Tempting Music - with Bellala99

[sVerrine]

Lloyd drew out the last note of the resounding melody and closed his eyes, caught in the emotion that the song harbored inside him. As a loud round of applause followed, he stood up and gave a few "Thank you"s, then left the stage as the next performer entered.

 

"Wonderful performance, as always!" Came the compliments from his manager to which Lloyd responded with a simple nod. They talked a few minutes about his performance, then Lloyd excused himself for being too tired to attend the entire concert and shortly left.

 

He was not tired, but exhausted. The requested song came only with 4 days prior to the piano concert. What choice was there than to spend those whole days but with learning the song? He even neglected his beautiful girlfriend. He remembered well the look she gave him every time we brought up the subject. Although she was supporting and understanding with his career, with time, there was sure for jealousy to have aroused in her heart because Lloyd was spending more time with the piano, than with her.

 

He sighed desperately, and as if the distance between them seemed to be a bother for the first time, he opened the door's car violently, got in and started to drive towards her apartment. If he remembered correctly, she was coming home tomorrow morning from a business trip. Lloyd thought it would be nice to wait for her with a home-made breakfast.

 

He parked the car in front of the block of flats and ascended the stairs with unjustified hurry. Arriving in front of her door, he stopped to catch his breath and then opened the door. He raised a brow at the suspecting pair of man shoes resting in front of the door. Shoes that definitely weren't his.

He walked further in the house, and when he saw different piece of woman clothing, his girlfriend's pointedly, panic started to build up and his muscles tensed instantaneously.

He run to her, their bedroom, and caught the sight of another man holding, thrusting and loving what was meant to be his. The blood rushed in his head and the next thing he remembered was seeing the man laying on the floor, with a broken nose.

"Whaa..?"

But he couldn't say anything, because Lloyd landed another punch, that, unfortunately, hit the naked woman who protected the man.

"Lloyd, don't." Her voice was firm and stern. There was no sign of fear, remorse or guilt. She was simply defending the man.

"What the fuck are you doing with another man?!" And when he looked at the man better and saw none another than his co-worker, the friend he had since his high-school days. Lloyd's anger grew by second.

"Lloyd, listen to me. Don't do something rush. Calm down!" She tried to remain calm herself, but in fact, she was almost yelling.

"Calm down?! You are banging with my best friend and I'm supposed to calm myself down?!"

"Stop yelling! You are waking the neighbors!"

"So what? Don't tell me, you don't want them to know what a whore you are!"

She narrowed her eyes. "If I'm a whore, than you are a son of a bitch. Why do you think this is happening, huh?"

The man who was supposed to be his best friend stood up, shook his head and stared intently at Lloyd.

"Let me explain this."

But then Lloyd snapped and rushed at the man's neck, but the woman put herself between them.

"Lloyd! Stop! Lloyd!"

But there was nothing there that could have stopped him. He caught the woman by her shoulder and pushed her away, then raised a hand to punch the man, but the other was quicker and the one to receive a painful hit was Lloyd instead. He lost his balance and was ready to fall, but no sooner than that the woman threw one of her shoes on his head and Lloyd fall confused on the floor.

"Get out! Get the fuck out of here!" The woman said, and the other man, as if her words were indirect orders, caught Lloyd's arm and dragged him outside of the apartment.

As if there was no strength left in his body, Lloyd let himself be dragged and thrown out of the apartment.

His 'friend' shut the door and stomped to the woman's bedroom and Lloyd laid his body on the wall. He wanted to rest his head on his knees, but he caught the glimpse of another man scrutinizing him. He raised his head instead and his eyes lock with the man's.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Karl smiled softly as he patted his dog - a golden retriver. "Aww, are you hungry, girl?" He asked softly, the light brown hair falling down and covering the man's hair. "Help me get to the kitchen and I'll get you something~" The man chuckled and grabbed onto the dog's leash as he slowly stood up, with one hand checking his surroundings.

 

The dog already seemed used to that as he was standing in place, waiting until his master was ready. "Okay, let's go~" The brunette said with a soft smile on his face as the dog slowly began walking through the house, Karl following behind. It didn't take too long for them both to reach the kitchen, and once there, the dog gently pushed its master's leg so he would continue walking.

 

"I'm going, I'm going... Are you really that hungry?" Karl asked with a chuckle as he walked over to a cabinet under the sink. He grabbed out some dog food and turned to take his dog's bowl, filling it up with the food. "Here, eat up, Ruka~" The brunette smiled softly as he felt his dog turn to the food.

 

That was when he heard shouting outside. Karl tilted his head in confusion and the dog followed the action, sniffing around the air before turning his head to his master. "Ruka, let's go outside..." The brunette muttered out softly as he gently tugged Ruka's leash so that she would walk off the bowl.

 

The two slowly walked outside, while Karl kept his eyes closed. He could feel there was someone else around him and his suspicions were confirmed when the dog stopped in his tracks. Karl wished he could actually see who was there, yet he knew that was impossible. He didn't even know how he looked himself, after all.

 

"I'm sorry, I heard shouting... Did something bad happen?" He asked softly while trying to determine where the other person was. His ears caught the faint sound of someone else breathing and he turned to that direction, letting a small smile appear on his face.

 

Karl has been blind ever since he could remember. He was born blind, and he just learned to go through with that. He knew very well how to read braile's, he could remember in which places he put everything at, and he even got his own dog to help him out in case anything happened.

 

The only way he was ever to see again was if he could get an extremely expencive surgery, and there was still a big possibility of it failing. Karl's been trying to save up the money to get the surgery, but he mostly failed at doing so. Keeping the dog and sometimes hiring someone to help him wasn't free. As for now, he only had 1/3 of all the price he needed.

[sVerrine]

Lloyd observed the dog's presence belatedly, as he was eying his owner instead. He gazed at his genuine smile and wondered why would a stranger smile to him. Lloyd opened his mouth to say something, but a loud thud came from behind the woman's apartment door, which opened violently, revealing the savage beauty of the woman who held in her hand an average-sized bag from where things popped out. He gave Lloyd a death stare and threw the baggage in his lap, then closed the door.

For some reason, Lloyd's first reaction was to glance back at the brunet and to be surprised to distinguish no difference in attitude. He was really confused, so he concluded that it would be best to calm down first. After slowing his heart rate and analyzing better his surroundings, he took a guess that the strange man was perhaps blind.

Lloyd parted his lips and spoke.

"Well, if you consider that discovering your whole romantic life is a lie because your 2 years old girlfriend has been cheating on you with your best friend is a bad thing, then yes, something bad had happened."

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Karl raised his eyebrows slightly and tilted his head to the side when he heard the door opening. He knew someone tossed something like a bag, and from the sound it made when it landed, it was on somebody's body. The brunette's lips parted slightly as he extended his hand to pat the dog that seemed worried.

 

"That is indeed a bad thing... Of course, it's none of my business. I'm sorry if I'm interfering with your relationships..." Karl said with a soft smile as Ruka gently licked the shorter male's hand. It could tell when Matt was feeling sad even in the slightest bit, and for some reason, he was feeling sad right now. "But please, tell me if there's any way I could help out." He asked and lightly scratched behind Ruka's ears as he opened his eyes for only a few seconds, only enough to reveal the grey-ish white color of them. "And excuse me if I don't react to something the way I should... As you can probably see, though I'm not even sure about that, I'm blind." Karl said with a soft smile and let out a small sigh. He hoped he didn't make the other confused... He rarely made any friends, well, mostly because he was blind, but also because people thought of him as weird.

[sVerrine]

Lloyd listen to the man's words and remained impressed by the musicality of his low, velvety voice. As he seemed to feel alienated by the man's words and tonality, Lloyd decided it would be clever of him to maintain the conversation.

"I can see just fine. It's alright, you don't have to apologies for how you were born. It was also rude of me to act so suspicious."

Lloyd found the sufficient energy to stand up and he finally felt the exhaustion taking over his body. He let out an exasperated sighed and cursed the Gods for making him incapable in that very moment.

Psychologically, he was invigorated by the shock of discovering his girlfriend's true nature, but physically, his tensed muscles hurt and that stupid bag filled with his things was hellishly heavy.

"Relationship..." I murmured. "You know, I loved her and I liked my friend very much. But I think I liked and loved my piano even more and they just..." Lloyd was not even sure why he was saying those things. "They couldn't understand that."

Deep down inside, he was disappointed and angry, but the emotion didn't seem to be directed towards those who cheated on him, but towards himself. Every person in his life insisted at some point on him leaving the stage, giving up piano and starting an office job like everybody else.

He started asking himself if his dedication was indeed exaggerated or all those people just couldn't understand the concept that was leading his life.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Karl tilted his head and kept the soft smile on his face as he listened. If he could, his eyes would've widened when Lloyd mentioned the piano. He was so used to keeping his eyes closed, he knew some people didn't like seeing his blind eyes, so instead, his jaw dropped a little bit.

 

"Y-You play the piano?" The brunette asked while taking a step closer to the other man. It was his dream to learn how to play the piano, and yet, he never did. No one wanted to start teaching a blind guy how to play such a delicate instrument... It was one of his childhood memories, one of the good ones - his grandmother used to play the piano all the time when he visited her... Karl could just sit there for hours, listening to her playing. When she passed away, there was no one left to play live music for him... It was rather sad, actually.

[sVerrine]

Lloyd rose his brow at the sudden inquire, not understanding what could have triggered the man's curiosity. It wasn't that uncommon to meet a pianist.

"Yes, I'm a pianist, I'm invited o play at concerts. You can come and see..." Lloyed stopped and thought that would be improper to stay to a blind person. "Well, not see, but hear me instead. Something tells me that my style would suit your taste."

Lloyd gazed at the brunet and then his eyes fell on his dog. It was a beautiful gold retriver that watched him with sad eyes. The man raised his hand and chased the distance between him and the animal with slow movements. He wanted to see first if the dog would take his affection as something else and bark at him, but surprisngly, it didn't. Lloyed patted it and his mood seemed to have improved.

"Good boy. I guess you would be the one to take your owner to my concert. " He sighed. "And those guys in front of the entrance door won't let you in."

Lloyd wanted to check the man's response with his guess and unconciously glanced at him questiongly.

"I wonder what can we do about it... especially because he seemed so interested in piano."

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Karl smiled brightly when the other said that he could come and listen to his concerts. "I'd love to! I love piano, I always wanted to learn how to play one, but... Well, no one wants to teach a blind guy how to do it..." The brunette muttered out softly as he could feel the other patting his dog.

 

The shorter male let out a soft chuckle at Lloyid's words. "That's not a boy... She's Ruka, a female." He said with a smile as the dog barked, as if confirming its master's words. "Talking about names, I'm Karl." He introduced himself and extended his arm for a handshake, keeping the soft smile on his face. "Could I know yours?" The brunette asked softly as he waited.

 

"Oh, and as for Ruka... Well, if she can't get in, I'd need someone who would at least guide me through the stairs..." He muttered out sadly as he shook his head. "I've grown so used to having her around, I wouldn't know what to do if I didn't have her."

[sVerrine]

Lloyd smiled, not because he had to, but becuse the situation dictated his heart to do so.

"I'm Lloyd." He said, eying both Karl and Ruka with sympathy. "Well, if you are so eager to come, than I can arrange my schedule so to come at the entrace and meet you. I'll help you through the stairs and if my manager is nagging me, I'll send someone."

A rustle of wind throw his hair into disarray and its coolness calmed the turmoil inside him. It was night and the exhaustion started to became unbearable.

"Actually, I just had a concert tonight. My last song would fit the atmophere right now." Lloyd sighed and displayed sadness on his pale face.

"Anyway, I'm actually very tired. I can't wait to get home and sleep 12 hours straight. It was nice meeting you, Karl, you lifted my mood. If we were to meet again... would the nearby cafee be alright?"

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Karl smiled softly and nodded while gently stroking Ruka's head. "Thank you very much, Lloyd. This really means a lot... I barely go out anywhere, since most places don't allow dogs." He said quietly as Ruka lightly nuzzled her head into his leg. "Oh, will there even be a place I can leave her at?" He asked while feeling slightly worried.

 

The blind man tilted his head when he heard about the man's concert. "Oh... It's a pity I weren't there. I'm sure your music is incredible." He said softly and let a smile appear on his face yet again. "As for the meeting, sure, the cafe sounds nice. They allow dogs, and the latte there is amazing, so I'd love to go." Karl said with a smile and covered a yawn. "Well, good night for now. Shall we meet tomorrow? Would four o'clock be okay with you?"

[sVerrine]

Lloyd made a mental note to ask his manager about the details of his next concert to see what should they do about Ruka.

"I'm not sure myself where the next concert is being held, but I'll tell you more tomorrow at 4."

A rustle of wind threw his hair into disarray and he felt the chill of a night of September. He looked at the petite man and felt bad for making him staying outside, in the cold, when he was dressed so poorly. His face displayed an apologetic look, that obviously wouldn't reach Karl.

"Well, I'm sorry for keeping you out in cold." And with fast movement he grasped Karl's hand again and shook it vehemently as if to explain the pleasure of their meeting. "You lifted my mood, thank you. I'll see you at four." And he went descending the stairs before the petite man could say anything else.

The last remnant of energy was used for driving and Lloyd was sincerely relived when he saw himself back in his modest apartment. He didn't have various pieces of furniture, as the living room was dominated by a grand piano that immediately caught the attention of anyone who has ever visited him. He thought idly that Karl wouldn't have the same expression as everyone did in the past and wouldn't say the same things. 'Wow, a piano! That's impressive.', 'So you really are a pianist!' His girlfriend even thought he was joking about being a pianist just to impress her because she liked very much classical music. He wondered for a while what would Karl's reaction be actually, but then abandoned the thought as he was the first blind person he thought of bringing in his apartment.

Lloyd threw the bag with his things on the black leather couch that laid near the piano, together with his jacket and necktie. He was so tired that he didn't even bother to shower. He undressed quickly, leaving his cloths aimlessly around the bedroom and finally threw his body on the soft sheets. The comfort the mattress provided was heavenly, and there had passed no longer than 5 minutes before Lloyd fell asleep.

 

It was the twelve hours of the day when the mechanical announcement of the clock drifted Lloyd away from his sleep. He yawned and lifted his body a little, looking around the room. It was a mess, giving that he considered himself a neat person. He covered his face with the palms of his hands and sighed. The last night's incident stroke his mind and pricked at him painfully. He sighed again, not wanting to think about the dark aspect if it, and left the warm sheets of the bed now that he was fully awake.

Lloyd cleaned the room and then walked into the living room, his first aim being the bag. Now that he was actually thinking of it, he couldn't do the same because he had no possessions of his girlfriend's.

"Well, I guess there is a reason why she cheated on me."

He took the bag that contained various piece of cloths, shampoo, accessories, sheets of music and put everything into place. Even the bag was his. He thought than maybe that damned woman was planning this for some time.

He let out yet another sighed then went to take a shower, after that he finished his businesses that were planned for today. He made phone-calls for a whole hour before he was finally done with them.

His next concert was somewhere near the center of the town and he doubted that there will be a place where to leave Ruka. He narrowed his eyes and thought of how enthusiastically Karl looked when he mentioned the concert. He couldn't just let it drift away, so somehow he had to figure something out.

Lloyd eyes fell on the clock and it was already 3 PM. It took him around half an hour to reach the cafe so he started to prepare himself. Although he usually wore suits, not because he had to, but because he liked them, he decided to display more of a casual look today. Then he remembered that Karl wouldn't even observe that.

He laughed idiotically at his stupidity and chose black jeans and a dark-blue shirt. Another half hour passed and he was finally ready to leave the apartment.

The distance between the cafe wasn't that big, but the heavy traffic was infernal, so yes, it took him around 40 minutes to reach it. When he arrived, Karl was already waiting outside, with a bored Ruka who started to wave his tail around frantically when seeing Lloyd.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Karl smiled softly as the other grabbed his hand and nodded slightly. "It's no problem, you just stay well..." He muttered out before slowly turning around so Ruka would guide him back home.

 

The brunette ran a hand through his hair and let out a small smile when they entered the house, where his dog immediately walked off to finish her food, leaving Karl chuckling. He decided that it would be best of he just went to sleep already...

 

The blind guy did just that. He could hear Ruka coming over in a few minutes, but by the time she did, he had already changed into his sleeping clothes. The dog jumped on the bed and layed down next to her master's chest. Karl let out a soft smile as he gently patted Ruka's head. It didn't take long for either of them to fall asleep...

 

-

 

Karl woke up with the help of his dog. Ruka was gently poking her nose at his cheek, trying to wake him since it was ten o'clock already. His friend was about to come - she always did. At least four - five times a week she'd come and help him clean up the house.

 

The brunette slowly got out of the bed and let Ruka guide him to the bathroom so he could at least wash himself off. Karl washed his face with calm, slow movements. He already knew that if he hurried, he'd fail at whatever he tried to do - that was probably the most annoying thing for him.

 

In about half an hour, a blonde girl with light green eyes came to visit Karl. While she worked around the house, making some breakfast for the blind guy as well, he simply sat on the couch, patting Ruka while they talked about what's been happening in their lives lately. When Karl said that he was going to meet up with Lloyd, he could swear he heard something very... Unhuman like coming from his friend - Rose.

 

It took her some time to leave, and before she did, Rose managed to get everything Karl knew about Lloyd from the poor guy. She seemed very satisfied with herself and Karl had a bad feeling about that... For some reason, Rose managed to bring a lot of trouble on him sometimes.

 

Karl left the house after he was sure he had everything needed, the brunette walked out the house and to the cafe where he waited for Lloyd. When he felt Ruka's reaction, Karl smiled softly and turned to the direction Lloyd was coming from.

 

"Hey~" He greeted softly as he held Ruka's leash. The brunette smiled at the other man and tilted his head. "How are you feeling after yesterday?"

[sVerrine]

"Hello." Lloyd greeted him, returning the smile. "Well, let's not talk about this. It infuriates me every time I think about those two, going behind my back and flatly lie to me. This kind of conversation is a mood-killer."

Lloyd sighed and directed his eyes skyward, at the beautiful cerulean sky.

"It's warmer today, we could also stay outside." And he pointed at a table in front of the cafe, and then smacked his forehead automatically, cursing at how retarded he could be at times. "There is a table in front of the cafe, would you like to sit there?"

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Karl chuckled softly and nodded. "I won't say another word about it if you don't want me to~" He said softly and gently patted Ruka's head so she would calm down. The brunette nodded at Lloyd's next words. "Of course, I wouldn't mind, and Ruka prefers being outside as well..." He answered softly as he tilted his head to one side. "Could you direct me to the table? I'm not excatly sure about which one of them is empty..." Karl muttered out as Ruka stood up on all fours and took a step towards Lloyd, on the same time dragging Karl along who just chuckled. "I think she likes you...~"

[sVerrine]

Lloyd chuckled.

"I'm glad to hear that, I like her too. You can say dogs are my soft spot." He knelt and ruffled Ruka's golden coat. He then went to the table, the dog following accordingly with Karl behind her. They sat and the waitress came shortly bringing them two menus. Lloyd skimmed it and decided that a long espresso would be best giving that he didn't drink any coffee that day.

"About the concert" The man started. "It would be a problem because it's going to be held near the center of the town, at the auditorium inside the Grand Hotel. I honestly think that bringing Ruka wouldn't be the best idea and giving that I don't have to go to repetitions, I can come and pick you up instead and help you navigate the hall. What do you say?"

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Karl followed Ruka as she led him towards the table, being careful where he stepped. The brunette sat down once he found where the chair really was, while Ruka stayed near his legs, soon laying down with her head between her paws. The blind man tilted his head to one side as he listened for the other and nodded a little bit. "I see... Well, I can ask for someone to take care of her until I get back... But wouldn't this be a lot of problems for you? I don't want to be some kind of a burden." Karl said softly as the waitress brought the menus. He chuckled lightly and shook his head while rubbing his forehead. "Can you do me a favor and see how much is the apple pie and a medium latte?" He asked with a soft smile.

[sVerrine]

Lloyd was took by surprise with Karl's request and took the menu and looked around to see the prices.

"15 dollars in total." He announced sternly.

Seeing that Karl also ordered food he remembered that he hadn't eaten much the past two days, so he decided that an apple pie would be perfect for his mood.

Lloyd told the waitress their order and then focused entirely on Karl. In the sunlight, his features were clearer and he seemed more exposing that last night.

"It wouldn't be a bother, really. I invited you personally and you seem very eager to hear me playing, so I should not lose a potential admirer." He cracked a joke and laughed idly. "Really, it's alright." He added, more serious.

Lloyd couldn't stop but observe the radiating smile and wonder what was so incredible delightful for the man to be that content. He also realized that Karl looked pretty young and petite.

"By the way, how old are you?"

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Karl smiled softly and nodded. "Thank you, I keep forgetting the price and it's kind of embarrassing to ask the waitress..." He said quietly and shook his head with a smile. The brunette kept his eyes closed for the whole time, just as he was keeping the smile on his face.

 

When he heard Lloyd talking about his concert, Karl chuckled and nodded. "Okay, thank you very much then... You have no idea how much this actually means to me." The blind man said quietly and rubbed the back of his neck a bit nervously. Most people would even pity him, but he hated when people did that. He was alive and well, even if he couldn't see...

 

"Me? I'm twenty-three, and you?" Karl answered with a smile and tilted his head to one side. "A lot of people say that I look yound for my age... It's a bit sad that I have no idea if they're right or not..~" Karl said and laughed softly. He didn't have any problems with joking around about his disability. He wasn't ashamed of it...

[sVerrine]

Lloyd chuckled, hearing the man's laugh.

"I'm 26. And yes, you look young." He said, spotting the waitress that came with the drinks, his espresso and Karl's latte. Seeing that Karl was wondering aimlessly with his hands on the table, Lloyd touched with his long fingers the man's whrist and directed it to the mug. The gesture seemed to be done naturally because Lloyd thought that was the obvious thing to do.

"So I take you are blind since you were born. I wasn't sure at first if that was or not the case." He started, slipping some coffee through his parted lips. "Anyhow, you have distinguish features and I'm not referring at your physical aspect, because I couldn't really describe that to you. The atmosphere you exude is different, warmer and more honest."

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Karl frowned slightly when the other directed his hand towards the mug. "I'd prefer it if you didn't help me on such simple tasks. I can find a mug on my own..." He mumbled, slightly annoyed before letting out a sigh. "Sorry, I just hate it when people think I can't do anything on my own... It's like some of them view me as someone who can't even take one step without having someone help me!" The blind man complained with a small frown on his face.

 

When Lloyd continued talking, Karl nodded at the first question. "For as long as I can remember, I was always blind." He said quietly as he took the mug between both hands. "As for how I distinguish features..? I'm not sure. I really have no idea, I just kind of... Do it, I guess."

[sVerrine]

Lloyd was impressed at Karl's anger, imaging him to be the type who preferred victimization instead of independence in thought. He chuckled again and thought about what an interesting person he had the privilege to meet.

 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. It just seemed the right thing to do. I won't do it again."

 

He slipped some coffee down his throat and the deliciousness made him prone to making further conversation.

"So tell me, why do you want to play the piano?" Lloyd looked genuinely interested in Karl's answer, he rarely met people at that age still eager to learn a complicated instrument. He learn the piano because his late mother imposed that onto him, it was obligation that slowly developed in passion. But that was a long story, one that he didn't want to remember at that very moment.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Karl let out a soft smile and tilted his head. "My grandma used to play the piano all the time, and I always listened. I've always loved music, I enjoy listening to it, and people say I have a nice voice, yet I'm not too sure about that..." There the blind man stopped to take a sip of his latte, letting the flavour flow through his body.

 

"So, when she died, I just... I just began to miss the music. Besides, piano music is wonderful... I love how it always manages to sooth me, even when I'm angry about it. I could spend hours only listening to piano..." Karl said softly as he held the cup between his hands. "And what about you? What made you play the piano?"

[sVerrine]

"My mother, mainly. I didn't liked it very much. But in high school I met someone really devoted, he adored the piano, there was nothing more substantial and resounding that his style. He inspired me and taught me a great deal. When we first started I realized that for all those years I just hit some keys instead of playing the piano."

Lloyd seemed to get depressed as the story continued to unfold and he decided to stop. "Anyway, he was some kind of turning point in my life. My parents are musicians, so they agreed on me pursuing a career and devoting myself to this kind of life."

He took a sip of coffee and remained silent for a while.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Karl listened carefully, time from time sipping a bit of his latte. He tilted his head when Lloyd talked about that person who taught him to play the piano. "So, where's he now? The guy who taught you to play the piano... If you don't want to talk about it, I'm not one who'll force you." Karl said softly and let out a soft smile. "Your parents are musicians? What instrument do they play? Do they sing? Are they a band, do they have others that join them? Do you play with them sometimes?" Karl asked, his face seeming hopeful. He enjoyed talking to musicians - this way the possibility of him ever learning the piano increased!

[sVerrine]

Lloyd couldn't help but smile at Karl's debit at asking question. Although he was more of a private person, he did not mind the petite man's inquires. Again, having no outside friends from his field of work or from before the time he decided to pursue his career, it was unusual for someone to present so much interest in him or music.

"Yes, my father is a conductor and my mother is also a pianist. She had been playing in bars and restaurants before meeting my father, so she was part of some bands when she was younger." Lloyd imagined his stern mother being part of a band and he immediately labeled the image as being absurd.

"I don't play with them giving that more than half o my performance consists of my own songs, while my father is part of an orchestra and my mother a music teacher who seldom has concerts. Well, we didn't really meet that much anyway."

Lloyd avoid intentionally the question regarding that person, hinting that he did not want to open that topic. The memory of the two of them sadden him greatly and it usually made him angry and frustrated.