[ Closed - In Progress | Give me just a second and I'll be all right ]
Who: Tenten and Uchiha Itachi
What: Friends making with music?
Where: Music Department of the University
When: September 10th; early morning
There was something eerily calm about the silence that greeted her when Tenten slowly creaked open the door. It was tranquil. It was familiar. After two years of walking the same halls to that very room, it could not be anything else. And besides the buildings where her own classes were held, this was the only place on campus that the young girl knew by heart. And she was not even majoring in Music.
This had been one of the better arrangements that she had made over the years. Convenient. As long as she did not interfere in the classes or cut into the actual student's practice times, the Head of the Department allowed her to make use of the piano. For his love of the written notes. Because he held a small measure of pity for Tenten's lack of funds. Or because she had simply been that convincing with her cause. It did not matter the reason. He had said yes. And she was not going to question it.
Setting her things aside in a chair near the door, it was an easy trek across the room to the piano that just seemed to call out to her in its siren song. It had been a while since Tenten had a chance to play. With the summer break, came an endless string of work hours that were necessary for her to survive in the city on her own. And so access had been next to none. But now, with the start of the new semester and less hours at the cafe...
There would be music again.
"Did you miss me?"
The quiet that came with the early morning hours was something that Uchiha Itachi admired greatly. The world was, for the most part, still very slow and sleepy and calm.
And after his first round of classes, calm was something he wanted.
He had swiveled his desk chair around so that he could look out of his office window and onto campus, cup of hot morning tea in hand. Sure, he had things to get to this morning, but none of it was important enough for him to rush over.
What a good morning.
He'd heard footsteps in the hallway outside of his door but he paid them no mind-other teachers or students. None of them stopped at his door so, obviously, they were not meant for him and he could have his quiet until the first rounds of Piano lessons started in the late morning.
But that still gave him some time, didn't it?
Tenten supposed her time could have been better spent outside socializing with the other students. Or finishing the assignments that had been given to her on the first day of classes. It was supposed to be a nice day, after all. The sun was already shining and the temperature was at a balmy 70-75 degrees. And the quad area was always fit for study and/or conversing with her comrades. But as her fingers glided over the black and white keys, she could hardly bring herself to care much about anything else. It had been far too long and she had missed playing a little too much.
Breathing in deeply, she started with a basic C scale to warm up, before eventually shifting through other chords stored in her memory to keep her fingers loose and receptive to the pieces she would be playing in a moment. And as always, when the last chord was completed to perfection, she instantly moved into the first song. A small smile turned up the corner of her lips as the harmonic melody drifted and echoed around her against the specifically designed acoustic walls, bringing back good memories of her childhood when she closed her eyes and simply let her fingers recite the familiar notes.
The outside world could wait. For right now, this was where she belonged.
Those first notes grabbed Itachi's attention in a very unpleasant way at first-it was too early for lessons. His hands tightened on his cup as he turned his head, irritated, to listen.
Of course some idiot would wander into the piano room and play with it. Why not? It was just sitting there.
And his quiet, his calm, would be smashed to pieces while he listened to some kid-yes, kid-crash though the 'sounds' a piano could make.
Itachi braced himself, ready for the barrage of unpleasantness he was sure would come.
But it didn't. And as the scales ended and the sound shifted into song-and not just 'a song,' but a melody that was being played by fingers which had, Itachi assumed from the sound, played it before-Itachi let out a long, slow breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
He lingered a moment, head tilted, staring into nothing, cup in hand, just listening. What a wonderful, wonderful change from the lessons he had had to sit through the day before.
Gods, he loved the piano.
The sound was muffled, though, and he felt that it paid little tribute to the clear, tinkling sounds a piano could produce. While the music room had lovely acoustics, his office was still lacking and the sound didn't carry through the walls very well-which was something he liked during the lessons but not so much at this moment.
He stood and walked from his office, holding his cup to his chest, slip down the hall to the door outside the piano room. Here the sound was better but Itachi's need for clear sound cried out at how close he was.
A players privacy...
Be damned. He slipped the door open and slid inside, just inside the door frame, and breathed deeply at the sounds-clear and melodic and lovely.
It was her intention to save up enough money in order to buy a keyboard. So that she could stop bothering and wasting people's times by sneaking into the music department. And she had been saving up for that goal for some time now, ever since she rediscovered her love of the ivory keys. Because even though she was allowed, she still felt like a burden. A nuisance. Others were making music their careers, after all. Tenten was simply indulging in a loved hobby.
But already, Tenten knew. It would not be the same. Keyboards could synthesize the same tune of the piano as well as a thousand other different sounds. But it could never fabricate the entire experience. Of the heavy instrument fixed in place. And the elegance of the wood or marbled surface that made the piano so grand. Classic. Imposingly familiar. So while the keyboard would at least make her trips less frequent, the young woman would understood that she would not be able to stop herself from coming back. Here. Where the piano was almost like an extension of herself.
So lost was she in the beauty of the melody, of the harmony that was playing along in the far reaches of her memory, Tenten did not notice or her the soft click of the door being open. Or the feeling of being watched. She was accustomed to it after all, occasionally finding herself one piece in a small orchestra of music during theatrical performances, both for the school and local theatre productions. But there was something about how the music seemed to flow out from her with little effort that made everything else little more than trivial.
It did not matter. None of it did. She had an itch, and it needed to be scratched. And where one piece ended, another soon began with little pause in between. With seven years of lessons and entire summer -- an entire lifetime, it seemed -- of keeping them caged, Tenten needed to release some of that tension.
He had only meant to slip in for a moment-to satisfy his need for the clear tones of the piano-and back out to leave the player in peace. But, as was often the case, Itachi could not pull himself from the sounds and, instead, stood against the back wall to listen unobtrusively.
And, as always, listening to the piano made him want to play. It always took him back to his time in that basement and the feeling of blessed escape that came with the sound. How happy and how sad at the same time... Many people, if they knew of his time there, would probably question why he would want to subject himself to something that would cause him to remember.
It was a complicated matter at best. The dusty, worn out piano amidst all the junk in that place was his escape. And it was a wonderful escape.
The piano had never made him feel unhappy...well, a well played piano had never made him feel unhappy.
From his place against the wall, he could only see the girl's back and caught only fleeting glimpses of her hands as she played-she certainly had the fingers of a pianist as far as he could tell.
How lovely.
Towards the end of the second song and all throughout the third, she felt the tell-tale prickle at the back of her neck. The one that most got when they got that sense of someone else watching them. Often times, it would be true. But Tenten chose to set that information aside. There was no telling how long they could have been there before she realized it. If they had meant any harm, they would have attempted something by now. And she was not going to punish some innocent bystander who had been drawn in by the music -- because there could have been no other reason for them to even be here so early in the morning.
Instead, she continued playing the sad and soulful melody -- her mother's favorite song -- pouring a little bit of her own emotions into it. Because that was music was: and expression of emotions and experiences through sound. Beautiful sound through something as simple as hitting a series of strings placed side by side in a wooden case on legs. A simple structure, and yet it made all the difference. She had heard all kinds of instruments play in her lifetime. But nothing was quite as entrancing and enticing as the piano. If this stranger shared that passion, Tenten was certainly not going to keep them from enjoying it.
A fourth song followed. Then she began on the fifth. And the young woman would have continued for at least another two songs, but a quick glance at her watch told Tenten that time was ticking and that she could not spend the entire day playing -- there was still a bit of reading to do before -- despite wanting to. And there was a matter of addressing her unexpected visitor as well.
"So... did you enjoy the show?" A slight turn of her head was all that Tenten gave. Not far enough to actually see behind her, but enough to show that she was addressing them and not talking to herself.
Itachi felt a small tinge of loss when the girl stopped playing-she certainly had a talent for it. It wasn't often one simply happened upon a talented, soulful player indulging in their craft unabashedly.
Atleast, he didn't find it often.
"I did. You're a very talented player." His voice was warm and bounced off the walls in a pleasant way. He stood up, pulling his leaning body off the wall, and sipped his tea. Had she not addressed him, he would have slipped quietly away again.
As it were, however, he wasn't going to just disappear and be rude.
A moment -- just a moment -- was spent to consider the compliment before she turned fully to face him and replied with a soft, "...Thank you."
Tenten was not accustomed to compliments. Or more like, she was not very good at accepting them. There was always room for improvement in her book, and she always strove to be better. Because she liked to believe that there was only one true limitation in life. Plus, compliments placed specific focus on her, something Tenten was definitely not accustomed to getting. Especially not when it came to the piano. And it showed in her actions.
Nervously, although More out of habit than anything else, she scratched at the back of her head. "Um... H-how... long have you been standing there?"
She was a pretty girl, certainly, and he found he was slightly disappointed that she hadn't been in any of his classes yesterday.
"Only a few songs." That was...a lie. But he could tell she was nervous. He moved toward her so he could set his mug on the little table near the piano. "I'm Professor Uchiha."
He would have offered a hand...but Itachi didn't really shake hands.
A few songs? Well, if memory served, she had played only five at most. So that was not entirely a lie. Still, if he had been there from nearly the beginning, then he had seen nearly her entire performance. And he was a professor. Most likely working in the Music Department of the University. What other department could there be if he were there at such a time?
Clean pressed nearly to perfection. Not a single thread or hair out of place. And a warm cup of... something. Something that was not coffee -- coffee and a distinctly strong smell. Well, he certainly had the presence of a music instructor.
"...Tenten." And since he had not offered his hand, Tenten did not offer hers. But she did stand up at the introduction and gave a small nod out of respect. Because it was only right when addressing someone higher than her. "Are you... new here?"
The keys, now quiet and still, grabbed at Itachi's attention mightily. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Tenten." He reached out to touch a few keys before he brought his gaze back to her. "And yes. This is my first year. And you...?"
"You as well, Professor," she responded. Such was the level of respect that she had been raised to give to those above her. Teachers were above her.
His gesture was obvious, although it was true that he had not actually tired to hide it in the first place. Still, the way he seemed to touch the piano keys was telling enough. She knew that look. On some level, she shared that look. He wanted to play.
"Third. This is my third year." Almost out of habit, Tenten idly played the first three notes of a particularly favorite song of hers. One that she had not been able to play this time around. But perhaps next time... "And that would explain why I haven't seen you before." Feeling the sudden need to explain, she lifted her head and met his gaze before adding, "I've... met most of the professors in this department."
Unable to help himself, Itachi played the next three notes in the song, and offered her a small smile. He interpreted her speech and mannerisms as being nervous-not that he was all that great at reading people. He was just trying to remember how he had often felt when speaking to a teacher.
"With your talent at the Piano, it is no wonder to me that you have met most of them."
That had rather been a bit of a shock. But a welcomed and pleasant one all the same as she returned the gesture with a small smile of her own with a look that was somewhere between impressed, curious, and amused. And continued by playing the next five notes that followed after. After all, since he knew the song...
"You flatter me far too much, Professor," Tenten responded softly, taking one step over to reach the keys that she needed to play, "I haven't taken lessons in ten years and the last time I even practiced was before the summer."
That surprised him a little-clarity and nimbleness on the keys after a whole summer away from a piano? Itachi followed with the next 10 or so notes, eyebrows raised slightly.
"Ten years? Are you a music major, Miss Tenten?"
And there it was, the question she had been waiting for. It always came up when she would speak with a professor in the department. Or even a student who happened to be passing by while she was on the piano. And for a moment, Tenten had begun to wonder if the topic would come up at all. Still, she supposed, it was inevitable.
"No, actually," she replied, her tone light and soft, "I'm a Philosophy and History major."
And while she watched his fingers move along the keys with precision and expertise, the young woman glided her own hand over to play the next three measures of notes. "I just enjoy playing the piano."
Shame. A girl with such talent could probably go far. Still, he didn't blame her. Even he did not stay solely with music.
"There is no shame in that." Itachi turned slightly, putting both of his hands on the piano so that he could follow with a few more measures. "Philosophy isn't so far off from music."
"Oh?" she pushed, following his lead and placing both her hands on the keys to sound out the next few measures of the song, "How so?"
It was beginning to be a fun little game, at least to her. Granted, only one that could be played by those who knew and loved the piano. But a game nonetheless. That this had come about on a whim from both parties did not escape her mind. But as the melody came out in their broken syncopation, Tenten could hardly force herself to care. It was almost as if they were... playing together instead of just taking turns back and forth mapping out the course of the piece.
Still, she stumbled once or twice in her latest attempt -- and cringed just slightly at the slight tweaks of the notes before muttering a soft apology -- but did well to recover quickly in order to uphold the integrity of the song. For both their sakes, she supposed, and their love of the music itself.
Itachi smiled faintly as they played, listening and playing, listening and playing. It was a fun game. And he was greatful for the sounds.
"Both require a slightly skewed vision and the ability to think outside the box. No great musician got where he-or she-was without breaking some rules. I have never met a philosopher who followed any one else's ideals to a T." He glanced at her, amused and enthusiastic. "And both require discipline."
"And years of study and research to perfect?" she added, although, more as a question than a statement.
He was right of course, both on his observations and his comparative analysis on the concept of philosophy and music being similar. And she really had not thought of it in that perspective. All things in life had a basic foundation and format. What made them different was how people as individuals viewed them. But, Tenten supposed, that was why he was the professor and she was simply the student. "And both... leave plenty of room for individualistic interpretation, right Professor?"
The song was slowly nearing its end and she could not help but feel slightly... disappointed at that knowledge. It was just as well, she thought. If were not careful, the both of them might well spend the entire morning there. Still, there were still a few pages of measures left. And the conversation would at least hold them until then.
Itachi only barely heard her over the music. Oh, the piano. Such a beautiful thing...
But when she called him 'Professor' it pulled him out of his lulled state. "Yes. Yes..." It took him a second to rehash all the sounds she'd made at him while he was playing and translate them into words. He hit one note and let it die, one finger poised above the next.
"And Soul." He hit his last note and then looked at her thoughtfully. "A lot of soul."
And as they finished out the song, the young woman could only turn to the other as his words reached into the deeper recesses her mind. A small smile tugging gently at her lips. "...Right."
She was... somewhat in awe of him, really. Which was a strange feeling in and of itself considering. he was a teacher and not a student like she was. He seemed almost too young. And Tenten had heard of professors enjoying their professions. But never had she ever come across one so very passionate like he was. And perhaps that made all the difference. "Very poetic for you to say so, Professor Uchiha."
"Mh." Itachi let his hands fall from the piano and find their way to his pockets. Stilled keys always brought to him a sense of melancholy-as if, when the music stopped, he were back in Italy in a dark, cramped basement...
"Perhaps." He said, his voice low and thoughtful. He'd not thought it poetic. It was the truth-plain, simple, and tangible. Whatever soul existed in the human body, he knew it moved not only to God but also to music.
Music had been in existence long before belief in any modern deity.
Tacked up in his office, still, was an article he'd found during his own college days about cave drawings. Scientists found that a great many of the drawings were most often done only in the most resonant portions of caves.
They, as a species, sang with the soul long before they had contracted it away to gods.
Itachi realized he'd let their silence linger and he again brought his eyes to the girl, noting that she was indeed a lovely young woman. "Some people pray. Some people play music. I find poetry has little to do with it." He gave her a very small smile and moved away to pick up his now cool cup of tea.
Very carefully and quietly she slid the cover over the keys -- it would be far too tempting to play them again if they were still in plain sight -- giving the process the same sort of respect she would a religious ritual. Because, in some strange way, the piano was like a religion. At least it seemed so with them and how they played it. Together or individually. It was a belief in something that was within themselves to create and offer. A miracle in and of itself. So it was the small link between the two concepts that he provided that Tenten of a bit of a fond smile before responding. "But isn't poetry similar to music in a way?"
Because, much like poetry, it was not in the actual words or sounds themselves, but what came out. The feelings and emotions that they were meant to convey. they conveyed. Concepts. Thoughts. Ideals. They all came out in melody and verse. Both from the heart and from the soul. And from the very being that housed the two. It was the reason why Tenten had taken such an interest in the piano all those years ago. Why she fell in love with it in the first place. And it was a belief that she still held to this very day.
"What music does with sound, poetry does with words," she continued, her long and thin fingers casually brushing over the wooden cover she had just slid into place. Even now, they were still a temptation. One she would gladly succumb to over and over again. However, the young woman quickly reminded herself once more, time was not on their side. And her first class of the day would begin within the hour. Sooner if she continued to lingered near the instrument any longer. So at his shift in stance, Tenten finally found the strength within herself to step away as well. "It's only natural that speaking of one would link you with the other in some way, even unconsciously."
What: Friends making with music?
Where: Music Department of the University
When: September 10th; early morning
There was something eerily calm about the silence that greeted her when Tenten slowly creaked open the door. It was tranquil. It was familiar. After two years of walking the same halls to that very room, it could not be anything else. And besides the buildings where her own classes were held, this was the only place on campus that the young girl knew by heart. And she was not even majoring in Music.
This had been one of the better arrangements that she had made over the years. Convenient. As long as she did not interfere in the classes or cut into the actual student's practice times, the Head of the Department allowed her to make use of the piano. For his love of the written notes. Because he held a small measure of pity for Tenten's lack of funds. Or because she had simply been that convincing with her cause. It did not matter the reason. He had said yes. And she was not going to question it.
Setting her things aside in a chair near the door, it was an easy trek across the room to the piano that just seemed to call out to her in its siren song. It had been a while since Tenten had a chance to play. With the summer break, came an endless string of work hours that were necessary for her to survive in the city on her own. And so access had been next to none. But now, with the start of the new semester and less hours at the cafe...
There would be music again.
"Did you miss me?"
The quiet that came with the early morning hours was something that Uchiha Itachi admired greatly. The world was, for the most part, still very slow and sleepy and calm.
And after his first round of classes, calm was something he wanted.
He had swiveled his desk chair around so that he could look out of his office window and onto campus, cup of hot morning tea in hand. Sure, he had things to get to this morning, but none of it was important enough for him to rush over.
What a good morning.
He'd heard footsteps in the hallway outside of his door but he paid them no mind-other teachers or students. None of them stopped at his door so, obviously, they were not meant for him and he could have his quiet until the first rounds of Piano lessons started in the late morning.
But that still gave him some time, didn't it?
Tenten supposed her time could have been better spent outside socializing with the other students. Or finishing the assignments that had been given to her on the first day of classes. It was supposed to be a nice day, after all. The sun was already shining and the temperature was at a balmy 70-75 degrees. And the quad area was always fit for study and/or conversing with her comrades. But as her fingers glided over the black and white keys, she could hardly bring herself to care much about anything else. It had been far too long and she had missed playing a little too much.
Breathing in deeply, she started with a basic C scale to warm up, before eventually shifting through other chords stored in her memory to keep her fingers loose and receptive to the pieces she would be playing in a moment. And as always, when the last chord was completed to perfection, she instantly moved into the first song. A small smile turned up the corner of her lips as the harmonic melody drifted and echoed around her against the specifically designed acoustic walls, bringing back good memories of her childhood when she closed her eyes and simply let her fingers recite the familiar notes.
The outside world could wait. For right now, this was where she belonged.
Those first notes grabbed Itachi's attention in a very unpleasant way at first-it was too early for lessons. His hands tightened on his cup as he turned his head, irritated, to listen.
Of course some idiot would wander into the piano room and play with it. Why not? It was just sitting there.
And his quiet, his calm, would be smashed to pieces while he listened to some kid-yes, kid-crash though the 'sounds' a piano could make.
Itachi braced himself, ready for the barrage of unpleasantness he was sure would come.
But it didn't. And as the scales ended and the sound shifted into song-and not just 'a song,' but a melody that was being played by fingers which had, Itachi assumed from the sound, played it before-Itachi let out a long, slow breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
He lingered a moment, head tilted, staring into nothing, cup in hand, just listening. What a wonderful, wonderful change from the lessons he had had to sit through the day before.
Gods, he loved the piano.
The sound was muffled, though, and he felt that it paid little tribute to the clear, tinkling sounds a piano could produce. While the music room had lovely acoustics, his office was still lacking and the sound didn't carry through the walls very well-which was something he liked during the lessons but not so much at this moment.
He stood and walked from his office, holding his cup to his chest, slip down the hall to the door outside the piano room. Here the sound was better but Itachi's need for clear sound cried out at how close he was.
A players privacy...
Be damned. He slipped the door open and slid inside, just inside the door frame, and breathed deeply at the sounds-clear and melodic and lovely.
It was her intention to save up enough money in order to buy a keyboard. So that she could stop bothering and wasting people's times by sneaking into the music department. And she had been saving up for that goal for some time now, ever since she rediscovered her love of the ivory keys. Because even though she was allowed, she still felt like a burden. A nuisance. Others were making music their careers, after all. Tenten was simply indulging in a loved hobby.
But already, Tenten knew. It would not be the same. Keyboards could synthesize the same tune of the piano as well as a thousand other different sounds. But it could never fabricate the entire experience. Of the heavy instrument fixed in place. And the elegance of the wood or marbled surface that made the piano so grand. Classic. Imposingly familiar. So while the keyboard would at least make her trips less frequent, the young woman would understood that she would not be able to stop herself from coming back. Here. Where the piano was almost like an extension of herself.
So lost was she in the beauty of the melody, of the harmony that was playing along in the far reaches of her memory, Tenten did not notice or her the soft click of the door being open. Or the feeling of being watched. She was accustomed to it after all, occasionally finding herself one piece in a small orchestra of music during theatrical performances, both for the school and local theatre productions. But there was something about how the music seemed to flow out from her with little effort that made everything else little more than trivial.
It did not matter. None of it did. She had an itch, and it needed to be scratched. And where one piece ended, another soon began with little pause in between. With seven years of lessons and entire summer -- an entire lifetime, it seemed -- of keeping them caged, Tenten needed to release some of that tension.
He had only meant to slip in for a moment-to satisfy his need for the clear tones of the piano-and back out to leave the player in peace. But, as was often the case, Itachi could not pull himself from the sounds and, instead, stood against the back wall to listen unobtrusively.
And, as always, listening to the piano made him want to play. It always took him back to his time in that basement and the feeling of blessed escape that came with the sound. How happy and how sad at the same time... Many people, if they knew of his time there, would probably question why he would want to subject himself to something that would cause him to remember.
It was a complicated matter at best. The dusty, worn out piano amidst all the junk in that place was his escape. And it was a wonderful escape.
The piano had never made him feel unhappy...well, a well played piano had never made him feel unhappy.
From his place against the wall, he could only see the girl's back and caught only fleeting glimpses of her hands as she played-she certainly had the fingers of a pianist as far as he could tell.
How lovely.
Towards the end of the second song and all throughout the third, she felt the tell-tale prickle at the back of her neck. The one that most got when they got that sense of someone else watching them. Often times, it would be true. But Tenten chose to set that information aside. There was no telling how long they could have been there before she realized it. If they had meant any harm, they would have attempted something by now. And she was not going to punish some innocent bystander who had been drawn in by the music -- because there could have been no other reason for them to even be here so early in the morning.
Instead, she continued playing the sad and soulful melody -- her mother's favorite song -- pouring a little bit of her own emotions into it. Because that was music was: and expression of emotions and experiences through sound. Beautiful sound through something as simple as hitting a series of strings placed side by side in a wooden case on legs. A simple structure, and yet it made all the difference. She had heard all kinds of instruments play in her lifetime. But nothing was quite as entrancing and enticing as the piano. If this stranger shared that passion, Tenten was certainly not going to keep them from enjoying it.
A fourth song followed. Then she began on the fifth. And the young woman would have continued for at least another two songs, but a quick glance at her watch told Tenten that time was ticking and that she could not spend the entire day playing -- there was still a bit of reading to do before -- despite wanting to. And there was a matter of addressing her unexpected visitor as well.
"So... did you enjoy the show?" A slight turn of her head was all that Tenten gave. Not far enough to actually see behind her, but enough to show that she was addressing them and not talking to herself.
Itachi felt a small tinge of loss when the girl stopped playing-she certainly had a talent for it. It wasn't often one simply happened upon a talented, soulful player indulging in their craft unabashedly.
Atleast, he didn't find it often.
"I did. You're a very talented player." His voice was warm and bounced off the walls in a pleasant way. He stood up, pulling his leaning body off the wall, and sipped his tea. Had she not addressed him, he would have slipped quietly away again.
As it were, however, he wasn't going to just disappear and be rude.
A moment -- just a moment -- was spent to consider the compliment before she turned fully to face him and replied with a soft, "...Thank you."
Tenten was not accustomed to compliments. Or more like, she was not very good at accepting them. There was always room for improvement in her book, and she always strove to be better. Because she liked to believe that there was only one true limitation in life. Plus, compliments placed specific focus on her, something Tenten was definitely not accustomed to getting. Especially not when it came to the piano. And it showed in her actions.
Nervously, although More out of habit than anything else, she scratched at the back of her head. "Um... H-how... long have you been standing there?"
She was a pretty girl, certainly, and he found he was slightly disappointed that she hadn't been in any of his classes yesterday.
"Only a few songs." That was...a lie. But he could tell she was nervous. He moved toward her so he could set his mug on the little table near the piano. "I'm Professor Uchiha."
He would have offered a hand...but Itachi didn't really shake hands.
A few songs? Well, if memory served, she had played only five at most. So that was not entirely a lie. Still, if he had been there from nearly the beginning, then he had seen nearly her entire performance. And he was a professor. Most likely working in the Music Department of the University. What other department could there be if he were there at such a time?
Clean pressed nearly to perfection. Not a single thread or hair out of place. And a warm cup of... something. Something that was not coffee -- coffee and a distinctly strong smell. Well, he certainly had the presence of a music instructor.
"...Tenten." And since he had not offered his hand, Tenten did not offer hers. But she did stand up at the introduction and gave a small nod out of respect. Because it was only right when addressing someone higher than her. "Are you... new here?"
The keys, now quiet and still, grabbed at Itachi's attention mightily. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Tenten." He reached out to touch a few keys before he brought his gaze back to her. "And yes. This is my first year. And you...?"
"You as well, Professor," she responded. Such was the level of respect that she had been raised to give to those above her. Teachers were above her.
His gesture was obvious, although it was true that he had not actually tired to hide it in the first place. Still, the way he seemed to touch the piano keys was telling enough. She knew that look. On some level, she shared that look. He wanted to play.
"Third. This is my third year." Almost out of habit, Tenten idly played the first three notes of a particularly favorite song of hers. One that she had not been able to play this time around. But perhaps next time... "And that would explain why I haven't seen you before." Feeling the sudden need to explain, she lifted her head and met his gaze before adding, "I've... met most of the professors in this department."
Unable to help himself, Itachi played the next three notes in the song, and offered her a small smile. He interpreted her speech and mannerisms as being nervous-not that he was all that great at reading people. He was just trying to remember how he had often felt when speaking to a teacher.
"With your talent at the Piano, it is no wonder to me that you have met most of them."
That had rather been a bit of a shock. But a welcomed and pleasant one all the same as she returned the gesture with a small smile of her own with a look that was somewhere between impressed, curious, and amused. And continued by playing the next five notes that followed after. After all, since he knew the song...
"You flatter me far too much, Professor," Tenten responded softly, taking one step over to reach the keys that she needed to play, "I haven't taken lessons in ten years and the last time I even practiced was before the summer."
That surprised him a little-clarity and nimbleness on the keys after a whole summer away from a piano? Itachi followed with the next 10 or so notes, eyebrows raised slightly.
"Ten years? Are you a music major, Miss Tenten?"
And there it was, the question she had been waiting for. It always came up when she would speak with a professor in the department. Or even a student who happened to be passing by while she was on the piano. And for a moment, Tenten had begun to wonder if the topic would come up at all. Still, she supposed, it was inevitable.
"No, actually," she replied, her tone light and soft, "I'm a Philosophy and History major."
And while she watched his fingers move along the keys with precision and expertise, the young woman glided her own hand over to play the next three measures of notes. "I just enjoy playing the piano."
Shame. A girl with such talent could probably go far. Still, he didn't blame her. Even he did not stay solely with music.
"There is no shame in that." Itachi turned slightly, putting both of his hands on the piano so that he could follow with a few more measures. "Philosophy isn't so far off from music."
"Oh?" she pushed, following his lead and placing both her hands on the keys to sound out the next few measures of the song, "How so?"
It was beginning to be a fun little game, at least to her. Granted, only one that could be played by those who knew and loved the piano. But a game nonetheless. That this had come about on a whim from both parties did not escape her mind. But as the melody came out in their broken syncopation, Tenten could hardly force herself to care. It was almost as if they were... playing together instead of just taking turns back and forth mapping out the course of the piece.
Still, she stumbled once or twice in her latest attempt -- and cringed just slightly at the slight tweaks of the notes before muttering a soft apology -- but did well to recover quickly in order to uphold the integrity of the song. For both their sakes, she supposed, and their love of the music itself.
Itachi smiled faintly as they played, listening and playing, listening and playing. It was a fun game. And he was greatful for the sounds.
"Both require a slightly skewed vision and the ability to think outside the box. No great musician got where he-or she-was without breaking some rules. I have never met a philosopher who followed any one else's ideals to a T." He glanced at her, amused and enthusiastic. "And both require discipline."
"And years of study and research to perfect?" she added, although, more as a question than a statement.
He was right of course, both on his observations and his comparative analysis on the concept of philosophy and music being similar. And she really had not thought of it in that perspective. All things in life had a basic foundation and format. What made them different was how people as individuals viewed them. But, Tenten supposed, that was why he was the professor and she was simply the student. "And both... leave plenty of room for individualistic interpretation, right Professor?"
The song was slowly nearing its end and she could not help but feel slightly... disappointed at that knowledge. It was just as well, she thought. If were not careful, the both of them might well spend the entire morning there. Still, there were still a few pages of measures left. And the conversation would at least hold them until then.
Itachi only barely heard her over the music. Oh, the piano. Such a beautiful thing...
But when she called him 'Professor' it pulled him out of his lulled state. "Yes. Yes..." It took him a second to rehash all the sounds she'd made at him while he was playing and translate them into words. He hit one note and let it die, one finger poised above the next.
"And Soul." He hit his last note and then looked at her thoughtfully. "A lot of soul."
And as they finished out the song, the young woman could only turn to the other as his words reached into the deeper recesses her mind. A small smile tugging gently at her lips. "...Right."
She was... somewhat in awe of him, really. Which was a strange feeling in and of itself considering. he was a teacher and not a student like she was. He seemed almost too young. And Tenten had heard of professors enjoying their professions. But never had she ever come across one so very passionate like he was. And perhaps that made all the difference. "Very poetic for you to say so, Professor Uchiha."
"Mh." Itachi let his hands fall from the piano and find their way to his pockets. Stilled keys always brought to him a sense of melancholy-as if, when the music stopped, he were back in Italy in a dark, cramped basement...
"Perhaps." He said, his voice low and thoughtful. He'd not thought it poetic. It was the truth-plain, simple, and tangible. Whatever soul existed in the human body, he knew it moved not only to God but also to music.
Music had been in existence long before belief in any modern deity.
Tacked up in his office, still, was an article he'd found during his own college days about cave drawings. Scientists found that a great many of the drawings were most often done only in the most resonant portions of caves.
They, as a species, sang with the soul long before they had contracted it away to gods.
Itachi realized he'd let their silence linger and he again brought his eyes to the girl, noting that she was indeed a lovely young woman. "Some people pray. Some people play music. I find poetry has little to do with it." He gave her a very small smile and moved away to pick up his now cool cup of tea.
Very carefully and quietly she slid the cover over the keys -- it would be far too tempting to play them again if they were still in plain sight -- giving the process the same sort of respect she would a religious ritual. Because, in some strange way, the piano was like a religion. At least it seemed so with them and how they played it. Together or individually. It was a belief in something that was within themselves to create and offer. A miracle in and of itself. So it was the small link between the two concepts that he provided that Tenten of a bit of a fond smile before responding. "But isn't poetry similar to music in a way?"
Because, much like poetry, it was not in the actual words or sounds themselves, but what came out. The feelings and emotions that they were meant to convey. they conveyed. Concepts. Thoughts. Ideals. They all came out in melody and verse. Both from the heart and from the soul. And from the very being that housed the two. It was the reason why Tenten had taken such an interest in the piano all those years ago. Why she fell in love with it in the first place. And it was a belief that she still held to this very day.
"What music does with sound, poetry does with words," she continued, her long and thin fingers casually brushing over the wooden cover she had just slid into place. Even now, they were still a temptation. One she would gladly succumb to over and over again. However, the young woman quickly reminded herself once more, time was not on their side. And her first class of the day would begin within the hour. Sooner if she continued to lingered near the instrument any longer. So at his shift in stance, Tenten finally found the strength within herself to step away as well. "It's only natural that speaking of one would link you with the other in some way, even unconsciously."