Completed Music of the Heart

[Ethan Terran]

Ethan raised an eyebrow, and gave Dominic a smile that showed his teeth as he turned to look in her direction once more. He laughed, covering his lips for a moment before recrossing his arms, "I apologize, I did not mean to laugh. It is just... You are not the first to ask me such questions. After all, how can a man who cannot see have a concept of beauty?" Chuckling he stood straight, walking to stand closer to Dominic as he raised his hands out to his side, tilting his head back and closing his eyes, "But then I always respond with another question... Why do you think that beauty is only what the eye beholds?" He brought his hands to cover his eyes, "Yes I cannot see you, but I am not deprived of my other senses. When I cannot see your face I can hear your voice. I can hear the songs trapped within your heart, wishing to burst free and be sung at the top of your lungs. I can hear the breath of wind through your hair, and I can tell how long or short it might or might not be... Usually of course." He lowered his hands and tilted his head toward Dominic, eyes still closed, "I cannot see the flowers that you call beautiful, but I can smell the scent, and in that scent I can know their beauty for nothing so sweet could ever be without beauty of some kind." Ethan sat down on the bed once more, turning his body so that it was angled toward the girl and he raised a hand before her eyes, "I can feel the warmth from your skin and I know that you must radiate with some inner glow. With my touch I can know the shape of things, and many faces are etched into the memory of my fingers." For a moment Ethan seemed as if he wished to caress her cheek, though the coloring of his own quickly saw his hands lowered to his lab and his head turned so that his ear was facing her voice, "You see, what you might call beautiful and what I call beautiful might not be exactly the same, yet they are still beautiful none the less." Ethan looked slightly toward Dominic, "I can hear the beauty in your voice, taste your beauty in the air, and I know that my touch would find you beautiful as well. For, my lady, I think that you glow brighter than the sun, bright enough that even these blind eyes can see the radiance of your soul." Ethan cleared his throat and gave a nervous laugh, "Though that is simply how I see it, and I am not always know for the best sight."

[Sigrun Dominic]

She watched as Ethan raised his eyebrow at her. Her grip on her lips tightened until she heard him laugh, and they slowly loosened. "Well, he must be used to it," she sighed heavily, practically deflating as her body softened into relaxation. She wanted nothing than to offend the young man, after all, and thankfully enough she hadn't. "It's alright, it's alright," she breathed out with a relieved grin, waving her hand out in the air. "But then I always respond with another question... Why do you think that beauty is only what the eye beholds?" "Well, the saying that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, I suppose," she shrugged as she pondered to herself. "Yes I cannot see you, but I am not deprived of my other senses. When I cannot see your face I can hear your voice. I can hear the songs trapped within your heart, wishing to burst free and be sung at the top of your lungs. I can hear the breath of wind through your hair, and I can tell how long or short it might or might not be... Usually of course." Every word resounded in Sigrun's head and deepened the blush that invaded her cheeks. She looked away, embarrassed, and feeling undeserving of such words. "I cannot see the flowers that you call beautiful, but I can smell the scent, and in that scent I can know their beauty for nothing so sweet could ever be without beauty of some kind." "You could perfume a prostitute," she jested silently. It was all she could do to distract herself from his alluring words. She watched as he moved over to the bed and sat next to her once more, and her body began to tense. It wasn't a feeling of danger that overcame her, but it felt strangely similar. The thin hairs on her arms began to rise and she tensed up at their proximity, her chest and stomach building up an unfamiliar heat and tension that was unexplainable to her. "I can feel the warmth from your skin and I know that you must radiate with some inner glow. With my touch I can know the shape of things, and many faces are etched into the memory of my fingers." "Oh shyke," she mouthed, blinking her eyes tightly as he reached his hand over to her face, "he'll make a poet of me yet. Atta would be proud." "You see, what you might call beautiful and what I call beautiful might not be exactly the same, yet they are still beautiful none the less." "Atta loves this sort of flower called daffodils, and I hate them." she thought, hoping to distract herself once more, "she thinks they're the most beautiful flowers of them all but I hate them. I hate them." "I can hear the beauty in your voice, taste your beauty in the air, and I know that my touch would find you beautiful as well. For, my lady, I think that you glow brighter than the sun, bright enough that even these blind eyes can see the radiance of your soul." She almost leaned her cheek against his hand, but thankfully he'd retracted his arm. "Petching shyke," she swore silently. She was silent this entire time, and that must've made Ethan feel uncomfortable. The young man laughed nervously. "Though that is simply how I see it, and I am not always known for the best sight." "No," she said quickly, her hand jerking forward to hold his. Her fingers lingered over the back of his hand for a moment, before slowly sinking away. The heat was never lost in her face as she looked at him intently, his gray eyes a fascinating rarity, as she'd never truly met a blind person before, only someone who was colorblind. "I can't, I can't promise you that you're right about my being beautiful," she chuckled, "but I can assure you that you must be one of the best at considering whether or not something is beautiful." She leaned over eagerly, finding herself determined to make a point. "You use all your other senses to discover it, the beauty in something, not just sight. That, is a deeper sort of assessment, isn't it? Much more detailed, in a way, much more..." "Accurate," she smirked, licking her lips as she found herself examining his features more carefully.

[Ethan Terran]

The touch on his hand caused Ethan to raise his head, turning toward Dominic once more to offer a shy smile. He ran his fingers through his hair, a nervous gesture that ruined the work the brush had performed earlier. His hair now tousled, as it was naturally, Ethan shrugged, "I cannot say that I am accurate. All I can say is that what I speak is how I experience the world. I hope that I can know the true nature of things without the aid of sight, but as of yet I am uncertain whether that can ever truly be." He reached forward, seeking the hand that had touched his briefly, "But I would like to think that, even without the use of my eyes I could really understand the beauty of someone like you." Her gaze, as intense as it was, could be felt even by a man who could not see the eyes cast upon him. The look made him blush, visibly this time, and clearing his throat Ethan would stand, turning to face Dominic with his hands folded behind his back, "But then you have not yet given me an answer. Would you care to spend the day with a poor blind man you have only just met?" He smiled his usual smile, a bit goofy and unpracticed as it fell upon lips that had never been trained to smile a certain way.

[Sigrun Dominic]

"The true nature of things are not seen by the naked eye," she said softly, almost cryptically, and dared not elaborate. Suddenly, she felt rather sad, looking at him and wondering what must've gone on throughout his entire life, what he must've experienced as a blind person. "I couldn't even imagine how Sigmund survived being unable to see colors as they were," she laughed softly to herself. Clearly, there were worse things to have, and to be. Her eyes met his as she felt his hand reach over for hers. "But I would like to think that, even without the use of my eyes I could really understand the beauty of someone like you," she heard him say, and immediately she looked away and grinned sheepishly. "Shyke," she mouthed once more. She turned towards him as he stood up and noticed the way his cheeks began to flush. "But then you have not yet given me an answer. Would you care to spend the day with a poor blind man you have only just met?" "Oh! Alright, of course," she said, looking around the room, resting her gaze on his flute briefly. "Though I wouldn't refer to you as poor..." she trailed off, "What, do you have something planned?"

[Ethan Terran]

"Poor I might not be, but then again neither am I rich." he winked. Raising his hands at his sides he laughed, "I have nothing planned, but then every day of my life is an adventure of sorts. I never know what they day will bring, or what I might find just around the next corner. If you care to come with me into the unknown, I am certain we can find something worth doing." He turned and grabbed the latch at the door, having to attempt it twice in his excitement, and pulled the portal open, waving Dominic through it, "Come then let us be off! There is much of the world we have yet to see." He smiled, beginning to walk out the door before pausing, one foot in the air. Turning back he would move to the foot of the bed, his hand just missing Dominic as he grabbed the bed post as he reached beneath the mattress, "Though perhaps I should wear my shoes on this journey." He laughed, excited and a bit nervous, for more reasons than he really understood, as he pulled on the shoes and tied the strings with practiced ease. Once those were in place he retrieved his cane, which was more of a limb torn from a tree, from the corner beside the door and stood in the portal. He offered his arm to Dominic, "Would you mind guiding me on this adventure? I believe it shall be much more fruitful if you were to take the leading step, though if you care to stumble from time to time you are free to follow behind me." he chuckled at his own joke.

[Sigrun Dominic]

Sigrun melted at the sight of the young man winking. "He's quite attractive, I'll give him that," she chuckled, watching fondly as Ethan enthusiastically spoke of his daily life, and even compulsively went over to the door and opened it wide. "Er," she laughed, gazing down at his bare feet. He'd immediately noticed it himself afterwards. "Though perhaps I should wear my shoes on this journey." Sigrun jolted as he moved quickly towards the bed, nearly ramming into her, though he quickly swerved to the side and plucked out a pair of shoes from underneath his cot. "And your cane," she said softly, but he was already ahead of her as he went for the wooden thing resting against the wall. "Well, I suppose I won't need my coat," she thought out loud as she stood, glancing over at the young man as he put on his shoes, "we're not going somewhere ghastly cold, after all." She observed him carefully as he rose and, with his cane in one hand, offered her his free arm. "Would you mind guiding me on this adventure? I believe it shall be much more fruitful if you were to take the leading step, though if you care to stumble from time to time you are free to follow behind me." "I don't stumble," she said confidently, smiling at him as she snaked her arm around his. It felt a bit strange and alien to her, as never before had she held a man, or anyone for that matter, in such a way. "But I do guide." She led him out the door, down the staircase, and out of the Traveler's Row. Looking left and right, she found that the streets weren't as bustling as they usually were. "Hm, everybody must be at the taverns eating, or something," she glanced over at Ethan and assumed it was still time for breakfast, "where would you like to go?"

[Ethan Terran]

The touch of the woman's arm on his was a strange sensation, though for what reason Ethan was not completely certain. His mother had guided him like this countless times, and even some men had taken his arm as she did now. Though with her it just seemed... different. Not in a bad way of course, just in an unusual way. Once outside Ethan took in a deep breath of the refreshing air. The sun was rising and warming the his skin. Spring filled the air with scents of flowers blossoming and ripening fruits. It was as if life were awakening, beginning anew, and Ethan enjoyed every experience his senses brought him. Tilting his head at Dominic's question, Ethan thought for a moment, "Well the sun is still only newly risen, so why don't we fill our own stomachs with breakfast? My treat of course." He smiled at her, the limb held in his free hand which now sought out the wall of the inn for guidance. Turning them both Ethan would begin heading to the right, his fingers brushing the wall, "Have you ever eaten at the Rearing Stallion? Its usually quiet at this time of day, though when night comes it can be heard even from my room." Once they were heading in the right direction Ethan would let his hand fall as he gave himself completely up to the woman's direction. It was very rare that Ethan could walk without worrying about getting lost. In a way it was frightening, for without that guiding hand Ethan could not know where he was in the city. But then again he found himself trusting this woman he had only just met.

[Sigrun Dominic]

"Well the sun is still only newly risen, so why don't we fill our own stomachs with breakfast? My treat of course." "That isn't..." she mumbled, but trailed off. "Necessary," she finished her sentence silently, almost losing herself in the young man's smile as he turned them towards a certain direction. Sigrun shrugged and began walking at a leisurely pace by his side. "Have you ever eaten at the Rearing Stallion? Its usually quiet at this time of day, though when night comes it can be heard even from my room." The young blonde laughed, "Oh, I hate that place. At night, I mean, I can barely sleep some evenings." "But I've never eaten there, though, I usually only go to taverns at night, usually at the Herald's Arms, nowhere else." The multitudes of Sylirans began to spill into the streets, covering the front of stalls and bustling along business establishments and inns. The young blonde's grip around Ethan's arm tightened as she quickened their pace. She didn't want them to be crushed by the sheer amount of people. Once they'd reached the place, Sigrun was immediately surprised by the stunning lack of people. "Hm, it's quite... subdued, isn't it?" she chuckled, eyeing a cozy spot next to the lit fireplace. The Rearing Stallion was warm and inviting, in a homey way, something the young girl didn't expect at all. The lanterns that hung low from the ceiling reminded her of glowing fruits swinging low from a tree, and while the tables were strewn across the large room in a disorganized manner, it was somehow still quite charming. She eyed the people behind the bar and found them to be particularly unassuming. The large fireplace on one side of the tavern had amazing brickwork, and the young blonde was tempted to brush her hand against it. "I could learn to like this place," she grinned, slowly leading Ethan to one of the tables near the fireplace, "in the morning." Sigrun gently helped the young man into one of the chairs, and then sat next to him. "I uh, I think I'll just have a mug of ale, and... whatever's available for breakfast."

[Ethan Terran]

The smells of food cooking and wood burning were a welcome one to Ethan, and brought forth a pang of hunger from his gut. Letting Dominic guide him completely Ethan found his chair, scooting it close to the table and laying the branch down on the floor on his left side. Turning his head to Dominic he nodded, "Aye it is much more agreeable in the morning than at night. Far less bodies to bump into, and feet to stumble over." For some reason Ethan could not help his smile that blossomed on his lips. It seemed ever present to him, and try as he might he could not strike it from his lips. As the serving girl approached Ethan quickly closed his eyes. He was all to used to the unease that they could cause a person, and so he strived to prevent those around him from feeling awkward of uncomfortable. Tilting his smile toward the one who approached Ethan ordered for them both, "Two mugs of ale, and breakfast for us both please." As the girl walked away Ethan returned his attention to Dominic, keeping his eyes closed for the moment, "Now then, lets keep the silence at bay shall we? If I may ask, what brings you to Syliras, or is it that this is your home?" Ethan struggled to create pleasant conversation, though it was obvious he was no master of small talk. He only wished to keep the conversation going long enough for the food to come so that they could turn their words to how good, or not, that it was.

[Sigrun Dominic]

"Aye it is much more agreeable in the morning than at night. Far less bodies to bump into, and feet to stumble over." Sigrun rolled her eyes and laughed, "I understand what you mean." The young girl eased into her seat and rested her elbows on the table, leaning forward. She was beginning to feel more and more comfortable around the young man and it surprised her quite a lot, as the only other person she felt safe around was Atta, the kindly old woman that she currently worked for. He was incredibly kind and sweet, and had a genuine, natural charm that drew her closer to him. She found him easy to talk to and comfortable to be around, as it seemed as if he was completely incapable of wrongdoing. "Genuinely innocent," she thought in passing. The young blonde grew more and more interested in him by the minute. "Don't get too cozy," she suddenly warned herself, her smile faltering for a moment, "you'll only get hurt." She remembered an old friend who had once been so close to her, and who had disappeared without a trace all in one day, and her heart sunk to her stomach. "You don't want that to happen again, do you?" "Do you want to feel that sort of loss again?" "It's a new year," she scolded herself, "it's a new year, and I should be attempting to renew myself. I will, by starting with this." The approaching serving girl provided a much-needed distraction from the young blonde's innermost thoughts. She smiled warmly at the pair, but furrowed her brows slightly at the sight of Ethan closing his eyes. Without missing a beat, Ethan ordered too mugs of ale and two breakfast meals. Wordlessly, the serving girl nodded and sauntered off. Sigrun didn't want to question his reasons behind closing his eyes, and she wondered to herself why he doesn't keep his irises hidden from her. "Maybe he's selective of who he reveals his eyes to," she assumed silently, "maybe he's not comfortable with everybody knowing." Whatever it was, the blonde was much too afraid to ask. In the end, though, it wasn't something she necessarily needed to know. As Ethan cautiously reopened his eyes and began to spark up a conversation, however, her curiosity tugged at the ends of her golden locks, whining for her to inquire about it. "Now then, lets keep the silence at bay shall we? If I may ask, what brings you to Syliras, or is it that this is your home?" Sigrun dismissed her curiosity and nodded towards Ethan's direction, before reminding herself that he was unable to see her. "Yes, I was born and raised here, and have thus far lived here all my life," she smirked, "it's a charming life, so to speak, I have yet to despise it." The serving girl returned with the mugs of ale, and mumbled that the food will be ready in a moment. Sigrun eagerly took one of the ceramic mugs by its handle and immediately took a large gulp. She eyed Ethan's mug curiously; only now was it sinking in that he had also ordered himself some ale. "You're comfortable with drinking ale during breakfast?" she chuckled, "Interesting. I thought I was the only one with a problem."