Beautiful Music

Writers: Eimi, Yvonne
Date Posted: 2nd July 2006

Characters: Kiomo, Thalia
Description: Kiomo asks Thalia for a private concert, and she surprises herself by agreeing
Location: Garnet Valley Hold
Date: month 12, day 16 of Turn 3

Thalia was humming quietly to herself as she headed back to her apartments after the evening meal. Carlan had unexpectedly gifted them all with a set of reels after the plates had been cleared away, and a few brave souls had been dancing. She'd only wished she'd been brave enough to ask someone to dance with _her_... but truthfully, if she'd had her way, she'd have preferred to be up and playing her gitar beside the harper. **Ah well,** she thought, **If I can't play to the entire Hold, then I can at least play for myself. I wonder if I can figure out the refrain for that last tune... that bridge sounded difficult...**

"You seem to be somewhere /between/ tonight, Thalia," Kiomo said as he fell into step with the former Lady Holder. "What are you thinking so deeply about, if I may ask."

Thalia smiled dreamily. "I'm thinking about music, actually. Harper Carlan has some wonderful pieces in his repertoire. Don't you think he played beautifully tonight?"

"Indeed he does," he nodded. "It makes me almost wish I had learned the gitar like I had always intended to do."

"Well, it's never too late. I'm sure if you asked nicely Carlan would lend you a teaching gitar and teach you a few chords," she said, thinking of her own gitar locked up tight in her rooms.

"I hear a rumor that _you_ play, Thalia. And if my sources told me true they say you are quite good."

She felt herself flush slightly. "Yes, well, your 'sources' are woefully over enthusiastic about my abilities. I'm no harper."

"I'd still love to hear you play," he grinned.

"I'm terribly out of practice."

"Well, I was never in practice, so I'm sure it will sound like a Harper virtuoso. Or are you just nervous about playing for an audience?"

Back at Eastern Point, Thalia had often played for her friends and family, but the only people she'd played for since moving to Garnet Valley were Aswic, Aslian, Carlan, and Penryn. She felt shy about it, but Kiomo's accusation stung her pride a little. The Lady shrugged elegantly. "Not at all. If you're so willing to have your ears abused, I'll play for you, if you like."

"Fabulous. I hope was hoping the evening wasn't at an end quite yet," he smiled triumphantly, holding out his arm for her.

"What- you mean play for you _now_!?"

"Why not. Are you sleepy? Is it past your bedtime?"

"Well, no, but..." Thalia cast around, trying to think of an excuse, and couldn't come up with one. **Oh, shard it,** she thought irritably, **it's just a little music. Live a little!** "Well...
where shall I meet you, then?"

"Meet me? Why I don't I just go with you? Unless you're embarrassed to be seen with me..."

Thalia stiffened. "My gitar is in my apartments, Kiomo, and I really don't think that having you there with me unchaperoned is proper, even if I am a widow."

"Oh, you'll be safe with me. Besides, the curious have but to walk by and hear you strumming your guitar. Its rather difficult to have a romantic tryst and strum a guitar at the same time. Unless you have a far more creative imagination than I." He knew he was being a perfect rascal, but she needed to break out of her "proper" shell sometimes.

"That may be, but tongues do wag. Shall I meet you... oh, how about in the morning room?" It was suitably public, but at this time of the day it would probably be empty. That way she could play without fear of her reputation _or_ being overheard and laughed at. "You would leave me alone all that time? What if I was kidnapped by some nefarious female along the way?" he asked with wide innocent eyes, gleaming with humor. She shook her head. "Then you would stand me up, and would not get to hear me play."

"I see. You wouldn't care if some woman stole me away and tortured me cruelly. I'm glad to know you would help a friend," he chuckled.

"Of course I'd care. I'd be terribly hurt that you were not able to fight off some woman, and instead chose to leave me waiting." Thalia tried not to roll her eyes. .

"What can I say, I'm weak," he chuckled, shrugging helplessly.

**That doesn't say much about your character,** she thought, but bit her tongue. "Well, I'll just have to trust that you'll meet me shortly in the morning room, then."

"Well, why don't I wait for you right here? This is your hallway, is it not? And isn't _that_ your door?" Thalia looked up, startled, then flushed in embarrassment. "Very clever of you, Kiomo." She put her hand on the knob and pushed it open. "I'll only be a moment."

"Take your time," he said peeking in through the door opening. "It's a nice room you have there. Well, a nice chair at least." It was, after all, the only thing he could see.

"Thank you!" Thalia glanced over her shoulder at the chair in question and couldn't find anything overly special about it, but she gave Kiomo the benefit of the doubt. He had, after all, helped her pick out bed curtains once, and proved that he _did_ have an eye for beauty. Her gitar was packed carefully away on a table, and she slung the case's strap over her shoulder and rejoined Kiomo in the hallway.
Seeing him surprised her, somehow, as if she'd forgotten how his hair swallowed shadows, the angle of his jaw, or the way the light fell across the planes of his face. She felt suddenly shy, and glanced away. "I don't suppose that you play anything."

"Oh no," Kiomo said with a little chuckle. "My father would never have stood for me wasting so much time. Strumming and blowing instruments are not skills a Lordling needs." The Holder's smile turned reflective. "He was not an unimaginative man, but he was practical to a fault at times."

"That's a pity. I cannot imagine my life without music."

"Well, you'll just have to fill my life with music. It can be your calling," he smiled.

Thalia felt herself blush. "That's a rather tall order, especially since you've never even heard me play."

"And yet I'm convinced it will be beautiful," Kiomo said as he reached out to take the gitar case from her. "It seems everything you touch turns out to be beautiful."

She shook her head. "You do me too much credit."

The holder smiled, shifting the guitar to his other hand and offering her his arm. "I'll be the judge of that."

Thalia let herself be led down the hall towards the morning room, wondering just what she could play for him. Because suddenly, she found herself wanting to impress him very much.

Last updated on the July 3rd 2006

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Beautiful Music