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K'nahli · **11-17-2013, 01:18 PM**

((OOC Note: ))

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The soothing melody of artificial chords entwined both gently and befittingly with those of the natural world, forming a lulling ballad that was composed upon the continuously alternating rhythms of the rustling, wind-brushed greenery, the hum of the immense, swaying branches overhead, and the soft cascade of leaf-littered water over a nearby fall.

Remaining oblivious to all else around him, the blonde hyur fell out of sight from the path he had earlier veered from, bobbing his head to the beginning of each new bar that he played. As though seeking to find the hidden and unheard melodies of the woodland and knitting the worlds of both man-made and nature-born music together, the dreamy-tempo of the tune the young hyur played bestowed a blanketing feeling of blissful tranquility. He hummed quietly to himself as the untold composure continued resonating sleepily along with seemingly no end, his voice serving to refund the lost lyrics of an unknown hymn long past that were echoed through the woodland from the unseen spirits of the forest and the hushed whispers of the trees themselves.

His untainted, sapphire eyes remained protected behind his lids as he hid himself away from the real world, shielding his thoughts from the corruption his vision would offer. As beautiful was the Shroud was - and it truly was unlike anything he had ever beheld - the blank canvas that slowly came to life behind his eyelids through every plucked chord, as though caressed softly by an imaginary paintbrush, drew a vivid scenery that only he could see. His passion for music was born from this very aspect. Its ability to create a world that could never be found on the outside... and its power to capture and enwrap itself with one's deepest emotions and express them in a way that words could never hope to compare.

This was where he felt truly free, truly happy. Every canvas was painted over with a new melody each time, though no past image would ever bear a feeling of nostalgia.

Music from the heart never diminished.
Rather, it only revisited forgotten feelings with an evolved wisdom... and reflected upon distant scars in a new light.

Clover · **11-18-2013, 01:51 PM**

("Will you let me listen to your music someday?")

The first time, he'd been the brave, blood stained warrior who risked his life to save the caravan during her trip back to Gridania.

The second time, he'd been a peaceful, harmless nature lover she found in the forest, near the river.

The third time, he would be a gentle bard, a boy whose hands would rather not know of destruction for as long as the tune played.

His name was Andre; in Clover's mind, a warrior who knew many kinds of sounds, from the most painful to the most beautiful, being the latter the only ones he seemed to seek and embrace. His music could be heard from the distance, perfectly mixed together with the birds and the flow of water, as if it was a part of nature itself. She walked slowly in direction to the tree by the river, where he'd promised to play his lute. And he did.

Clover didn't speak, didn't interrupt him. Couldn't interrupt him. Silently, she simply sat down against the other side of the tree and closed her eyes, losing herself to the soothing melody. It felt like listening to a kind voice, one which wanted to share many stories with her.

The sensation didn't last long, however, for her thoughts were interrupted by a pang of guilt. This gentle music... it wasn't the Andre she met in the path to Gridania. It troubled her.

K'nahli · **11-21-2013, 10:22 AM**

The young hyur continued lightly plucking against the strings even after Clover had arrived, remaining oblivious to her presence. The melody carried forward for a short while longer, its imminent end growing more apparent as the mellow harmony grew ever softer and the tempo more and more easy in tune with the dying breeze before finally coming to a sleepy finish. His eyes remained closed for a brief moment as he drew in a soft breath of the fresh, forest air, silently bidding farewell to the unseen world before slowly unveiling his sapphire eyes and returning to the beautiful scenery that had served to inspire. He sighed in contentment as a slight smile formed across his face. He was truly blessed to be able to spend his days like this, although, the same thought did reign in a slight pang of guilt.

"...?"

The hyur made no noise to the brief realisation but he suddenly detected a nearby presence as his senses slowly descended back down upon him. He quietly leaned on to his arm to peer around the tree only to see the young, female acquaintance he had met twice previously. A peculiar girl who not only seemed as though she had a lot more to say than her words would offer her, but also a fearless being who had selflessly put his well-being ahead of her own in spite of not being a warrior herself.

Andre smiled playfully as he discreetly pulled himself around the trunk of the massive tree they had both been leaning against to bring himself within reaching distance of the girl. Her eyes appeared to be closed, surely not sleeping again? Cautiously reaching a hand out towards her hair, he gingerly pinched the stem of a fallen leaf that had lain itself atop her head and removed it carefully from her hair.

"I hope my playing hadn't bored you into a slumber so easily" he jested while speaking with a soft voice, hoping not to disrupt nor startle her.

"Otherwise I fear I may need to seek out a different hobby" he added with a bashful chuckle while flicking his hand to the side to discard of the leaf he had still been holding before returning his glance to the female.

Clover · **11-23-2013, 10:09 AM**

Clover's face remained slightly down, even when her eyes had opened. She didn't look at him, didn't emit any sort of movement, not even when he reached out to remove a small leaf from her hair. The contact, brief as it was, left a soft and tickling feeling on her head. Her grandpa would stroke her hair sometimes; it was something she'd always loved.

"I'm sorry."

She finally said, still not moving from her position, as if her whole body had become too heavy for her to even try. Regardless of her guilt, Andre's music had lulled her into a relaxed state.

"That time, you had to fight for us. You had to experience the pain of steel piercing through your flesh, and the fear of losing everything in a matter of seconds."

Her voice was soft and almost toneless, as if she was half asleep. Or perhaps it was the guilt turning her tone into a weak sound.

"It must have been painful."

K'nahli · **11-23-2013, 03:47 PM**

Andre recoiled slightly in surprise upon hearing the young girl's guilt-ridden voice. As ever, she appeared almost emotionless as she spoke, though the sudden arrival of such a topic was clue enough that the girl was still thinking upon the matter, perhaps a little too heavily. He turned his head away slightly, scanning the ground around him aimlessly as he relived the events of that day. It was of course, as she said, quite a painful experience to say the least. The aftermath particularly so, once the adrenaline in his blood had thinned out. His hand drew closer to his chest and came to rest atop where he had been wounded at the time, absent-mindedly, as he lingered momentarily, lost within his own thoughts.
Thinking upon it now, he was secretly grateful that she had left before that. Being that Clover was still a young and somewhat innocent girl, he'd have blamed himself had she have been exposed to such a sight which would only have led to her finding more reason to feel somehow responsible.

After a very brief moment of silence, Andre flicked his gaze back to the girl, trying his best to give a reassuring smile to her even though she had yet to look in his direction.

"Such things happen... and I am no stranger to it. You need not find reason to burden your mind with such thoughts" he spoke with a pleasant voice to try and help reinforce his opinion by conveying his own state of mind on the matter.

He gingerly reached out towards her again, this time his eyes focused on her hand as he boldly picked it up in his own, gently supporting the tips of her fingers with a light grip.

"It was you, Clover, who saved me that day. Truth be told, had I even survived long enough to see another conjurer within the gates I'd certainly not have been in a well enough state to be walking around this day" his gaze remained fixated on her delicate fingers as he spoke solemnly before finally removing them to meet with her enchanting eyes of jade.

His grip on her softened as he released his thumb and instead let her fingers merely rest atop his until she would withdraw them on her own whim.

"Anyroad... it was more than worth it to make your acquaintance, Clover" he added with a smile as he retracted away from her slightly and lay himself back against the tree.

"For a quiet girl you really are an interesting piece of work" he chuckled quietly in brief contemplation of what he had come to learn about the girl, resting his arms behind his head to serve as a cushion as he lay comfortably against the mossy, tree trunk.

Clover · **11-24-2013, 09:47 AM**

If Andre had been hoping for a reaction, he got it when he broke the girl's invisible barrier to take her hand. Clover blinked and raised her head, eyes open and lips slightly parted. His words merely registered then; she just knew he was being kind, too kind as he always was, with that smile surrounded by some sort of charming magic.
Â
Andre was a strange person. One of his kind.
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Her head followed him when he sat down beside her, her eyes staring at him like they did to Alana some years ago. Andre made himself comfortable against the tree as he offered more nicely coloured words, and all Clover could say this time seemed completely unrelated to the previous topic. Her voice, which still didn't raise much, had a tint of surprise and discovery on it.
Â
"Andre, somehow... youÂ are like a prince taken from a tale."

The hyur didnâ€™t tend to share her observations about people, mostly because she didnâ€™t consider them important for anyone else. However, Andre was a different case. Sheâ€™d seen him lost into natureâ€™s beauty, into the music it played for him; it was as if he was living in a different world. He might understand her view, perhaps.

K'nahli · **11-24-2013, 02:25 PM**

Andre quickly let out a hearty laugh in response. That was certainly the first time he had ever received such a comment but he almost immediately felt he understood why. In hindsight, as natural and insignificant as his gestures had appeared to himself, he realised that he was probably overstepping boundaries that would naturally be determined in the outside world. The realisation was almost enough to further embarrass the hyur.

"Ahah, my apologies" he began with a soft chuckle while turning his focus back on the girl.

"Would I be correct in assuming that my behaviour seems.. mayhap a little over the top?" he inquired warmly, unsure of how to best word his thoughts.

His gaze then turned away to face the river flowing swiftly further downstream where it gracefully met with a placid pool of water which hugged against a beautifully, mossy-green cliff face as he thought a little further on the matter before continuing.

"I was brought up in... let us say 'fortunate' circumstances. My family could afford me the more exclusive luxuries in life and as such, I was taught to show quite a degree of etiquette" he explained melancholically before turning to look at the girl once more.

"I quickly came to learn that such gestures were not as widely seen in the outside world... though old habits tend not to yield so easily" he added softly with a tender smile while appearing mildly bashful.

A small breeze gently caught against his hair, allowing it to sway lightly across the tops of his eyes as a final thought crossed his mind.

"A prince is typically a hero-like character, one whom is truly noble and any other would pale in comparison to. Unfortunately, I am not without my faults" he continued after a short pause in a more serious tone as his gaze broke towards the ground for another brief moment of thought before returning to meet with Clover's striking, emerald eyes. His expression suddenly lit up in a moment of inspiration as he chose to use the chance to find out something about the girl, as subtly as he felt he could.

"And what about you?" he began, speaking in a casual yet friendly manner.

What kind of character from a tale would you compare yourself to?"

Beneath the Gridanian Canopies(Semi-closed)

RPC has moved! These pages have been kept for historical purposes