Musical talent.
Some are born with perfect pitch, great rhythm.
She yearned to have the talent some had.
The only thing she had was passion.
xoxoxo
Musical talent.
He was born with it.
He didn't want it.
The only thing he had was talent.
xoxoxo
"Juvia, honey, you're going to be late for the first round," her mother commented as the bluenette fiddled with her violin.
She had been playing since she was 4 years old, but never been in any competitions, never went to a music school, never took it that seriously. She just loved playing the violin, and enjoyed hearing the sound it made when she fully immersed herself in performing. Her violin now had belonged to her for about 2 years now, since the day she finally got her full-sized instrument.
In exactly 45 minutes, she would be backstage at the Magnolia Hall, waiting for her number to be called. She was going to her first ever competition, clueless, nervous, and semi-confident.
All you have to do is enjoy it.
She was number 35.
xoxoxo
He slowly sat up from his bed as his alarm signified 40 minutes until the start of the first round.
He had been playing violin since he was 5. Child prodigy, naturally talented, musically gifted, he had heard it all. He didn't think he was special. He felt used. His violin wasn't a prized possession. It was an object of terror. He didn't enjoy playing. He didn't love to go up on stage. He didn't like winning 1st place.
But he continued, because it was the only thing he had. His parents were violinists, his grandparents were renowned pianists, his sister was a master at the piano.
In exactly 38 minutes now, he would be standing alone behind those curtains, agonizingly waiting for the audience to see his face, his violin, a familiar competitor. The parents of other participants would sigh sorrowfully, the judges would pay extra attention, and his teacher would watch from the seats, unforgiving of mistakes, unforgiving for any emotion. Not letting any smile let through.
Technique. Technique. Technique is all you need.
He was number 36.
xoxoxo
The repertoire for the first selection was Paganini's Caprice No.1, a virtuoso piece for violinists. There was a lot of changing strings, different bowings, tons of spiccato. It was a difficult piece after all. For Juvia, it wasn't the ideal romantic piece, but she was capable of enjoying herself while playing it.
Number 35 was standing behind the curtains, watching over the girl before her play. She played completely in rhythm, with great technique for the first half, bouncing her bow accurately on the strings. She played accurately, but not perfect. She played with dynamics, but no emotion. Juvia stole a glance at the judges. Some tried hard to cover up their boredom, and others didn't even bother. One judge actually payed attention and was jotting things down, but you could tell the audience as a whole was asleep.
Breathe
The piece over, the audience clapped, the performer bowed.
The backstage staff replaced the number to 35, and it was her cue to go up.
Breathe
The violinist walked to the center of the stage, hands shaking, goosebumps on her arms.
The audience fell silent, all attention on the blue-haired violinist in the center of the stage. She flipped her hair back, placing her violin on her shoulder and slowly brang up her bow to the strings.
Go
She breathed in sharply as she lifted up her bow, starting the piece. There was no turning back, no restarting, no forgetting the piece. No walking off stage because of nerves, no rewind. The spiccato wasn't her strong suit, but she was able to keep it up. She started off boring and technical, careful and nervous. The high notes were perfectly in pitch, the chords perfectly in tune. Everything was perfect, but it was boring. It wasn't fun to play. This piece was hard on an 18 year old like her, but she couldn't bear playing it like this. About to hit the part with the legato and then the series of chords, she stopped her bow.
Breathe
She took another breath, slowed her tempo for the legato and the chords. She accentuated the beautiful bowing and the pleasing series of chords. She had 2 minutes to amaze the audience.
Restart
She didn't stop her bow this time when she entered the last theme. She played the spiccato soft and sweet, but fast. Terribly fast. Her fingers moved along the fingerboard, adrenaline coursed through her body. She felt the audience's tension increase, all eyes on her.
xoxoxo
Number 36 watched the girl play from behind, trying to hide the amazement from his own face. The way she moved, the way she carried herself onstage. It was innocent, purely to have fun. To amaze the audience. The judges wouldn't let her pass to the second round. It was too "fun". It was too "unfaithful to the composer".
She ended the piece, the audience roared, and the judges sighed. Number 36 hadn't realized that that performance had left a deep impression in his seemingly unemotional heart.
You cheesy idiot, he thought to himself as he walked on stage. As he thought, the audience knew his name in the program, the judges smiled at the familiar face. Audience's favourite. Everyone's hope for the future of violinists. It was too much on a 19 year old.
He had to play it right.
Boring.
Accurate.
"Perfect".
He walked to the center of the stage as the girl did before him.
He lifted his violin and his bow like the girl did.
He played the piece in a completely different way than Number 35.
The judges smiled as he played, satisfied, as always, by his perfect technique, admirable spiccato, amazing bowing. He played with no heart, but his technique made up for it. He was so faithful to the composer's wishes that it seemed as though he enjoyed it.
Cookie-cutter perfect.
xoxoxo
The girl watched the boy after he play. She yearned to have his skills. His technique was perfect, his interpretation was amazing. He was one with talent. Talent and hard work. She bet he spent his days practicing his violin. She imagined his fingertips always blistered.
The performance ended, and she saw the audience applaud loudly, the judges stand up. She knew he had passed. He had to know he was going to go to the second round. How could one who played so beautifully not pass?
xoxoxo
The two of them, done with their respectful performances, went back in the waiting rooms to put their violins back in their cases.
xoxoxo
List of contestants: Second Selection
Gray Fullbuster
Lucy Heartfilia
Juvia Lockser
Erza Scarlet
Jellal Fernandes