Inuyasha | Rhapsody in Eight Movements

[luxken27fics]

Title: Rhapsody in Eight Movements
Author: LuxKen27
Fandom: Inuyasha
Universe: Alternate (modern day Japan)
Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Rating: T
Warning(s): Mentions of death, the treatment of mental illnesses
Summary: When a mysterious man washes ashore on Halloween night, it becomes a race against time to uncover his identity – and the circumstances that left him there.

Author’s Note: Further author's notes for this story can be found here.


[Edited to correct composer name]

Update 2: A Rush to Identify Mysterious “Piano Man”
The newest hope: a handwritten score
15 November 2005, 16:49

TOKYO (Reuters) – Hope has been renewed in the ongoing mystery of the “Piano Man,” the virtuoso pianist who washed ashore nearly a month ago. The man first gained infamy among the staff at Tokyo Medical University when he spontaneously revived on the autopsy table in the morgue at University Hospital. A confidential source close to the case has confirmed that the patient had been classified as dead on arrival, as well as confirming reports of his seeming lack of pulse or respiration. “The medical examiner suffered quite a shock,” the source revealed on the condition of anonymity, as no one has been cleared by the hospital’s administration to discuss the case publicly.

The patient was subsequently admitted to the hospital and treated for his injuries before being transferred to the psychiatric ward. Complicating the search for his identity has been his own steadfast refusal to speak or otherwise communicate with hospital staff, leading at least one doctor to speculate that he has been the victim of trauma. When given a piece of paper and pen, in hopes that he would feel comfortable enough to share information indirectly with them, he instead drew the perfect rendition of a grand piano.

Upon seeing this, psychologists on staff took him to the ward’s music room, again hoping to break his silence. Instead of speaking, however, the man sat at the instrument and began to play, an impromptu concert that lasted for several hours. It reportedly consisted of works from all major composers of the Western canon, suggesting an intimate familiarity with the material and earning him the nickname “Piano Man.”

“It was absolutely breathtaking,” one nurse exclaimed. “To see this man ‘wake up’ from his torturous silence, even if just for a short while, was truly nothing short of a miracle.”

“My heart bleeds for him,” another staff worker agreed. “It’s obvious he has suffered some ill fate, and perhaps he is all alone in the world. How difficult must it be to not even recognize yourself?”

After weeks of extensive work with a psychiatric specialist, the man has produced a handwritten musical score.

“Piano Man” is allowed four hours a day with the piano in the ward’s music room, where he has reportedly strayed from his original repertoire, and is now playing the same piece of music over and over again. An examination of the neatly written sheet music produced by the patient reveals that it is a piano concerto, one attributed to Frédéric Chopin.

Copies of the score have been circulated amongst local and regional musical groups. It is hoped that someone will recognize his handwriting and come forward to identify him.

The hospital has heretofore only released a vague physical description of “Piano Man,” amidst fear that he has been the victim of a criminal syndicate. Sources indicate that he has suffered from some form of continuing trauma, which has led to his mysterious muteness in spite of otherwise ongoing physical health.

A short audio recording has been made of two of his impromptu concerts, and has been sent to various orchestras around the city in hopes that someone will recognize him. “Piano Man” was allegedly found in a black tuxedo, furthering the theory that he is a professional musician. Few other clues to his identity exist beyond his exquisite piano-playing abilities.

Leading speculation among those close to the case is a theory that he is an Eastern European who traveled to the country with an orchestra for a tour. Orchestral groups in a far flung as the United Kingdom, Italy, and Germany, as well as those located in Russia and Australia, have been forwarded a copy of the score and the audio recording.

Until he is properly and correctly identified, a trust has been set up to fund his stay at the hospital. Donations may be made directly to the Tokyo Medical University’s hospital bank account.

The hospital has requested anonymity for all employees involved in the case.