act18side

No good.

At the triplets... No, throughout this entire piece.

I thought you were trying to show off at first, but after a few sessions, it's clear that you're not. Instead, you're deliberately handling high-difficulty passages with excessive flair as if to obfuscate the less-technical passages.

In theory, you should already be quite familiar with this piece, so what's the point of fudging the easy sections?

The point...? To fudge my way out of this rote, mechanical drilling. How's that for an answer?

You've lost your temper?

Showing off? Fudging? Why such loaded words?

The way I see it, I'm wasting time repeating the same piece over and over.

Whether you understand or not doesn't matter to me, but you're going to be playing in MY concert. If I say it's no good, then that means it's no good.

Keep practicing. And don't stop until you understand what I'm talking about.

Fine. I also happen to want to know what manner of unfathomable creature I'm running from.

Start from measure seventeen. One, two, three, four...

What's the matter?

What was going through your head when you played that passage just now?

Nothing in particular.

Wrong.

You're throwing a fit at me.

And what warranted you specifically pointing that out to me?

That was the best you've sounded all day.

Are you joking?

Do I need to joke around with you?

All you can think about right now is how to shut me up, isn't that right?

That's exactly the way to approach it. When I wrote this piece, I was also thinking of someone who always competes with me.

You're not saying anything, so I assume you're still surly?

Or do you have such a problem with me that you don't want anything to do with me anymore?

No, I actually thought...

Thought what?

(Takes a deep breath)

––I thought you had a problem with me.

I do have a problem with you.

You have a problem with me... And is it that I'm a noble?

That is one reason, but not a particularly important one.

It's true that I do not like nobles, but that does not stop me from applauding their music.

Just as some nobles see me as unclean, but that does not stop them from practicing my compositions at home.

Even the fortunate ones, sheltered and blissfully unaware of the plight of man, with sufficient respect for music and a desire to pursue it, may be found expounding the joys of life.

But your performance is virtuosic at times yet perfunctory at others. Overall, it's as if...

One side of you is just trying to kill time while the other half is going to great lengths for embellishments and frills, as if to prove to others that your problem is a matter of motivation rather than capacity.

Let me be clear about this– this is a form of blasphemy against music, an attitude I absolutely cannot accept.

Fortunately for you, you've already proven to me that you're not doing it on purpose.

At least, you have the ability to rid yourself of this state.

What I suspect more now is that you had a talented teacher who was irresponsible toward his students.

Yes, that's exactly the kind of person my teacher was.

Thanks to him, I can perform a few pieces on pretty much every instrument, but I loathe him from the bottom of my heart.

If that actually is the case, his music must've been quite unusual as well.

You're right about that, but I don't want to talk about him anymore.

No matter.

Back on topic. I need you to remember how you felt today.

I'm not telling you to keep holding your nose while you practice this piece. But I'd like you to remember the rhythms and expressions from this last time, and the way you played those passages and transitions.

Alright.

Good, let's wrap things up. You must be tired from practicing for so long.

I still need to take a look around the concert hall and meet with my sponsor, so I need to get going soon.

That's it for today. I'll have Ursula fetch something to drink for you and Kreide.

Ursula––

Ursula, where are you?

Kreide? Have you seen Ursula?

She said she was going to Rhodes Island to fetch some medicine, and left about half an hour ago.

Half an hour ago? Their office isn't that far away.

I'll head down to the Rhodes Island office to see what's going on. You two can go home.

I was also about to go there to visit my grandpa, so I'll come with you.

Ebenholz, want to join us?

Not like I have anything better to do.

Ebenholz, Kreide, and Mr. Czerny too!

You all came at just the right time. I'm cooking up some food. Would you like to join us in a bit?

Hibiscus, where's Ursula?

Ms. Ursula's helping out in the kitchen––

Well if it isn't Herr Czerny.

Didn't you come here to pick up medicine? How'd you end up cooking?

That was the plan, but I caught Hibiscus cookin' and Andante went out again. Thought it'd be bad to impose, and offered to lend a hand. Now you're here and that takes care of tonight's dinner as well.

Since Ebenholz and Kreide are here too, we need to make extra.

How about Grandpa's portion?

Your grandpa has been asleep this whole time. I'm afraid he won't be able to join us at the table tonight.

The whole time...? Has his condition worsened?

Don't worry. As far as I can tell, that's a common side effect of the medication, but he'll adjust to it soon enough.

Alright...

Hibiscus, what's this thing? It looks just like an apple.

It's a very nutritious tuber, great for your health. I haven't seasoned it yet though, so hold on a bit.

Weren't you going to go check out the concert hall with your sponsor?

I still have to fill up the tank before I go.

That sponsor must be very dear to you. Right, Herr Czerny?

Dear, huh... Hah, quite the opposite.

Oh?

At first, I truly thought the two of us kindred spirits. But I quickly realized she is not the same kind of person as I.

If I recall correctly, your true soul mate was the one intimately connected to 'Morgen und Abend,' only to pass away before you completed that opus.

That's right.

Now that I think about it more calmly, the reason you rubbed me the wrong way from the very beginning... might have something to do with the way this piece came about.

Hearing you play 'Morgen und Abend' like that filled my heart with some dissatisfaction.

But now that you've seen the light, the stone in my heart has at last been shed.

It's all thanks to all those hours of intense instruction you provided. Otherwise––Ugh.

I see sarcasm is also one of your bad habits?

Maybe it is.

It's fine. I don't mind.

The way I see it, the most important quality a musician can have... is sincerity.

Sarcasm aside, even deeply-rooted hatred, if expressed using the proper techniques, is meaningful all the same.

The last dish is ready!

If not for Ursula's help, cooking all these dishes would've taken forever.

Eating together makes it feel like we're one big family.

(Mumbles) Family, huh...

Speaking of family, I wonder how Lava is doing back on the landship...

Lava?

Lava is my sister, and an Infected. She can be a handful at times, but she's a good egg.