigued, he stood at the door, silently, and let the boy play.
Sanctuary
" Dialogue "
[youtube]https://youtu.be/G-KSTWO5ir0?si=TrR6PhUNvxUwRxGt[/youtube]
As he started, the light subsides to make that soft lighting in the room. He didn't know what make him pick that song today, maybe it the feeling of being so close to be caught or was it the way each note he make was a step dance with the time. In any case he was in his element. The sound was echoing all in the room, which it was pushing him harder in his faze. That was one of his first song he learn to play and also the hardest. His little brother always asks him to play it when everyone was feeling a little bit festive. This song normally is accompanied by a piano but even without it he can still hear it play in his head.
The song flow so easily like it was a second nature, in fact it may be the case. Slowly he built the momentum for when he arrive to the trickier parts, with his body that tilt to fallow the hand gesture. Without noticing he also began do dance in circle all around the crest of Hogwarts that was paint on the center of the floor. He can imagine being surrounded by many people dancing like it was the last night, in a giant ballroom wearing beautiful old clothes. A masquerade! how it would be extraordinary. He doesn't know if in the corridor they could hear him, but if they did he doesn't care. Deep down he may want them to come and join his nightly dance. Because of his trance and the fact he unknowingly close his eyes, he was obvious of the multiple shadow figure that was dancing around him. Those that he remember hearing rumors when he was doing his research on that room. He would miss playing that melody for his family at home because of school.
He could feel the end of the song approaching at each string he was doing it. "Shall we close that Macabre ball." Long After the tricky parts, the tempo began to be quicker and more intense as he put up a bit of effort. 1 minute His little dance automatically fallow the tempo. 30 second It like a chaos but organized. 15 second He knew he must be smiling the whole time and maybe more towards the end. 10 second It saddening him that there are only few seconds left to the pieces. 5....4....3....2....1...And now!He stop all movements abruptly, as the last note hang in the air. It was silence for two seconds before he hear many claping hand, he finally opens his eyes to meet all happy expression of the living portraits. He have the chance to took a glimpse of the remains shadow before they vanish. Curious..
@Noah Kang
Sanctuary
December? 2024
“Speech | “Thoughts”
@Yakim Nëlo
The boy who Noah was stalking watching had begun to play his violin. The Kang stood in the shadows, silently, afraid yet amused. At first, Noah didn’t expect to see much. After all, the boy was about Noah’s age, so there was no way that he could play the violin that well, right?
The boy took a deep breath, closing his eyes, and lifted the bow. For a moment, the room sat in silence, holding its breath alongside the audience of Noah and the portraits. He played the first note, a dissonant tritone, soft and unsettling, reverberated across the room as the boy’s bow glided across the string. The sound quivered in the air like a whisper in a graveyard. He played it once more. And once more. And once more.
Pizzicato notes followed, sharp and skeletal, as his hand plucked the strings with nimble fingers, the sound evoking the eerie rattle of bones. The boy's face remained calm, but his intensity was palpable. Suddenly, the tone grew louder, and more harsh, swelling to forte in a crescendo. His bow danced across the strings, evoking an emotion Noah hadn’t felt in a while. He could imagine the blonde boy dancing in a ballroom full of masquerades. However, the image was blurry; everyone was masked. Noah still stood in the shadows. At last, the dance began to wane. The boy slowed his bow, the notes becoming softer, more fragmented. The tempo eased, and the once-vivid melody dissolved into faint, fading phrases.
Well, Noah was proved indubitably wrong. Although he would usually have been mad, this time was different. This time, he was glad to be wrong. It almost reminded him of the past, when he used to play the piano, until he gave it up. Absolutely amazed, Noah slowly clapped, though it was drowned out by the furious applause of the portraits. After some inner deliberation, he finally built up the courage to move into the light.
“That was… beautiful.” Noah said in a shaky tone, star-struck, “You’re… really good! What’s your name?”
Sanctuary
" Dialogue "
“That was… beautiful.”
He immediately startled when he hear the shaky voice with a mix of a star-struck tone. He turns his head to face the owner of the voice, as they lurk out of the shadows making them visible for him. It was a boy, with jet-black hair like the scale of a Hungarian Horntail, also with brown eyes that have a glint making them a vivid bronze one. They seem to be a bit shorter than him, with a slight wary body. Did I forget to close the door? With more vigorous demure that previously they talk again.
“You’re…really good! What’s your name?”
It was so unexpected for him to have a student to be in the audience, it look like they are the same age as him. He could see the sincerity in their eyes when they compliment his performance. Right my name! Ho Merlin, me and my social skills.. He walk toward the mysterious boy closing the big gaps between them and stops at one meters of them. Forgetting his primary rule of not making eyes contact with new people because of his unsettling piercing eyes. He fix directly in the eyes of the boy as he gently speak.
"I'm Yakim, and thanks you very much. What about you?"
Looking closely he saw the color of their uniform, it was the same as him. A Gryffinfor? How come I never saw him? Maybe it because he was too engrossed in his own world and in his research that he didn't have the chance to properly socialize a lot. But to totally miss him? They both are in first year by the bear of Merlin! He definitely going to readjust that bad habit. Spoiler he try for the past years and nothing change.
@Noah Kang
Sanctuary
December? 2024
“Speech | “Thoughts”
@Yakim Nëlo
"I'm Yakim, and thanks you very much. What about you?"
Noah, although slightly unnerved by the piercing gaze that Yakim held towards him, responded calmly, "The name's Noah. Noah Kang." Due to the intense stare down that Yakim gave him, Noah recalled the words of his mother, and how he should 'maintain eye-contact at all times during a conversation'. Being the fully socially-unaware person that he was, he tried to look back into Yakims eyes. However, he felt awkward and so would avert his gaze every once in a while to look at the ceiling or a wall.
It was then that Noah noticed that Yakim was a fellow Gryffindor like himself. He was so entirely enraptured by the allure of the performance he peered into that he completely missed it. Noah remembered hearing the name 'Yakim' at the sorting ceremony, but never met him outside of that. As a matter of fact, Noah hadn't really met many people since starting Hogwarts. "Well, first time for everything.", he supposed, before opening his mouth once more.
"Say, how did you get so good at... that?" Noah asked, pointing directly at the violin. Yakim looked so young, so how on earth was he already so talented at playing a violin! If anything, this just set a flame ablaze within Noah's heart, recollecting the time when he himself was infatuated with the piano. But that was long ago. Thus, the flame in his heart withered away faster then it came.
Sanctuary
" Dialogue "
"The name's Noah. Noah Kang."
It was the calm answer of Noah. The name did ring a bell in his head upon hearing it. Must be during the shorting ceremony. while thinking he notice that Noah advert their eyes time to time toward either the ceiling or the wall. Even though they were holding pretty well their eyes at the beginning. Bloody hell, my eyes! He realizes he was fixing them the whole time, on top of that he was literally scrutinize them. He curse his clumsiness of always forgotten that it was not his family he was talking to, since they all have the same gaze and are immune of it. He immediately redirected his focus all around of Noah, in a way he doesn't look anymore at their face, so they can be more comfortable. What a way of first impressions Yakim... In his self scolding, he almost miss the question Noah ask.
"Say, how did you get so good at... that?"
They asking while pointing his violon that was gently held in his hand the whole time. Maybe there were still hope for a potential friendship. He clear his throat before he began to explain.
" Well...I know it seems a little bit of a basic or a unhelpful advice but it was practice that make me reach that level. A lot of endless hour of practice for one year."
He add the end of his explanation with a tone of nostalgia but also of tiredness. That song did take almost a year to perfectly hold that kind of performance, so it can be a second nature to him. It didn't help either that his family business make it little bit harder, as they constantly travel. In any case, he could feel that the question hold a certain meaning to Noah but he doesn't know why. His only wish is that it can somehow provide a good answer for them. He take a chance to glance back at Noah to see what kind of expression they held.
@Noah Kang
Sanctuary
December? 2024
“Speech | “Thoughts”
@Yakim Nëlo
Noah noticed that Yakim was no longer staring intently into his eyes, and thought “Ah drats, he must’ve thought I was weird or something.” He thought that any chance of a potential friendship was ruined. Thankfully, Yakim still replied, reigniting Noah’s faith.
" Well...I know it seems a little bit of a basic or a unhelpful advice but it was practice that make me reach that level. A lot of endless hour of practice for one year."
Practice makes perfect. The enduring adage. He reminisced about his father teaching him piano all those years ago. ‘The more you practice, the better you will become’, or so he said. Noah loved the piano, and would often just sit there listening to his father play endlessly, beautifully. There was never a dull moment. Noah could still remember the way his father’s hands moved across the piano keys and the melodies would drift through the house. It was as if the piano knew him, responding to his touch with an intimacy that seemed almost magical, without the use of magic. Crazy, huh. Despite using magic in almost every aspect of his life, piano was not one of them. He preferred to do it the muggle way.
But one day, the music stopped.
The piano sat untouched in the living room, its polished surface gathering a thin layer of dust. Noah tried to play it himself again, but his fingers felt clumsy, the notes disjointed and hollow without the energy his father gave them. After that, the lid stayed closed. Silence settled in. Whenever he saw the piano, it was as if the steel chains around his heart would tighten. He needed a key.
“Practice makes perfect, huh? You know, I used to play an instrument. The piano. Seeing you play… kind of reminded me of those days.” He said with a solemn tone, his eyes tensed, looking down for a few moments before finally lifting his gaze once more, looking at the violin with a sanguine but somber expression, “You play here often?”
Sanctuary
" Dialogue "
He could see many emotion passing through the eyes of Noah, but it was too fast for him to distingue each of them. Although he did recognize one. Grief. It a expression his father and grand-mother often have when nobody is looking or when they see his older brother while he was obvious. His grand-father early die during one of his trip for research propose, three day after the birth of his older brother. His father was 25 years at the time. Since it was way before his birth he never quite grasp the the whole feeling of the dead of a close one, but he can definitely feel the fear of losing one. As his older brother is literally a addict of dangerous activity. He work with dragon for Merlin sake. With no self-prevention can quite give a heart attack. Shaking his thought he return to reality as Noah comment on a solemn tone.
“Practice makes perfect, huh? You know, I used to play an instrument. The piano. Seeing you play… kind of reminded me of those days.”
Hearing the fact that Noah use to play an instrument, a piano on top of that! Make him extremely happy. He really try hard to keep his enthusiasm to himself especially when he saw the somber expression on Noah as they keep lookin at his violon. Their eyes were tense, reveling how sharp they were and with their vivid bronze color it only accentuated. Not a second after, they start speaking again.
“You play here often?”
"To be honest, is the first time for me here and I was kind of taking by surprise that you saw me" He lightly chuckle as he quickly add.
"But of course I really don't mind it at all, and you were totally invisible for me so I couldn't even be disturbed. Also there are plenty of livings portrait who was watching, so a one living person don't change the game and I should stop right here because I beginning to ramble for nothing..."
I think he get the point Yakim. He could feel the embarrassment fuming out of his ear. If his sister was here she was never going to let him go in peace for the eternity and maybe telling all the family so they can join her to torment him. He shiver at the implication. On another note, there were a question or more like a proposition he would like to ask. Recomposing himself into a more confidently posture he speak.
"You are not obligate, but would you like to practice your piano with me? Because I would love to have someone to duet as I never have the chance to do it." he finish with a hidden sad tone.
@Noah Kang
Sanctuary
December? 2024
“Speech | “Thoughts”
@Yakim Nëlo
"To be honest, is the first time for me here and I was kind of taking by surprise that you saw me" Yakim lightly chuckled, before adding, "But of course I really don't mind it at all, …/… I should stop right here because I beginning to ramble for nothing..."
“It’s alright, I don’t mind.” Noah muttered, chuckling with Yakim. He didn’t mind the rambling, it almost felt cosy. Unbeknownst to Noah, a slight smile started spreading on his face. He found it incredulous that Yakim was this good at the violin and it was his first time playing in the room since coming to Hogwarts. Noah’s gaze drifted upward, settling on the chandelier that hung from the ceiling, its delicate crystals catching the muted light of the rehearsal room. Little silver birds were perched gracefully on its many branches, their delicate forms frozen mid-song. He looked backdown as Yakim spoke again. As his gaze lowered back down, Noah realised that Yakim held a different, more poised aura about him.
"You are not obligate, but would you like to practice your piano with me? Because I would love to have someone to duet as I never have the chance to do it."
Practice with him. Practice piano. It had been so long, he wouldn’t know where to start. One of the main reasons he never tried to player it again since… that event… was because he feared feeling like the piano was foreign to him. He didn’t know what he’d do if that were to happen. But fearing what is yet to come would not help. When he came to Hogwarts, he promised himself to take it all in. Fear is temporary, but regret lasts forever.
“I mean, it’s been a while, so I’m probably a little bit rusty, but… I’d love to!” Noah responded cheerfully. His voice filled the rehearsal room with a raw, unpolished resonance that seemed to linger in the air. By now, he was actually smiling; he had found a key. His mind raced eagerly as he pondered would it feel like to play the piano once more, to feel the keys under his fingertips, “Where should we start?”