Erik spent every day of the following week at the Conservatory - entering it and talking to the woman on the reception never got easier, but playing with Olly was a breeze; the man was cheerful, easy to talk to and quick to learn - he really was, by all means, a better student than Erik was a teacher. He responded to Erik's stubbornness thoughtfully, but never let him go too far; and whenever he didn't know or understand something, he'd say it so plainly and with a sincere, apologetic smile that Erik had basically no choice but to simply try and help him.

Talking to Heidel, on the other hand, never got much easier - Heidel was never going to be any less intimidating to him, but even as Erik kept his guard up around him, Heidel seemed to slowly relax and talk to him more openly and with a certain respect that would sometimes float to the surface through his stiff posture and condescension. Erik was thankful to both men for their apparent cooperation and, in Olly's case, even some tentative hints at friendship - but he found his thoughts often wandering to where the hell is Jonsson and why hasn't he appeared already. Yes, they had agreed to give him ten days, but Erik thought that the score he had given him wasn't so difficult to read that Daniel would need all ten days - and the gnawing, ever-present thought in the back of his head kept telling him that Daniel simply wouldn't appear; that he had discovered something either in the symphony or in Erik's behaviour that had finally turned him away forever. It was an irrational thought - at least Alina said so, when he hinted at it - but it wouldn't leave him alone, and the best he could do was to distract himself with work that was right in front of him and simply wait, wondering at every knock on the door if it would turn out to be Daniel, asking the receptionist every afternoon if somebody had come and asked for him. Even the woman - Caroline - was growing a little concerned for the masked man who asked her the same question politely every day: "Has someone named Jonsson been here, or left a message for me?". Every day she would say no, and he would thank her with an equally polite tone, his eyes turning visibly distraught and worried. It was a strange ritual, and Caroline even felt a strange mix of frustration and guilt that she was apparently, without any ill intent, hurting him somehow every day with this.

Finally, on Friday afternoon as he was already losing his mind wondering when Daniel would appear, Erik decided to talk. He was in Heidel's office with Oliver, discussing the progress on the rehearsals and how they'd start looking for a venue as soon as the concert season started in September, when he decided to, in lack of a better wording, reach out for help.

"Daniel Jonsson has agreed to play the solo violin", Erik said with slight insecurity in his voice. "He claims it has something to do with you."

"Hahah", Oliver laughed. "Well, it wasn't very hard to talk him into it. He was practically begging me to just say hey, let's be friends and make music together."

"Do people normally like you so much at first sight?" Erik asked with curiosity before he could stop himself.

"They do", Heidel answered instead. "Against his best efforts. I've never seen my colleagues bend so many of their rules like they did back when Olly was in college."

"But I asked them so very nicely", Oliver smiled innocently, leaning his chin on his cane. "It's not my problem everyone else was too afraid to ask. But, back to the point - why are you two having so many problems with that kid? He's a little juvenile, but he wants to impress everyone so badly - surely he's not so hard to handle?"

"I don't know what to tell you", Heidel rubbed his eyes. "I thought so too - yes, he wants to impress everyone, but he doesn't want to actually work for it. He has massive amounts of talent - so many things come so easy to him - and as soon as something does not, he gets discouraged and gives up."

Erik's mind raced, trying to connect the dots - it wasn't something he thought about that often, but Oliver seemed to understand immediately.

"Fritz, and what did you do when he was bad at something?"

"We'd just tell him, like everyone else." Heidel replied. "He had no special treatment from me."

"The way I see it", Oliver tapped his fingers against the cane. "As a kid, he's a little prodigy, everything goes smoothly, everyone adores him. Then, when he's only sixteen, he gets into college and things get harder, suddenly everyone is criticizing him, his parents keep acting like he's already an adult, everyone is disappointed in him every day. He tries his best for a while, but it never goes back to how it was - it's never again him playing something with joy and people just liking it. I think he just wants to play something with joy, and for people to like it. Maybe you all should have let him be a kid a little longer."

"Maybe", Heidel said bitterly. "And maybe, if he had what it took, getting him the best education available as early as possible would have unlocked his potential."

"It's not as if the potential would have expired, is it? If he's that talented?" Oliver shrugged.

"I've never been one to put much faith in someone's talent", Heidel waved his hand dismissively. "Surely, some people have it, and some don't. Personally, I think I don't. I think what makes you a musician is whether you simply decide to be one, or not. I've decided long ago that I would be a musician - and I've worked every day since to achieve that. Of course, there are things I cannot do and cannot be; I'm a theoretician, a conductor, a professor. I can be a critic, too, I can be a director or whatever is asked of me. I don't have what my colleagues would call a gift from God - I know I'll never compose the next big masterpiece, or pour my heart out through an instrument. And yet, all the same, I am here. I am here because I decided. And so are you", he pointed one strict finger at Erik. "My colleagues will fawn over your unseen talent, admire the fact you're self-taught as if it were some great proof that music is some divine grace bestowed randomly upon the few geniuses in each generation. It's not. Not to say you lack talent- of course, your work is absolutely inspired and creative - but all that talent wouldn't have helped you one bit if you hadn't woken up every day with a singular goal on your mind, and then worked to get there. Music is not divine grace - it's something we deserve; we earn the right to call ourselves artists through our actions, through showing up every single day to give our absolute best because we hear the music, it touches us and we decide to do it. And that is the reason I respect you, and don't respect Jonsson. You were both born with incredible gifts, but the fact you taught yourself how to play violin all alone is why you have my respect - not some miracle of birth."

"You're saying the difference is that… I practiced more?" Erik managed.

"What other difference should matter to me?" Heidel shrugged. "Sure. Dvorak can write the New World Symphony, and I can only conduct it. I respect him for doing things I never could - but I've had plenty of students capable of doing things I never could, and yet they never actually did them, so on what grounds am I supposed to respect them?"

"I don't think what I did was necessarily virtue", Erik said quietly. "I just had nothing else- if he did, how can I blame him for wanting other things from life?"

"Fritz", Oliver scratched his chin, eager to diffuse that emotional bomb, "By God, I can't tell if you're actually much more of a snob than I had previously thought, or far less."

"Call me a snob all you want, Olly", Heidel raised his eyebrows. "I was there when you practiced ten hours a day for your graduation concert."

"You were the reason I was practicing ten hours a day-"

"Really? Well, I did you a favour. What else were you going to do? Lay home in bed, depressed and blind?"

"Maestro, you know, I don't normally let people talk to me the way you talk to me."

"Neither do I." Heidel smiled, then turned his head quickly when he heard a soft knock on the door.

"Hello", Daniel managed at the sight of three men sitting in the room, suddenly very aware of the fact his shirt was not pressed and his jacket - once very expensive - had seen better days. "Um, the receptionist told me you'd be rehearsing today so I thought I'd come."

"Dan!" Oliver exclaimed, his face lighting up with joy. "Hey! I was starting to worry you changed your mind!"

"Hi, Olly", Daniel replied politely. The two other men didn't look quite as friendly, but Heidel nevertheless stood up to shake his hand.

"Good to see you again, Jonsson", he nodded. He then turned to Erik and gestured for him to take over.

Erik looked at him for a second, then held out his hand with a quiet, "Hello, mr. Jonsson. I'm glad you could come. Have you read the sample I gave you?"

"I read most of it", Daniel rushed shaking his hand very quickly and feebly, "I didn't really have time to go through it all, I had some other obligations-" it was a lie. He had plenty of time, it's just that the stupid thing was so damn overwhelmingly difficult that he couldn't get through it alone after playing fairly easy things for the past two years. After a few incredibly exhausting attempts he got frustrated and gave up, hoping a lame excuse would be enough and they didn't need him to demonstrate any special skill anytime soon.

Heidel opened his mouth with that expression on his face, but before he could say something about how Jonsson, you should have put in some more effort, you should really be able to tackle these things on your own by now, Oliver laughed and interrupted him.

"Dan, by God, what madman would expect you to learn it all alone? It's so goddamn hard, and I'm the one getting private lessons!" That was a lie - Oliver was a fantastic pianist and the only thing hard for him was remembering it all by heart. He waved his hand at Erik. "Luckily our new maestro is also a violinist, so he can help you now that you've finally joined us!"

"Oh, you are?" Great! I bet he can play it flawlessly and doesn't think it's hard at all!

"That is, if you've decided to join us", Erik corrected. "Which we've… sort of forgot to ask. But, as I've promised already, the decision is entirely yours."

"Oh", Daniel blushed slightly. "Well, yes, that's why I'm here. I wanted to join. I really liked it", he finished.

Erik's mouth spread into a small smile at that last comment, surprising everyone present. "Good. We'll start today then. I'll answer any questions you have."

Well for example, what on Earth possessed you to write something like that, sir? "Okay. Thanks."

"I'd like you all to please get lost from my office now", Heidel announced putting his glasses back. "I know you all think this room is the centre of the universe, but I do have my regular job as well. I'll see you later."

Daniel and Erik both shot him incredibly offended looks and opened their mouths to say something, but were promptly stopped by Oliver's laughter as he stood up.

"Fritz, you really have some nerve. You know very well this is a place of pain, we're just all masochists. Now, let's go", he nudged Daniel with his cane, but avoided touching Erik - either because he couldn't locate him or because of some other instinct - and ushered them out. "Dante, Virgil, it's time to get out of hell."

"And you are, then?" Erik followed quickly.

"Oh, I'm an angel, I'm just here to save you." Oliver stretched in the hallway. "Well, I'm done for today, so you two have fun."

"Do you need-" Erik started.

"No, I don't need help, I know my way out. Good day, gentlemen." he tipped his hat and walked confidently outside as they watched him.

Erik and Daniel turned to each other simultaneously after he left, unsure what to say.

"Right, um", Daniel took the sheet music out of his violin case. "This is yours, sir."

"You don't have to call me sir if you don't want to", Erik said with amusement as he took the papers. He was aware he was still calling Daniel mr. Jonsson, but had no intention of stopping until he told him to. He was more comfortable with these strict professional boundaries, at least on his part, even if he had no intention to enforce any particular authority with this little Pechorin. He diverted his gaze to the sheet music. "Well, I guess we better find a classroom."

Daniel took out his violin - it was such a beautiful instrument, Erik noticed, simple and elegant, as if it was made exactly for a young promising man on his way to glory. Erik still played on Mikita's old violin, which though beautiful in its own right, could not compare to this - this violin probably cost more money than Erik and Alina had when they first arrived in America.

Erik sat in one of the chairs in the tiny empty classroom, a little further from Daniel as he tuned his instrument. He thought Daniel would sit after he set his sheet music on the stand, but he remained standing, slightly too stiff for Erik's taste.

"Whenever you're ready", Erik waved his hand at him. "Just play whichever part you'd like. I just want to get a feeling for how you're doing."

Daniel shuffled through the papers and picked a particular phrase that seemed to him slightly more doable than the rest - it was the one that stuck with him when he tried playing it at home.

To his horror, as he started playing he found that he suddenly couldn't make sense of it at all anymore. His violin screeched and everything sounded all wrong, and the more he tried to correct himself the less it made any kind of sense. He stumbled and stuttered through it, and Erik, despite occasionally wincing at a mistake or slip of Dan's finger, let him finish without interruption. Dan somehow managed to gather himself by the end and play a few bars half-decently. He lowered his bow, thinking it may not have been that bad after all, when he caught Erik's eyes and saw in them a look he very well knew.

"Mr. Jonsson", Erik uttered slowly. "That didn't sound like anything to me." and even though his voice was soft and quiet, he hit a very painful nerve- Daniel cast his eyes downward in embarrassment, biting down tears. It struck Erik with surprise - this young man technically had more qualifications than Erik did, and was a graduated musician from one of the most prestigious colleges - it made no sense why he would be acting like a teenager getting scolded instead of a soloist getting instructions from his conductor.

"But that's alright", Erik continued in what was hopefully a supportive and gentle tone of voice, feeling sorry for the young man. It didn't really matter to him why Jonsson acted this way; only that he stopped immediately. "It's only the first day. Please try again, from the beginning."

Daniel sighed and lifted his bow once again, hoping Erik wouldn't notice his hand trembling slightly.

This time he didn't even get through the phrase when Erik lifted his hand. "Stop. Please", he added, hoping that would help him sound less condescending.

Daniel stopped, feeling like he might actually cry soon if this went on.

Erik tapped his fingers on the table in thought, his gaze distant. "You said you read it at home."

"I did", Daniel said, trying to sound defiant but his voice also trembled ever-so-slightly; so slightly that someone other than Erik wouldn't have registered it.

"I believe you. But even prima vista, this shouldn't be such a problem for you", he remarked absentmindedly. He looked over at Daniel again, who was very obviously preparing to bolt out the door. Erik sighed. "Mr. Jonsson, please sit down. I have no intention of prolonging this torture any longer."

Ah, so this is it. It was good while it lasted. Well, actually it was terrible, so maybe it's better if it's over. Dan sat down on one of the chairs across from Erik.

"I'll admit my handwriting is not the easiest to read", Erik shrugged. "That certainly doesn't help."

"It's alright. I've read worse." but it certainly didn't help, no.

"What is the matter? What are you afraid of?" Erik asked. "You've been acting this way since we met. What do you imagine I'll do to you?"

"Nothing", Daniel lied. "I'm just out of practice. I've been playing pretty easy stuff for the last few years."

"The way you played that easy stuff made me think you were wanting something more, and I was certain you could do this", Erik said gently. "And now, you won't even drag the bow against the strings properly to let out a decent tone. I simply wanted to skim over this movement with you, so you'd get a feeling for it - but you're trying to play it so literally you might as well be one of those mechanical wind-up pianos. One of your strings is out of tune, and you didn't even notice - wait, I'm not finished. Not to mention this stiff posture you've been having. I'm not going to whack you with a stick if you relax, you know - I don't even own a conductor's baton", he waved his hand and tried to smile slightly, desperate to diffuse the tension. He could have put it differently, in simple terms - you play hard parts like a coward and easy ones like you're bored - but that wouldn't be very true to advice Alina gave him; she told him to be as specific as he could, to point out exactly what was bothering him and what he wanted instead, and no matter what, Erik, don't start lecturing him on who he is as a person based on his performance. Nobody likes that. Only stuffy old professors do that, and their students laugh behind their backs. Trust me.

And, by god, don't remember to praise him when he does something right. How is he supposed to know what you want from him otherwise?

"Well, sir, I'm afraid it's not quite obvious what it was exactly you wanted from me", Daniel managed through his teeth in frustration. "This is what they taught me at the academy, but it's impossible to do with this, this incomprehensible mess!"

"I never attended any academy", Erik said quietly. "And you're right - this incomprehensible mess is impossible to pull through if you're constantly worried about what you're supposed to do. That's why I wanted you, specifically, to play this solo part - you have a particular style I like, that I thought would fit this composition very well. I'm disappointed you decided to abandon that style entirely as soon as you were faced with a challenge."

Daniel stared at him wide-eyed for a little too long for Erik's comfort. "You- never went to the Academy?"

"No", he replied coldly. "And I'd appreciate it if you could stop gawking at me."

"But how did you learn to-"

"There has been music long before people started building academies", he replied. "I'm self-taught."

"Self-taught?" Daniel's head spun. "Y-you taught yourself how to compose?"

"Would you lend me your violin?" Erik interrupted, not eager to start talking about his life. "I could simply show you what I want from you. All this criticism is annoying even to me."

"Sure", Daniel passed him the fiddle and bow. Unlike most of his colleagues, he had no problem lending other people his violin - it was a beautiful and painfully expensive thing his parents bought him when he got into college, but Daniel could play equally well on any other violin they gave him. Some of his poorer classmates would buy a used one or share it among two or three of them until they could save to buy each their own; if they had exams at the same time it would be a huge embarrassment if one of them showed up without an instrument. Daniel had a friend, back then, who was one such student - Daniel often stayed longer after his own exams to pass his violin to him so he could attend the exam without others' snide remarks. He wondered where Louis was now - he moved away to Philly after two years when he finally got a scholarship there, and Daniel never returned his letters, until they gradually stopped coming.

"This is an outstanding piece of craftsmanship", Erik remarked, tuning the violin. Daniel thought he would take off the black gloves before playing, but he seemed unbothered by them.

"Ah. Thanks. It was a gift." from my mom.

"I'll be careful with it", Erik carefully tuned the traitorous string that kept bothering him for the past half-hour. Daniel tried passing him his tuning fork, but he just shook his head at him, raised the bow and started playing without any preamble.

"Now you can probably tell", he said, "I was hoping you'd play this part not because you were very good at following orders and proper form - quite the contrary."

"Uh-huh", Daniel blinked. "Um, I have no idea how you did any of that, or why it actually works together."

"Technically speaking, it's not harder than what you did in the academy", Erik pointed out, and Daniel diverted his eyes for some reason. "The problem is that the effect you need to produce is a bit different. This part", he sifted through the papers and pointed. "This is not supposed to sound smooth and pretty. It's supposed to be grating against both your ears and your mind. It's there on purpose, and will be resolved here", he pointed again at the next page. "But if you're going to produce that effect, you can't go halfway, which is what you're doing. You need to show some more conviction. Press into the bow on the legato, and really bounce it on the staccato. I want it to have a screeching quality to it, but I want it to be very obvious, pronounced, and intentional, which will require a lot of practice." He played a few more notes to demonstrate it. "What you've been doing is carrying the bow too much - I'm sure you know this from school. You're scared to make it too loud, so you start lifting the bow, and you end up with just… noise."

"Huh", Daniel frowned. "Alright, I understand." I just don't really think I can do it.

"On this next page, the resolution", Erik pointed with Daniel's bow. He was getting so caught up in explaining he forgot how uneasy he was to be alone in a room with an unfamiliar young man. "Technically, you did that perfectly, not a single note out of its place. I have no complaints. Except one", he added just as Daniel started smiling. "It's kind of boring. You didn't really add anything to it, no dynamic, no feeling, you just wanted to get through it. Now, that's not so surprising, because that part is too easy for you. It was written to be boring and mundane, so that it can only be appreciated for being a simple, pretty relief if you had to sit through the torment before it." he looked at Daniel. "Does this make any sense?"

"Yeah", he said. "It's starting to, now that you say it like that."

"Why did you pick that part for today?" Erik asked. "We could have started with something easy, you know."

"I guess I just liked it", Daniel shrugged. That was a gross simplification. Dan had a lot of feelings and opinions about the music he was given, but not necessarily positive; on the day he first read through it he went out and drank too much immediately afterwards, swearing he'd give the papers back and never complicate his life like that again. And yet, it wouldn't leave him alone - he kept thinking about it, casting sideways looks at the bunch of papers on his desk, occasionally even whistling that strange, distorted, haunting theme.

"Really? This part? This dissonant atrocity?" Erik raised his eyebrows behind the mask. Daniel couldn't see it, but he could definitely hear it in his voice.

"I was called a dissonant atrocity more than once, so I guess that's why", Daniel grinned. "Okay, I get it. If you want it to sound ugly, I can do ugly. No muting or softening. I'll rattle everyone's goddamn bones from here to New Jersey. Let me try again." he held out his hands for the violin.

"That's, uh, a very accurate way of putting it", Erik mumbled in embarrassment as he passed it to him very slowly, careful to keep the distance between their fingers.

Daniel grabbed the violin and for whatever reason, decided he didn't care if Erik was there in the room with him. He laid all of the sheet music out on one of the desks, page by page, so he wouldn't have to flip pages as he played. He then took out the shoulder rest from under the violin, unscrewed a little screw, wiggled it a bit, and set the violin under his chin again at a different angle. Erik looked at him in confusion - that was definitely not proper form - but Daniel paid him no mind. He relaxed his shoulders, then took his bow and bounced it against his hand a few times as he skimmed the music once more. "This won't be literal", he said more to himself than to Erik, who decided not to remind him of his presence. Daniel looked at the music the way he looked at things back when he was a little kid - he couldn't remember every detail of it, but he could suddenly see the main theme and had that unmistakable thought in the back of his head he hadn't had in years - oh, I know how to do this. I just have to not think about it too much. I know what this is about, it's actually really simple - everything is actually really simple. This is not about D minor, or the staccato. This is about loneliness. This is bitter, and the color gray. Someone forgotten, something unheard. A ghost's grudge against the world.

Daniel raised his bow. "Bitter, and the color gray", he mumbled. He started playing, letting out the horrendous screech of the first note as loud as he could - it shook and rattled his whole head and seeped through every wall of the building, reaching to Heidel's office. Forgotten. Daniel's feet would sometimes start pacing in place as he got involved with what he was playing - it was an automatic movement, almost like a waltz, that helped him focus; all of his professors always hated it, calling it overly dramatic and unprofessional. But seeing as they were currently not here, and he was playing something overly dramatic and ugly, he really didn't give a damn. His head shook and he spun in place, lost in the moment, as he let the music that was lonely and ugly pour out unapologetically, without explaining or justifying what or why or how it was so ugly - it was simply what it was and for the first time in years, Daniel was also simply who he was. Daniel understood what was being said, and didn't feel the need to sugarcoat it as he played.

Erik sat behind him, and Daniel with his eyes closed would never see the shock that reflected that day in Erik's eyes.

"That was a lot more like what I had in mind", Erik whispered when Daniel was done, looking somewhere to his side. "Thank you, mr. Jonsson. I knew you'd understand exactly what I needed for this part."

"I think I hear some ringing in my left ear", Daniel squinted and grabbed said ear. "Well, I have to admit one thing."

"Yes?" Erik seemed to look at him with some newfound respect.

"This is the most fun I've had in years", Daniel burst out laughing. "Oh, sir, the ladies and gentlemen of the New York elite won't like this symphony, not one bit! It'll make them far too uncomfortable; they're too used to sweeping their demons under the rug, they expect sadness to be expressed in neat little piano sonatas, not this maddening horror! They'll pout, frown, call it an affront to their sophisticated tastes and go back to their beautiful Manhattan villas where they can listen to Eine Kleine Nachtmusik!"

"It's not for them, anyway", Erik replied coldly, obviously offended. "And there's nothing wrong with Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, you're just too young to understand-" you anarchistic little brat.

"Oh, but I understand this! I love it!" Dan ran his fingers through his hair. "Where was this when I was wasting my youth practicing my scales and etudes? By God, this is pure emotion in the most bare, basic sense of the word!" Daniel said with a sort of manic smile plastered across his face, his eyes twinkling. "How can something so infinitely disturbing sound so beautiful? Who did you sell your soul to? Whoever it was, they gave you your money's worth!"

"That would be enough, mr. Jonsson. I'm glad you liked it, but we're not so close that you can assault my character like that." Erik raised his hand. Not that Daniel was in any way wrong - in fact, he had managed to poke with insane precision the simple truth in the middle of the passage they'd been playing. It was the beginning of the first movement, a variation on the first improvisation he played for Alina on the violin Yana gave him, what seemed like a hundred years ago - and it was actually toned down and polished a little. He felt a very confusing mixture of emotions: one part of him wanted to smack Daniel and shut him up for talking so casually about his private matters; the other wanted to hug him like a brother for understanding the composition and even calling it beautiful.

"Is the rest of it all like this?" Daniel set the violin down to shake his head. "I might actually really lose my hearing if I have to do more than thirty minutes of this."

"N-no", Erik said with slight hesitation. "The rest is… quite different. Not so, um, offensive."

"I can't wait. I'm sure it won't be what I expect, either way." the change in Daniel's behaviour was obvious - even if Erik had no doubt it would revert right back to normal soon - and his eyes seemed to have some new life in them. "When are we, uh, when am I supposed to start rehearsing with the orchestra?"

"I haven't decided yet", Erik scratched his temple, then had an idea. "Do you have any suggestions? When would you like to start?"

"I don't know, whenever", Daniel shrugged. The question had caught him off guard - he didn't really expect to be asked.

"Of course, the sooner the better", Erik leaned back in his seat. "You'll be more in tune with the orchestra if you spend more time with them - you'll be a better ensemble the more you listen to each other."

Daniel nodded.

"On the other hand", Erik tried to push a little further, "it might distract you if there's a whole lot of people listening to you before you've got your performance up to your own standards. There is also the possibility that Maestro Heidel will be leading the orchestral rehearsals."

"Hmm. I know." the light in Daniel's eyes was dimming by the second.

"Why are you afraid of him?" Erik asked.

"I'm not", Daniel frowned, visibly offended.

Erik was starting to see a trend here. Luckily, it was a trend not hard for him to understand. "Maestro Heidel can sometimes be abrasive; he snaps at people without thinking. I've already seen it, and it annoys some people."

"At least he's direct about what he wants", Daniel shrugged.

"True." Erik paused.

"It's just annoying that he sometimes wants the impossible, and immediately", Daniel blurted out.

Erik blinked. "Oh."

Daniel shrugged. "Will that be all for today, sir? I'll have to practice this by myself first before we go onto other parts, or it won't sound like anything again."

"I shouldn't have said that", Erik said slowly, looking very serious all of a sudden. "I- sometimes forget - ah, never mind. Mr. Jonsson - please, if you need to read through this by yourself, by all means. I'll see you again in a few days."

"Yes", Daniel packed his violin and bow, not looking at Erik as he walked out of the classroom after him. "I just wanted to ask, sir - what is it that you liked, about my style, or that you'd like me to do for this piece? Frankly, I never really thought I had much of a distinct style. Other than, apparently, being too loud to play in bars."

Erik paused, then shook his head solemnly. "I'm sorry. I'm not going to tell you that."

Daniel said nothing, but his brows frowned a little in frustration as he gripped the handle of his violin case.

Erik continued. "I'll show you techniques needed to play some parts that are counterintuitive, but other than that, I have no desire to tell you what I want, because then you'll just do that and nothing else. I'd like you to find your own voice for what needs to be said in this symphony."

"Sir, I have to tell you, that doesn't sound promising to me at all", Daniel interrupted. "Yes, it's all good and romantic, but if I get here next time and you tell me I'm doing it all wrong but can't explain to me how, we'll just be wasting everybody's time. It's easier if you just tell me."

"Yes, if there is something you'll be doing wrong, I'll make sure to tell you very concretely. But there is no way you'll be doing it all wrong. You're already doing it right, you just have a way ahead of you."

Daniel sighed.

"Mr. Jonsson, please grant me a modicum of your trust, because I've thought about all this well in advance. I'm not trying to play games with you. I do think you're on the right path."

"Alright. Sure", Daniel shrugged, biting the inside of his cheek. Erik decided to walk with him to the main exit - he had to go back inside for his things, but he also had something else to say and needed every second he had to compose his thoughts. As Daniel stopped at the entrance to say goodbye, he was surprised to see Erik standing a few feet behind him, looking very unsure for some reason.

"Mr. Jonsson", Erik said quietly. "I'd like just one more moment of your time."

Daniel turned, tightening his grip on his violin as he eyed him warily.

"I've seen the Academy, both outside and inside", Erik took a deep breath. "I know what it stands for - the whole… idea of tradition, artistry, perfection, greatness. I know that Maestro Heidel plays with people's fear of disappointing him, and I know that it works well for him, but I am not from his world. I am a nobody. I only have this score", he shook the papers nonchalantly, "and the only two things that I had, to write this symphony, were persistence and a wish - a need to be heard. That is all I ask of you - your persistence, and a wish to be heard. I'm aware how difficult this composition is, and I'm aware how demanding I can be. But whatever happens from now on, I'd like you to remember that the reason I wrote this symphony and why it was important enough for me to come here, was not perfection or greatness - it was just that wish. If you take those two things, persistence and passion, and find them in yourself, I have no doubt in my mind that you will succeed. I never had any doubt at all." he gave the papers to Daniel, put his hands back in his pockets, and looked somewhere far behind Daniel, looking somewhat uneasy. "Well, that is all, mr. Jonsson, I won't be keeping you any longer. I'll see you again in two days."

"Well, uh, thanks. It is a very beautiful composition", Daniel straightened a little, not looking reassured - in fact, he looked even more intimidated than before, although for different reasons. "I'll do my best."

"No, that's not what I meant", Erik sighed, frustrated by his continuing failure to communicate with this man. "I know you will do your best, but it's not yet time for that. I'd just like you to try, just a little harder, than you did before. I know you'll do your best when the time is right, but you needn't think about that yet. Just a little more than before every day is what I'm asking."

"Huh", Daniel blinked, looking like he was just seeing Erik for the first time. "Alright. Yes." he nodded, turned and walked outside into the street, his small frame molding into the crowd like there was never anything out of the ordinary about him at all.

"Wasn't that mr. Jonsson?" asked Caroline from the reception, obviously reading something completely unrelated to work.

"Hm? Yes." Erik turned to her in surprise.

"Well, great. I was starting to get worried, sir", she cast him a quick look behind thick glasses, smiling a little.