[Lestat continues to play until the song finishes, letting the last notes hang in the air. A sigh leaves him and he smiles, looking at his pretty young lover. He looks so much like his Juliet waiting for him in the window.
Lowering his hand, he rests it against the instrument.]
I wrote it for you, A-Ling. What do you think?
[Wrote it for him to be played on Jin Ling's favorite instrument too.]
[ He needs a moment to make himself speak. The first couple words come out rough and stunned. ]
You wrote -- you wrote that? For me?
[ No one had written him a song before. Or learned a whole new instrument just to play it to him. Lestat played liked he'd been practicing the pipa for years, despite only promising to learn it a few weeks past.
It wasn't... it wasn't impossible, but it was a feat. He didn't think even Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji, who were said to compose on the fly and could replicate a song after hearing it once, could pull off something like this.
The part of him still cut-up and barely scarred over from being so mislead by a loved one has him asking: ]
Did you really just learn it?
[ There's an edge to it, but the question is less an accusation and more a plea. ]
[Lestat can hear the conflict in his mind and he knows that he's surprised him. Caught him off guard. It makes him smile as he waits for the next question.]
Yes. It's one of my gifts that come with my nature. I can learn that which I hear so I made sure to listen to your preferred instrument every single night for a week while I worked to obtain one. Then I started work on the song.
[He plays a few notes then looks back up at him.]
You can give me any instrument and I can learn to play even if I've never seen it before. I promise.
[ Would Lestat have reason to lie to him? About this? Lestat didn't seem to lie in general.
Fail to explain himself, absolutely. Actively hide information? Maybe.
But Jin Ling hadn't seen evidence of him lying. (Yet.)
More than that, he wanted it to be true. He wanted Lestat to have written him a song. He wanted Lestat to have learned an instrument just so he could play it for Jin Ling. ]
I believe you.
[ The window was short, but he could readily jump through it and into Lestat's arms. He presses his shoulder to the windowframe, repressing the impulse. ]
The song wasn't so bad.
[ It feels sticky and ungrateful the instant he says it. The song was wonderful. The song was his.]
What I mean is I really liked it. You played it well. [ He'd played it perfectly. ] I have no complaints.
[ Jin Ling moves back to give him space on the windowsill, but not so far as to miss out on the kiss. His cheeks go read. He's sure he'll never get used to the easy way Lestat shows affection. ]
You could've come in through the front if you wanted to talk face to face.
[ Lestat's eyes are the ones worth being looked into up close; vivid summer blue despite the dim lighting. There's a weight to them, pulling him down, and Jin Ling lets himself be drawn in to take a kiss of his own. The quiet of the evening and their closeness seems to form a bubble of privacy around them.
He retreats to the other side of the window to give Lestat and his instrument some room. ]
Then I'd have to go through the building and this is faster.
[Lestat waves the notion off and lets himself relax where he's sitting. Easily balanced and without a care for where he happens to be or anything to do with height. Why should he care, after all?]
Allow me to play for you again.
[Positioning the instrument, he starts to play the song from the start, smiling as each note fills the air. The hardest part of all of this has honestly just been making sure to get the song right. Knowing that Jin Ling loves it?
no subject
Lowering his hand, he rests it against the instrument.]
I wrote it for you, A-Ling. What do you think?
[Wrote it for him to be played on Jin Ling's favorite instrument too.]
no subject
You wrote -- you wrote that? For me?
[ No one had written him a song before. Or learned a whole new instrument just to play it to him. Lestat played liked he'd been practicing the pipa for years, despite only promising to learn it a few weeks past.
It wasn't... it wasn't impossible, but it was a feat. He didn't think even Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji, who were said to compose on the fly and could replicate a song after hearing it once, could pull off something like this.
The part of him still cut-up and barely scarred over from being so mislead by a loved one has him asking: ]
Did you really just learn it?
[ There's an edge to it, but the question is less an accusation and more a plea. ]
no subject
[Lestat can hear the conflict in his mind and he knows that he's surprised him. Caught him off guard. It makes him smile as he waits for the next question.]
Yes. It's one of my gifts that come with my nature. I can learn that which I hear so I made sure to listen to your preferred instrument every single night for a week while I worked to obtain one. Then I started work on the song.
[He plays a few notes then looks back up at him.]
You can give me any instrument and I can learn to play even if I've never seen it before. I promise.
no subject
Fail to explain himself, absolutely. Actively hide information? Maybe.
But Jin Ling hadn't seen evidence of him lying. (Yet.)
More than that, he wanted it to be true. He wanted Lestat to have written him a song. He wanted Lestat to have learned an instrument just so he could play it for Jin Ling. ]
I believe you.
[ The window was short, but he could readily jump through it and into Lestat's arms. He presses his shoulder to the windowframe, repressing the impulse. ]
The song wasn't so bad.
[ It feels sticky and ungrateful the instant he says it. The song was wonderful. The song was his.]
What I mean is I really liked it. You played it well. [ He'd played it perfectly. ] I have no complaints.
no subject
[He laughs and then puts the instrument on his back. Soon he's letting himself float on up until he reaches Jin Ling's window.
Settling himself down on the frame, he smiles at his pretty lover, leaning over to kiss him quickly.]
There. Now I can look right into your eyes rather than see you from a distance.
[Making himself comfortable, he tilts his head.]
Would you like me to play it for you again?
no subject
You could've come in through the front if you wanted to talk face to face.
[ Lestat's eyes are the ones worth being looked into up close; vivid summer blue despite the dim lighting. There's a weight to them, pulling him down, and Jin Ling lets himself be drawn in to take a kiss of his own. The quiet of the evening and their closeness seems to form a bubble of privacy around them.
He retreats to the other side of the window to give Lestat and his instrument some room. ]
I do. I... I want to hear it again.
no subject
[Lestat waves the notion off and lets himself relax where he's sitting. Easily balanced and without a care for where he happens to be or anything to do with height. Why should he care, after all?]
Allow me to play for you again.
[Positioning the instrument, he starts to play the song from the start, smiling as each note fills the air. The hardest part of all of this has honestly just been making sure to get the song right. Knowing that Jin Ling loves it?
Ah that's the truest satisfaction here.]