The Devil’s Symphony
Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own D.Gray-Man. Not genius enough.
Chapter 1: Familiar Stranger
WARNING: A bit Lenalee OOC. I couldn’t get her personality right somehow.
“What?”
“The Latitude Euphonic Faculty. Do you know where it is?”
He could see the thorough scrutiny she conducted on him. Her gaze landed on the black prism slung over his back, his violin case. Her gaze moved up to his face immediately. She’d noticed his sentience of her inspection.
Her violet orbs glittered and Allen was dazzled briefly.
A cold wind rushed between them and Allen’s eyes stung at the sudden dry coldness.
But the girl didn’t even falter at the icy wind.
“Are you a violinist?”
He blinked. She was stating the obvious. Then again, not all triangular cases were violin cases… Were they?
“Yes, I am.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
“We… Um, they’re not expecting any visitors any time soon. What’s your name?”
His eyes goggled slightly in confusion. But before he could speak, the features of the ebony haired girl had softened.
“Goodness, I’m being rude. I should introduce myself first.”
Allen raised an eyebrow at the girl’s sudden change of disposition but said nothing, signalling her to continue. She understood his mannerism and cleared her throat politely.
“I’m Lenalee Lee.”
Her dazzling smile showed itself again and she held out a gloved hand.
“Ah, I’m Allen Walker.”
She laughed a little. The sound of wind chimes.
He shook her hand. It was warm, comforting, even though there was a layer of thick fabric between her skin and his.
Allen was surprised. It was just a hand. A gloved hand.
“Well then Allen Walker, nice to meet you.”
Her breath came in palls of white steam.
He smiled, catching the mood. He hadn’t known someone that contagious could exist.
“Well, I’ll show you the way there, but there is a little piece of information you should probably know.”
She snickered.
“Because if you’re just going there to register, you might encounter some trouble.”
He looked at her questioningly.
“They don’t allow people in just like that. You need to go through a scan and everything.”
She tapped a thin, pale finger against her chin.
“Let’s see…”
Allen glanced around him as he waited, trying not to make his actions so obvious.
Then he had an idea. Maybe she was taking longer to think of the registration system because…
“Hey, Lee-san, maybe we could have this conversation elsewhere? This station is pretty crowded, and I’m getting the idea that maybe you might not want people to overhear this piece of information you’re about to give me?”
She smiled at him brightly.
“You catch on quickly. But…”
But then a teasingly disgusted look crossed her features, and she pursed her lips, her arms unfolding themselves as her hands rested lightly on her waist.
He looked at her, awed again by the quickly changing moods of this person.
“Who’re you calling Lee-san?”
“Eh?”
“My brother is the one you should address as Lee-san. But I’d rather you call me Lenalee. I’m not a fan of formalities.”
She smiled again.
“Besides, I bet you don’t want me to call you Walker-san either, right?”
“You’re right. I’d prefer to be called by my name.”
A grin revealed a set of perfect white teeth.
“Well then, Allen-kun, let’s head somewhere else for this story.”
The fifteen-year-old nodded, and an amused smile spread across his face, reaching his eyes.
“Yup. It’s cold out here. So, where to, Lenalee?”
She laughed at his joking demeanour, but played along, sticking her hands in the pockets of her thick winter jacket. It looked warmer than his.
“Are you a fan of coffee, Allen? There’s a nice antique coffee shop near the euphonic faculty.”
“Sure. I don’t mind caffeine at all, just as long as there’s no alcohol.”
She raised an eyebrow in query.
“I guess I just don’t really fancy alcohol.”
He smiled sheepishly.
“Besides, I’m not old enough.”
She laughed with the ringing sound of wind chimes again.
“Neither am I!”
He grinned this time, and she returned the gesture with a charming smile of her own.
“Well, let’s go then.”
-
The cup of mocha fruppacino felt good in his hands. It was warm, but gave off this thick steam that settled lightly around him like a passing mist, carrying the scent of coffee beans and chocolate. The warmth felt good and the boy welcomed it graciously.
He sipped the hot chocolatey liquid lightly, welcoming the continuous warmth that spread through him as he drank.
Lenalee sat across from him and was sipping her cup of black coffee similarly, holding it with her gloved hands, warming them. Her amethyst eyes were calm and tranquil.
He threw a glance her way, noticing for the first time what she was wearing.
Her hair was down for the most part, with two thin pigtails at the sides of her head.
She was a black and white striped turtleneck and a long khaki overcoat that had black cuffs and her hands were gloved.
He couldn’t see what kind of bottom she was wearing, but he was pretty sure she was wearing boots up to her knees.
She was quite pretty too…
He took another sip of coffee, letting the steam warm his face, making it look as if he was flustered from its heat and took his time calming himself down before he spoke again.
“So,” he said, setting the mug down, “tell me this important piece of information you have for me.”
“Well,” she answered, setting down her mug as well, rubbing her gloved hands together before turning to look up at him again, with her large wondrous violet orbs, “there is a security system. This system has various stages to it.”
Allen nodded, listening intently.
“Well, first is your basic security check. They’ll scan you for any form of dangerous device and whatnot. You’ll probably pass that test easily.”
She raised an eyebrow, eyeing the boy suspiciously.
“Unless you have a dangerous item?”
Allen answered with a head gesture once more, shaking his head in a very apparent ‘no’.
Lenalee nodded and continued, smiling in approval.
“The second part, if you want to register, that is, is that you’ll need either a recommendation from an honoured member or one of the mentors there.”
The snow haired boy blinked several times, as if he was trying to remember something.
And he did recall.
“I believe my Master sent in an application letter sometime ago. Or so he told me.”
“Hmn.”
He watched as she propped herself up on her elbow, staring straight into his blue-tinted stone grey eyes.
“Well, whoever your master is, I hope he’s someone famous,” she replied. However, she did not give him time to reply as she quickly continued on to explain the next subtopic of the conversation without hesitation.
Allen wondered absentmindedly why.
“Do you have any other form of proof?”
Allen raised an eyebrow.
“Proof of your excellence as a musician.”
“Er, can’t I just play for them then and there?”
The ebony-haired girl shook her head.
“I told you, you need recommendation from a respected member or well-renowned musician.”
She sipped at her coffee calmly.
“Besides, they used to listen to those people who wanted to join, but I think some of the top brass had enough of those ‘wannabes’ as he called them. That was about a decade ago.”
Allen blinked.
“Ah, I mean, I saw him that day, when they threw the last ever person who attempted to join with that method. I think I was ten.”
“Oh. Alright then, I really need a favour.”
The girl did not raise her lips away from the mouth of the cup of still-steaming coffee; she simply looked up at him with large, questioning eyes.
“Do you know any of the honoured members there?”
She did not answer him. Instead she continued sipping her coffee calmly. What a composed person.
“I can guess what you’re getting at.”
“Oh?”
She looked him straight in the eye again, smiling this time, but her stare was deadly, intense.
“I won’t help you.”
Allen looked at her in disbelief.
What a fierce stare, too. It was almost mean of her.
(Lenalee thought to herself, ‘I’m spending too much time around Lavi…”)
“Just kidding!”
She burst out in a fit of giggles and Allen continued to stare in amazement at her. What a carefree person. A wonderful, convincing actor at the same time, too.
“Oh, come on. I’m not that mean.”
She smiled at him gently.
“I’d like to help. But I can’t.”
She shook her head, a forlorn smile on her face.
“I don’t know anyone there; just how the system works, since I’ve seen it so many times.”
Allen pondered this momentarily and inquired politely.
“How could you have seen it if you’ve never been in there before?”
He watched as she calmly sipped her coffee once more.
“They do these checks outside of the place itself, for safety purposes,” she paused, lifting the mouth of the mug to her lips, “After all; they can’t risk someone assassinating a student.”
Allen’s eyes widened at her words.
“People attempt to assassinate the students?!”
“Well, what did you expect? The place is filled with world class musicians who are practically bulldozing the entirety of the world’s classical music industry full-speed-ahead. They’re taking the world by storm.”
The boy went silent, contemplating the girl’s words. His eyes wandered down to the chocolate coloured fruppacino that sat on the table, waiting to be drunk.
“Um, who’s going to pay?”
She was trying to change the subject.
He sighed so softly that it was almost inaudible to he himself.
He looked up warily and watched as her breath came out in cloudy wisps of steam.
“I will. After all, the ladies shouldn’t pay for something like a coffee when there’s a guy accompanying them.”
He smiled at her and she giggled.
He raised the mug to his own lips and drank. It was a pretty favourable temperature now; not too hot, not too cold.
“Well, then, please excuse me.”
She smiled at him sincerely in reply.
He carefully set the mug of mocha fruppacino down on the marble tabletop and got up from where he sat, hoisting his violin over his shoulder.
As soon as he had reached the cashier, though, and asked for the bill for the purchases made by the customers at table 8, a stubby finger instantly shot up to point rudely at him right in the face.
“YOU!”
Allen raised an eyebrow.
“Excuse me..?”
He did not answer the snow-haired boy’s question.
Instead, the man punched furiously on the cash register and the little drawer slid out.
Allen was bewildered. Was there some sort of curfew to pay for the purchases made and he was late to pay for his meal or something?
“Um, sir, what’re you…”
The corpulent man smashed a very long bill down on the counter.
‘Oh no.’
“You are this boy, right?”
Allen watched in utter torment as the shopkeeper pulled out another piece of paper.
And this was the five hundred and sixty-ninth time he’d faced this kind of situation, seen the familiar hand drawing.
He slapped his hand to his forehead. He couldn’t possibly repay the shopkeeper the debt now.
Especially since Lenalee was waiting. It was so embarrassing.
‘A ludicrous imbecile of a master I have. I doubt he’s anyone who’s respected by the people at the euphonic faculty…’
Allen sighed heavily.
“I’m terribly sorry for my master’s behaviour, sir…”
Much to his utter surprise, the stout man smiled at him, completely snapped out of his rage.
“I’ll forgive you. At least you bothered to apologize, even on your master’s behalf. It’s not your fault. But, he addressed the payment to you, and I really need that money for the shop. We’re running short on good supplies. I can’t buy the better quality ingredients if I don’t have enough money. They tend to be more expensive.”
He just stared at the man. So the people here were friendlier than the other places he’d been forced to work off his Master’s debts before…
“Alright then sir, what would you like me to do to compensate for the money he owes you? Or would you like me to pay you back in cash?”
“No, that would take too long. Instead, I would like you to attract customers to the shop while I run out and get some more supplies.”
Allen began to protest, but the rotund shopkeeper stopped him short before he could even start.
He gestured to the bill that lay on the table.
“You see, it isn’t all that much. The thing is, he bought a lot of the cheaper coffee sets. So, it’d satisfy me enough to pay for both your meal with the lady there and your master’s debt simply by attracting some customers here.”
He nodded at Allen’s black violin case slung over his back loosely.
“You’re a violinist right?”
Allen was suddenly in a tight spot.
“I’m not allowed to use this violin in public…”
“Oh? How peculiar. But don’t worry. Run down to the shop opposite this one. The one called the Devil’s Symphony. You’ll get to rent the violin free. Just remember to say that I, Mr Bentley, sent you over. I’ll give you twenty minutes to pick out a violin.”
Allen looked curiously at him.
“Why so long just to borrow a violin? I don’t think any of the violins there aren’t tuned either…”
The man simply chuckled to himself.
“You’ll see.”
Allen did not question further.
“A-Alright… Let me leave my violin with my friend. Then I’ll head over to that shop you mentioned.”
As Allen scooted over to the table he and Lenalee had been having coffee at moments before, his mind pondered the peculiar friendliness of the people in that country.
“Lenalee, Lenalee! Can you help me take care of my violin for about ten to fifteen minutes? I have to… er… run an errand…”
She acted clueless, but a sense of knowledge over the whole situation lingered in her tone.
“Sure. Be back soon. I’ll just sit tight and wait for you.”
Allen thanked her, and bounded off in the direction of the entrance.
Once outside, he hastened across the street towards the quiet looking violin shop opposite.
And as he walked, he noticed the eerie silence of the derelict alley-like street.
But it was pretty bright, in spite of the time and season, and the grey cobblestones that paved the sidewalk and the gravel that was the road pretty much gleamed in the sunlight; the snow had been shovelled out of the roads and sidewalks. The small rocks made a scrunching noise under his feet as he moved and he felt a bit more comforted by the fact that there was some form of noise besides his lonely footsteps.
He arrived at the glass doors of the antique violin shop, and stepped gingerly inside. There was a rush of icy wind as he entered, colder than the temperature of the outside air.
Allen considered this. It was probably because the snow clouds had shifted away to let some rays of warm sunlight comfort his frostbitten senses.
The scent of wood and horsehair filled his lungs as he looked around, delving deeper into the shop.
It was the aroma of violins and other instruments.
Said instruments lined the walls, hung splendidly in neat, labelled rows that were organised with four of each type of instrument in a row.
At the centre of the shop stood a large grand piano that stood on a risen platform.
“Um, hello? The coffee shop owner asked me to borrow a violin from here…”
His voice rang through the empty silence at a volume magnified by the barrenness of the room.
No one answered and Allen wandered over to the seat in front of the large grand piano, running his fingers over the ivory white keys, the smooth feel of each individual key setting off a tingling sensation in his fingers.
They were eager to play.
“Yes, how may I help you, young man?”
Allen had only given the man a fleeting look, before, quick as a flash, he was on his feet.
“Um, Mr Bentley from the café sent me over, the one on the opposite side of the street.”
“Ah yes, whatever for, young lad?”
Allen tensed up, nervous that the balding man might reject his request for its reason.
But he refused to lie.
“Well, you see, I went down to Mr Bentley’s shop for some coffee with a friend; to talk some things over…”
Allen drifted off, his mind wandering easily to Lenalee, the girl he’d just met. Her beautiful, enchanting violet eyes and that entrancing smile…
The old man laughed, pulling Allen out of his reverie.
“Is she your girlfriend, or your ‘friend’?”
Allen turned bright red.
“W-What? N-No! I just met her today and asked for a favour to…”
Allen shut his eyes, trying to concentrate.
This was not time to be thinking or talking about things like that!
Nor was it time to go into details about that with this old man.
“I’m just an old man. I shouldn’t pry.”
The fifteen-year-old looked up to find the old man smiling.
“Well then, what did you come here for then, lad?”
“I came to borrow a violin.”
The old man’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“What…?”
Allen scratched the back of his neck tensely.
“My master owes Mr Bentley a lot of money… And apparently, he has this terrible habit of passing those debts on to me. Since I’m a violinist, he asked me if I could attract customers to his shop with some music. But I can’t use my violin in public; master’s orders.”
Allen’s gaze dropped to the floor.
It was so shameful to have a master like that. Practically everything his master did was at his expense.
A loud laugh escaped the old man.
“I know someone who’s exactly like that! Except, he doesn’t have an apprentice; he leaves his debts for his friend instead, as far as I know.”
Allen blinked in surprise.
But then the old man’s tone changed.
“I’ll lend you a violin,” he said, a warning in his tone, “but you have to prove to me that you know how to play.”
He smiled warmly. And Allen just stared.
“You will play first violin for Canon in D Major, with me on second violin.”
“W-What…?”
The old man retreated into the shadows, returning with two violin cases.
He handed one to Allen.
“This one should be a size that’s perfect for you.”
Lifting the 300-year old violin out of its case and drawing his bow, he smiled at the snow-haired boy who could only stare at him in shock. He’d never expected something like that.
“Let’s begin, shall we?”
A/N: Alright, that’s all for this chapter. (: